Daily Devotional – Friday, July 24, 2026
Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water, but a man of understanding will draw it out.
Proverbs 20:5 (NKJV)
Naomi and Esther had shared an office for almost three years. Esther was the kind of person everyone liked. She was dependable, cheerful, and always ready to ask how everyone else was doing. Then one afternoon, Naomi noticed something that didn’t seem like Esther at all. She barely spoke during lunch and spent several minutes staring out the window after everyone had gone back to work. Naomi invited her for tea after work. They chatted about ordinary things for a while before Naomi gently asked how she had really been doing. Esther looked down at her cup and sat quietly. Then the tears came. It had been a long time since someone had slowed down enough to notice.
The Questions That Reach the Heart
That happens more often than we realise. People can carry heavy burdens without saying a word. They learn to smile, keep busy, and convince everyone that everything is fine. In today’s key text, Solomon compares the human heart to deep water. The things that matter most are often the hardest to see. People don’t usually open up during rushed conversations or when they feel someone has already made up their mind about them. It takes a patient listener and a caring heart for those more profound things to find their way to the surface.
The same thing can happen in our walk with God. We can say our prayers, read a few verses, and move on with the day without stopping to reflect on what is really going on inside us. Meanwhile, an old disappointment, a lingering fear, or an attitude we have ignored keeps shaping the way we think and respond. God already sees those hidden places. He invites us to bring them into His presence because He knows healing begins when we open our wounds to Him.
What Is Hidden in Your Heart?
Naomi didn’t fix Esther’s problems that afternoon. She couldn’t. What she gave her was something just as valuable. She listened. She stayed. She didn’t rush the conversation or try to fill every silence. That’s often where real change begins. God meets us the same way. He patiently uncovers what we have pushed aside and reminds us that we never have to pretend when we come to Him. He already knows our hearts, and He welcomes us anyway.
Take a moment today to be open with God. Don’t rush through the conversation. Let Him show you anything you’ve been carrying without realising it. Then look around at the people He has placed you in your life. Someone may be waiting for someone to listen more than for a quick answer. One thoughtful question, asked with kindness, could open a conversation that changes far more than you ever expected.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, search my heart and help me to be honest with You. Give me a listening heart, caring words, and the wisdom to reflect Your love to those who need it most.
