Verses from Judges

“The Lord turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?”

The Lord answered, “I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites, leaving none alive.””

‭‭Judges‬ ‭6:14, 16‬ ‭

What would you do if the Lord showed up in the middle of your workday with a message? This happened to Gideon, one of the ancient Israelites. “The angel of the Lord appeared to him and said, ‘Mighty hero, the Lord is with you!’ ” Gideon could have responded with a wordless nod and gulp, but instead he said, “If the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us?” (Judg. 6:12–13 nlt). Gideon wanted to know why it seemed as if God had abandoned His people.

God didn’t answer that question. After Gideon had endured seven years of enemy attacks, starvation, and hiding in caves, God didn’t explain why He never intervened. God could have revealed Israel’s past sin as the reason, but instead He gave Gideon hope for the future. God said, “Go with the strength you have . . . . I will be with you. And you will destroy the Midianites” (vv.14, 16 nlt).

Do you ever wonder why God has allowed suffering in your life? Instead of answering that specific question, God may satisfy you with His nearness today and remind you that you can rely on His strength when you feel weak. When Gideon finally believed that God was with him and would help him, he built an altar and called it “The Lord Is Peace” (v. 24).

There is peace in knowing that whatever we do and wherever we go, we go with God who promised never to leave or forsake His followers.

Verse from Leviticus

I will put my dwelling place among you. Leviticus 26:11

In Leviticus 26, God promised His people that obedience to His commands would result in their land flourishing with abundant harvest and peace from war. The most significant promise is found in verse 12: “I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be my people.” At the same time, the chapter warns that rejecting God’s ways would result in famine, defeat in war, and eventually exile from God’s land and presence (vv. 14-35). 

Yet God assured them that, even then, if His people repented, He’d “remember [His] covenant” (v. 42) with them and bring restoration. Because of God’s faithfulness (v. 44), there’d always be a path back to His presence. The same is true for us today. When we confess our sins, we can enjoy the gift of His presence.

Verse from Ephesians

It is by grace you have been saved, through faith. Ephesians 2:8

When Mark was pulled over by an officer for driving while intoxicated, he was afraid his college football career was over. He was sure he was going to jail. But the policeman instead dropped him off at his college. When Mark asked why, he said, “I’m giving you grace.”

Still, the young man was certain his coach would find out, and he’d lose his scholarship. So when his coach asked to see Mark after practice the next day, he was very apprehensive. Surprisingly the coach said, “I know what happened last night, but I’m giving you grace.” He then suggested that Mark consider attending church the next Sunday.

He went. And guess what the pastor talked about? The grace of Jesus in offering us salvation when we don’t deserve it. Mark got the message. That day, he trusted Jesus as Savior, and he spent the rest of his life serving Him—starting a ranch for boys who need a second chance—who need grace.

It’s by God’s grace that believers in Jesus “have been saved” (Ephesians 2:8). Grace does what good works can’t do (v. 9; Romans 11:6). It’s a gift provided by Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross.

The burden of our sin doesn’t have to weigh us down. As Mark discovered, God’s grace can free us and give us life “to the full” (John 10:10).

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.