Made To Be Good, Not Just Feel Good - Encouragement for Today - November 4, 2025

Carbonatix Pre-Player Loader

Audio By Carbonatix

Proverbs 31 Ministries banner

Meredith BrockNovember 4, 2025

Made To Be Good, Not Just Feel Good
MEREDITH BROCK

Lee en español

“I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I hope …” Psalm 130:5 (ESV)

The challenges kept coming. Just when I thought I was recovering and getting back up on my feet after one hardship, another difficulty would come crashing in and send me right back to my knees.

Financial insecurity.
Relational stress.
Struggling children.
Professional uncertainty.
Illness.

I couldn’t catch my breath. There wasn’t a direction I could look and find peace, abundant life, or the provision I felt God had promised me.

These struggles aren’t unique, and the urge to give up when everything feels overwhelming is something we all experience. So what do we do when we want to quit? When we feel like we’re in over our heads and our emotions are screaming, You are never going to make it through this?

Personally, I like to take the easiest route. A venting call with a friend helps for a moment. Or I’ll try out the latest productivity hack that will pull my head above water for a couple of days. I might even get really disciplined and go for a “30-Day Reset” plan I saw online, which sometimes gives me a few weeks of reprieve.

But honestly, none of these tricks brings lasting change.

The only place I have found true strength and hope to carry me through the toughest of days is in the promises of our all-knowing, all-powerful God.

Maybe today you’re facing impossibilities like I am, and maybe your feelings are screaming at you to lie down and quit. Let me remind you of what God promises in His holy, perfect Word. He promises He will …

And so much more.

Those are good promises, but I want to take a step back and see something that’s not promised. In all the words of the Bible, God doesn’t promise a comfortable, easy life on earth, and He doesn’t promise to give us all we want.

What He promises is to give us His enduring love and to work all things out for good. It’s not that things always feel good, but they will be good … There’s a big difference. To be good is to be like Christ, displaying the fruit of the Spirit. Feeling good comes and goes; being good lasts forever.

The challenges I’m facing haven’t changed. Even as I write this, I’m tempted to give up. But Psalm 130:5 tells me what to do: “I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I hope …”

Today, instead of just venting to a friend or trying another productivity hack, I’m choosing to believe God's Word instead of my feelings. I'm letting Him use the waiting to make me good, not just comfortable.

Lord, in my waiting, help me trust Your Word more than my feelings. Make me more like You, even when it’s hard. I choose to hope in You today. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

OUR FAVORITE THINGS

For every broken place, chaotic day, and weary heart, there’s good news: Jesus came so we don’t have to carry it all alone. During busy seasons, the pressure to make everything perfect only adds to the weight of endless to-do lists. If you find yourself longing for peace in this season, More Than a Manger: An Advent Study is your reminder that peace isn’t found in the absence of chaos — it’s found in the presence of Christ, who calms every storm. Advent begins November 30, so order your study guide today, and let’s make room for Him together.

width

ENGAGE

Connect with today’s devotion writer, Meredith Brock, on Instagram!

FOR DEEPER STUDY

Romans 8:28, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (ESV).

Philippians 4:6-7, “do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (ESV).

Are you seeking temporary relief or allowing God to use this challenging season to make you more like Christ?

Where are you tempted to give up instead of waiting on God and trusting His promises? What promise from God’s Word will you cling to today?

Share your thoughts with us in the comments!

© 2025 by Meredith Brock. All rights reserved.

Proverbs 31 Ministries
P.O. Box 3189
Matthews, NC 28106
www.Proverbs31.org

 

Salem News Channel Today

Sponsored Links


September 26 - Phoenix, AZ
Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts


November 2 - Detroit, MI
Zion Christian Church in Troy


October 6 - Los Angeles, CA
Pasadena Convention Center


November 5 - San Antonio, TX
Norris Centers – The Grand Red Oak Ballroom


October 8 - Sacramento, CA
William Jessup University


November 7 - Tampa, FL
The Palladium at St. Pete College


October 22 - Minneapolis, MN
Crowne Plaza AiRE


November 15 - San Francisco, CA
Fremont Marriott Silicon Valley


October 23 - Philadelphia, PA
Green Valley Country Club


November 16 - Denver, CO
CU South Denver - Formerly Wildlife Experience


November 2 - Chicago, IL
Chicago Westin Northwest in Itasca


November 21 - Cleveland, OH
Holiday Inn Rockside in Independence



Salem Radio Network Speakers

Larry Elder is an American lawyer, writer, and radio and television personality who calls himself the "Sage of South Central" a district of Los Angeles, Larry says his philosophy is to entertain, inform, provoke and to hopefully uplift. His calling card is "we have a country to save" and to him this means returning to the bedrock Constitutional principles of limited government and maximum personal responsibility. Elder's iconoclastic wit and intellectual agility makes him a particularly attractive voice in a nation that seems weary of traditional racial dialogue.” – Los Angeles Times.

Mike Gallagher Mike Gallagher began his broadcasting career in 1978 in Dayton, Ohio. Today, he is one of the most listened-to talk radio show hosts in America, recently having been ranked in the Talkers Magazine “Heavy Hundred” list – the 100 most important talk radio hosts in America. Prior to being launched into national syndication in 1998, Mike hosted the morning show on WABC-AM in New York City. Today, Talkers Magazine reports that his show is heard by over 3.75 million weekly listeners. Besides his radio work, Mike is seen on Fox News Channel as an on-air contributor, frequently appearing on the cable news giant.

Hugh Hewitt is one of the nation’s leading bloggers and a genuine media revolutionary. He brings that expertise, his wit and what The New Yorker magazine calls his “amiable but relentless manner” to his nationally syndicated show each day.

When Dr. Sebastian Gorka was growing up, he listened to talk radio under his pillow with a transistor radio, dreaming that one day he would be behind the microphone. Beginning New Year’s Day 2019, he got his wish. Gorka now hosts America First every weekday afternoon 3 to 6pm ET. Gorka’s unique story works well on the radio. He is national security analyst for the Fox News Channel and author of two books: "Why We Fight" and "Defeating Jihad." His latest book releasing this fall is “War For America’s Soul.” He is uniquely qualified to fight the culture war and stand up for what is great about America, his adopted home country.

Broadcasting from his home station of KRLA in Los Angeles, the Dennis Prager Show is heard across the country. Everything in life – from politics to religion to relationships – is grist for Dennis’ mill. If it’s interesting, if it affects your life, then Dennis will be talking about it – with passion, humor, insight and wisdom.

Sean Hannity is a conservative radio and television host, and one of the original primetime hosts on the Fox News Channel, where he has appeared since 1996. Sean Hannity began his radio career at a college station in California, before moving on to markets in the Southeast and New York. Today, he’s one of the most listened to on-air voices. Hannity’s radio program went into national syndication on September 10, 2001, and airs on more than 500 stations. Talkers Magazine estimates Hannity’s weekly radio audience at 13.5 million. In 1996 he was hired as one of the original hosts on Fox News Channel. As host of several popular Fox programs, Hannity has become the highest-paid news anchor on television.

Michelle Malkin is a mother, wife, blogger, conservative syndicated columnist, longtime cable TV news commentator, and best-selling author of six books. She started her newspaper journalism career at the Los Angeles Daily News in 1992, moved to the Seattle Times in 1995, and has been penning nationally syndicated newspaper columns for Creators Syndicate since 1999. She is founder of conservative Internet start-ups Hot Air and Twitchy.com. Malkin has received numerous awards for her investigative journalism, including the Council on Governmental Ethics Laws (COGEL) national award for outstanding service for the cause of governmental ethics and leadership (1998), the Reed Irvine Accuracy in Media Award for Investigative Journalism (2006), the Heritage Foundation and Franklin Center for Government & Public Integrity's Breitbart Award for Excellence in Journalism (2013), the Center for Immigration Studies' Eugene Katz Award for Excellence in the Coverage of Immigration Award (2016), and the Manhattan Film Festival's Film Heals Award (2018). Married for 26 years and the mother of two teenage children, she lives with her family in Colorado. Follow her at michellemalkin.com. (Photo reprinted with kind permission from Peter Duke Photography.)

Sponsored by:

Made To Be Good, Not Just Feel Good - Encouragement for Today - November 4, 2025

Carbonatix Pre-Player Loader

Audio By Carbonatix

Proverbs 31 Ministries banner

Meredith BrockNovember 4, 2025

Made To Be Good, Not Just Feel Good
MEREDITH BROCK

Lee en español

“I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I hope …” Psalm 130:5 (ESV)

The challenges kept coming. Just when I thought I was recovering and getting back up on my feet after one hardship, another difficulty would come crashing in and send me right back to my knees.

Financial insecurity.
Relational stress.
Struggling children.
Professional uncertainty.
Illness.

I couldn’t catch my breath. There wasn’t a direction I could look and find peace, abundant life, or the provision I felt God had promised me.

These struggles aren’t unique, and the urge to give up when everything feels overwhelming is something we all experience. So what do we do when we want to quit? When we feel like we’re in over our heads and our emotions are screaming, You are never going to make it through this?

Personally, I like to take the easiest route. A venting call with a friend helps for a moment. Or I’ll try out the latest productivity hack that will pull my head above water for a couple of days. I might even get really disciplined and go for a “30-Day Reset” plan I saw online, which sometimes gives me a few weeks of reprieve.

But honestly, none of these tricks brings lasting change.

The only place I have found true strength and hope to carry me through the toughest of days is in the promises of our all-knowing, all-powerful God.

Maybe today you’re facing impossibilities like I am, and maybe your feelings are screaming at you to lie down and quit. Let me remind you of what God promises in His holy, perfect Word. He promises He will …

And so much more.

Those are good promises, but I want to take a step back and see something that’s not promised. In all the words of the Bible, God doesn’t promise a comfortable, easy life on earth, and He doesn’t promise to give us all we want.

What He promises is to give us His enduring love and to work all things out for good. It’s not that things always feel good, but they will be good … There’s a big difference. To be good is to be like Christ, displaying the fruit of the Spirit. Feeling good comes and goes; being good lasts forever.

The challenges I’m facing haven’t changed. Even as I write this, I’m tempted to give up. But Psalm 130:5 tells me what to do: “I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I hope …”

Today, instead of just venting to a friend or trying another productivity hack, I’m choosing to believe God's Word instead of my feelings. I'm letting Him use the waiting to make me good, not just comfortable.

Lord, in my waiting, help me trust Your Word more than my feelings. Make me more like You, even when it’s hard. I choose to hope in You today. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

OUR FAVORITE THINGS

For every broken place, chaotic day, and weary heart, there’s good news: Jesus came so we don’t have to carry it all alone. During busy seasons, the pressure to make everything perfect only adds to the weight of endless to-do lists. If you find yourself longing for peace in this season, More Than a Manger: An Advent Study is your reminder that peace isn’t found in the absence of chaos — it’s found in the presence of Christ, who calms every storm. Advent begins November 30, so order your study guide today, and let’s make room for Him together.

width

ENGAGE

Connect with today’s devotion writer, Meredith Brock, on Instagram!

FOR DEEPER STUDY

Romans 8:28, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (ESV).

Philippians 4:6-7, “do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (ESV).

Are you seeking temporary relief or allowing God to use this challenging season to make you more like Christ?

Where are you tempted to give up instead of waiting on God and trusting His promises? What promise from God’s Word will you cling to today?

Share your thoughts with us in the comments!

© 2025 by Meredith Brock. All rights reserved.

Proverbs 31 Ministries
P.O. Box 3189
Matthews, NC 28106
www.Proverbs31.org

 

Salem News Channel Today

Sponsored Links

On Air & Up Next

See the Full Program Guide