Verse from John

“But 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.”

‭‭John‬ ‭14‬:‭26‬ ‭

When the navigation app suggested a route that would cut almost an hour off their drive from Las Vegas to Los Angeles, Shelby Easler and her brother followed the alternate directions. However, the “shortcut” led them along a dirt path for hours that left them stranded in California’s Mojave Desert during a dust storm. They were able to reverse course, but they eventually had to be towed because of all the damage to their car from the rough terrain. The app developer apologized to the numerous travelers who followed those wrong directions.

It’s important who we rely on for guidance. As believers in Jesus, we’ve been given the Holy Spirit to lead and direct us in matters of truth.

Let’s continue to follow the Holy Spirit’s prompting as we go throughout our day. We know He’ll never lead us astray.

Verse from Luke

“And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off?”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭18‬:‭7‬ ‭

When Royston’s daughter Hannah suffered a brain bleed that resulted in a coma, he and his family repeatedly turned to God in prayer. Over months of waiting, they clung to each other—and to God. The family’s faith awakened, as Royston reflected: “Never has God felt closer.” Throughout the ordeal, they were given “a renewal of faith to persist in prayer” like the “widow of Luke 18.”

Royston referred to Jesus’ story about a widow who continually sought justice from the town’s official, which He gave to illustrate “that they should always pray and not give up” (Luke 18:1). This woman appealed repeatedly to the judge, who in weariness finally relented. Jesus contrasted that uncaring judge with God, saying, “Will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night?” (v. 7).

Although Christ’s story addresses an unjust judge, the family members felt spurred on by it to pray for Hannah, asking the truly just and loving God for relief and help. They found themselves being drawn ever closer to Him: “As we seek God . . . it’s almost as if we’re the ones really waking up from our slumber.” After many months, Hannah woke from the coma and is slowly recovering

When we draw close to God, He hears our requests and answers according to His grace. He invites us to cry out to Him day or night.

Verse from Isaiah

“Each one will be like a shelter from the wind and a refuge from the storm, like streams of water in the desert and the shadow of a great rock in a thirsty land.”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭32‬:‭2‬ ‭

The prophet Isaiah once described a future in God’s care as a shelter from wind and storm. Having called God’s people to repentance (Isaiah 31:6-7), Isaiah also wrote of a future time when “a king will reign in righteousness” (32:1) and all who rule with Him will be “a shelter from the wind and a refuge from the storm” (v. 2). The resulting blessing is people who are able to see, hear, understand, and speak truth (vv. 3-4) in peace and safety.

While we still await the full benefits of this promise, we already see God at work through those who actively look out for the interests of others (Philippians 2:3-4). Christ’s Spirit helps us cultivate a safe space where people can flourish even in difficult times. This is a tangible way we can exemplify God’s loving care.

Verse from 2 Samuel

“Therefore I will praise you, Lord, among the nations; I will sing the praises of your name.”

‭‭2 Samuel‬ ‭22‬:‭50‬ ‭

When Diana’s vision began to deteriorate, she grew concerned. She’d also been having trouble thinking and kept repeating herself. Her symptoms caused doctors to believe it wasn’t a problem with her eyes but something in her brain. They learned she had a large tumor in her brain that needed to be removed. Diana was concerned that the surgery would impair her ability to sing—something she’s passionate about and shares with her family. So her surgeon did something incredible and kept her awake for the pain-free surgery, asking her to sing during the procedure so he’d know he’d preserved that part of her neurological circuitry. The two even recorded a duet during the operation.

Like Diana, King David—who penned many of the Bible’s psalms—was passionate about singing. He often sang to God in both lament and joy. When he was delivered from his enemies, he acknowledged that it was God who set him “free from [his] enemies” (2 Samuel 22:49). Because of God’s good works, David declared, “I will praise you, Lord, among the nations; I will sing the praises of your name” (v. 50).

God continues to be at work in the world and in each of our lives, delivering us from the malady that plagues us all: sin. May we, like David, set our hearts on singing God’s praises for all He’s done.

Verse from John

“Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.”

‭‭John‬ ‭17‬:‭17‬ ‭

Merriam-Webster’s 2023 Word of the Year was authentic. It means “not false or imitation” and “true to one’s own personality, spirit, or character.” People search for truth, but discerning fact from fiction can be challenging. Editor Peter Sokolowski said, “Can we trust whether a student wrote this paper [or] . . . whether a politician made this statement? We don’t always trust what we see anymore. We sometimes don’t believe our own eyes or our own ears. We are now recognizing that authenticity is a performance itself.”

As what is real becomes less clear, authenticity is something most people crave. This kind of “crisis of authenticity” can be averted as we take in and live out the wisdom of Scripture. Jesus spoke to His disciples just before His arrest, trial, and death (John 13-17). Preparing His disciples for His departure from earth, He also “looked toward heaven and prayed” for them (17:1). He prayed that the Father might “sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth” (v. 17). This implies that what God has revealed in the Bible doesn’t conform to some other standard of what’s true, but it is truth itself and the standard by which everything else is judged.

God calls us to align our lives with Scripture, to conduct ourselves according to its truth. Only by doing so can we become truly authentic, which is very much what the world needs today.

Verse from James

“Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.”

‭‭James‬ ‭4:14

In January 1943, warm Chinook winds hit Spearfish, South Dakota, quickly raising the temperatures from –4° to 45°F (–20° to 7°C). That drastic weather change—a swing of 49 degrees—took place in just two minutes. The widest temperature change recorded in the USA over a twenty-four-hour period is an incredible 103 degrees! On January 15, 1972, Loma, Montana, saw the temperature jump from −54° to 49°F (–48° to 9°C).

Sudden change, however, is not simply a weather phenomenon. It’s sometimes the very nature of life. James reminds us, “Now listen, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.’ Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow” (4:13–14). An unexpected loss. A surprise diagnosis. A financial reversal. Sudden changes.

Life is a journey with many unpredictable elements. This is precisely why James warns us to turn from “arrogant schemes” (v. 16) that do not take the Almighty into account. As he advised us, “You ought to say, ‘If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that’ ” (v. 15). 

The events of our lives may be uncertain, but one thing is sure: through all of life’s unexpected moments, our God will never leave us. He’s our one constant throughout life.

Verse from Psalms

“I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord; apart from You I have no good thing.””

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭16:2‬ ‭

“My precious . . .” First portrayed in Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings trilogy, the image of the emaciated creature Gollum in his maniacal obsession with the “precious ring of power” has become an iconic one today—for greed, obsession, even insanity.

It’s also a troublingly relatable image. In his tormented love-hate relationship with both the ring and with himself, Gollum’s voice echoes the hunger in our own hearts. Whether it’s directed at one thing in particular, or just a vague longing for “more,” we’re sure that once we finally get our own “precious,” we’ll be satisfied. But instead, what we thought would make us whole leaves us feeling even emptier than before.

There’s a better way to live. As David expresses in Psalm 16, when the longings in our hearts threaten to send us on a desperate, futile quest for satisfaction (v. 4), we can remember to turn to God for refuge (v. 1), reminding ourselves that apart from Him we have nothing (v. 2).

And as our eyes stop looking for satisfaction “out there” to gaze instead on God’s beauty (v. 8), we find ourselves finally tasting true contentment—a life of basking in the “joy [of God’s] presence,” walking with Him each moment in “the way of life”—now and forever (v. 11 nlt).

What’s the thing you often turn to for satisfaction when you lose sight of God?