Our Daily Bread Podcast | Our Daily Bread

“A pleasure is full grown only when it is remembered.” These words, uttered by a character in C. S. Lewis’ book Out of the Silent Planet, depict the joy one has in reminiscing over cherished experiences in life. Though we rightly delight in the breathtaking scenery along the path of a hike or in sharing an important milestone with a loved one, these might be merely the initial pleasure. Often, later reflection on such moments (and those like them) compound the joy of having experienced them. Perhaps this is another reason Jesus instructs His disciples to regularly share in what we call the Lord’s Supper. As He shared the Passover meal with them the night before His death, He infused it with a new layer of meaning. When partaking of the unleavened bread and “fruit of the vine,” Jesus described them as representing His body and His blood (Luke 22:18). His disciples were to share this meal regularly, doing so “in remembrance of [Him]” (v. 19). The Jewish people remember how God delivered them from Egypt through celebrating Passover (see Exodus 12:17). Those who trust in Jesus’ sacrifice retell God’s deliverance from the consequences of sin by partaking of the Lord’s Supper—a somber, yet joyful remembrance. By sharing in it regularly, we practice what it means to “remain” in fellowship with Jesus (see John 6:56) and savor the pleasure of our communion with Him.

After Lam Wai Chan moved from his native Singapore to pastor a church in Japan, he panicked. The church had barely twenty members. In a nation known as a “missionary graveyard,” where about one percent of the nation’s people are Christian and many churches sit empty, Lam felt “like I was taking over a sinking ship.” Crying out to God, he sensed the answer: Offer the church back to Me. Rather than “update” worship or music, Wai Chan asked members to pray—for their needs, family members, friends who didn’t know Jesus. Slowly, the church doubled in size. Their faithful praying is a living, biblical model of how to build a community in Jesus. First, pray. “In every situation by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God,” Paul wrote, “and do all of this without worry about anything” (Philippians 4:6). In this way, we offer our ministries, churches, and programs back to God. We may plant seeds and water them, but as Paul said, “Neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow” (1 Corinthians 3:7). He was imploring believers at Corinth to stop quarrelling about which church leader they followed (v. 4). As Paul said, “No one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ” (v. 11). Let’s prayerfully give our churches back to Him. Then, watch them grow.

As the US Civil War (1861-1865) dragged on, both sides resorted to conscription (the draft) to fill their ranks. Under the Confederate law, a draftee could dodge service by hiring a man who was exempt from the draft to replace him—in most cases someone under or over the conscription age. Generally, the “principal” (as one evading the draft was called), paid a fee to the government as well as a large sum to his substitute. Only the wealthy could afford substitutes. The apostle Paul writes of the cosmic spiritual war, where “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23) and “the wages of sin is death” (6:23). There was no clause or loophole that gave those with “means” some way out. But what about a substitute for us all? The writer to the Hebrews praises God, who in His infinite mercy sent Jesus to be our substitute—to bear the punishment our sin deserved, to pay our debt by sacrificing “the body of Jesus Christ once for all” so that we would be “made holy” through His substitutionary sacrifice (Hebrews 10:10). We have “died with Christ,” and one day “we will also live with him” (Romans 6:8). That’s the good news right there. Christ died for you and for me; the substitute took our place. We’re now more than simply survivors of the war. We’ve become the sons and daughters of God.

If you want to bring a smile to Jarrett’s face, ask him about his bees. He’s an “apiarist”—a beekeeper. Though our meetings in his backyard are not about bees, it’s not uncommon for “apiculture” lessons to be a stimulating part of our conversations. But even better than “bee talk” is the nature-fresh, sweet taste of the golden-colored honey produced by Jarrett’s hardworking bees. Mm, mm, good! In Psalm 119:103, the psalmist exclaims, “How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” Closer examination of verses 97-104 reveals that the “sweeter than honey” comparison is just one of several phrases the writer uses to accent the supreme value of Scripture: “Your commands are always with me and make me wiser than my enemies. I have more insight than all my teachers, for I meditate on your statutes. I have more understanding than the elders, for I obey your precepts” (vv. 98-100). The bottom line is that wholeheartedly embracing what God has revealed through the words of the Bible situates us to live well in this world. Similarly, when Jesus, the Living Word (see John 1:1-14), is experienced and valued—His followers, empowered by the Holy Spirit, are well-positioned to live in ways that honor God and serve His purposes.

Trees in cold climates prepare for winter through a process called “hardening.” Water drains from cells so they won’t freeze, expand, and burst the tree. The water that remains between the cells is too pure for ice crystals to attach. Its temperature may now drop to forty degrees below zero without cracking the tree. Trees harden at the same time each year because they take their cues from the fixed calendar of shortening days. They don't stake their lives on the weather, which may be unseasonably mild. They trust the sun, their one sure thing. The Son who made the sun is surer yet. He is “the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created,” and “in him all things hold together” (Colossians 1:15-17). Who tells trees when to harden each year? The same Son who makes the sun rise each morning and puts it to bed each night, pulls tides with the moon, whirls electrons in every cell, beats your heart and inflates your lungs, and holds you when your heart is broken. What holds the world together isn’t a force within nature but a Person outside it. A Person who entered the world He’d made so he could “reconcile to himself all things,” including you (v. 20). In this unpredictable world, you’ve got one sure thing. Jesus will “present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation” (v. 20).

An elderly woman lies unconscious on a hot sidewalk after a terrible fall. Several people stop to help. One calls 911, another gently places a coat under her head. Others put towels under her arms, and still another holds an umbrella over her head until paramedics arrive. As the person who posted the video writes, it’s an especially heartwarming scene because those who stopped included a wide range of age and ethnicities—all working together to help someone in distress. When an expert in God’s law asked Jesus who his neighbor was (Luke 10:29)—that is, who he was obligated to show love to—Jesus responded with a story of a man badly beaten by robbers, lying near death by the side of the road (vv. 30–31). A Levite and then a priest approached, but both passed by on the other side. Finally, a Samaritan stopped to help. What made this so unusual was that Jews and Samaritans had a history of scorn for the other. Yet it was the Samaritan who stopped (v. 33). After telling this parable, Jesus asked which was a neighbor to the fallen man. The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him” (v. 37). Jesus told him—and us, “Go and do likewise.” May God help us see that everyone we meet is our neighbor, another human created by Him and deserving of our aid.

Mary Slessor’s compassionate heart led her to open her arms to those in need. The Scottish missionary, born in 1848, served among the people of Okoyong in a distant land. Superstition led people of that region to believe that when twins were born, one was good and one was the child of a demon. This often led to both twins dying—being abandoned to starvation or other dangers. Reflecting the loving heart of God, in time Mary helped save hundreds of the at-risk children, adopting nine as her own! In his inspired words to the rebellious nation of Israel, the prophet Hosea offers a glimpse into God’s caring heart for children. The prophet said of Him, “In you the fatherless find compassion” (14:3). Hosea stated that God cared for His own and desired to “love them freely” (v. 4). But they needed to turn from their defiance of Him and embrace His ways. They were instructed to turn from pagan deities to the true God who cares for the most helpless, the orphans. And if they returned to God, they’d find forgiveness from the one who would “receive [them] graciously” (vv. 1-2). As we open our arms to those around us, including at-risk children, we reflect the love of God. Let’s embrace His compassionate heart and extend His care to those in need as He helps us.

I was inspired while reading a historical fiction account of the life of Mary McLeod Bethune, founder of Bethune-Cookman college. The stories of her determination and care for others led me to read more about her. One account tells how in the early 1900s she “described” the buildings at her school for young African American women to a wealthy businessman. But when he visited the “campus,” he found only one building. She’d described her dream to him, hoping that he would invest in the school. Her faith and vision worked together to secure funding. Her school eventually became—and still is—a four-year college. Bethune is credited with saying: “Without faith, nothing is possible. With it, nothing is impossible.” Her quote is similar to what Jesus told the astonished disciples who were asking questions about salvation. They were trying to figure out how people could “enter the kingdom of God” or heaven (Matthew 19:24). They wanted to know “who then can be saved?” (v. 25). Jesus shared with His followers that faith in God was the only way; because “with God all things are possible” (v. 26). Faith is rooted in a belief in God and His abilities. Faith prompts us to believe in the possibility of things we don’t see yet—like a dream of a school for the underprivileged or an eternal home for those who accept Christ. May God help us see what He sees.

“He has a sugar face!” our vet exclaimed as she gave our young dog his annual checkup. “A sugar face?” I asked. “It’s a term used for retrievers whose faces turn prematurely white,” she replied, smiling. “It’s just a sign of the sweetness inside.” Reflecting on that moment later, I thought about what shows up on my face when others meet me. Do they catch a glimpse of “the sweetness inside,” the transforming power of Jesus’ love in my heart and life? The Bible tells of the breathtaking moments when Moses came down from Mount Sinai after spending days in God’s presence. Moses “was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the Lord,” so radiant that the people “were afraid to come near him” (Exodus 34:29-30). To avoid frightening them further, Moses “put a veil over his face” and removed it when “he went in to speak with the Lord” (vv. 33, 35). Moses was of course literally speaking with God “face to face” (33:11), a unique moment in the Bible. But Scripture also reminds us that we who know God through Christ “are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory” (2 Corinthians 3:18). His presence within us can be winsome to others—a work of God’s love. Our faces may not shine like Moses’ did, but as we spend time in God’s presence, He’ll become increasingly evident in us.

My great uncle’s memorial service featured a meal of roast beef, corn, and beans to honor the hospitality that he and his wife lived out for many years. Each Sunday morning, they would put a large roast and veggies in the crock pot before going to church. After the service, they would look for someone to invite for lunch. Sometimes it was a good friend, sometimes a stranger. Either way, they made sure there was plenty of food at home and those afternoons were especially set aside for hospitality. Their Sunday habit required an intentional readiness for generosity. The Israelites followed a similar pattern. Through Moses, God commanded them to leave a portion of their food “for the poor and the foreigner” (Leviticus 19:10). During harvest time, they were instructed not to reap to the edges of their field, not pick up what had fallen, and not harvest from a particular area more than once (vv. 9-10). With this redeeming method, those who did not own land could still work to gather food. For the people of God, this wasn’t a one-time, spontaneous act—although that can be a beautiful blessing, too. It was how they lived year after year. There are opportunities all around us to show Jesus’ hospitable love. Some we can’t prepare for; some we can. As God helps us, let’s consider how we can treat others kindly today (v. 33).

I trudged into the grocery store to buy a Father’s Day card. I had forgiven my father. I had tried reconciling over the years—prayerfully processing the hurts inflicted before and after I left home at fifteen. Sadly, decades later, I still couldn’t relate to the cards that had messages gushing with gratitude for the “greatest” dads. So, desperate to honor my heavenly Father, I stood in that card aisle and prayed for my earthly father. From Adam and Cain to David and Absolom to my father and me, sin has caused multigenerational strife and heartbreak. Still, the apostle Paul encouraged children to obey their parents “in the Lord, for this is right” (Ephesians 6:1). Honoring parents is a command that comes with a promise and a reward (vv. 2-3). In turn, fathers were meant to raise children to know and love God (v. 4). God’s people are designed to serve each other “wholeheartedly, as if [we] were serving the Lord, not people” (v. 7). Unfortunately, sin can destroy these relationships. No matter what our relationship status with our parents, we can thank God for the people He chose to use when He gave us life, and we can pray they enjoy a life-transforming relationship with Christ. A prayer that leads us to Jesus is a wholehearted gift of love and honor that can lead to changed relationships and lives.

In his 1937 book Think and Grow Rich, author Napoleon Hill said, “Whatever your mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve.” Hill’s quote epitomizes the American Dream: If you work hard, you can achieve your wildest dreams. Hard work may lead to earthly benefits; many passages of Scripture—especially in Proverbs—link those things. But as I grow older, I also see a real danger in following Hill’s ideas: my grasping attempts to achieve my dreams can be a self-focused attempt to live independently from God. In Galatians 5, Paul contrasts two ways of life: “Walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh” (v. 16). Eugene Petersen paraphrases it this way: “Live freely, animated and motivated by God's Spirit. Then you won't feed the compulsions of selfishness” (The Message). A few verses later, Paul describes what a flourishing life in Christ looks like: “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (vv. 22-23). Many voices in this world compel us to grasp our desires with both hands. The life we long for, though, is not one we earn but one we receive as we yield to the Holy Spirit—freely walking with Him—rather than striving desperately to grasp blessing on our own terms.

He was born a slave in the 1860s. A sickly baby, he was sold to a slave owner for the cost of a horse. As a teenager, he witnessed the killing of a black man by a group of white people. Remarkably, George excelled in school, but when he applied to Highland University in Kansas, he was denied admission because of his skin color. But through it all, the young man maintained a deep faith in God. George Washington Carver’s life verse was Proverbs 3:6: “In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” We sometimes feel overwhelmed by our circumstances. We experience setbacks. We find ourselves at a loss for where we should go. But Proverbs encourages us: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart.” We’re counseled, “Lean not on your own understanding (v. 5). This is the Bible’s way of saying, “Let go and let God” lead your life. George W. Carver followed God’s path, persevering against all odds, teaching himself botany and geology, and eventually becoming a renowned scientist. He famously developed hundreds of uses for the peanut plant but also developed methods of crop rotation that revolutionized agriculture in the United States. God has a way of making the best out of bad situations. Whatever you’re facing today, the key is to “acknowledge Him” and listen for his voice. Watch him open up the paths of your life.

As the outdoor concert started, I felt a single raindrop on my cheek. Looking up, I saw ominous dark clouds. Having paid a steep price for tickets, however, I wasn’t inclined to leave because of a little bad weather. Then umbrellas began to pop open. One woman pulled a plastic grocery bag over her hair. It took just one deafening boom of thunder for the performer to grab her mic and beg us to take refuge somewhere. As the rain began to come in torrents, we splashed through muddy puddles and rushed into a nearby school gym. Thoroughly soaked, we huddled with strangers for the next half hour, still hoping the storm would end. When we ventured back out, we saw that the band was packed up and ready to leave. When the storms of life come, where can we run? Sorrow, worry, illness, and confusion can make us fearful and in need of refuge. We need a strong shelter that’ll protect us. Psalm 91 reminds us that God has promised to rescue us and to be with us in trouble. “Because he loves me . . . I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name” (v. 14). When we need help, we can call on His name and He “will answer” us (v. 15). When our courage fails us, we can lean into His strength. He’s our shelter in any storm.

“I know you better than you know yourself!” As a young man, I heard that confident declaration from a friend. Her intentions were good, but my complicated life as an adopted missionary kid had been shaped across four continents and cultures. She didn’t really know me. Zophar, a friend of Job’s, sounded wise in his assessment of Job’s difficulties. “Can you fathom the mysteries of God?” Zophar asked him (11:7). “They are higher than the heavens above.” Who can argue with that? But then Zophar dared speak of something he couldn’t know: Job’s heart. Without evidence, he proclaimed, “If you put away the sin that is in your hand and allow no evil to dwell in your tent, then . . . you will stand firm and without fear” (vv. 14-15). Job responded sarcastically: “Wisdom will die with you! But I have a mind as well as you; I am not inferior to you. Who does not know all these things?” (12:2-3). Job’s reality was so complex that even he didn’t know what was taking place (see Job 1-2). He correctly said, “To God belong wisdom and power” (12:13). It didn’t come from Zophar, who presumed to have authority and insight that weren’t his. Our friends may need our loving counsel from time to time. But usually, friends in crisis need us to bring their names in prayer to the One who truly does know them.

After Jennifer was diagnosed with early onset dementia, she couldn’t read the Bible easily, so she started listening to it. Scripture passages now mean something new to her. For example, she gets lost easily, often doesn’t know who people are, and sees hallucinations of wild animals. When she’s disorientated and fearful, she receives God’s comfort as she hears Isaiah speak of “the Way of Holiness” set aside “for those who walk on that Way” (Isaiah 35:8). On that road will be no wicked fools, “nor any ravenous beast”; instead, “only the redeemed will walk there,” those whom God rescues (v. 9). The prophet Isaiah shared God’s promises to His people, those exiled from their home. Away from the temple, where they would experience His presence, they must have felt bereft and forlorn. The promises, therefore, of the Way of Holiness, the path to God, would give them hope and strength. To think of entering “Zion with singing,” without fear or sorrow, would lead them to rejoice (v. 10). Even as Jennifer holds on to these assurances from centuries ago, so too can we who believe in Jesus trust that as we journey with Him, we’ll know gladness and joy (v. 10). Whatever trials we face in this life—however taxing or life-altering—we know that God’s way leads us home to Him.

Stanley’s generosity never ceased to amaze me. He often bought meals and gifts for elderly church members, cleaners in his neighborhood, or anyone who needed cheering up. Equally amazing was that despite Stanley’s not being wealthy or savvy at investing, his small investment did impressively well, enabling him to keep giving. Whenever someone thanked him, he’d point upwards and smile, as if to say, “It came from God, not me.” God, he often said, helped him to help others. This was what Paul alluded to in 2 Corinthians 9 as he wrote about giving. Proud of the Corinthians’ readiness to help fellow believers (v. 2), he hoped to pick up a collection they had started (v. 3). Imploring them to give generously and cheerfully (vv. 6-7), he noted that God would not only reward those who gave (v. 6) but also bless people so they could give even more. God doesn’t expect us to give what we’re unable to give (2 Corinthians 8:12). Rather, He entrusts us with money, time, or talent to “abound in every good work” (9:8), and He supplies what we need so we “can be generous on every occasion” (v. 11). That’s why we can give in faith and with a cheerful heart (v. 7), knowing that we give only from what we’ve been given. In the process, we bring praise to God’s name (v. 13).

Serendipity Bookstore, a popular spot in Chelsea, Michigan, needed to expand. The owner found a building twice the size just a block away. She wanted to make the move quickly instead of closing the store for days and boxing up all the books. So she requested help from the community. More than three hundred people showed up! They stood shoulder to shoulder forming a human conveyor belt and passed the books from one person to the next, moving 9,100 books in just under two hours. The owner said, “[The bookstore] is really a part of the community, and [the people] have ownership.” They all enthusiastically worked side by side. When Nehemiah, a Jew who was the trusted cupbearer to the Persian king, learned that the wall surrounding Jerusalem lay in shambles, he cried out for God’s guidance (Nehemiah 1:3-11). The Babylonians had destroyed the walls in 587 bc. After investigating, Nehemiah recruited help from the community. He said to the Jewish leaders, “You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins . . . . Come, let us rebuild the wall” (2:17). Chapter 3 describes how leaders and citizens alike willingly repaired the section of the wall that was right in front of each one. They worked side by side. We too can impact our community by serving together under God’s direction and in His strength.

Tungsten is something of a paradox. It has the highest tensile strength of any pure element, making it extremely difficult to pull apart. But the Mead Metal website notes, “In terms of impact strength, tungsten is weak—it’s a brittle metal known to shatter on impact.” It’s fascinating that tungsten, the strongest natural metal, is also so weak and brittle. Human beings display a similar characteristic. Though capable of great strength both physically and mentally, we’re easily crushed under the weight of this fallen, broken world. Paul experienced this personally. In 2 Corinthians 11, he described experiences that overwhelmed him (vv. 23-29). But God encouraged him: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Paul resolved, “Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me” (2 Corinthians 12:9). Earlier in 2 Corinthians, Paul had written, “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed” (4:8). There’s hope, even though the strongest child of God knows all too well that this world is simply too much for us. We’re happily dependent on the strength of His grace if we are to endure. May we, like Paul, embrace our weaknesses so God’s power can carry us through.

Flowers don’t have to be in bloom to be beautiful, says famed landscape designer Piet Oudolf. Even in the dead of winter, the Dutch gardener’s award-winning designs are known for their stunning appeal. “Beauty is in so many things you wouldn’t think of,” Oudolf says, although some may disagree. “The moment you say I love plants that are dead [dormant],” he said, “then you have a problem because people don’t like dead plants.” Oudolf’s appreciation of plants’ life cycles echoes a core spiritual principle: while we were dead in our sins, God still loved us. “You see,” explained the apostle Paul, “at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly” (Romans 5:6). Paul continued, “God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (v. 8). Jesus chose disciples with flaws. He ate meals with known sinners. He healed outcasts. Oudolf, likewise, is “interested in plants not only for their flowers, but also for their personality, their character”—seeing beauty “in things that, on first sight, are not beautiful.” As bearers of our Father’s image, we show God to the world in how we relate to Him and each other. Planted in His love, we’re anointed by our Father to bloom anew in Him—once-dead sinners showing His beauty to a world longing for a glimpse of Him.

The teenager stood her ground. While her high school group was visiting a home for people in rehab from addictions, Claire engaged in conversation with a twentysomething man who towered over her in size. They talked about faith. Claire clearly presented the gospel of Jesus. He countered with his spiritual views, which were very different. Back and forth they went in a friendly give-and-take way. Finally, the young man looked at Claire and said, “You got me. I can’t argue with what you’re saying.” Though he didn’t put his faith in Jesus, a seed had been planted. And while Claire would have loved for the young man to have received Christ, her disappointment was balanced by the reality that she’d done what God called her to do that day: “Be prepared to give an answer” (1 Peter 3:15). She had lovingly shared God’s plan of salvation. Claire wasn’t ashamed of the gospel (Romans 1:16). She was prepared to “give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have” (1 Peter 3:15). And she knew how to let her “conversation be . . . full of grace” so she would “know how to answer” (Colossians 4:6) the young man in the right spirit. What a privilege God gives us to make Christ known to others! Let’s be ready to share with others as He provides what we need.

Visiting Switzerland had been my dad’s lifelong dream. After his diagnosis of frontotemporal dementia, my mom decided to go with him while he was still physically able. “One day, with the snow blowing around us on Mount Titlis,” she says, “I saw the profound joy in your father’s face. It was the joy of a dream come true.” Later, however, my mom’s tears flowed when my dad asked, “Where are we again?” My dad may have forgotten he was in Switzerland, but “the visit was worth it,” my mom says. “At least for one moment, he knew, and he was happy.” God reassures us of a time when joy will never be taken away from us again. Because of our hope in Jesus, we can look forward to “a new heaven and a new earth” (Revelation 21:1), where we’ll be free from sin and death (Romans 5:12). In this perfect world, God will make “everything new” (Revelation 21:5). He “will wipe every tear from (our) eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away” (v. 4). Whatever suffering we experience now is temporary. God promises that one day “the former things will not be remembered” (Isaiah 65:17). They will forever be no more. I know that one day, when we’re with God (Revelation 21:3), I’ll see profound joy on Daddy’s face. This time, it will stay.

The ceiling of London’s Banqueting House is magnificent. Painted by Sir Peter Paul Rubens between 1629 and 1634, it was commissioned by King Charles I to glorify his family’s reign. In one painting, the goddess Minerva celebrates the achievements of Charles’ father, King James I. In another, James is carried to heaven on the wings of an eagle. Gazing up at the ceiling, banquet guests got a clear message: kings like Charles and his father were virtually divine. In the prophet Isaiah’s day, the king of Babylon felt similarly about himself. Here was a king who longed to “ascend to the heavens” and sit “on the mount of assembly” where the gods were thought to reign (Isaiah 14:13). Instead, Isaiah prophesied that this king would fall (vv. 3-4), being “brought down to the realm of the dead” (v. 15) without even a tomb to be remembered by (vv. 18-19). Charles I met a similar fate. In an ironic twist, he was marched beneath the very ceiling depicting his supposed divinity before being executed outside Banqueting House in 1649. It’s a sad fact that has repeated through time: powerful people who claim divine glory for themselves will one day discover how human they are. For there is only One who is worthy of reigning from heaven, and all power, glory, and majesty are His alone (1 Chronicles 29:11).

When Melanie began having regular headaches, her doctors discovered she had a benign tumor in her pituitary gland. The tumor was about the size of a plum and was surgically removed in 2003 and again in 2006 when it recurred. Then in 2017, when it came back a third time, Melanie underwent radiation treatment instead, which caused her to lose her hair. Her twenty-seven-year-old son, Matt, decided to grow out his own hair to make a wig for her. Matt’s selfless, loving act illustrates how one person’s abilities and resources can supply the needs of another person or group. Paul highlights the beauty of such reciprocal generosity in his letter to the Philippians. The believers in Philippi had shared in his “troubles” and “sent . . . aid more than once when [he] was in need” (Philippians 4:14, 16). Having received their gifts, Paul recognized that God had provided amply for his needs. Our willingness to share with one another is often the conduit of God’s provision in our lives. Sometimes we’re in a position to give of our time, talent, or treasure; other times we’re in need ourselves and must rely on the support of another. Through His Spirit working in us, our gifts are “pleasing to God” and a manifestation of our shared life in the Body (v. 18).

A restaurant employee discovered an unconscious man beside a dumpster. He was sunburned, bitten by ants, and showed signs of blunt force trauma. He had no memory of who he was. The man, later self-named “Benjamin Kyle,” lived in limbo for more than a decade. He couldn’t work, collect benefits, or even reclaim his past. His healing began when a community of strangers helped him rediscover his identity through genetic testing and investigation. “I have a history,” he said. “I’m not just some stranger that materialized out of thin air.” The story of Ruth in the Bible can be seen as one of rediscovered belonging. After losing her husband and leaving her homeland, she chose to bind herself to her mother-in-law Naomi and her people. She said, “Where you go, I will go. . . . Your people shall be my people, and your God my God” (Ruth 1:16). Ruth connected her identity and destiny to that of Naomi and her people in life and in death. She was “determined to go with her” (v. 18)—prioritizing community over clarity, belonging over certainty. In doing so, she stepped into God’s redemptive story and is remembered forever as part of the lineage of Christ (Matthew 1:5). When we as believers in Jesus forget who we are—or when life’s pain leaves us disoriented—God often uses community to reconnect us with our most authentic identity. In Him we’re beloved, chosen, and known.

I was putting my grandson to bed during a sleepover. When his Bible bookmark opened to Psalm 23, he objected, “We already read this one.” After I suggested we might learn something new, he read aloud, “The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastries.” Green pastries?! I explained that the word was pastures, not pastries. Hours earlier, he’d stood before a bakery shelf, selecting treats. His interpretation came into focus: to him, a bakery conveyed a place of rest and enjoyment. Psalm 23 may be so familiar to us that we miss its deep offering. David, a king well acquainted with shepherding, describes God’s provision over a lifetime of things both idyllic (vv. 5-6) and challenging (v. 4). He points out that our good God leads us to places where we can partake of His presence, be rejuvenated, and prepare for what will come. Green pastures (v. 1) and still waters (v. 2) are such dwellings for sheep, and we are God’s sheep. My grandson’s innocent interpretation opened my eyes to the “green pastures” God provides for me—places of rest and enjoyment in everyday life where He restores me. A gold-hued sunset. A verdant field. A quiet corner. A bakery shelf of green pastries, wafting out delight. I’m so glad we read Psalm 23 again!

One moment Adrián Simancas was kayaking in the Strait of Magellan in Chile with his father. The next, the twenty-four-year-old was engulfed in the mouth of a humpback whale. “I thought I was dead,” Adrián told a news outlet. After a few seconds, the whale released Adrián into the frigid waters. His life vest caused him to float to the water’s surface and his father helped him to safety. The Old Testament prophet Jonah also had an encounter with a large sea creature. Jonah refused to follow God’s directive to preach a message of repentance to the Israelites’ enemies, the Ninevites, so he boarded a ship in the opposite direction of Nineveh. When the ship got caught in a storm, Jonah convinced the crew to throw him overboard (Jonah 1:11-12, 15). “Now the Lord provided a huge fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights” (v. 17). Jonah went from fleeing from God to crying out to Him. “From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the Lord his God” (2:1). God heard Jonah and rescued him (v. 10). Then Jonah preached to the Ninevites, and they repented. If God could hear Jonah’s plea from inside a big fish, He can hear us and rescue us from wherever we are. Instead of running from God, let’s run to Him in prayer knowing that He will answer us when we cry out to Him.

If you’ve ever heard the expression “albatross around my neck”—a phrase referring to a tiresome burden—you’ve heard an allusion to English poet Samuel Coleridge’s famous poem Rime of the Ancient Mariner. In the poem, a sailor shoots and kills a harmless, friendly albatross. The crew believes the mariner’s cruel deed curses their voyage, and forces him to wear the dead bird around his neck as punishment. Are there regrets in your life that feel like a heavy weight around your neck? All of us have moments we’d do anything to take back. It can feel like we’re cursed to carry the weight of our guilt and regret forever. Yet God’s grace can free our hearts from even the most painful regret. We all have sin (1 John 1:8, 10), but when we honestly confess our burdens to God, we’re promised he “will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (v. 9). As His grace rushes in, His light and love can flow through us (2:10), freeing us to love those around us (v. 10; 3:14). In Coleridge’s poem, the tormented mariner too eventually experiences this grace. When love for God’s creation rushes into his heart and compels him to pray, the albatross falls off his neck, vanishing forever “like lead into the sea.”

On November 21, 1915, the hope of Sir Ernest Shackleton and his twenty-seven crew members sank, along with their ship Endurance, into the dark below the Antarctic ice. They were stranded, thousands of miles from home. Later, the crew shared several things that aided their survival, including a banjo. Embarking on their brutal trek, Leonard Hussey (the expedition’s meteorologist) was the only person allowed more than two pounds of personal gear. He was allowed to bring his twelve-pound Windsor banjo. “It’s vital mental medicine,” Shackleton told Hussey, “and we shall need it.” The crew’s journals explained the power of Hussey’s music. “The banjo does . . . supply brain food,” wrote one sailor. Another reflected on “Hussey’s indispensable banjo.” The Bible presents music as one of God’s immense gifts, a way His healing and comfort enter the human heart. In the tragic story of King Saul, we hear how (due to his disobedience) he was oppressed by an “evil spirit” (1 Samuel 16:14). And what did Saul’s attendants believe the king needed to provide relief? Music. So, they found young David with his harp. “David would take up his lyre and play. Then relief would come to Saul; he would feel better, and the evil spirit would leave him” (v. 23). Music offers more than mere entertainment. It can bring joy, renew hope, and comfort weary souls. It’s truly one of God’s powerful gifts.

In Singapore, the government encourages people to support good causes by donation-matching. It “tops up” donations to specific charities by contributing an equal amount or more. By effectively multiplying people’s contributions, it hopes to encourage them to become more involved in charitable giving. This two-pronged approach reminds me of how believers in Jesus are called to God’s standards of holiness in our discipleship journey. In his letter to the Philippians, Paul urges them “to work out [their] salvation” (2:12) and “press on” (3:12, 14). At the same time, he stresses that “it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose” (2:13). Believers in Jesus aren’t made right with God by good works or performance. But there is an idea of partnership in our spiritual growth. It requires heart and effort on our part; yet we do not do it by human strength. Having saved us by grace, God calls us to be holy—set apart for Him—and we respond in sincerity and gratitude. As we seek to obey and please Him, He enables and helps us to do so. He shows us when we go wrong (Philippians 3:15), gives us strength to resist temptation (1 Corinthians 10:13), and empowers us to do what’s right in His eyes (Ephesians 2:10).

When Oswald and Biddy Chambers ran a Bible college in London from 1911 to 1915, they continued with their life principle of not turning away those in need. Astute Londoners were aghast at this practice, thinking the college would be taken advantage of. In response, Oswald observed, without inviting others to follow in the practice, “My responsibility is to give. God will look after who asks.” The couple followed the example of our generous Creator. Through His instructions to Moses, God laid out gracious ways for His people to live and serve others, including giving of their food and possessions. Moses told the Israelites at the end of every three years to “bring all the tithes” so the Levites, “foreigners, the fatherless and the widows,” could come and “eat and be satisfied” (Deuteronomy 14:28-29). Through the generosity of His people, God cares for the vulnerable. The Chambers’ trust in God was so strong that they gave willingly and without question. They’d learned to “revere . . . God always” (v. 23) and receive His blessing “in all the work of [their] hands” (v. 29). We may also feel inspired to give freely while we lean on God for wisdom and discernment. We know that our generous God will lead and guide as He provides for the foreigners, the fatherless, and the widows.

As a teenager, I had a strained relationship with my churchmate Lisa, so I was dismayed to learn we’d be roommates at our youth summer camp. The week at camp passed smoothly though, with both of us being civil. The most anticipated event was a bonfire gathering at the end of the week. On that evening, however, I had a fever. I went to bed early, but I could hear the laughter and music outside. An hour later, I was startled by Lisa, who was taking my temperature. “I’m not joining them at the bonfire,” she said. “You’re sick. I need to stay with you.” Lisa could’ve stayed uninvolved, but she chose to care for me, which lifted my spirits. We see another example of someone who cared in the story of Naaman. The commander of the Syrian army, Naaman had an Israelite servant girl who’d been taken captive and now “served Naaman’s wife” (2 Kings 5:2). Separated from family and forced to servitude, the girl could’ve chosen to not help her master, who had leprosy. But her faith moved her to help: “She said to her mistress, ‘If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him” (v. 3). And God did, in fact, use the prophet Elisha to heal Naaman (vv. 8-14). Lisa and the Israelite girl chose to help, and God worked through them. Let’s ask God to show us who we can extend His care to and give us the wisdom how.

I used to work with a woman named Madge, who was an amazing cook. “You should taste my pea and ham soup!” she said one day. After replying that I really didn’t like peas, Madge smiled and said, “You will after you try my soup.” The next day she handed me a container of her soup, made especially for me. “Did you try my soup?” Madge asked me a couple of days later. “I will—soon!” I said, hoping she wouldn’t ask me again. But she did—the next day, and the next. “Don’t leave it too long or it’ll spoil,” she added on the fourth day. A week later, Madge’s uneaten soup had spoiled and I threw it away. I felt dread as she approached me. “You did try my soup, didn’t you?” she asked. “Yes,” I said. “It was . . . delicious.” In Ephesians 4, Paul calls us to deal with speech-related sins like angry words (v. 26), unwholesome talk (v. 29), and slander (v. 31). But before these comes a more basic call to “speak truthfully to your neighbor” (v. 25). I had looked at Madge and told her a lie. I knew what I needed to do. I walked into Madge’s office, confessed my lie, and sheepishly asked for her forgiveness. Madge walked to me and gave me a hug. “Of course I forgive you,” she said. “How could I not, when I know how much God’s forgiven me?”

As a little girl, I got so excited when I’d see special signs appear on the side of the road. I thought colorful signs meant my family had arrived at the popular amusement park we were driving to. I’d joyfully start gathering my things, only to be disappointed to see more signs and have to wait even longer before we reached the park. It took me several visits to realize those signs announced that visitors were getting closer but were still miles away. Like a child excited about going to an amusement park and wondering “are we there yet?,” as adults we can also be impatient and anxious to arrive at our next destination. Waiting for God to move in our lives, or to rescue us from our trials, can be challenging. David was facing much adversity, which he mentions throughout Psalm 27, yet he still placed his hope and trust in God and waited for Him to respond. David didn’t know how long it would take for God to act, but he knew God would help him. “I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living” (v. 13). It may take longer than we’d like to experience our breakthrough, but let’s take courage as we read, “Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord” (v. 14). When we’re finding it hard to wait on God, we can turn to the Psalms and the rest of Scripture for encouragement. And we can take comfort in knowing God is working even while we wait.

In an old movie comedy, a bumbling but brilliant programmer is chosen for the first manned mission to Mars. Constantly making foolish mistakes, the programmer has a habit of blurting out, “It wasn’t me!” When the crew lands on Mars, the programmer slips from the top of the ladder and falls to the planet’s surface—just before his partner sets foot on it. The first words spoken on Mars are, “It wasn’t me!” It’s a farcical story, but that programmer’s phrase is hauntingly realistic. Whenever there’s blame to go around, our response can sound a lot like, “It wasn’t me!” God desires our obedience. But He also knows we’re prone to disobey Him. In Leviticus 26:1–13, God outlined His plan for Israel. If they obeyed His commands, “I will look on you with favor and make you fruitful and increase your numbers” (v. 9). But habitual disobedience would bring curses and afflictions designed to bring the people to repentance. Then God said that if disobedient Israel would “confess their sins and the sins of their ancestors” (v. 40), He would remember His covenant with them. Key to restoring relationship with God is our admission of what we’ve done wrong. Blaming others keeps us trapped in the guilt cycle, powerless to vindicate ourselves. Feeling far from God? A good place to start is by saying, “It was me.”

Nancy’s cancer treatment caused so many ulcers in her mouth and throat that she couldn’t even swallow a piece of bread. She had to rely on milk to fill her stomach as many painful days passed. The only thing that brought a smile to the sixty-year-old’s face was the joy of knowing Jesus—and her grandsons. Being with them each week helped her to not dwell on her situation. “If not for the boys, I would have given up,” she said. The apostle Paul also found joy in Jesus and others despite his difficulties. His joy came from Jesus and living for Him. Despite being imprisoned (Philippians 1:13), he found strength to encourage others. He spoke of the joy that came from partnering in sharing the good news about Jesus, and from knowing what awaited him upon death (vv. 3-5, 18, 20). That confidence enabled him to say: “To me, to live is Christ and to die is gain” (v. 21). Paul could rejoice because Jesus was his life. His sense of contentment and security didn’t come from any possession or situation, but from knowing he belonged to Christ. Thus, in a letter written in the worst of circumstances, he could say in Philippians 4:4: “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” May we find joy in Jesus, who loves us, cares for us, and gives us strength to rejoice in any circumstance.

In a moment of distraction, Sarah unknowingly dropped her diamond engagement ring into a homeless man’s cup. Billy Ray, the panhandler who was given the ring, had it appraised and considered selling it. But he chose honesty and returned it to Sarah when she came back a few days later. Sarah and her husband set up a fund so donations could be made to help Billy Ray, which led to an outpouring of generosity from others. Billy Ray received financial and legal counsel and was eventually able to buy a home. He was also reunited with his long-lost family. When we practice integrity, we please God and inspire others. Solomon says God delighted in his integrity: "The Lord detests lying lips, but He delights in people who are trustworthy” (Proverbs 12:22). He uses strong language to describe God’s view of dishonesty—He detests it. When God’s people lie or “deceit is in [their] hearts” (v. 20), it defies Him and goes against His character. In contrast, when His people have “truthful lips” (v. 19) and deal faithfully, it brings Him joy. So treating others well is more than just telling the truth—it reflects God’s own character. And in a world where deception can seem profitable, our integrity is something He “delights in” (v. 22). Let’s commit to act with integrity as God helps us. Even if the world doesn’t notice, He’s delighted when we walk in His ways.

“Tactical napping” is a series of guidelines for soldiers for effective, 10-30 minutes of sleep. While experiencing a rush of adrenaline, loneliness, or anxiety, sleep-deprived soldiers may not be able to relax. Tips include using earplugs and reading before bed. They’re even offered military-grade caffeinated chewing gum to reduce grogginess after a nap. It’s when we most need rest that it’s often difficult to find. King David experienced this after fleeing into the wilderness to escape his son Absalom’s treason. David and his followers wept aloud at his betrayal with their heads covered in mourning (2 Samuel 15:30-31). In fact, “the whole countryside wept aloud” (v. 23). It was around this time that David cried out, “Lord, how many are my foes!” (Psalm 3:1). Perhaps thinking about past troubled nights, however, David continued, “I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the Lord sustains me. I will not fear” (vv. 5-6). David realized that it was God, not Absalom, who had control over his situation. David even sent the ark of the covenant back to Jerusalem, acknowledging that the future was fully in God’s hands (2 Samuel 15:25-26). Sleep feels especially fleeting when we’re facing adversity in our waking hours, but it’s a good reminder of how many things are outside our control. In contrast, all things are under Jesus’ control. As we trust Him, He can help us lie down in peace.

“What’s my birthmother’s name?” My seven-year-old daughter’s sincere question pierced my heart. Ours had been a private adoption where we were provided only the most basic of information about her parents: height, weight, age, color of hair and eyes. How was I to respond? The question felt impossible! I drew in a breath and prayed, “God, what do I say?” A sentence tumbled out of my mouth, “What would you like her name to be?” She beamed at me and proclaimed, “Madeline!” “Then, Madeline it is!” I declared. In just a few minutes, I believe God had provided an answer when I didn’t have one. In the years after His death, Jesus’ followers would encounter great challenges where they needed God’s answers in seemingly impossible situations. In John 14, Jesus promised He would not leave them alone but would come to them with help (v. 18). Further, God would provide an ongoing flow of help: “The Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you” (v. 26). Sometimes the questions we face seem impossible to answer. We need God’s help and answers with our children, our work, our neighbors and our world. When we don’t have the answers, He can provide them.

In 1849, Henry “Box” Brown (a US enslaved man from Virginia) folded himself into a wooden crate marked “dry goods,” and two friends shipped him from Richmond to Philadelphia. Brown was inside the box (3 x 2.5 x 2 feet) for the 26-hour trip, with three small holes cut for air. As abolitionists pulled Brown from the box, he sang a paraphrase of Psalm 40, expressing his hope in the God who promises freedom. “If you have never been deprived of your liberty, as I was,” Brown later wrote, “you cannot realize the power of that hope of freedom, which was to me indeed, an anchor to the soul, both sure and steadfast.” Freedom is central to how God operates in our hearts and in our world. His wisdom leads to spiritual freedom, but false wisdom leads to oppression. “Where the Spirit of the Lord is,” Paul says, “there is freedom” from sin, death, and condemnation (2 Corinthians 3:17). When we listen to God and follow His ways, freedom results. Unfortunately, the opposite is also true: when we ignore Him and resist His invitations, we become ensnared and confined. God liberates and transforms us by His Spirit (v. 18), but sin and rebellion traps us. We sometimes believe that God limits and obstructs our possibilities and pleasure. But in truth, He’s the only one who can lead us into an expansive future, the only one who can guide us into genuine freedom.

Those who drive along Highway 18 in western Oregon each fall are greeted with a delightful surprise from the tree-covered hillside flanking the road: a giant smiley face. The cheerful face is only visible in the autumn when the Larch tree needles turn yellow, contrasting with the surrounding, dark green Douglas fir trees (which create the eyes and mouth). A lumber company planted the three-hundred-foot diameter face in 2011 as part of an effort to replenish the timber they’d harvested. Isaiah invites us to know God as the one who brings life to desolate places. He reminded the Israelites during the barrenness of their captivity that God “[makes] rivers flow,” can “turn the desert into pools of water,” and grow “the cedar and the acacia” in the desert (Isaiah 41:18-19). God does these things not solely for His (and our) delight; He plants junipers, fir, and cypress “so that people may see and know” (v. 20) that He authors all and will ultimately redeem all—even those places thought to be “wasteland[s]” (v. 19). Though we may not glimpse a face smiling back at us from a hillside, all of creation can remind us of God’s redemptive power over our world and our individual circumstances—even in the wake (or fear) of devastation. Let’s seek His face as our source of hope and joy amid our struggles.

Ethel and Ed live in the high desert area of the Rocky Mountains. As we visited them on their ranch filled with memorabilia, the conversation turned to childhood stories of riding horses on the grasslands of North Dakota and herding cattle in Montana. They’re on in years now, and I could hear in their voices a longing for home. Psalm 137 captures a similar emotion. The Israelites had been forced into captivity and longed for home. “By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept,” they said. “There our captors asked us for songs” (vv. 1,3), prompting the Israelites to ask, “How can we sing the songs of the Lord while in a foreign land?” (v. 4). The longing to return from exile is a common theme throughout the Old Testament prophets. Eventually the Israelites did return. They rebuilt Jerusalem and resettled in the land, but it was never the same. When the temple was rebuilt, those who remembered its former glory wept because it was a shadow of the first (Ezra 3:12). Old age may feel as if we’re in exile from our former selves as time takes a toll on mind and body. For those who know Jesus, this longing points not to the past but the future. That’s where my conversation turned with Ethel and Ed—a longing for our future home where everything is made right and is far better than anything we can imagine.