Devotional of Hope | February 2026

An interview with Troy Brewer, a pastor of a church in Texas, caught my attention on YouTube this week. His humble authenticity was engaging, and the subject he addressed stirred a memory from a ministry experience in my past.

Troy shared about an experience from a mission trip in Central America. I, too, have visited Central America on a mission trip, and his story immediately brought back fond memories of the loving and generous Christians I met there—along with vivid images of the difficult, often primitive conditions many people face in daily life.

In the interview, Troy described a day when their team was feeding people in a trash dump. As they served, a kind-looking older woman approached him with two skinny little girls. Through a friend who spoke Spanish, Troy learned the woman was a madam and was offering the girls for sexual exploitation. Troy said he was shocked—they were tiny and starving. Without hesitation, he took the girls to one of their orphanages and told them, “Nobody’s ever going to hurt you again.” He shared that the cost to set them free was $90, and that the girls are now grown and doing well.

Seldom are the ministry opportunities God provides as dramatic as the one Troy described. Yet we are promised that God has good works planned in advance for each one of His children. We can ask Him to open our physical and spiritual eyes to the ways we can serve Him by caring for the people He brings into our daily lives. As we are faithful and obedient in what seems small, He entrusts us with more—greater opportunities to serve and reflect His love. There is no act of kindness too small or insignificant to make a difference for the Lord in the lives of others.

If you feel the Lord stirring your heart to serve, I encourage you to pray about what obedience looks like in this season. Sometimes it’s a small, faithful “yes”—and God uses those yeses to bring hope, help, and healing right where you are.

Devotional by Karen Richard, Spiritual Care Team