There are a lot of things competing for our attention these days. Our phones buzz. Our tabs multiply. Our “just one more scroll” turns into thirty minutes we’ll never get back. And yet—there is something sacred about opening a book. Not tapping. Not swiping. Not being interrupted by a notification telling you someone you barely know just posted lunch. Just you. A story. And the quiet presence of God meeting you right where you are. Reading has never been obsolete.

One of the most beautiful truths of our faith is this: our Father in Heaven is a healer. Not distant. Not stingy with grace. Not waiting for us to get everything right first. He is close, compassionate, and deeply invested in our wholeness—body, mind, and spirit. “I am the Lord who heals you.” — Exodus 15:26 And here’s the part that often surprises people: through Jesus, we’ve been invited into that healing work ourselves. Wait, what? We can heal? Read more on healing.

Have you ever caught yourself thinking something about you that you would never, ever say to another human being? “You’re not good enough.” “You can’t do this.” “Everyone else is better.” I have. Many times. And if I’m honest, there have been seasons where what others said became louder than what God said about me. Just like Julia Roberts said in Pretty Woman: “The bad stuff is easier to believe.” But friend—that was never the truth. Words matter.