This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. – Joshua 1:8

From the study of Jeremiah 11, as reflected in “The Thrill of Being a Champion”, we see a people who were unwilling to follow God’s plan, choosing their own way instead of the covenant God had set before them. Their resistance becomes a lesson for us to prioritize God’s purposes, to work diligently and with discipline as we carry out what He calls us to do. As we continue to give effort, persevere through struggle, and grow to become more like Christ, we learn that faithfulness is not passive—it is shaped through commitment and endurance. And in the end, for those who stay the course, there is the deep and lasting thrill of being a champion in God’s eyes.

The song If It Was Up To Me – Ben Fuller & Carrie Underwood captures the tension we all feel between wanting life to be easy and recognizing that real growth often comes through challenge. We naturally gravitate toward comfort, but as the song reflects, God’s plan rarely follows the smooth path we would choose for ourselves. Instead, His way sometimes leads through difficulty, stretching us in ways we wouldn’t pick but ultimately shaping us into who we long to become. The message is a reminder that while effort and struggle aren’t appealing in the moment, they are often the very tools God uses to guide us toward the victorious finish.

Index of devotionals

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