There's a story of a little boy whose mum died. Every night he toddled into his dad's room to ask if he could sleep with him. Only when his father promised to sleep with his face turned towards him did the little guy feel safe enough to doze off. He needed to know his dad was looking out for him. When we're struggling, we need to remember that God is looking out for us and that his face is towards us.

It's not only when we're struggling; God watches over us, guides and protects us 24/7. How awesome is that! The most common promise in the Bible is, 'I will be with you'. God made that promise to Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Mary and Paul - quite a list! And that promise kept them going through the stickiest of situations! David said, 'Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me' (Psalm 23:4 NIV). God used all sorts of ways to remind his people he was with them constantly; from the manna in the wilderness to the pillar of cloud and fire that went before them.

Remember, 'Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged...the Lord...will be with you' (Joshua 1:9 NIV). Be at peace; your heavenly Father is looking out for you!

So what now? Pass it on. Encourage someone else today by reminding them that their heavenly Father watches out for them too, 24/7.

Gossip. It wrecks trust, kills reputations and can completely spiral out of control. And that's just the consequences for our on-earth lives, without even getting into what it does to our relationship with God. Yet, we all still feel (and often give in to) the temptation to talk about that one person/thing, just a little bit. Proverbs 18:8 acknowledges that; we really can relish and swallow gossip easily.

There's something about knocking someone down a peg or two, even behind their back, that makes us feel a bit better about ourselves. This common human reaction is so different to the godly model in Romans 12:15 NIV: 'Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.' At its root, gossip is self-centred; it's more to do with our own worries about how well-liked/Christian/good-looking/whatever people think we are. This may sound like a motivational poster, but... other people's successes are not our failures, and their failures aren't our successes.

So, let's let go of any inclination to talk about others' weaknesses and awkward moments. Let's develop Jesus-like concern for those around us. Let our first response be joy for the joyful and heartbreak for the distraught. Then, bad-mouthing others wouldn't even feature as an option.

So what now? When you're next around a conversation that gets a bit gossipy, try steer the conversation to an interesting idea instead. Don't be associated with gossip - it is extremely destructive.

Jesus is fully God and fully human. It's probably easier to get our heads around the 'fully God' bit than the 'fully human' bit. But Hebrews 2:18 NKJV says, 'He himself has suffered, being tempted, he is able to aid those who are tempted.' Jesus went through real, human experience, including temptation (which, let's be clear, isn't a sin. Being tempted is part of being human. Giving in to the temptation, even for a second, is sin, which Jesus didn't do - he was without sin).

Max Lucado puts it pretty well: 'Jesus was angry enough to purge the temple, distraught enough to weep in public, fun-loving enough to be called a drunkard, winsome enough to attract kids, poor enough to borrow a coin for a sermon illustration, radical enough to get kicked out of town, responsible enough to care for his mother, tempted enough to know the smell of Satan, and anxious enough to sweat blood.'

So... our God gets it. And not just from a distance. He gets it because it happened to him, which means he's with us in our current situation. Whatever life looks like for us right now, Jesus has felt it. That's our God, alongside us, saying, 'I know. I hear you. I'm with you.'

So what now? Read the Max Lucado list again. Which are you feeling? Fun-loving? Anxious? Poor? Find a passage in the Bible showing this side of Jesus and ask God to help you learn something about your humanness from him.

Ever had to deal with jarringly unhelpful people? Those who seem out to create havoc, often compromising on others' wellbeing because of the way they act. Often, these people are outspoken, brash and a natural centre-of-attention - and have great influence.

Jesus explains that his followers can sometimes be led off like wandering sheep (Matthew 18:12). Usually, the sheep that wanders is led astray by the influence of those in the next field. It's the draw of the convincing ones, who pretend to have all the green grass under their feet. Someone who's confidently rebellious, whether out loud or in more subtle, contagious ways, could really be someone who's in need: in need of a sense of purpose, identity or just friends. Prayer is a great starting response to that need, especially when they may be hard to approach in a real, vulnerable way.

In fact, in whatever context this reading applies to us, it's so important to pray. Not just for the salvation of the person in question, but for the people they're influencing. Let's be persistent with our praying, do it regularly, and keep looking for God to open up opportunities, and start softening hearts, to make it possible to have a conversation with that person.

So what now? Proverbs 28:10 talks about those who lead good people astray. Let's pray for those leading others down a wrong path - that their efforts would be thwarted. Ask God to be right in the middle of that situation.

Perhaps where we're at now is draining us of the energy we need to get through. When we're in a desperate place, let's never forget that God's arms are around us, even when we can't see light at the end of the tunnel.

Let's head to John 6:1-15, where Jesus and his disciples are faced with a crowd of five thousand. Five loaves and two fish aren't exactly the lunch this massive crowd was hoping for. The disciple Andrew's response reflects exactly how we can feel when we look down at the minimal supplies we have. In John 6:9 NLT he says, 'What good is that with this huge crowd?' Who can blame him? It's natural. But that's just it, it's natural.

To look at our situation through God's eyes is to rely on his long history of supernatural faithfulness. The Bible's full of unchangeable situations. Imagine how the early Church felt about Saul, the most violent opponent of Christians. No one would be blamed for thinking Saul would never turn to Jesus; he wanted God's people chained up (Acts 9:2). But, a few verses later, he's with the disciples serving Jesus.

God wants to show us how he can, and will, blow the natural, pessimistic responses we have, out of the water.

So what now? Given up on something you hoped might work out? Pray, then take another look at it. Maybe God will confirm you should leave it, or maybe he wants you to look at it from his point of view. See what happens.

The apostle Paul asks, 'Do you look at things according to the outward appearance' (2 Corinthians 10:7 NKJV)? If we're honest, our answer may be 'often'. Let's look at David's story. When the prophet Samuel paid a visit to David's family looking for the next king for Israel, he wanted to meet all the sons of Jesse. But David, the youngest, wasn't even asked by his father to join them. Left to tend the sheep, Jesse assumed that David's age and lack of experience compared to his older brothers made him not worthy.

But David was top-notch for the job: 'glowing with health' (1 Samuel 16:12 NIV) and filled with courage. He was not the scrawny boy his father saw; he was meant to have an important position.

Similarly for us, God has our opportunities lined up, despite what anyone may say about us not making it. So it's always worth praying for patience, and bravery, with people who make us feel inferior. Let's love them, but not believe their put-downs. Let's remember that God's given his life for us, so we already have his approving welcome.

So what now? Who has put you down? Whether a past or current thing, it's time to pray for a patient and forgiving spirit. Pray for wisdom on how to move forward. Being filled with grace and love doesn't mean we have to accept something that's outright wrong. Write the offence down, pray over it, and share it with a wise friend if you need to talk.