Like many men who may be reading this, I have no background in formal ministry. My journey of faith started late in life after years of rejecting God and chasing after success and wealth. Growing up, my family had little, and my father was an alcoholic. For much of my childhood, I found myself longing for what others had—security, a stable home, a loving father, and often the simple things other kids enjoyed like new bikes, nice clothes, and the feeling of belonging to a group that typically avoided kids like me.
As a young man, I set out with four goals: work hard, build wealth, never lack, and gain the acceptance of those around me. These goals drove me to work hours most wouldn’t, and the time I had off was spent enjoying the fruits of my labor. My focus was on filling the void in my heart, and the only coach I had was the world around me. What others had and did seemed attainable from the outside looking in—if I, like so many others, could work hard enough to become rich.
Well, I achieved it! And guess what? The more I had, the more I wanted. The bar of success just kept getting higher. After the money, the cars, the houses—nothing seemed to give me peace or joy. All the things I desired as a child were finally in my hands, yet they failed to deliver.
I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my labor, and this was the reward for all my toil. Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun (Ecclesiastes 2:10–11).
So God, in His goodness, brought a storm into my life. Everything was lost. All my props were taken away. Like so many of us, I had a God-sized remake. God knew what I was lacking. What I didn’t understand was that all the money in the world couldn’t buy what I could’ve had for free: a relationship with my Father in Heaven.
It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes (Psalm 119:71).
Unlike my earthly father who failed me, my heavenly Father would never fail me. I didn’t need fame, money, looks, or intelligence to have a relationship with Him—He accepted me as I was. What the world failed to see, He saw: a man who simply wanted someone to say, “You’re good as you are.”
My journey of seeking worldly success had run its course, and the Lord gave me a makeover. So, my new journey began—and it’s far better than the old one. The old journey was filled with striving, fatigue, and a lack of peace or joy. My new journey is filled with joy, peace, and satisfaction. Because the Lord made me, He holds the keys to what I truly need—and that only comes through seeking Him.
This daily devotional is not intended to replace God’s Word—it is simply a part of my daily process of seeking Him, incorporating insights from wise men who have already walked the path I’m on. Each of us has our own unique journey, but the one thing we all have in common is this: without the Lord beside you along the way, the journey will never be fulfilled.
So shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it (Isaiah 55:11).