Verse from Joel

[The Lord] is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love. Joel 2:13

The poet Francis Thompson wrote of God’s “unperturbed pace.” Thompson meant that God moves methodically, patiently, with steps measured and intentional. We see this slowness even with God’s emotions. In Scripture, the prophet Joel’s call for the people of Judah to repent is grounded in the reality that our God is “slow to anger” (Joel 2:13). 

Unlike our dramatic narratives, often fueled by tempers and flying-off-the-handle selfishness, God takes a different approach. His anger arrives slowly. To a people who had rebelled against Him, God says, “Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God” (v. 13).

God’s anger isn’t like ours. He’s slow to anger, a reality that allows us to return to Him with all our hearts.

Verse from Genesis

“He said, "Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you." (‭Genesis‬ ‭22‬:‭2‬)

Abraham bound his son and laid him on an altar, but then God provided an alternate sacrifice. Hundreds of years later, God would supply another sacrifice—the final sacrifice—His own Son. Think of how agonizing it must have been for God to sacrifice His Son, His only Son whom He loved! And He went through all of that because He loves you.

If you wonder whether you are loved by God, wonder no more.

God has already proven His love for you.

Verse from Isaiah

Do not fear, for I am with you . . . I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10

Sometimes in life it can feel like we’re falling further and further with no one to catch us. But when life seems chaotic and out of control, we can find comfort in knowing that God is with us. As believers, we know that God dwells in us through the Holy Spirit. We can speak to Him and be guided by Scripture.

God wanted to assure the Israelites that He would “catch” them even in the midst of their “fall” of rebellion. He said through the prophet Isaiah, “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10). God wanted them to know He would help them through their trials (v. 13). How encouraging it must’ve been for the Israelites to know that God hadn’t abandoned them even while they were living as prisoners in a foreign land.

When our life feels like it’s out of control, we can take courage knowing that God is there to help us. We’re safe in His loving and mighty hands.

Verse from Exodus

“When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter. For God said, “If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.””

‭‭Exodus‬ ‭13:17‬ ‭

As his peers were promoted one by one, Benjamin couldn’t help but feel a little envious. “How come you’re not a manager yet? You deserve it,” friends told him. But Ben decided to leave his career to God. “If this is God’s plan for me, I’ll just do my job well,” he replied. 

Several years later, Ben was finally promoted. By then, his added experience enabled him to do his job confidently and won him the respect of subordinates. Some of his peers, meanwhile, were still struggling with their supervisory responsibilities, as they had been promoted before they were ready. Ben realized God had taken him the “long way around” so that he would be better prepared for his role. 

When God led the Israelites out of Egypt (Exodus 13:17–18), He chose a longer way because the “shortcut” to Canaan was fraught with risk. The longer journey, note Bible commentators, also gave them more time to strengthen themselves physically, mentally, and spiritually for subsequent battles. 

The shortest way isn’t always the best. 

Sometimes God lets us take the longer route in life, whether it’s in our career or other endeavors, so that we’ll be better prepared for the journey ahead. When things don’t seem to happen quickly enough, we can trust in God—the One who leads and guides us.

Verse from Matthew

Take the first fish you catch; open its mouth and you will find a four-drachma coin. Matthew 17:27

The law stipulated that every adult Israelite had to pay a tax to support the temple (Nehemiah 10:32). When Jesus was reminded that this tax was due, He said that just as kings don’t demand tribute from their own children, He—as the Son of God—is exempt. He’s “greater than the temple” (Matthew 12:6), for the temple belonged to Him. But as a law-abiding Jew, He’d pay the tax so that He wouldn’t be accused of breaking the law and causing others to stumble (17:27; see 11:6). 

He then miraculously provided Peter with the needed tax, showing that He’s the Lord of creation and will provide for our needs. Christ assures us “not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. . . . Your heavenly Father already knows all your needs” (6:25, 32 nlt). As children of God, we can trust Him to provide for our needs.

Verse from James

Do what [the word] says. James 1:22

James tells us to be “doers of the word” (v. 22 nasb). A “doer” looks “intently into” Scripture and “[continues] in it” (v. 25), consistently doing “what it says” (v. 22). Obeying God should be not just something we do, but something that flows from who we are. By His strength, we can live out His Word in our world.

Verse from Exodus

I threw [the gold] into the fire, and out came this calf. Exodus 32:24

“It’s not my fault!” So says Han Solo in The Empire Strikes Back when his ship is attacked and there seems to be no escape, only because a repair hadn’t been made. When he says it, you wonder if he bears at least some responsibility for his predicament but doesn’t want to admit it.

Sometimes it’s easier to find someone (or something) else to blame rather than accept responsibility ourselves. Scripture shows us that this tendency is as old as sin. Adam and Eve both did it (Genesis 3:11-13), and so did Aaron (Exodus 32:24).

Despite our willfulness, God offers us forgiveness when we admit to Him we’ve done wrong. He assures us that He’s “faithful and just and will forgive us” (1 John 1:9). Forgiven and received by Him, we can be open about our brokenness to the God who took our blame on Himself on the cross, all because of His perfect, sacrificial love.