Daily Devotion — Kristen Alexis Cave

Change Of Plans

I threw my computer back in my bag, grabbed my frappuccino, and booked it across campus to the foreign language office. Within 15 minutes I had the department head and three professors trying to calm me down. We talked for almost an hour before they put together an alternative plan. I could double major in Secondary Education and Spanish, but I would be in school for at least one extra year. Not to mention my scholarship would run out by the end of my fourth year so all tuition and fees would have to come out of my pocket. And I’d have to take a bunch of extra classes I didn’t need. It may have been a plan, but it wasn’t a good one.

Kristen CaveSeptember 11, 2023plans, changed plans, change, expectations, unmet expectations, faith, trust, believeComment

What Has God Changed In You?

Today’s devotion is going to be a little shorter than normal, but it comes with a challenge that I really want to encourage you to take. Before I tell you that, though, let me give you a little background.

Kristen CaveSeptember 7, 2023change, trust, improvement, development, prayerComment

Choose Your Hard

Not too long ago, one of the health and fitness accounts I follow on Instagram started posting a lot of content aligning with the phrase “Choose Your Hard.” The posts centered around this theme that no matter which path you take when it comes to your health, fitness, and wellness, it’s going to be hard. The more I thought about that phrase, “Choose your hard,” the more I realized how much it applies to every single area of our lives, not just health and fitness.

Kristen CaveSeptember 6, 2023difficulty, faithfulness, obedience, hard times, trusting GodComment

Are You Confident In Jesus?

This morning I was studying the fifth chapter of Luke during my quiet time, specifically the story of a group of men who carried their paralyzed friend to Jesus and lowered Him through the roof so that Jesus could heal him. I’ve read this story a few times in the past, but this morning, something I read in a commentary about this particular passage stuck out to me.

Kristen CaveSeptember 5, 2023hope, trust, confidence, faith, leap of faith, expectant, waiting, unanswered prayersComment

Fighting Stress With Spiritual Disciplines

Stress is an inevitable part of life. When we find ourselves in stressful situations, particularly like the ones we’re experiencing now across our nation, God wants us to come to the place where we learn to handle stress in a healthy way. Of all the ways we can deal with stress, both good and bad, I believe the best way to handle stress is to practice the right disciplines

Kristen CaveAugust 31, 2023prayer, journaling, quiet time, spiritual discipline, hard times, stress, reliefComment

Keep Pursuing Your Calling

I’ve known for a long time that I wanted to write. And for years I’ve been confident that God was leading me to be a writer, but for the longest time I had no idea how that was going to unfold practically. But even when I couldn’t see what was ahead, I didn’t stop writing. I didn’t let uncertainty stop me from doing what I was sure God was calling me to do. Even when the only people reading my writing were my parents, my grandparents, and my best friend, I didn’t stop.

Kristen CaveAugust 30, 2023gifts, talents, calling, purpose, uncertainty, writingComment

A Quick Fix For A Bad Day

In the midst of my bad day, my best friend Melanie texted me to see how I was doing. And instead of giving her the normal answer of “Oh I’m doing pretty good!” I unloaded on her. I told her everything. And as I talked about all the stuff on my mind, I also explained that I was blasting worship music and trying to remember every Bible verse about trusting God and finding peace in Him and praying when my heart is heavy. In other words, I was doing whatever I knew to do to try to make things better as quickly as possible. But in true Melanie fashion, she responded with a mix of empathy and truth. And her reminder is one that I won’t soon forget. She said, " I know it’s so hard, but it’s okay that it’s not just a quick fix of remember what’s true and then voila it’s all good again!”

Kristen CaveAugust 29, 2023faith, prayer, waiting, hard day, bad day, hard times, peaceComment

The Refining Process

If I’ve learned anything in my years of following Jesus, it’s that experiencing God’s blessings is a process. Being a Christian doesn’t include very many quick fixes. There are no microwaved blessings and instant successes. Living life according to God’s will and God’s timing involves a process. And the psalmist who wrote today’s key passage wants us to not only acknowledge where we’ve been and where we are, but also the process it took for God to get us here.

Kristen CaveAugust 28, 2023waiting, worth the wait, process, patience, refining, image of God, testimony, testing, God's plan, God's timingComment

Can You See God's Hand In Your Life?

Several years ago, I was talking to one of my friends about her new fiancé. She had just gotten engaged, and since I’d had a front row seat to watch their relationship unfold, we spent the afternoon recapping God’s faithfulness and provision by bringing this amazing man into her life. At one point in the conversation, my friend made a statement that really stuck out to me. She said, "Kristen, I can say with full confidence that there’s no way this relationship would have ever happened if the Lord’s hand hadn’t been in it.”

Kristen CaveAugust 25, 2023God's plan, plans, expectations, waiting, hopeComment

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