“Has he promised, and will he not do it? Has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?” Numbers 23:19
This Lectio Divina sits with Numbers 23:19-20 for Week 12 of Held, Confidence in God's Promises. Balaam speaks a truth that still holds, God is not like us, He does not go back on His word.
A guided reading, meditation, prayer, and contemplation, paced by you, not the clock.
If a promise from God has started to feel uncertain, this one is for you.
Held is a 52-week Catholic devotional journey through fear, trust, and the nearness of God. Learn more: XavierPublishing.com

“Has he promised, and will he not do it? Has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?” (Numbers 23:19). I'm Steve Corbin, and this week on Held we sit with what it means to lean actual weight on what God has promised, not just believe it in theory. We'll pray through Numbers 23, Romans 8, and Psalm 145, and practice choosing one promise to carry through the week, written down and repeated daily. New episodes every Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

“And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body” (Colossians 3:15). This Lectio Divina closes Week 11 of Held with Colossians 3:14-16. A guided reading, meditation, prayer, and contemplation, paced by you, not the clock. Part of the Held Catholic Devotional series -- Volume I, Week 11: Peace in Troubled Hearts.

“When I thought, my foot is slipping, your steadfast love, O Lord, held me up” (Psalm 94:18). This Lectio Divina sits with Psalm 94:17-19 for Week 11 of Held. A guided reading, meditation, prayer, and contemplation, paced by you, not the clock. Part of the Held Catholic Devotional series -- Volume I, Week 11: Peace in Troubled Hearts.

“The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?” (Psalm 27:1). This Lectio Divina sits with Psalm 27:1-4 for Week 11 of Held. A guided reading, meditation, prayer, and contemplation, paced by you, not the clock. Part of the Held Catholic Devotional series -- Volume I, Week 11: Peace in Troubled Hearts.

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives” (John 14:27). I'm Steve Corbin, and this week on Held we sit with what it means to receive a peace that doesn't depend on your circumstances settling down. We'll pray through Psalm 27, Psalm 94, and Colossians 3, and practice opening our hands, literally, to receive rather than manage our own calm. New episodes every Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

“Trust in the Lord forever, for in the Lord God you have an everlasting rock.” Isaiah 26:4This Lectio Divina sits with Isaiah 26:1-4 for Week 10 of Held, Steadfastness in Trial. Isaiah doesn't promise a life without struggle. He points to where peace actually comes from -- a steadfast mind fixed on God, not on circumstances settling down.A guided reading, meditation, prayer, and contemplation, paced by you, not the clock.If your mind has felt anything but steadfast lately, this one is for you.Held is a 52-week Catholic devotional journey through fear, trust, and the nearness of God. Learn more: XavierPublishing.com

“And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance...” Romans 5:3Paul makes a claim in Romans 5 that sounds almost reckless: boast in your sufferings. Not deny them. Not explain them away. Boast in them, because of what they can produce.This Lectio Divina sits with Romans 5:1-5 for Week 10 of Held, Steadfastness in Trial. A guided reading, meditation, prayer, and contemplation, paced by you, not the clock.This isn't about pretending the trial is good. It's about trusting there's something being formed in you that the trial alone couldn't produce.Held is a 52-week Catholic devotional journey through fear, trust, and the nearness of God. Learn more: XavierPublishing.com

What do we do when the trial we are praying will end… doesn't? Week 10 of Held is about steadfastness in trial -- not pretending that hardship is easy, but learning to notice the ways God sustains us while we are still in it. James reminds us that trials can produce endurance, but that does not mean we have to enjoy the suffering. It means we can trust that God is doing something even when we cannot yet see what it is. Today, we slow down and ask a simple question: Lord, how are You sustaining me right now?

"Neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers ... will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:38-39) Paul writes a list. He keeps going because he does not want to leave anything out. In this episode Steve Corbin guides you through a Lectio Divina on Romans 8:35-39 with two slow readings, guided meditation and prayer, and silent contemplation with original instrumental music. This is the close of Volume I, Week 9: God's Love Casts Out Fear. New episodes every Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

"As far as the east is from the west, so far he removes our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion for his children, so the LORD has compassion for those who fear him." (Psalm 103:12-13) When we are anxious, we keep a ledger God does not keep. The Psalmist describes a God who does the opposite. In this episode Steve Corbin guides you through a Lectio Divina on Psalm 103:8-13 with two slow readings, guided meditation and prayer, and silent contemplation with original instrumental music. Part of the Held Catholic Devotional series, Volume I, Week 9: God's Love Casts Out Fear. New episodes every Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

"But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8) Paul does not say God proved His love after we got it together. He says while. One small word that carries the whole weight. In this episode Steve Corbin guides you through a Lectio Divina on Romans 5:8 with two slow readings, guided meditation and prayer, and silent contemplation with original instrumental music. Give yourself 12 to 14 minutes of quiet. Part of the Held Catholic Devotional series, Volume I, Week 9: God's Love Casts Out Fear. New episodes every Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

Fear has a specific lie it tells about love: yes, God loves people, but not you, not as you are right now. In this episode, Steve Corbin opens Week 9 of Held with the answer John gives: perfect love casts out fear, and since God is love, that means God Himself is the cure. Drawing from 1 John 4:18, Romans 5:8, Psalm 103, and Romans 8, this week explores what it means to stop arguing with God's love and simply receive it, especially in the places fear has taken up space. The weekly practice is one sentence: Lord, let Your love reach the places fear has claimed. New episodes every Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.