Verse from Isaiah

““As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭55‬:‭9‬ ‭

In Isaiah 55:9, God says, “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways.” The Hebrew word here for ways (derek) refers to the moral actions and behavior of God contrasted with that of wicked people. God’s wisdom and righteous ways are far above ours. What happens in a loved one’s life may not be what we want, but we can trust Him to work in their lives as He sees best.

Let’s keep entrusting those we love to God by presenting “[our] requests to God” (Philippians 4:6). He alone is perfect in love, mercy, wisdom, and sovereignty (Isaiah 55:3, 7-11).

Verse from Psalms

“Do not let the floodwaters engulf me or the depths swallow me up or the pit close its mouth over me.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭69‬:‭15‬ ‭

San Fruttuoso Abbey is nestled in a cove off Italy’s northwest coast. Accessible only by boat or foot, it’s a secluded gem. But even more treasure hides in its bay. As divers venture into the sea and descend fifty feet down, the figure of a man starts coming into view. This is Christ of the Abyss, the world’s first underwater statue, placed in 1954. The bronze figure depicts Jesus in the depths, His hands raised to heaven.

The depths. Maybe you’ve experienced them. “I sink in the miry depths,” Psalm 69 says, “I am worn out calling for help” (vv. 2-3). Mocked by his foes and estranged from his family (vv. 4, 7-12), the psalmist found no comfort in others (v. 20) and feared his misery would “swallow” him up (v. 15). Whether it’s sin or sadness that takes us there, the depths are life’s moments of dark despair.

Thankfully this isn’t the last word on the depths. For while they’re cold and lonely, there is one who can be found in them (139:8). And He will rescue us from their chilly waters. “I will exalt you, Lord, for you lifted me out of the depths” (30:1).

As that sculpture reminds us, when we’re sinking under the world’s weight, we’re not alone. Jesus by the Spirit is there in the depths, His hands raised high—ready to meet us and lift us out in time.

Verse from Acts

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.””

‭‭Acts‬ ‭1‬:‭8‬ ‭

For forty days after His resurrection, Christ appeared to His disciples to encourage and teach them about the kingdom of God (Acts 1:3). Before Jesus’ return to heaven, He gave them one last promise: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you” (v. 8).

Christ promised that God’s incomparably great power would be available to the disciples through His Spirit. But the purpose of having power wasn’t to keep it to themselves. Instead, the disciples let God empower them in the mission of telling others how to experience once more the connection to God’s power and love that was broken by sin.

As we go out into our communities, we have the same power and calling. Empowered by God’s Spirit, we can care for those who are suffering and share how they too can have access to God’s power.

Verse from 2 Timothy

“So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God.”

‭‭2 Timothy‬ ‭1‬:‭8‬ ‭

Elliot is passionate about telling others about Jesus. During a week spent teaching from 2 Timothy for church leaders in a South Asian country, he reminded them of Paul’s farewell to Timothy. He urged them not to be ashamed of the good news but instead to embrace suffering and persecution for the gospel’s sake as did Paul (1:8-9). A few days later, Elliot learned that evangelism and Christian conversion had been banned in that country. With deep concern for their welfare, he prayed for these leaders to persevere and to boldly and with urgency continue to proclaim the gospel.

Paul understood the danger inherent in proclaiming the good news. He spent time in prison (vv. 8, 16) and had suffered in many other ways because of his teaching (vv. 11-12)—including being beaten, whipped, and stoned (see 2 Corinthians 11:23-29). But nothing kept Paul from telling others about Jesus. His philosophy? “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21). He lived to tell others about Christ, but he knew that if he died, he would be with Jesus. Paul reminded Timothy that the Holy Spirit would empower him (2 Timothy 1:7).

God calls all of us who believe, wherever we are—at home or abroad—to tell others about Jesus. We may suffer, but He is right there with us.

Verse from Luke

“The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with the people of this generation and condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon’s wisdom; and now something greater than Solomon is here.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭11‬:‭31‬ ‭

The Queen of Sheba had a “wow” response when she visited King Solomon in ancient Jerusalem. When she “saw all the wisdom of Solomon and the palace he had built . . . she was overwhelmed” (1 Kings 10:4-5). Centuries later, another royal son of David—Jesus—appeared, and He amazed people in other ways. Everywhere He went, people recognized the wonder of His wisdom and works (Luke 4:36), and He urged them to see that “someone greater than Solomon” had stepped onto the scene (11:31 nlt). The stunning ministry of Jesus grants forgiveness of sin—purchased at great cost, His death. He welcomes anyone who will to come to Him. And those who do will experience His beauty and grace and will sing His praises now and throughout eternity. 

Verse from Isaiah

“"Remember the former things long past, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like Me,”

(‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭46:9)‬ ‭

CNN calls a derivative of graphite a “miracle material” that could revolutionize our future. Only one atom thick, graphene is being hailed as a truly two-dimensional material in a 3-D world. One hundred times stronger than steel, it is harder than diamond, conducts electricity 1,000 times better than copper, and is more flexible than rubber. 

In and of themselves, such technological advances are neither moral nor evil. But we are wise to remember the limitations of anything we make for ourselves.

Isaiah spoke to a generation who found themselves carrying into captivity gods they had made with their own hands. The prophet wanted the Israelites to see the irony of needing to care for the silver and gold idols they had crafted to inspire, help, comfort, and protect them.

What was true of Israel holds true for us as well. Nothing we have made or bought for ourselves can meet the needs of our heart. Only God, who has been carrying us “from the womb” (Isa. 46:3-4), can carry us into the future.

Verse from 1 Thessalonians

“And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone.”

‭‭1 Thessalonians‬ ‭5‬:‭14‬ ‭

Thia was puzzled. Why was his eighteen-year-old son spending so much time in the library these days? His son, who was autistic and rarely spoke to anyone, would usually return straight home after class. What changed? When pressed, his son finally replied: “Studying with Navin.”

Navin, it turned out, was a classmate who'd noticed that Thia’s son was struggling in class and had invited him to study together. This budding friendship—the first in eighteen years—greatly encouraged the disheartened father, who’d given up hope of his son ever having a friend.

Hope was renewed because one person cared enough to come alongside another who needed help. In Paul’s ministry to the early church, he knew this also applied to our hope of salvation. For believers in Jesus to “be awake and sober” (1 Thessalonians 5:6), living in the hope of His return, they had to help one another (v. 11), especially those who were struggling.

That’s why, even though these believers led lives of love that pleased God (4:1, 10), Paul reminded them to “encourage the disheartened, help the weak” (5:14). When we notice believers in Christ who are fearful, anxious, or despondent, and we come alongside them—whether to listen, offer a kind word, or sit quietly together—God can use us to give them the strength and courage to hold on to their hope in Jesus.

Verse from Hebrews

“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭11‬:‭1‬ ‭

About seven hundred emperor penguins in West Antarctica, only six months old, huddled together at the edge of a towering icy cliff fifty feet above the frigid water. Finally one penguin leaned forward and took “a leap of faith,” diving into the icy water below and swimming away. Soon scores of penguins took the plunge.

Young penguins typically jump just a couple of feet into the water for their first swim. This group’s death-defying leap was the first to be caught on camera.

Some people would say that the blind leap into the unknown by those penguins is similar to what happens when a person trusts in Jesus for salvation. However, faith in Him is just the opposite. The author of Hebrews said, “Faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see” (Hebrews 11:1).

Enoch’s faith pleased God: “Without faith it is impossible to please God” (v. 6). The world hadn’t seen anything like the great flood, and yet Noah “in holy fear built an ark to save his family” (v. 7) because he trusted in God. By faith Abraham followed God “even though he did not know where he was going” (v. 8).

When we first put our trust in Jesus, it’s by faith. As we continue following Him and our faith is tested, we can remember how God came through for these men. Even when we don’t know the whys and hows, we can trust God with the outcome.

Verse from 2 Thessalonians

“and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.”

‭‭2 Thessalonians‬ ‭2‬:‭10‬ ‭

Jack hates school. The lectures on algebra, grammar, and the periodic table bore him. But he loves building houses. His father takes him to work in the summer, and Jack can’t get enough. He’s only sixteen, but he knows about cement, shingles, and how to frame a wall. What’s the difference between school and construction? Love. Jack loves one and not the other. His love fuels knowledge.

As believers in Jesus, we’re to “love the truth” (2 Thessalonians 2:10). Paul says a satanic figure will use “signs and wonders” (v. 9) to deceive “those who are perishing” (v. 10). Why are they perishing? “They refused to love the truth and so be saved” (v. 10). Their failure to love the truth blinds them from knowing it. They’ll be duped (v. 11).

What do we know? That important question depends on a more basic one: What do we love? Our passions incline our heart and direct our mind. We cherish what we love. We protect it and seek more of it. If we love truth and wisdom, we’ll search for them as precious gold (Proverbs 3:13-14; 4:7-9). They’ll guard us. “Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you” (4:6).

What is true wisdom? Jesus says it’s Him. “I am the way and the truth and the life” (John 14:6). Our most important question is who do we love? Love Jesus and you’ll learn His way. He’ll guard your life by guiding you into His truth.

Verse from Matthew

“For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭16‬:‭25‬ ‭

William Temple, a twentieth-century English bishop, once concluded a sermon to Oxford students with the words of the hymn “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross.” But he cautioned against taking the song lightly. “If you mean [the words] with all your hearts, sing them as loud as you can,” Temple said. “If you don’t mean them at all, keep silent. If you mean them even a little, and want to mean them more, sing them very softly.” The crowd went quiet as everyone eyed the lyrics. Slowly, thousands of voices began to sing in a whisper, mouthing the final lines with gravity: “Love so amazing, so divine / Demands my soul, my life, my all.”

Those Oxford students understood the reality that believing in and following Jesus is a serious choice, because it means saying yes to a radical love that demands everything from us. Following Christ requires our entire life, our whole being. He plainly told His disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me” (Matthew 16:24). No one should make this choice flippantly.

Yet following Jesus is also the way to our deepest joy. Life with Him, we’ll discover, is the life we truly desire. It appears to be a great paradox. However, if we respond to God’s love, believe in Christ, and relinquish our selfish, shortsighted demands, we’ll find the life our soul craves (v. 25).

Verse from Job

 ““Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand.”

‭‭Job‬ ‭38:4‬ ‭

Why do humans more quickly see what's wrong than what's right? We are more likely to remember rudeness than kindness. Crimes seem to receive more attention than acts of generosity. And disasters grab our attention more quickly than the profound beauty all around us.

But then many of us are the same way with God. We tend to focus on what He hasn't done rather than on what He has, on what we don't have rather than on what we have, on the situations that He has not yet resolved rather than on the many He has.

In the book of Job, after years of experiencing prosperity, Job suffered a series of disasters. Suddenly those became the focus of his life and conversations. Finally, God intervened and asked Job some hard questions, reminding him of His sovereignty and of everything Job didn't know and hadn't seen (Job 38–40).

Whenever we start focusing on the negative, we can stop and consider the life of Job, and take notice of all the wonders God has done and continues to do.

Verse from Isaiah

“So 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 ‭

In the aftermath of Turkey’s devastating earthquake in February 2023, a haunting photo came across newswires: a father sitting amid ruins holding a hand extending from the rubble—the hand of his daughter. We see the edge of the mattress where his daughter had been sleeping, and we see her lifeless fingers that he now holds. His face is grim; his grief is profound.

In this father’s gritted face, I see a semblance of our own heavenly Father. Genesis tells us that God was grieved by the devastation of sin in His creation: “It broke his heart” (6:6 nlt). Isaiah, speaking of the future Messiah, says, “He was . . . a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief” (53:3 nlt). God grieves for us, and with us, and sits at the edge of the rubble of our lives, reaching for us: “I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand” (41:13).

Whatever devastation you currently face—a tragic circumstance, the loss of a dear one, or maybe even the effects of your own sin—know that God grieves with you. Whatever earthquake has shaken your life, see that God is reaching for your hand. Whatever your current sorrow, hear the God of love saying to you, “Do not fear; I will help you” (v. 13).

Verse from Ecclesiastes

“If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.”

‭‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭4‬:‭10‬ ‭

Meggie’s ten years of drug use kept her in and out of jail. Without a life change, she’d soon return. Then she met Hans, a former addict who almost lost his hand when a vein ruptured due to his substance abuse. “That was the first time I cried out to God,” Hans said. God’s answer prepared him to be a peer specialist for an organization that coordinates recovery for jailed addicts.

Called Stone Soup, the program is helping an American jail provide formerly imprisoned people with support to reenter their communities. Through the plan, Meggie moved into a sober-living house and has stayed sober. Hans now helps her and others with job placement, educational options, treatment, and family resources—a coordinated approach.

The Bible describes the strength of wise partnering: “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10). However, “pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up” (v. 10).

Like the “Stone Soup” folktale, where a hungry traveler invites townspeople to each share one ingredient to make a delicious soup for all, the Bible confirms we’re stronger and better together (v. 12). God’s plan is for us to live in community, helping others and receiving help in return. That’s no fairy tale; it’s truth for life.

Verse from Genesis

“Then God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.” And it was so.”

‭‭Genesis‬ ‭1‬:‭11‬ ‭

At the age of fifty-one, Ynes Mexia (1870-1938) decided to study botany, enrolling as a college freshman. Over her thirteen-year career, she traveled across Central and South America, discovering five hundred new species of plants. She’s not alone in her quest. Scientists discover nearly two thousand new plants each year.

In Genesis 1, God took a formless, empty, and dark earth (v. 2) and created a place full of abundance. On the third day, God separated the waters to create dry land and began making it hospitable for humans by having “the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit” (v. 11). These were seed-bearing plants and fruit trees from which we could eat. God didn’t create just one type of fruit tree but an abundance.

God isn’t only the Creator (v. 1); He’s also creative. He enjoys making different types of plants and animals and stars. If God cared only about giving us food, He could have made just one kind of seed-bearing plant. But God is extravagant and never does things in half measures.

God’s abundance isn’t limited to His creation. He’s also generous with His grace. As Paul said, “The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 1:14). As with God’s creation, His grace is more than we need and offered with us in mind.

Verse from Mark

“The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God,”

‭‭Mark‬ ‭1‬:‭1‬ ‭

Thankfully, in giving us a record of the life and work of Jesus, the four gospels are much more than just data. They are descriptions that reveal who Jesus was in His time on this earth as well as what He did and said. In Mark’s gospel, that record was for the purpose of proving Mark’s thesis statement: “The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God” (1:1). Immediately, Mark tells us how John the Baptist testified about this Messiah. John said, “After me comes the one more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie” (v. 7). Mark’s account makes it clear that Jesus is the Son of God. As John the disciple adds in his own account of Jesus’ life, “These are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (John 20:31).

The evidence of Jesus’ life is abundant. These questions remain: What does He mean to you? How has He changed your life?

Verse from 2 Corinthians

“But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”

‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭12‬:‭9‬ ‭

Medieval theologian Thomas Aquinas endured much to dedicate himself to a life of seeking God. His family imprisoned him for a year in an attempt to discourage him from joining the Dominican Order, a monastic group dedicated to a life of simplicity, study, and preaching. After a lifetime of studying Scripture and creation, and writing nearly one hundred volumes, Aquinas had such an intense experience of God that he wrote, “I can no longer write, for God has given me such glorious knowledge that all contained in my works are as straw.” He died only three months later.

The apostle Paul also described an experience from God so overwhelming that it was impossible to put into words, when he was “caught up to paradise and heard inexpressible things, things that no one is permitted to tell” (2 Corinthians 12:4). “Because of these surpassingly great revelations,” Paul was given an unidentified “thorn in [his] flesh” (v. 7) to keep him humble and reliant on God. He was told, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (v. 9).

The more we understand about God, the more we understand how impossible it is for us to capture who He is in words. Yet in our weakness and in our loss for what to say, Christ’s grace and beauty shines clearly through.

Verse from 2 Kings

“Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers and read it. Then he went up to the temple of the Lord and spread it out before the Lord.”

‭‭2 Kings‬ ‭19‬:‭14‬ ‭

Brian had been with the heart specialist for more than an hour. His friend remained in the waiting room, praying for wisdom and healing for his ailing friend. When Brian finally returned to the waiting room, he showed him the pile of papers he’d received. As he spread them out on a table, he discussed the various options being considered to treat his threatening condition. The two discussed the need to pray and ask God for wisdom for next steps. And then Brian said, “Whatever lies ahead, I’m in God’s hands.”

King Hezekiah “spread [a letter] out before the Lord” (2 Kings 19:14). The words in the letter didn’t address a threatening medical condition but the threat of a powerful enemy—Assyria—that had seized all the fortified cities of Judah and was preparing to attack Jerusalem, its capital. Hezekiah prayed, “You alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. . . . Now, Lord our God, deliver us” (vv. 15, 19). Soon the prophet Isaiah sent a message to Hezekiah, telling him, “The Lord . . . says: I have heard your prayer” (v. 20). And “that night” God destroyed the Assyrian army (v. 35).

Whatever you face today, spread it out before God. As you “present your requests to God” (Philippians 4:6), He hears you and is with you. You can rest in His hands as you experience His wisdom, love, and hope.

Verse from Leviticus

““ ‘If any of your fellow Israelites become poor and are unable to support themselves among you, help them as you would a foreigner and stranger, so they can continue to live among you.”

‭‭Leviticus‬ ‭25‬:‭35‬ ‭

In the early 1900s, laws restricted Black people and immigrants in the United States from renting or buying property in Coronado, California. A Black man named Gus Thompson (who'd been born into slavery) had purchased land earlier and built a boarding home in Coronado before the discriminating laws were passed. In 1939, Gus rented to an Asian family, and eventually sold the land to them. Nearly eighty-five years later, after selling the property, some members of the Asian family are donating their proceeds from the sale to help Black college students. They’re also working to name a center at San Diego State University after Gus and his wife, Emma.

Leviticus also speaks of what it means to treat others well. God instructed His people, “Help [the poor] as you would a foreigner and stranger, so they can continue to live among you” (25:35). He instructed the people to treat each other well and fairly, especially those in need. Out of reverent “fear” (v. 36) for Him, they were to help those who’d fallen on hard times and weren’t able to take care of themselves. They were to treat them just as they would treat a “foreigner and stranger” (v. 35)—with hospitality and love.

Gus Thompson and his wife helped a family that didn’t look like them. In return, that family is blessing many other people. Let’s extend God’s compassion to those in need as He helps us reveal His love for them.