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For the land, whither thou goest in to possess it, is not as the land of Egypt, from whence ye came out, where thou sowedst thy seed, and wateredst it with thy foot, as a garden of herbs: But the land, whither ye go to possess it, is a land of hills and valleys, and drinketh water of the rain of heaven: A land which the LORD thy God careth for: the eyes of the LORD thy God are always upon it, from the beginning of the year even unto the end of the year.

Deuteronomy 11:10-12

In the 1850s Catherine Winkworth left her home in England to study in Germany. She was already a gifted writer, and she put her talents to use translating the beautiful hymns that she heard into English so they could be sung and enjoyed by people in England. In fact, The Harvard University Hymn Book says that Winkworth, “did more than any other single individual to make the rich heritage of German hymnody available to the English-speaking world.” One of those hymns was titled “The Old Year Now Hath Passed Away.”

The old year now hath passed away;
We thank Thee, O our God, today
That Thou hast kept us through the year
When danger and distress were near.

We pray Thee, O eternal Son,
Who with the Father reign'st as One,
To guard and rule Thy Christendom
Through all the ages yet to come.

Oh, help us to forsake all sin,
A new and holier course begin!
Mark not what once was done amiss;
A happier, better year be this.

The same God who led and guided us through the past year will be there for us every day of the new year. He never changes, and He never forsakes His children. The more that we trust and follow Him, the more blessed our lives will be. “Mark ye well her bulwarks, consider her palaces; that ye may tell it to the generation following. For this God is our God for ever and ever: he will be our guide even unto death” (Psalm 48:13-14).

For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

2 Corinthians 4:16-18
 

More than one hundred runners showed up in 1983 for the first Sydney to Melbourne Ultramarathon. The grueling race required running more than 540 miles to cover the distance between the two Australian cities. Most of the runners were young and extremely fit, but one didn't fit in with the others. Cliff Young, a sheep rancher from Queensland, was sixty-one years old. No one took him seriously as a competitor, and he quickly fell behind the other runners. But while most of them stopped running at night to get around six hours of sleep, Young kept going. He only slept about two hours per night, and as a result he was soon leading the race. The other racers thought he might wear out, but he just kept going and eventually finished in first place, ten hours ahead of the second-place runner. Because of his persistence Cliff Young won the race no one thought he could win.

The Christian life is filled with things that could make us stop running the race that has been placed before us. There are trials and hardships. We sometimes face opposition and even persecution. But in every circumstance we have God's promises and power on which to draw. “Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's” (Psalm 103:4-5). The secret to success in the Christian life is not having an easy path but being empowered and sustained by the loving hand of our Heavenly Father. He never fails those who trust in Him.

Teach me thy way, O LORD, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies. Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies: for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty. I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.

Psalm 27:11-14
 

Despite the fact that Samuel had anointed him to be the next king of Israel, David spent years running for his life. Saul first tried to put David in a position where he would be killed, and when that didn't work he began openly trying to kill David himself. David endured great hardship and danger because of the unjust accusations against him. Things got so bad that David at one point even went to Gath, the hometown of Goliath, seeking refuge from Saul. He had to pretend to be crazy to keep for being killed. He was betrayed by people he had delivered. He was hunted despite not having done anything wrong. At any point along that path, it would have been easy for David to conclude that God was not going to keep His promise and simply give up.

Why didn't David quit? The answer is that despite all that happened and the delay in the fulfillment of the promise, he still believed God was going to do what He said. Sometimes when we are going through difficulties we are tempted to lose sight of the faithfulness of God. He did not promise us that every day would be smooth and easy. He did promise never to leave or forsake us. As we wait on God, keeping our faith in Him, we will find He strengthens us for whatever challenges we face. If we lose our focus on Him, it will not be long before we give up and fail to receive His blessings. No matter how long it takes, God always keeps His promises.

If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me. Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee. 

Psalm 139:9-12
 

Like many stores across the country, the Walmart in Chesterfield, Virginia, hosted a “Shop with a Cop” event last Christmas, as they have done for a number of years. Police officers from several different departments go through the store with underprivileged children so they can pick out toys for the holiday. That was also the day Hector Maldonado was doing his Christmas shopping. But his plan did not involve paying for the more than $1,400 worth of things he had picked up. Chesterfield County Police Lieutenant James Lamb said, “A member of the staff at Walmart came up to us and informed us they had a shoplifting in progress, Between the sheriff's department and police officers, we had about fifty uniformed personnel at the store. As we approached from different directions, he tried to escape out the back of the store where he was apprehended. I think he was stunned.”

While most people would not attempt to steal in a store filled with dozens of police officers, the temptations that come when we think no one will see or find out can be harder to resist. The devil tells us that no one will know, but like all his false promises, it is a lie. Even if we do manage to conceal our sin from people, God sees it. “Some men's sins are open beforehand, going before to judgment; and some men they follow after” (1 Timothy 5:24). Knowing that God is constantly present with us and aware, not just of what we do but also what we think, we should be holy and resist temptation. There are no truly secret sins.

Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.

1 John 4:1-3

In November of 2024, agents from the US Customs and Border Protection Agency seized a huge shipment of guitars—more than three thousand of them. Though they were labeled as Gibson electric guitars, they were actually counterfeits shipped in from Asia. “These fraudulent guitars may look and feel legitimate for unsuspecting consumers buying them from third party online sources, street markets, unauthorized retailers, and person-to-person transactions,” Cheryl M. Davies, CBP director of field operations in Los Angeles said. “Consumers should pay attention on where they are buying these goods and how much they are paying, and if is too good to be true it probably is.”

The world around us is filled with fakes, not just in musical instruments or clothing or accessories, but also in the spiritual realm. The devil is a counterfeiter, and has been from the beginning. Though he sometimes comes to us with blatant falsehoods, he more often uses things that look good on the surface. It is only later that we discover a lie concealed under the appearance. God calls us to be wise and discerning, able to distinguish between truth and error. “Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is” (Ephesians 5:17). The one unfailing guide we have to the truth is the Word of God. The ideas and opinions of people may be mistaken, but the Bible never is. Nothing that fails to line up with Scripture is true, regardless of how it is packaged and presented.

But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother's way.

Romans 14:10-13

I read about a man who went forward to the altar at the end of a sermon. A counselor met him, and asked why he had walked the aisle. “I’m a Christian,” the man said, “but there’s sin in my life, and I need help.” The counselor opened his Bible to 1 John 1:9 and talked to him about the importance of confession of sin. Soon the man began to pray. “Oh Father, if we have done anything wrong….” “Just a minute!” the counselor interrupted, “Don’t drag me into your sin! My brother, it’s not ‘if’ or ‘we.’ If you want forgiveness for your sin, you had better get down to business with God!”

There is no way to deal with sin unless we are willing to accept responsibility for what we have done or failed to do. The human tendency to shift the blame and try to rationalize or excuse our wrong is easy, but it prevents us from actually dealing with the problem. It is not until we face the situation honestly and without shirking responsibility that we can have our relationship with God restored. When we stop hiding our sin, we not only return to fellowship with the Lord, but our admission of responsibility brings glory to God as the righteous judge. “And Joshua said unto Achan, My son, give, I pray thee, glory to the LORD God of Israel, and make confession unto him; and tell me now what thou hast done; hide it not from me” (Joshua 7:19).

And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also. Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier. And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully.

2 Timothy 2:2-5
 

In the 2024 Paralympic Games, Spanish runner Elena Congost was in great shape to win the bronze medal in the T12 women's marathon. She had a three minute lead over the fourth place runner. Congost, who is legally blind, was guided during the race by Mia Carol using a tether to keep the two runners together. Just before they reached the finish lines, Carol began cramping, and Elena Congost let go of the tether to help her guide. As a result, though they had crossed the finish line in third place, Congost was not awarded the bronze medal. Rule 7.9.3 of the World Para Athletic Rules and Regulations states: “The athlete and their accompanying guide-runner shall retain the tether attachment from the start of the race until the end of the race. No release shall be allowed until after [they have] both reached the vertical plane of the nearer edge of the finish line and finished the race.”

God does not just want us to take any approach to doing His work. He wants us to labor for Him according to His direction and in obedience to His Word. This extends not just to our actions, but to our motives as well. Even the greatest accomplishments in the eyes of the world hold no value in God's eyes if they are not done from a heart that is right. “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal” (1 Corinthians 13:1).

Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them. But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.

Colossians 3:5-8

Norman Vincent Peale was one of the most popular and well-known preachers of the 1900s. For more than fifty years he was pastor at Marble Collegiate Church in New York City. His best-selling book The Power of Positive Thinking sold more than five million copies. But the theology that Peale preached had no place for repentance and dealing with sin. Even the secular psychiatrist C. R. Murphy wrote in his critique, “Mr. Peale refuses to allow his followers to hear, speak or see any evil. For him real human suffering does not exist; there is no such thing as murderous rage, suicidal despair, cruelty, lust, greed, mass poverty, or illiteracy. All these things he would dismiss as trivial mental processes which will evaporate if thoughts are simply turned into more cheerful channels.”

No matter how hard people try to deny the reality of sin, and no matter what excuses society makes for sinners, sin is real. And because of God's perfect holiness and His hatred of sin, every person born into the world is born condemned. Jesus told Nicodemus, “He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God” (John 3:18). We do not need more positive messages, telling people that they are basically good and can deal with things on their own. We need more pointed messages, telling people the truth—that we are all sinners and that Jesus is the only way of salvation. God's wrath toward sin may not be a popular topic, but it is a real truth that must not be forgotten. Sin is still wrong and deadly, and only grace can deal with it.

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Ephesians 6:10-13
 

One of the most famous heroes of Greek mythology was Achilles. The great warrior was at the center of Homer's Iliad, which told the story of the Trojan War. According to the legend, when Achilles was a baby his mother took him to the River Styx and dipped him into the water. Because she held him by the heel, that was the only part of his body that was vulnerable to injury. Achilles wreaked havoc among the Trojan army, even killing Hector, the crown prince. The end of the story was that Achilles was killed outside the walls of Troy by an arrow that hit his heel. To this day the Achilles' heel is a common metaphor for a small weakness that can become the source of great harm.

The battles that we fight in the Christian life are not legend or myth, but very real. We have an enemy who is completely dedicated to our destruction, and we must be on guard against his attacks every day. “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8). 

To win spiritual battles, it is essential that we arm ourselves completely with the tools God has given us to gain the victory. It is not enough to put on part of the armor, leaving the rest unprotected. The devil is a master at locating any vulnerability that we leave open to his attacks. God gives us all the protection we need, but we must put on that armor daily.

Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.

Hebrews 4:11-13
 

There is no way for us to even begin to grasp the infinite knowledge of God with our finite minds. But He has given us everything that we need to know in His Word. “According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue” (2 Peter 1:3). In 1982, Reader's Digest produced a Condensed Bible which removed about 40 percent of the words of Scripture. God did not give us any extraneous words. Everything in the Bible is important. It is not surprising that people would pick and choose what parts of the Bible they want to hear and read, but we need the entire Word of God to learn and obey.

Charles Spurgeon, speaking of the Bible, said, “This weapon is good at all points, good for defense and for attack, to guard our whole person or to strike through the joints and marrow of the foe. Like the seraph’s sword at Eden’s gate, it turns every way. You cannot be in a condition that the Word of God has not provided. The Word has as many faces and eyes as providence itself. You will find it unfailing in all periods of your life, in all circumstances, in all companies, in all trials, and under all difficulties. Were it fallible, it would be useless in emergencies, but its unerring truth renders it precious beyond all price to the soldiers of the cross.”

And the woman said, Wherefore then hast thou thought such a thing against the people of God? for the king doth speak this thing as one which is faulty, in that the king doth not fetch home again his banished. For we must needs die, and are as water spilt on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again; neither doth God respect any person: yet doth he devise means, that his banished be not expelled from him.

2 Samuel 14:13-14
 

Just before Thanksgiving in 2024, a ninety-one-year-old Wyoming man named Michael Black wandered away from home. Black, who has dementia, hitchhiked over two hundred miles to Salt Lake City, where he ended up at a rescue mission. With the holiday approaching, a local news station filmed a segment about the rescue mission feeding people and Black was shown in the footage. His wife happened to be watching the news at 10:00 that night. She told a reporter, “I thought, ‘Wait a minute, I’m sure I saw Michael.’ So I paused the TV, set it back, and yeah, sure enough, there he was. It was so unreal. I was so relieved. I actually slept that night. I’m speechless. It just blows me away that it happened.” She drove to Salt Lake City the next morning and brought her husband home.

The tendency for mankind to wander away from God has been present since sin entered the world. We are not basically good, trying to find our way to God. We are lost and far from Him. “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:6). The only rescue that we have is that God made a way for us to come to Him through Jesus. The way to Him was not made because we were worthy or good, but because of His gracious love toward us. “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8).

The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people: But because the LORD loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.

Deuteronomy 7:7-8

One of the temptations those of us who have been saved for many years face is that we may forget how much we needed to be saved. For those who grew up in Christian homes and were saved at a young age, we may not have a dramatic conversion story like someone who lived in sin in the world for years before coming to Jesus. But the fact that we were not openly sinful in some ways does not change the fact that we were hopelessly lost, even though we may have been going to church, learning the Bible, and outwardly conforming to the beliefs of those around us. We were not close, only needing a little boost from God to reach Heaven. We were completely lost, unable to come to God except through His grace. The fact that we are now Christians is not a measure or reflection of our own goodness, but of God's love for us. 

In his prayer of repentance, Daniel expressed this great truth. “O my God, incline thine ear, and hear; open thine eyes, and behold our desolations, and the city which is called by thy name: for we do not present our supplications before thee for our righteousnesses, but for thy great mercies” (Daniel 9:18). The grace of God is the only way any of us come to Christ. God did not look down to pick a few people who were already doing right. Jesus came to provide salvation for all sinners, and He invites all to trust Him as Savior. Our salvation has nothing to do with our merit and everything to do with God's grace.

And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the LORD. As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the LORD; My spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed's seed, saith the LORD, from henceforth and for ever.

Isaiah 59:20-21

On October 1, 2010 the Consumer Product Safety Commission announced an unusual recall. A series of sixteen home repair and improvement books published by Oxmoor House were officially taken off the market. This followed the decision earlier in the year to recall nine other home repair guides. Though the books were no longer in print, the decision was made that warning notices still needed to be sent out to inform people that the information in those books was not reliable. The CPSC declared they contained, “errors in the technical diagrams and wiring instructions that could lead consumers to incorrectly install or repair electrical wiring, posing an electrical shock or fire hazard to consumers.”

In the Bible we have been given truth that is eternal and unchanging. The Bible never goes out of date, and never needs to be corrected. Charles Spurgeon said, “Many books in my library are now behind and beneath me. They were good in their way once, and so were the clothes I wore when I was ten years old; but I have outgrown them. Nobody ever outgrows Scripture; the book widens and deepens with our years.” When we fill our hearts and minds with the Word of God, we are building on an unshakable foundation. The same words that our ancestors read, memorized, studied, and believed are still true today. With complete confidence we can believe everything God says to us in His Word, and we can pass that same faith on to those who come after us. Everything that God says is true, perfect, and fully reliable.

And Abram said, Lord GOD, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus? And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir. And, behold, the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir. And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.

Genesis 15:2-5
 

The launch of the Pioneer 10 space probe in 1972 represented a significant step forward for NASA. At the time nothing launched from Earth had ever gone beyond Mars. Pioneer 10, which became known as “the little satellite that could,” was sent to explore Jupiter, even though scientists were not sure it would survive through the asteroid belt to reach the largest planet in our solar system. Pioneer 10 not only survived, sending back data about Jupiter, but it continued out into space. Using an 8 watt transmitter, which is about the same power as a nightlight, it sent information as it passed Saturn, Neptune, Uranus, and Pluto. In fact, the Pioneer 10, which was planned for a three year mission, continued sending data until early in 2023, almost thirty-one years after it was launched. The last transmission that came with the probe was more than 7.5 billion miles from Earth.

There is no way to overstate the value of simply continuing to move forward in the Christian life. No matter how much time passes, the promises of God are just as faithful as they always have been. God does not work on our schedule, but He does keep every commitment that He has made. Our responsibility is to continue doing what He has said, trusting Him to fulfill His purpose in our lives according to His timeline. Many years passed between the promise God made to Abraham and the birth of Isaac, but it happened because God always does what He says.

Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

Romans 8:37-39

John Waddell was doing what he usually did on that October day in 2018, working in the mine he had owned and operated for twenty years in the Arizona desert. But that day an uncontrolled descent down a mine shaft left him trapped one hundred feet underground with no way to get out. He had no food or water, and his leg and ankle were broken. To make matters worse, he heard rattlesnakes moving through the mine near where he was stuck. But John Waddell had a friend named Terry Schrader who came to the mine when Waddell didn't check in with him. Hearing his friend calling for help from below, Schrader called the Maricopa County Search and Rescue team, and they came. After a three-hour operation, they pulled Waddell up and took him to the hospital for treatment. Roger Yenson, who commanded the rescue said, “I think he's a very fortunate individual.”

If Schrader had not gone to check on his friend, or if he had ignored the urgent calls for help, Waddell's life would have ended in the darkness of that mine. As children of God, we have an even greater Friend who never fails to come to our aid, who has the resources to meet every need, and from Whom nothing can ever separate us. The love God has for us is so great that nothing can come between Him and us. No matter where we go or what we face, He is always there. Other people may sometimes fail or let us down, but He never does. “A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother” (Proverbs 18:24).

For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building. According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 3:9-11

On December 27, 2024 a section of Interstate 80 in northern New Jersey was closed after a sinkhole opened beneath the eastbound lanes. The sinkhole measured some forty feet across, and left the guardrail dangling in the air next to where the road had been. Travelers had to detour around the missing roadway, which was around forty miles west of New York City. Crews from the New Jersey Department of Transportation who had arrived on the scene to begin repairs revealed that the road had been built over the site of an abandoned mine, and the sinkhole opened when a mine tunnel collapsed. In order to repair the road, they first had to excavate and refill the tunnels of the mine so that the road would have a stable foundation and not collapse again.

What is true for roads is true for our lives as well. We must have a solid foundation for our faith or we will be unable to withstand the trials and testings of the world. “If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?” (Psalm 11:3). The grace of God has given us an unshakable foundation in Jesus Christ. Because He never changes or fails, we can have complete confidence in basing our lives on His Word and His promises. The Lord has never failed to do all that He said, and none of His children have ever been abandoned or forsaken. We can face the future without doubt or fear because He is the firm foundation for our lives and futures. “Yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed: let them be ashamed which transgress without cause” (Psalm 25:3).

From the wilderness and this Lebanon even unto the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and unto the great sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your coast. There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them.

Joshua 1:4-6
 

After the death of Moses, Joshua became the leader of the Israelites. This was not an easy post to fill. Everything Joshua did would be compared to what the great leader Moses had done. The people were about to cross the Jordan River and enter the Promised Land, not as a place of peace and rest, but as a place of battle. 

There were many things Joshua needed for that task, but at the very beginning of his leadership God commanded him to be courageous. Without courage we will never take on the challenges of serving God. Charles Spurgeon said, “Yet, surely, there must be some who will fling aside the (cowardly) love of peace, and speak out for our Lord, and for His truth. A craven spirit is upon man, and their tongues are paralyzed. Oh, for an outburst of true faith and holy zeal.”

It's encouraging to see that God did not just command courage, but He also gave Joshua a source of courage—His presence. The fact that God was with Joshua meant that nothing he would face was impossible. God is not an impersonal force distant and far away. He is a loving Father who knows what is best, and promises to provide what we need and give us the victory. “What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31). The foundation of our courage has nothing to do with our talents, experience, or abilities, and has everything to do with God.

And he said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him. Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age; and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women. Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also? And the LORD said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old?

Genesis 18:10-13

Decades passed between the time that God told Abraham and Sarah that they would have a son. They reached the point where it was not physically possible. Yet God had not forgotten them or His promise. Finally when the time was right on God's schedule, He appeared and told Abraham that the long-awaited son would be born nine months later. Sarah, listening to the conversation from her place inside the tent began laughing. Even though what God was saying was what she had wanted for so long, she could not believe there was any way for it to happen. Sarah laughed because she failed to recognize the power of God that was able to back up whatever He said. 

We need never fear that God will be unable to do all that He has promised. It is God's unlimited power that underlies our faith. Stephen Charnock wrote, “How vain would be the eternal counsels, if power did not step in to execute them. Without power His mercy would be but feeble pity, His promises an empty sound, His threatenings a mere scarecrow. God’s power is like Himself: infinite, eternal, incomprehensible; it can neither be checked, restrained, nor frustrated by the creature.” 

The way that we respond when we face a difficult situation reveals a great deal about our faith in God. It is not our responsibility to figure out exactly how God plans to work, but instead to fully believe that He will do exactly what He said.

Do thy diligence to come shortly unto me: For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia. Only Luke is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry. And Tychicus have I sent to Ephesus.

2 Timothy 4:9-12

I read about a young man who decided he wanted to be a boxer. He found a boxing coach at a nearby gym who agreed to give him twenty-six weekly sessions. As part of his instruction, the young man was required to spar with another boxer. After that first session, he was sore and swollen. He hadn't realized that boxing would be that difficult. He asked his coach, “You say there are twenty-six lessons in this course?” “That’s right,” answered the teacher. “And the rest of them are going to be like today?” “That’s right,” the coach replied. Scratching his head, the student asked, “Well, sir, I wonder if I could take the other twenty-five lessons online?”

The Bible often uses the metaphors of soldiers and battles to describe the Christian life. That is not just a literary device, but an accurate reflection of the spiritual conflict that is constantly being waged against everyone who is attempting to live for Jesus. Though many of these enemies cannot be seen with our physical eyes, that does not mean that they are not real. “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Ephesians 6:12). In Greek and Roman times, wrestling matches usually ended when one of the contestants was able to hold his opponent down, placing his hand upon his neck. If we are going to wrestle with the world, the flesh and the devil successfully, we are going to have to be willing to put in the work, even when it is painful. There are no correspondence courses for overcoming evil. It must be fought in person.

Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

Matthew 16:24-26

Throughout His ministry, Jesus called people to follow Him. Though there were twelve disciples with whom He spent most of His time, there were many others who were attracted by the miracles Jesus did, and a number of them followed Him from place to place to see and hear Jesus. Yet as He began to point out the requirements for being a true follower, many of that group decided they would go back to their former lives. “From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him” (John 6:66). Jesus never told people that following Him would be easy. Instead, He calls those who would truly be His disciples to pick up the cross and be willing to make whatever sacrifice is required.

Many people in our day seem to be looking for an easier form of Christianity. They want to claim the name of Jesus, but they do not want to pay the price of truly being like Him. No one becomes and remains a follower of Jesus accidentally. It requires commitment and sacrifice. A. W. Tozer wrote, “The life of a disciple must be one of conscious and intentional pursuit. We are not automatically Christlike by merely believing the gospel. We must follow hard after Him, daily renewing our commitment to seek His face.” The world is constantly trying to pull us away from the Lord. Satan uses every tool in his arsenal to distract and defeat us. Only when intentionally doing the work of putting off sin and walking in the new life we have been given will we succeed as followers of Christ.

And they spake unto all the company of the children of Israel, saying, The land, which we passed through to search it, is an exceeding good land. If the LORD delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey. Only rebel not ye against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the LORD is with us: fear them not.

Numbers 14:7-9

The men that Moses chose to go into the Promised Land as spies were not chosen randomly. God instructed Moses on the qualifications to use for the job. “Send thou men, that they may search the land of Canaan, which I give unto the children of Israel: of every tribe of their fathers shall ye send a man, every one a ruler among them” (Numbers 13:2). These men were proven leaders, faithful and responsible to their duties. They represented the very best that the twelve tribes had to offer. Yet despite all the good things that they saw in the land and opportunities that were before them, ten of them came back and told the people the task was hopeless. They were so focused on what they saw in the physical world that they forgot what God was able to do.

Any time we leave God out of our evaluation, we are certain to come up with the wrong answer. God did not tell the people He would give them the land without them having to fight through difficulty to win it. When Joshua led them in forty years later, there were many battles to face and win. The thing that made Joshua and Caleb stand apart from the other ten spies was that their focus was on God, not the enemy. If we follow God we will face opposition, but that should never cause us to fear. “Thou therefore gird up thy loins, and arise, and speak unto them all that I command thee: be not dismayed at their faces, lest I confound thee before them” (Jeremiah 1:17).

And Moses went and spake these words unto all Israel. And he said unto them, I am an hundred and twenty years old this day; I can no more go out and come in: also the LORD hath said unto me, Thou shalt not go over this Jordan. The LORD thy God, he will go over before thee, and he will destroy these nations from before thee, and thou shalt possess them: and Joshua, he shall go over before thee, as the LORD hath said.

Deuteronomy 31:1-3

Many times when there is a major transition in the life of a person or an organization, there is a great deal of uncertainty. When we do not know exactly what is coming next, it is easy to allow fear to creep into our hearts as we listen to whispers of doubt. But in every circumstance and situation, God is fully in control. Nothing ever takes Him by surprise or forces Him to go to Plan B. He already knows the solution to our problems before we are even aware that a problem might be coming. Moses led the Israelites for forty years, and his death would mean a massive change. Yet as he prepared them for what was to come, Moses reminded them repeatedly that God would still be there. That never changes.

Our responsibility is not to figure out what God should do and tell Him, but to listen for what He is saying and then to do exactly that. Sometimes people's biggest struggle is not finding God's will, but being willing to do what He has called us to do. Elisabeth Elliot wrote, “Open hands should characterize the soul’s attitude toward God—open to receive what He wants to give, open to give back what He wants to take. Acceptance of the will of God means relinquishment of our own. If our hands are full of our own plans, there isn’t room to receive His.” God is always present and working, but it is His plan, not ours, that we are to follow.

Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Hebrews 12:1-2
 

On January 7, 2025, Colorado Parks and Wildlife officers responded to an unusual call for help. A group of climbers near Lake City, Colorado, had found a distressed bull elk. The animal had gotten its antlers tangled in a climbing rope and was unable to move. Wildlife officers tranquilized the elk and cut the rope loose. But because the animal was so tired after a night of struggling to free itself, they did not think it would be able to make its way down the mountain on its own. So they rigged up a series of ropes and lowered the elk to the base of the route. Once the tranquilizer wore off, the elk ran off into a nearby canyon. The whole operation took more than two hours.

The world is filled with dangerous distractions that can get us tangled up and limit our ability to walk as God commands, and that is not by accident. Some of those “ropes” are sinful, while others are simply unwise or frivolous. No matter what it is, those things must be laid aside in order for us to run the race. We need to be on guard and alert to the ways that the devil works to keep us bound up and reject his temptations. As long as we live in this world there will be things that we must remain on guard against in order to serve Christ effectively. “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage” (Galatians 5:1).

And to the Reubenites, and to the Gadites, and to half the tribe of Manasseh, spake Joshua, saying, Remember the word which Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, saying, The Lord your God hath given you rest, and hath given you this land. Your wives, your little ones, and your cattle, shall remain in the land which Moses gave you on this side Jordan; but ye shall pass before your brethren armed, all the mighty men of valour, and help them; 

Joshua 1:12-14
 

Because the land on the eastern side of the Jordan River was lush and good for cattle, two and a half of the tribes of Israel asked Moses for permission to settle there rather than crossing into the Promised Land. Realizing the disheartening effect losing nearly a quarter of the army before the battles started might have, Moses granted them their request on the condition that the warriors would go into the land with the other tribes and help fight the war of conquest that was needed for Israel to take possession of Canaan. 

After the death of Moses, Joshua reminded them of their obligation, and they joined the army and fought until the victory was won. Only then did Joshua give them permission to return to their homes and families. “And now the LORD your God hath given rest unto your brethren, as he promised them: therefore now return ye, and get you unto your tents, and unto the land of your possession, which Moses the servant of the LORD gave you on the other side Jordan” (Joshua 22:4).

The short-term interests of the Reubenites, Gadites and part of the tribe of Manesseh were not for them to go off and fight for someone else's land. But life is not just about us. Often there are times when we must lay aide our own interests and put the needs of others first. “Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others” (Philippians 2:4). The godly walk cannot be a selfish walk, but we must live for others just as Jesus did.

Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also go with thee. They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately; and that night they caught nothing. But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore: but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus. Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, have ye any meat? They answered him, No. And he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes.

John 21:3-6

Even after they knew Jesus had risen from the dead, the disciples did not really have a firm grasp on His plan for them. They left Jerusalem and went back to Galilee, and it was not long before Peter was back on the water that he had spent so much time fishing as he was growing up. But all of his experience and skill did not put any fish into the net. The whole night passed without catching a single fish. It was only when Jesus showed up and directed their efforts that the catch was brought in. This is a powerful metaphor for the Christian life. While we should hone our skills and talents and put forth our best effort, God's work cannot be done apart from God's power. 

Jesus said, “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing” (John 15:5). It is easy for us to begin to rely on our methods, tools, programs, and abilities, and forget the utter necessity of God's help. Only when we are walking in His power according to His Spirit can we expect to see genuine and lasting results. R. A. Torrey wrote, “We are too busy to pray—and so we are too busy to have power. We have a great deal of activity, but we accomplish little.” 

Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:

Ephesians 4:13-15

Every parent and grandparent knows what it is like to hold a precious newborn baby. There is so much joy and promise and hope in that moment. A new life is starting, and we see promise for the future. We may wonder which relative the baby will most look like, how tall he or she will be, and what color hair will grow in. All of those possibilities are already present. But if you went back for the child's fifth birthday party and they were still the same size and weight they were when they were born, you would know something was wrong. Growth is supposed to be a natural process. While all of us go through childhood, we are not designed to stay there. The same is true in our spiritual lives.

Every child of God starts a new life at the moment of salvation. By reading, hearing, learning, memorizing, and applying the Word of God, we begin to grow and become more like Jesus. But this process is not automatic. If we do not do the things necessary for spiritual growth, we will not develop. Instead we will remain children, unable to reason and discern truth from error, and still needing spiritual baby food. “For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat” (Hebrews 5:12).

Who hath ascended up into heaven, or descended? who hath gathered the wind in his fists? who hath bound the waters in a garment? who hath established all the ends of the earth? what is his name, and what is his son's name, if thou canst tell? Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.

Proverbs 30:4-6

Immigration officials in Poland refused entry to a traveler from the United States on January 8, 2025. The woman who had flown from London to Balice Airport in Krakow, Poland, was not stopped because she was a terror threat or because she had not filled out an entry visa. Passport control denied her entry because she had written notes on her passport about various places she had visited. Because her passport was considered defaced, she was forced to return to London despite telling officials that she had not been aware that was a problem. The official report said, “As a general rule, it is not permissible for the holder to write in a passport other than to provide a required signature and emergency contacts. Airlines and immigration officials often deny boarding or entry if they feel a passport has been damaged or defaced.”

God has given us in His Word exactly what He meant to say. Yet throughout history people have been adding to or taking away from the Bible to suit their beliefs or excuse their behavior. This is not a small thing. God takes it seriously. “For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book” (Revelation 22:18). The danger in adding to what God has said is that we become the authority and judge, rather than leaving that to God. There is no right reason for putting our ideas in place of His Word.

If a man shall steal an ox, or a sheep, and kill it, or sell it; he shall restore five oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep. If a thief be found breaking up, and be smitten that he die, there shall no blood be shed for him. If the sun be risen upon him, there shall be blood shed for him; for he should make full restitution; if he have nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft. If the theft be certainly found in his hand alive, whether it be ox, or ass, or sheep; he shall restore double.

Exodus 22:1-4

Maria Bloch Altmann and her husband Fredrick fled their home in Vienna after the Nazi occupation of Austria and came to America. Maria's aunt had become well known in the art world after serving as the model for a painting by Gustav Klimt which became known as “The Woman in Gold” for Klimt's use of gold foil along with his oil paints. Like much of the artwork owned by Jewish families, the painting and several others were taken and placed in a museum. It was more than fifty years later that Altmann went to court in an attempt to get back her family's paintings. In the 2004 Supreme Court Case Republic of Austria v. Altmann, the court ruled that the paintings rightfully belonged to her, and ordered the government of Austria to return them. The portrait was later sold for $135 million, which at the time was the highest price ever paid for a painting.

When we have done something that hurt someone, we have a responsibility to do what we can to make things right. Sometimes people make an apology, saying that they are sorry but do not make any effort to restore what is possible. While we cannot always completely undo the damage we have caused, we should do all that is possible. The willingness to do that, even if it requires sacrifice, is evidence that our remorse is more than just words. “And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold” (Luke 19:8).

O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether. Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me.

Psalm 139:1-5

Anna Sorokin moved to Germany with her family from her native Russia when she was a teenager. She loved fashion, and took a job with Purple, a French fashion magazine. When she traveled to New York City in 2013 for Fashion Week, she decided to stay. Using the name Anna Delvey, she presented herself as a wealthy heiress. She created fake documents that showed great wealth to obtain loans. Often she asked friends and acquaintances to pay for things, claiming she had forgotten her purse, or that her credit cards weren't working. She racked up huge hotel bills, took flights based on forged payments, and deposited large phony checks into various bank accounts. In 2017 she was finally arrested and charged with fraud and theft of services. After just two days of deliberation, the jury found her guilty on eight of the charges and she was sent to prison.

While we would never think of going to such lengths to take advantage of others, it is tempting to present a false picture of ourselves to others. But even if we succeed in convincing someone else that we are different or better than we really are, God knows the truth. He created us, and He knows everything about us. Since sin entered the world, people have been trying to conceal themselves from God. “And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself” (Genesis 3:10). But He sees through our attempts to hide ourselves from Him. Knowing that God sees all we do should encourage us to live holy lives.

Hearken unto me, O house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel, which are borne by me from the belly, which are carried from the womb: And even to your old age I am he; and even to hoar hairs will I carry you: I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you. To whom will ye liken me, and make me equal, and compare me, that we may be like?

Isaiah 46:3-5
 

The 2021 New York City Marathon wasn't the first Jamel Melville had run, but it is surely one that he will never forget. Though he started off on a fairly good pace, after running for three and a half hours, Melville began to struggle over the final four miles of the grueling race. He was just 650 feet from the finish line, having already covered over 26 miles, when he collapsed. Two of his fellow runners stepped in to help. Melville said, “One runner passed by on the left, looked back to his right, where I was, and he made a decision to help me. They said, 'Come on,' looked in my eyes, and they told me what to do.” With their assistance, Melville managed to finish the race.

The reality of living in a world marred by sin is that we face struggles every day. Jesus calls us to walk in His steps, but the constant attacks of the world, the flesh and the devil are more than we can overcome in our own strength. But God knows that we are weak and in desperate need of His help, and He graciously and lovingly encourages and even carries His children when they cannot go on.

There is never a time when the strength God provides those who humbly seek His face is not more than sufficient to provide all that we need. “The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them” (Deuteronomy 33:27).

And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever, The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

Revelation 4:9-11

The third modern Olympic Games were held in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1904. The original plan had been to have Chicago host the games, but since St. Louis was already planning an exhibition to mark the 100th anniversary of the Louisiana Purchase, the events were combined and moved to the Gateway City. This was the first time that gold medals were awarded to the winners, where previously the first-place finisher had received a silver medal. One of the winners in those games was Fred Schule, who won gold for the United States in the 110-meter hurdle race. In January of 2025 Schule's family put that gold medal up for auction and it sold for more than $545,000.

There are many prizes, awards, and victories to be won in this world. Some of them are of great value. But nothing we can earn or gain in this world is meant to lift us up. Instead, all that we do is meant to bring honor and glory to the Lord. “Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth's sake” (Psalm 115:1). The crowns that we will receive at the Judgment Seat of Christ for our work for God in this life are not meant for us to wear, but for us to lay at the feet of Jesus. He alone is worthy of praise and worship. We seek and strive to honor Him. We avoid anything that would bring discredit to His holy name. And we run the race, not so that we receive the reward, but so we have something lasting to give to Him.

Behold, I have created the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire, and that bringeth forth an instrument for his work; and I have created the waster to destroy. No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.

Isaiah 54:16-17

Almon Strowger did not understand the falloff in business at his funeral home. He had established a good reputation in the Kansas City area, yet he kept seeing notices in the paper that people he knew were using one of his competitors instead. Strowger eventually discovered that the wife of another funeral home owner was working for the telephone company routing calls, and that whenever anyone called his business, she would connect them with her husband instead. Though Strowger had no training as an engineer, he set out to find a way to avoid the issue, and in a few years patented the Strowger Automatic Telephone Exchange which for the first time allowed people to call numbers directly rather than going through an operator. The patent was sold to Bell Telephone for the equivalent of more than $60 million.

The reality is that in this world we will face opposition and even attacks. Not everyone will want to see us succeed or do well. Sometimes that opposition is motivated by envy or greed, and sometimes it is driven by enmity toward God and the work we are doing for Him. We should not be surprised or caught off guard when it happens, and we should not be discouraged. Regardless of the source of opposition, God is more than able not only to protect us, but to take what is meant for our harm and use it as part of His plan for us. Joseph told his brothers, “But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive” (Genesis 50:20).

By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God. 

Hebrews 11:8-10
 

D. L. Moody said, "I wanted to teach my little boy what faith was some time ago, and so I put him on a table. He was a little fellow of two years old. I stood back three or four feet, and said, 'Willie, jump.' The little fellow said, 'Pa, I’se afraid.' I said, 'Willie, I will catch you; just look right at me, and jump'; and the little fellow got all ready to jump, and then looked down again, and says, 'I’se afraid.' 'Willie, didn’t I tell you I would catch you? Will Pa deceive you? Now, Willie, look me right in the eye, and jump, and I will catch you'; and the little fellow got all ready the third time to jump, but he looked on the floor, and said, 'I’se afraid.' At last I said, 'Willie, don’t take your eyes off me,' and I held the little fellow’s eyes, and I said, 'Now jump; don’t look at the floor'; and he leaped into my arms. Then he said to me, 'Let me jump again.'"

The world tells us to make sure we consider all the possibilities and have a clear plan in place before we ever start out. But when God tells us to do something we should do it whether we fully understand how everything will come together and have a firm grasp on the details or not. Faith doesn't look at surroundings and circumstances. Faith looks at the loving Father who made the promise and believes that He will do exactly what He said.

And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner. And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold. And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

Luke 19:7-10

When Jesus saw Zacchaeus up in the sycamore tree in Jericho and called for him to come down, not everyone was happy. As a publican, Zacchaeus, who was a Jew, cooperated with the Roman rulers of the land, and was allowed to keep anything he collected in taxes that was over his quota. There were few people more hated in Israel by other Jews than the publicans. They were shunned, critiqued, and sometimes even attacked. Yet Jesus did not see a collaborator with the enemy, or a tax collector, He saw a sinner who needed salvation.

The complainers had no question that Zacchaeus needed salvation. Their issue was that they did not want him to receive it. Their greatest problem was that they didn't think they needed salvation. Our society encourages people to be happy with the way they are, and condemns those who call for repentance. Yet every one of us stands condemned before a holy God, and our only hope is the salvation Jesus came to provide—and we must never forget that truth.

Charles Spurgeon said, “See how red your guilt is. Mark the scarlet stain. If you were to wash your soul in the Atlantic Ocean, you might incarnadine every wave that washes all its shores, and yet the crimson spots of your transgression would still remain. But plunge into the 'fountain filled with blood, drawn from Immanuel’s veins,' and in an instant you are whiter than snow. Every speck, spot, and stain of sin is gone, and gone forever.”

Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not; But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

2 Corinthians 4:1-4
 

While they were fleeing after robbing a gold train in Mexico, the Jesse James gang found themselves trapped by winter weather in the Wichita Mountains in southwestern Oklahoma. Fearing they would be captured, they buried the treasure, taking a hastily drawn map with them so they could return. But the James gang spent the next several years on the run, ending with Jesse James being shot in 1882. Years later, his brother Frank returned to the mountains to search for the treasure. But changes in the landscape left him unable to locate the main gold stash. Despite the discovery of several maps and dozens of people searching, no one has ever found the hidden treasure.

God has given us a treasure far greater than gold in the gospel, and that treasure is not just for ourselves. It is meant to be shared with others. “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house” (Matthew 5:14-15). When we do not tell others about Jesus, we are hiding the greatest treasure there has ever been. And this is a treasure that is not diminished when we share it with others. There is no excuse for a believer to allow anything to hinder his ability to spread the good news.

All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him. Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Matthew 11:27-30
 

One of the most dramatic stories in Scripture is the confrontation between Elijah and the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel. In front of a host of Israelites, the false prophets prayed and danced and shouted for hours, but nothing happened. After Elijah prayed a simple prayer, fire came down from Heaven and burned, not just the sacrifice, but the stones of the altar as well. After the false prophets were slain, Elijah prayed and the drought that had lasted for more than three years was broken by a powerful storm. Yet despite all that he had seen God do, Elijah became fearful and discouraged when he learned that Jezebel planned to have him killed. Rather than turning to God for help, he ran into the wilderness alone.

There Elijah prayed for God to kill him. Yet rather than answer that prayer, God sent an angel to provide food for the hungry prophet. “And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat. And he looked, and, behold, there was a cake baken on the coals, and a cruse of water at his head. And he did eat and drink, and laid him down again” (1 Kings 19:5-6). 

There is always strength and help available to God's children who seek it from Him. When we are weighed down by the cares and burdens of life, Jesus offers rest. Even if we find ourselves all alone, He never forsakes us.

And when she had opened it, she saw the child: and, behold, the babe wept. And she had compassion on him, and said, This is one of the Hebrews’ children. Then said his sister to Pharaoh’s daughter, Shall I go and call to thee a nurse of the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for thee? And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, Go. And the maid went and called the child’s mother. And Pharaoh’s daughter said unto her, Take this child away, and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages. And the woman took the child, and nursed it. 

Exodus 2:6-9
 

When Pharaoh commanded that all the male Hebrew babies be killed when they were born, not everyone was willing to go along with his evil decree. Jochebed and Amram already had two children, but they refused to kill Moses when he was born. They hid him for as long as they could because they were more concerned with obeying God rather than men. “By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw he was a proper child; and they were not afraid of the king's commandment” (Hebrews 11:23).

The love and care of God for His people is seen so clearly in the events that unfolded. Moses was found by Pharaoh's daughter, and instead of killing him as her father had instructed, she took him to raise for her own son. Moses' older sister Miriam was watching to see what would happen, and she volunteered to seek out a Hebrew woman to nurse the baby—bringing back Moses' own mother for the task. Jochebed was actually paid to bring up her son, and he was protected by the princess.

The world may try all kinds of things to derail or attack us, but God is always in control. Even when circumstances seem hopeless, He can work to deliver us. Sometimes He even arranges things so that we come out ahead from what others have tried to do to us. And in every case we can fully trust Him to do all He has promised.

Come on, let us deal wisely with them; lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when there falleth out any war, they join also unto our enemies, and fight against us, and so get them up out of the land. Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh treasure cities, Pithom and Raamses. But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were grieved because of the children of Israel.

Exodus 1:10-12
 

Most of us have had the experience of buying flower or vegetable plants for our homes or gardens. The majority of the plants available for purchase are grown in massive greenhouse operations, which allows them an early start on the growing season. There are skylights or growth lights on timers. There are water systems to ensure proper irrigation. But perhaps the most important tools growers use are the giant fans that continually blow over the trays of plants. Without the experience of standing up to the pressures of the wind, a plant may look good on the shelf in the store, but it will tend to fall over when the air blows after it is planted. Resisting the wind in the nursery or greenhouse prepares the plant to succeed when it is put outside.

None of us enjoy going through difficult times of trial and testing, but we need the strength that is produced by enduring hardship. It is a vital part of our spiritual growth. James wrote, “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing” (James 1:2-4). We may think that it would be easier to have a life without any problems, but a life like that does not produce fruitful Christians. We need the strength that stress provides when we respond to it properly. We must trust that God is working His will and purpose in our lives and not wilt when the hard times come.

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God. To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.

Romans 3:23-26
 

Despite losing his eyesight at an early age, Oliver Shaw devoted himself to the study of music and became both an accomplished piano player and a composer. In 1810 he was part of the founding of the Psallonian Society, "for the purpose of improving themselves in the knowledge and practice of sacred music and inculcating a more correct taste in the choice and performance of it. Over the years, Shaw published works featuring hymns and songs by various composers, often including his own arrangements. One of his publications included a voice and piano arrangement of the hymn "Mercy Seat" by Hugh Stowell. This hymn beautifully reflects the truth of God's mercy made available through Christ's atoning work on the cross.

From ev'ry stormy wind that blows,
From ev'ry swelling tide of woes,
There is a calm, a sure retreat
'Tis found beneath the mercy seat,

There is a place where Jesus sheds
The oil of gladness on our heads;
A place, of all on earth most sweet
It is the blood-bought mercy seat.

In the Old Testament the high priest would go into the Holy of Holies once a year on the Day of Atonement. He would take the blood of the sacrifice for the sins of the nation of Israel and sprinkle it on the top of the Ark of the Covenant, known as the mercy seat. “Then shall he kill the goat of the sin offering, that is for the people, and bring his blood within the vail, and do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it upon the mercy seat, and before the mercy seat” (Leviticus 16:15). Jesus fulfilled both of those roles on the cross for us. He is both the sacrifice and the priest who offers it. His blood pays the price of our sins, and His sacrifice is the measure of His love for us.

All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats: but God shall destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body. And God hath both raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us by his own power.

1 Corinthians 6:12-14

After dropping off a load of wheat in Buffalo, New York, the Canadian freighter Manitoulin left port to return across Lake Erie to its home port in Ontario on January 22, 2025. The ship which is more than 660 feet long had a crew of seventeen. It is common for ships to encounter ice on winter passages, but the sub-zero temperatures meant the ice formed more quickly than expected, and soon the ship found itself trapped not far off shore. While the crew was safe, they were unable to move. Coast Guard search and rescue officer Paul Angelillo said, “We just haven’t had a bad winter in quite a while. So now that we’ve had one and people haven’t seen this for a bit, they’re like ‘what’s going on?’” The Coast Guard sent an ice breaker to get the ship back on its way.

We constantly face snares and temptations that try to trap us and render us ineffective in service to God. There is never a day when we can let down our guard. We must not assume that just because some habit or action seems to be minor or insignificant that we do not need to pay attention. If we are not on guard, we can be trapped in the “ice” of the world. Anything that threatens to put us under its control must be avoided. Rather we must vigilantly watch for danger. Overconfidence in our ability never leads to a good outcome. “Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall” (1 Corinthians 10:12).

O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.

Matthew 12:34-36

One of the most successful advertising campaigns in history was promoting a small and mostly unknown brokerage firm and brought them to national prominence. The commercials featured people in a variety of settings carrying on a conversation about finance. One of them would say, "My broker is E. F. Hutton, and E. F. Huttons says...." At that point everyone around the speaker would stop in their tracks to listen. Whether it was a gym or a restaurant or a busy street, everything came to a standstill. "When E. F. Hutton talks, people listen" the ad concluded. Hutton became one of the largest investment firms by highlighting the idea that they had something to say worth hearing. 

Many times we feel like no one is listening to us, but the reality is that God both hears and measures everything we say. One day we will give an account to Him for how we used our words. Many people are harsh, critical, or careless in the way that they speak to or about others, and this can cause great injury to relationships and to people's hearts. There is great power in our words, and it is critical that they are right. “Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer” (Psalm 19:14).

But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light. Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.

Ephesians 5:13-17

One of the most influential engineers of the last century was Fredrick Taylor. He had a dramatic impact on the Industrial Revolution through his process of studying work conditions and practices to help make them more efficient. His book The Principles of Scientific Management laid out ways in which managers could make their workforce more productive. Management guru Peter Drucker wrote, “Frederick W. Taylor was the first man in recorded history who deemed work deserving of systematic observation and study. On Taylor's 'scientific management' rests, above all, the tremendous surge of affluence in the last seventy-five years which has lifted the working masses in the developed countries well above any level recorded before, even for the well-to-do.”

The gift of time is both precious and equal. Every day each one of us receives the same number of hours, minutes, and seconds. No one gets more and no one gets less. The thing that determines whether we are productive is not how much time we have, but how we use it. 

There are thousands of things that we could spend our time on. Every day we make choices of what we will read, what we will watch, what we will listen to, and what we will do. At the end of the day, God will weigh our work for Him, not in comparison to what others have done and accomplished, but in comparison to what we could have done. The way we view and value our time determines how we will spend our days. “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom” (Psalm 90:12).

And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Therefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil. Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.

Ephesians 4:24-28

Looking for a way to increase their sales in the US, the company Isuzu hired a new advertising agency, and in 1986 they debuted a new series of ads starring “Joe Isuzu.” Playing on the stereotype of a dishonest car salesman, he made a series of outrageous claims about the size, speed, and gas mileage of the cars, while the captions at the bottom of the screen corrected the claims. Many of the ads ended with him saying, “You have my word on it,” while the caption read, “He's lying.” The humorous commercials produced a noticeable increase in Isuzu sales, and the character was copied and made fun of in ads for other products and was even referenced in one of the Presidential debates between George H. W. Bush and Michael Dukakis in 1988.

While the ads made fun of lying, it is no laughing matter in God's eyes. “Lying lips are abomination to the LORD: but they that deal truly are his delight” (Proverbs 12:22). The Christian should be—must be—known for honesty and truthfulness. We owe it to others and to God to tell the truth, even if in the short term it seems like a lie would make things easier. The priority of honesty in our dealings with other people must have greater value to us than any benefit we might think we will receive from telling a lie. Our God is completely honest, and we must be as well. “In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began” (Titus 1:2).

From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.

James 4:1-3
 

In 1859, a conflict arose on San Juan Island off the coast of Washington state. The territory was claimed by both England and America. There had been a serious conflict over the border between America and Canada the decade prior, and there was an uneasy peace between the American and English residents of the island. That peace was threatened on June 15, 1859, when an American farmer named Lyman Cutler found a pig owned by a British man rooting in his garden and shot and killed it. In response to a threat to arrest Cutler, US Army troops were sent to the island, and then English naval vessels surrounded the coast. It took several weeks of negotiations before the “Pig War” came to a peaceful resolution.

There are many reasons for disagreement and fighting between people and nations, but most of them can be traced to a desire for something we do not have. Whether the conflict is over an animal or an island or anything else, the temptation to get what we want by any means necessary can quickly escalate into a major conflict. When we are focused only on what we want, it is easy to ignore the needs and wants of others. Often we make excuses for conflict, blaming other people or circumstances, when the root of the problem is internal, not external. “But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed” (James 1:14). If we want to enjoy peace in our lives, we must be in control of our desires. We must learn to be content with what God has provided for us, and to seek His help for the things we need rather than taking matters into our own hands.

And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?

Luke 12:16-20
 

Edith Cherry was crippled by polio before her second birthday. In frail health for all of her short life, Cherry began writing poetry as a teenager, and many of those poems became hymns. She supported herself with her drawings and illustrations until her death at just twenty-five years of age. One of her best-known hymns expresses her complete dependence on God.

We rest on thee, our Shield and our Defender!
We go not forth alone against the foe;
Strong in Thy strength, safe in Thy keeping tender,
We rest on Thee, and in Thy name we go.

When we have been blessed by God, Satan tempts us to rely on our own resources rather than relying on God. The things that we have are at best temporal. No earthly possessions provide true stability and security. No amount of money can ensure we will never get sick or die. Security in the things of this world is an illusion based on a lie. Rather than trusting in our bank balance, our investments, our assets, or our planning, we are to trust God every day. There is a reason Jesus taught us to pray for daily bread rather than for all our needs to be met for the rest of our lives.

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

Philippians 2:5-8

In a sermon extolling the great love of God, T. DeWitt Talmage said, “King Henry II of England, crowned his son as king, and on the day of coronation put on a servant's garb and waited, he, the king, at the son's table, to the astonishment of all the princes. But we know of a more wondrous scene, the King of Heaven and earth offering to put on you, His child, the crown of life, and in the form of a servant waiting on you with blessing. Extol that love, all painting, all sculpture, all music, all architecture, all worship! But not until all the redeemed get home, and from the countenances of all the piled-up galleries of the ransomed shall be revealed the wonders of redemption, shall either man or seraph or archangel know the height, and depth, and length, and breadth of the love of God.”

The greatest love the world knows is only a pale shadow of the love of God, and the measure of that love is seen in the birth, life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The devil may whisper in our ears that we will never measure up and that no one will love us, but God does. No matter who we are or what we have done, there is more than enough love on God's part to save all who come to Him in faith. “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon” (Isaiah 55:7).

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

Philippians 2:5-8
 

On February 1, 2025, a delivery truck for Pete & Gerry's Organics was robbed in Antrim Township, Pennsylvania. The thieves made off with 100,000 eggs from the back of the trailer. With eggs at near record high prices, the value of the stolen eggs was placed at $40,000, which classifies the theft as a felony. Pennsylvania State Police are investigating the crime. Their spokesperson, Megan Frazer said, “We’re relying on leads from people from the community. So we’re hoping that somebody knows something, and they’ll call us and give us some tips. In my career, I’ve never heard of a hundred thousand eggs being stolen. This is definitely unique. We take this matter seriously and are committed to resolving it as quickly as possible.”

As a general rule, people do not steal things unless they have value. Their desire for something leads them to do something that is wrong in order to obtain it. Jesus had something that was of incredible value—His place in Heaven as God—and yet He not only did not seek to retain it, but willingly laid it aside. He had every right to retain His glory, and yet He made a different choice because of His great love for us. “For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9). In the same way that Jesus was willing to sacrifice and even suffer for us, we must be willing to do the same for the sake of others. Only then are we living with the mind of Christ.

Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?

Matthew 6:25-26

Irving Fisher had a reputation as a man who understood the economy. After studying in Germany, he returned to his alma mater Yale and became a professor. He wrote and published widely, and is still considered to be one of the most influential voices in the field. Fisher applied mathematics to the study of economy in a new way, and his descriptions of the processes by which large economic shifts took place helped found the theory known as monetarism. Yet it is not for his academic prowess or his writing that Fisher is best known today. The thing for which he is most remembered is a statement he made nine days before the stock market crash that sparked the Great Depression. Fisher told a group of financiers in New York that, “Stock prices have reached a permanently high plateau.” Along with millions of others, Fisher lost almost everything in the crash.

There is certainly nothing wrong with making wise plans for the future, but the reality is that none of us really know what the future holds. The things we think are permanent and stable may turn out to be fleeting instead. But there is something we can always count on. God never loses His ability to see and respond to our needs because He never changes. “For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed” (Malachi 3:6). Even the natural world around us points us to God's loving provision for lives. We should trust Him rather than trusting in anything we have for our security, because He has promised to meet our needs.

Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.

Hebrews 10:35-39

On August 3, 1492, Christopher Columbus and his fleet of three small ships set out from Spain. His plan was to reach the Far East by sailing west rather than taking the traditional route around the Horn of Africa. When he sighted land in the new world on October 12, Columbus thought that he had reached Asia, not realizing that the American continents lay between him and his goal. Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain had been persuaded to finance the expedition, but they had no means of receiving news of what was happening, and did not even know if the intrepid explorer was still alive. On March 15, 1493, seven months after he set sail, Columbus sent a letter when he returned to the coast of Spain. Not long after he met the sovereigns in Barcelona, showing them gold, flowers, and some of the people he had brought back with him.

When the Lord returned to Heaven, He promised to return. Many centuries have passed since then, with no news confirming that He will come again. Yet we do not need letters or signs or further confirmation that Jesus is going to return. We have His Word, and that is all we need. Though it seems like a very long time to us, everything is exactly on schedule. Our greatest need is not to know when Jesus will return, but to live so that we are ready when we see Him. “But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father. Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is” (Mark 13:32-33).

I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth. And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

Luke 11:8-10
 

The Lord has given us many things to encourage us as we live and work for Him. We have the benefit of the completed and perfect Word of God to show us His purpose and plan. We have other believers around us to encourage, counsel, comfort, and sometimes correct us. We have the church to provide both fellowship and instruction. But the crucial thing that does the most to keep us going is our prayer life, and if we are not faithful to pray—and keep on praying even when the answer is delayed—we are likely to give up. “And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint” (Luke 18:1).

Continued prayer encourages us not to give up, because it is an ongoing expression of our dependence on God. If we stop praying after a day or a week or even a year, we are declaring that we do not believe God can or will do what is needed. We would never say that out loud, but that is what our lack of consistent praying says. George Müller observed, “The great fault of the children of God is, they do not continue in prayer; they do not go on praying; they do not persevere. If they desire anything for God’s glory, they should pray until they get it.” Unless God directly closes the door, we should never stop praying. Instead, we should believe that in His time and according to His plan He will work, and we will trust Him no matter how long it takes.