Morning Devotional 012026 Never Daunted

Liz’s Morning Devotional: Scripture selected from Upper Room

January 20, 2026

Luke 18:1-8

1 Jesus was telling them a parable about their need to pray continuously and not to be discouraged. 2 He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected people. 3 In that city there was a widow who kept coming to him, asking, ‘Give me justice in this case against my adversary.’ 4 For a while he refused but finally said to himself, I don’t fear God or respect people, 5 but I will give this widow justice because she keeps bothering me. Otherwise, there will be no end to her coming here and embarrassing me.” 6 The Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7 Won’t God provide justice to his chosen people who cry out to him day and night? Will he be slow to help them? 8 I tell you, he will give them justice quickly. But when the Human One comes, will he find faithfulness on earth?”

Good Morning! Pray continuously and do not be discouraged!

This is an interesting parable that highlights the persistence of an annoying widow. I spent last evening watching my beloved Hoosiers win the College Football National Championship. For years, IU was the doormat in the ranks of college football. They were the program with the highest loss percentage. As a member of the Marching 100, I persevered through the embarrassing losses during my tenure.  

Two years ago, Curt Cignetti was hired to turn around a program that seemed beyond saving and create a culture of winning. The team finished last in the Big 10 in 2023. He arrived in Bloomington with a plan and an attitude that some would call cocky, as he challenged the old guard and made audacious promises like “I win! Google me!” to establish a winning team. Like the annoying widow in the parable, Cignetti continued his barrage of statements.

During his first year, the team began winning games and challenged the doubters, finishing 2nd in the Big Ten and winning their first bowl game since 2018. Despite their success, many thought the season was a fluke. They began this season with a chip on their shoulders because they needed to prove their worthiness among the “real” college football programs. They went out and won, won again and again, blowouts and close games, but the doubters remained. How would these nobodies beat the storied programs like Alabama, Ohio State, and Oregon, who had rosters filled with the top-rated players? 

Cignetti continued his words of confidence and his claims that IU is a program with which to reckon. Last night, the IU Hoosiers, a team, not elite individuals, won the championship game. It wasn’t pretty, but they did all that was necessary to win. I loved reading Cignetti’s closing remarks. He spoke humbly of playing through pain, showing up when others doubted them, late-night film sessions when their bodies were weary, and defying the belief that they would blow up at some point. 

One of his more powerful statements in the transcript was, “You won for everyone who carried this program when it was heavy.” Wow! Our church mission programs feel heavy; our fight to overcome injustice is heavy; our call to share the good news with our enemies is heavy. Nevertheless, God is the one who carries us to victory when life becomes too heavy.

What a great day when I can use the Hoosiers unlikely National Championship to illustrate my morning devotional! Never daunted, we shall not falter! Go IU! 

Redeeming Lord, you bless us abundantly! Open our hearts and eyes to the potential for victory even in our darkest moments. Thank you. We love you. In Christ’s name we pray, Amen.

Thought for the day: God carries us to victory when life becomes too heavy!

The least of these shall lead us! Pastor Liz