Verse from 2 Chronicles

Do not be afraid or discouraged . . . . For the battle is not yours, but God’s. 2 Chronicles 20:15

When King Jehoshaphat heard of a powerful enemy approaching Jerusalem, his first response was to pray. Appealing to God’s sovereignty, he said, “We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you” (2 Chronicles 20:12). Instead of relying on their own strength, the king and people of Judah submitted themselves and their troubles to God (v. 18).

God’s answer to the king and people through the prophet Jahaziel was heartening: “Do not be afraid or discouraged . . . . For the battle is not yours, but God’s” (v. 15). God commanded Judah to march out, but to trust Him with the result. They did so in faith, praising God as if the prayer was already answered (vv. 20-21)—and found the battle already won (v. 24).

Whenever we face difficult situations, let’s pray and look to God for help. We may not always see victory, but whatever happens, we need not be afraid, for the battle is His.

Verse from Proverbs

Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm. Proverbs 13:20

A scientific study revealed that watching TV programs featuring mean characters can actually lead people to be mean. Various forms of aggression—whether outright fighting or subtle gossip—primes viewers’ brains for similar behavior. This connection is often subconscious, meaning that even shows with seemingly “harmless” jokes at others’ expense can subtly influence how we treat others. So, too, the people we choose to spend our time with will affect our behavior.

Solomon provides timeless wisdom on this important subject: “Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm” (Proverbs 13:20). He implies that individuals may not achieve this wisdom alone, so they should associate with wise, God-honoring people—teachers and friends—instead of those who are foolish. Surrounding oneself with wise individuals fosters “good judgment” and helps us steer clear of “destruction” (v. 15). One scholar calls this “education by friendship.” Regular companions inevitably influence each other, for better or worse. Solomon urges us to be aware of the company we keep, recognizing that “the teaching of the wise is a fountain of life” (v. 14).  

As God helps us, let’s consistently surround ourselves with people who will encourage us to revere Him, love others, and grow in wisdom.

Verses from Psalm

If an enemy were insulting me, I could endure it . . . . But it is you, . . . my close friend. Psalm 55:12-13

In one of her novels, Toni Morrison tells the story of Nel and Sula, friends since childhood. But the friendship frays as Sula’s self-centeredness grows, culminating in her seducing Nel’s husband. “Why didn’t you think about me?” Nel asks Sula. “Didn’t I count?” Sadly, Sula doesn’t even care enough to answer.

As anyone who’s experienced it knows, the pain of a friend’s betrayal is hard to rival. King David felt such “malice and abuse” when a political conspiracy of “threats and lies” engulfed him (Psalm 55:10-11). The worst part was who was behind it. “If an enemy were insulting me, I could endure it,” he says. “But it is you, a man like myself, my companion, my close friend” (vv. 12-13).

How should we respond to such betrayal? While David takes his turmoil to God (vv. 16, 20), he prays retribution will fall on his betraying friend (v. 15). We see a different approach taken by Jesus. Faced with Judas’ betrayal, he says, “Do what you came for, friend,” refusing to retaliate in kind (Matthew 26:49-50).

Can a friendship recover from betrayal? Only if the offended can stay open to reconciliation and the offender proves their repentance over time. Sula’s lack of remorse means Nel must walk away. As God helps us, let’s treasure our friendships and swiftly make amends for any hurt we cause.

Verse from James

Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry. James 1:19

The apostle James tells us to keep “a tight rein on [our] tongues” because it’s easy to sin with our words (James 1:26; see 3:5-6). We’re to prioritize listening to others so we can understand them, choose our words, and consider whether it’s necessary to get angry (1:19).

Not only does restraint in speech help us to avoid sin and allow the Scriptures to change us (v. 21), but it also reflects who God is to others: “compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love” (Psalm 103:8). Let’s model our loving God with our words—and our silences.

Verse from Malachi

“Then those who feared the Lord spoke to one another, and the Lord listened attentively and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the Lord and esteem His name.”

‭‭Malachi‬ ‭3:16‬ ‭ ‭

Lee is a diligent and reliable bank employee. Yet he often finds himself sticking out like a sore thumb for living out his faith. This reveals itself in practical ways, such as when he leaves the break room during an inappropriate conversation. At a Bible study, he shared with his friends, “I fear that I’m losing promotion opportunities for not fitting in.”

Believers during the prophet Malachi’s time faced a similar challenge. They had returned from exile and the temple had been rebuilt, but there was skepticism about God’s plan for their future. Some of the Israelites were saying, “It is futile to serve God. What do we gain by carrying out his requirements . . . ? But now we call the arrogant blessed. Certainly evildoers prosper, and even when they put God to the test, they get away with it” (Malachi 3:14–15).

How can we stand firm for God in a culture that tells us we will lose out if we don’t blend in? The faithful in Malachi’s time responded to that challenge by meeting with like-minded believers to encourage each other. Malachi shares this important detail with us: “The Lord listened and heard” (v. 16).

God notices and cares for all who fear and honor Him. He doesn’t call us to “fit in” but to draw closer to Him each day as we encourage each other. Let’s stay faithful!

Verse from 2 Samuel

During his lifetime Absalom had taken a pillar and erected it . . . as a monument to himself. 2 Samuel 18:18

The ancient Egyptian pharaoh Ramesses II thought so much of himself that he had numerous structures built in his honor, including many monuments that captured his physical features. One, the colossal statue of Ramesses II, stands thirty-six feet tall and weighs eighty-three tons in all its red-granite glory. Age wasn’t kind to the proud ruler, however. In fact, when he died, he was suffering from bad teeth, arthritis, and chronic heart problems. Some of his monuments might last for a while, but—like all mortals—he himself passed.

Absalom, one of King David’s sons, also built “a monument to himself” (2 Samuel 18:18). Fueled by rage from past tragedy (see ch. 13) and selfish ambition, this younger man worked to steal “the hearts of the people of Israel” from his father (15:6). When Absalom attempted to pilfer the throne, however, God didn’t allow him to overpower David, His anointed king (1 Samuel 16:12-13), and David’s fighting men (2 Samuel 18:6). In the end, Absalom was killed for his treachery. Although his monument still stood (v. 18), he died humbled and defeated.

Building monuments to ourselves and serving our own pride and desires won’t end well. But as we humbly serve God and love Him well (Philippians 2:3-8), we’ll find true meaning and fulfillment in His presence.

Verse from Hebrews

We have this hope as an anchor for the soul. Hebrews 6:19

The word translated “anchor” (ankyra) in Hebrews 6:19 is used four times in the New Testament. Three times the reference is to a ship’s anchor (Acts 27:29, 30, 40), a weighted iron connected to a rope or cable used to keep a ship in place. 

The figurative usage in Hebrews 6:19 speaks of the reliability and trustworthiness of God’s promises and their impact on our soul. Other word pictures are used throughout Scripture to depict the dependability of God, who cannot lie (v. 18). 

In Psalm 18:1-2, David leads with the word rock and then uses metaphors to celebrate God as his strength: “I love you, Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” 

Today, God is still the anchor for our soul, and we can trust Him.

Verse from Psalm

You turned my wailing into dancing. Psalm 30:11

A scientific study—which sought to explore how much of people’s musical sensitivity is cultural and how much of it is instinctual—played drum rhythms for newborn babies while monitoring their brain wave activity. Occasionally, the researchers would omit a beat from the rhythm. Amazingly, they found the infants’ brain waves spiked right when the note was left out—showing their young minds were already anticipating that beat and reacting to its absence.

The study brings to mind the amazing way that God has created us. He’s even wired us to embrace the wonderful gift of music and respond to it with joy and, as the psalmist David writes in Psalm 30, to respond to God’s grace with music of our own—songs of “praise [to] his holy name” (v. 4).

Yet pain, exhaustion, regret, or grief can sometimes weigh our hearts down and threaten to silence our songs of praise. Experiencing despair, even fearing death, David pleaded with God to deliver, asking “What is gained if I am silenced? . . . Will the dust praise you?” (v. 9).

David did experience God’s faithfulness as joy was restored once more, as God turned his “wailing into dancing” and “clothed [him] with joy” (v. 11). As God heals our hearts and fills them with the rhythms of joy we were born to dance to, we too can testify: “Lord my God, I will praise you forever” (v. 12).

Verse from Amos

Look, I am setting a plumb line among my people. Amos 7:8

In Amos 7, God reminded the Israelites that His standards were impartial and absolute and applied to all, including His favored nation. His laws and moral standards were like “a plumb line” (v. 8)—a weighted line used by builders to ensure structural integrity by showing if a wall wasn’t being built perfectly vertical.

While He may extend mercy, God can’t compromise His justice—which is why He sent His Son Jesus to die in our place as payment for our sin. The Bible shows us whether we’re walking in His way or not. By His grace, God helps those who believe in Jesus to live in a way that pleases Him and brings honor to Him—to do what’s right.

Verse from 2 Corinthians

[God] comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. 2 Corinthians 1:4

After a fifty-five year wait, England’s soccer team finally made it to the European Football Championship Cup finals. Locked in a tie with Italy, the game was decided by a penalty shootout. England’s last chance fell to a young player named Bukayo Saka. But as Saka kicked the penalty shot, Italy’s goalkeeper deflected it. England fans wept; the Cup was lost.

Few will forget what happened next, though. England’s manager, Gareth Southgate, walked over to the devastated Saka and embraced him. Southgate knew how Saka felt. In 1996 it was he, as a young player, who had missed the penalty shot that cost England a place in the semifinals, and England’s then-manager Terry Venables had comforted him in the very same way.

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,” Paul says, “who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God” (2 Corinthians 1:3-4). Just as Southgate passed on to Saka what he’d received from Venables, Paul discovered that God’s comfort in his distress enabled him to comfort others in theirs, building their endurance (v. 6). Our “God of all comfort” (v. 3) can use our disappointment for good.

So let’s do the same, passing on God’s comfort to create an endless chain of encouragement.

Verse from Daniel

When Daniel was lifted from the den, no wound was found on him, because he had trusted in his God. Daniel 6:23

Sentenced to life in prison, Vic shared with friends his sense of longing. When they said that Jesus would fill the empty spaces in Vic’s life, he mocked their statements. To Vic, Jesus being a man who died yet still lived today seemed fantastical. Although skeptical, sometime later he began listening to a Christian radio station and even reading the Bible. Eventually he asked God to reveal Himself to him. 

Vic’s anxieties and fears began to fade. He reflected, “Physically, I was incarcerated in a prison with two massive cage-like fences keeping me in, but mentally I was free and protected like Daniel when he was in the den with the lions.” Shortly thereafter, he received Jesus as his Savior.

Vic read the Old Testament story of Daniel, an exile from Judah who was thrown into a den with lions. Daniel had refused to stop praying to God three times a day, even when the king signed an edict disallowing all prayer for thirty days except to himself (Daniel 6:6-10). The king was “greatly distressed” and regretted having to punish him with a certain death by the lions (vv. 14, 16). But God, revealing His power and authority, kept Daniel safe, and “the king was overjoyed” (v. 23).

Whatever our circumstances, including great hardship, God never leaves us. We need only to turn to Him.

Verse from Acts

They tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. Acts 16:7

In Acts 16:6-10, Paul and his companions were eager to preach the gospel in the province of Asia, but the Holy Spirit closed that door. Detours aren’t always rejection, however. They can be divine redirections. Like the roadblock on our street, God rerouted Paul from entering the province of Bithynia. It must have been frustrating to be blocked, especially while Paul was striving to do his best. But then he received a vision in which a man said, “Come over to Macedonia and help us” (v. 9). God said “no” to something good because He was preparing them for something else—taking the gospel to the people of another continent (v. 10).

Rather than seeing “no” as punishment and rejection, we can see it as His Spirit-led redirection. His detours are often pathways to divine appointments. Let’s not simply trust His direction when the roads are open; let’s follow when He closes them too.

Verse from Job

Do you know the laws of the heavens? Job 38:33

Dragonflies are dainty insects with some of the most amazing flight and endurance capabilities. Their aerial abilities have been studied to improve flight technology. Scientists recently found that with its wings beating thirty times a second, a dragonfly that has fallen upside-down can right itself in just 0.2 seconds. Its eyes process an incredible two hundred images per second to determine which way is up and make tiny adjustments. 

God’s creativity and wisdom are on display all throughout our natural world. In the book of Job, the main character struggles to reconcile his suffering with God’s goodness and righteousness. God responds by asking Job, “Do you know the laws of the heavens? Can you set up God’s dominion over the earth?” (38:33). God begins to describe many animals from birds and goats to the world’s largest predators (38:36; 39:1; 40:15-24; 41). He knows what each animal needs for survival and is aware of the hungry cries of their young (38:39-41). God has given each of them distinct characteristics, such as the speed of an ostrich or the strength of an ox, so they can thrive (ch. 39).

How exactly does a dragonfly maneuver so incredibly? We have a lot to learn. And yet we can trust that the all-knowing God who designed these creatures is the same one who knows how to bring us from the darkest night into the light and joy of His presence.

Verses from Ephesians

Be very careful, then, how you live . . . . always giving thanks to God. Ephesians 5:15, 20

Many of us thank Him for larger blessings (the birth of a child or healing from a disease). However, Paul tells us to offer gratitude for every gift we receive, for every bit of goodness we encounter. We’re to be “always giving thanks to God,” the apostle writes (Ephesians 5:20). Not sometimes. Not only for exceptional moments. Always. And to make sure he’s made his point, Paul adds a bit more. “[Make] the most of every opportunity” and give thanks “for everything,” he says (vv. 16, 20).

Genuine gratitude is more than an occasional word we offer; it’s the posture of our lives. Gratitude turns us to God over and over again, always giving thanks in celebration.

Verse from Judges

Gideon replied, . . . “Give me a sign that it is really you talking to me.” Judges 6:17

Jay owned a Gideon Bible, yet his analytical mind didn’t permit him to accept its miracles. One thing haunted him, though: the genuine faith of his friend. So Jay offered a strange prayer. He told God, “If you want me to believe in You, then do something I can’t explain.”

One day, something drew Jay to look for his Bible. It was gone. How could that be? He never lost track of things.

He drove in the rain to his teaching job at the University of Zurich. Stepping out of his car, he spotted a Gideon Bible on the wet pavement. That’s strange, he thought. Picking it up, he noticed the Bible was totally dry despite the rain. Something he couldn’t explain!

Gideon Bibles are named for an Old Testament hero of Israel. When God chose Gideon to lead Israel into battle against a vast army, Gideon had huge doubts. He told God, “I will place a wool fleece on the threshing floor. If there is dew only on the fleece . . . , then I will know that you will save Israel by my hand” (Judges 6:37). God answered Gideon’s challenge not once but twice (vv. 39-40).

Doubt-filled prayers aren’t a pattern for us to follow. They can, however, reveal God’s character. Gideon led a tiny army to a smashing victory (ch. 7). Jay put his faith in Jesus, recognizing that his prayer had been answered by a loving God who does things we can’t explain.

Verse from John

God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son. John 3:16

Many people are familiar with John 3:16, which describes the scope of God’s love for the world: “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” Many, however, misinterpret this verse. They think that if God’s love is so great, no one will “perish.” 

The critical phrase is “whoever believes in [Jesus].” John also writes, “Whoever does not believe [in Jesus] stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son” (v. 18). John’s gospel begins with John introducing Christ as the light of the world (1:4-9). Jesus says of Himself, “Light has come into the world,” but people avoid the light “because their deeds [are] evil” (3:19). God is indeed love. But we must respond to His love by believing in His Son, Jesus—the light of the world.

Verse from 2 Timothy

“Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.”

‭‭2 Timothy‬ ‭2‬:‭10‬ ‭

Paul felt abandoned (2 Timothy 1:15). His imprisonment would end in his execution, a prospect that makes his words to Timothy endearing: “You then, my son, be strong” (2:1). He employed three metaphors to encourage Timothy. The soldier maintains a disciplined focus to “please his commanding officer” (v. 4). The athlete competes “according to the rules” (v. 5). And the farmer“should be the first to receive a share of the crops” (v. 6). 

Amid tremendous personal hardship, the apostle wanted Timothy to know the struggle “for the gospel” (1:8) was worth it. As we face difficulties today, God will help us endure whatever stands in the way of our service to Him.

Verse from 2 Kings

Those who are with us are more than those who are with them. 2 Kings 6:16

The angels were there all along, but no one alive had seen them. They adorned the walls of the Old North Church in Boston, looking down from on high, but they’d been covered with layers of paint more than a century ago. Church records indicated a contract with a member of the congregation to paint them in 1730 when the church was undergoing construction. A recent restoration project that commenced in 2017 led to the discovery of the angels.

Scripture speaks of supernatural beings—real, not painted—that were present when others were not aware. On one occasion, the prophet Elisha was surrounded by the army of the king of Aram. When his servant saw the hostile forces, he cried out, “Oh no, my lord! What shall we do?” (2 Kings 6:15). “ ‘Don’t be afraid,’ the prophet answered. ‘Those who are with us are more than those who are with them’ ” (v. 16). Elisha prayed for his servant’s eyes to be opened, and “he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha” (v. 17).

Angels are “ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation” (Hebrews 1:14), messengers of God sent to help us. We may or may not see them, but they’re there because God has more ways of watching over us than we can imagine. And that should cause us to praise Him, like the angels do.

Verse from 1 Samuel

“He looked David over and saw that he was little more than a boy, glowing with health and handsome, and he despised him.”

‭‭1 Samuel‬ ‭17:42‬ ‭

Baby Saybie, born as a “micro-preemie” at 23 weeks, weighed only 8.6 ounces. Doctors doubted Saybie would live and told her parents they’d likely have only an hour with their daughter. However, Saybie kept fighting. A pink card near her crib declared “Tiny but Mighty.” After five months in the hospital, Saybie miraculously went home as a healthy five-pound baby. And she took a world record with her: the world’s tiniest surviving baby.

It’s powerful to hear stories of those who beat the odds. The Bible tells one of these stories. David, a shepherd boy, volunteered to fight Goliath—a mammoth warrior who defamed God and threatened Israel. King Saul thought David was ridiculous: “You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a young man, and he has been a warrior from his youth” (1 Samuel 17:33). And when the boy David stepped onto the battlefield, Goliath “looked David over and saw that he was little more than a boy” (v. 42). 

However, David didn’t step into battle alone. He came “in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel” (v. 45). And when the day was done, a victorious David stood above a dead Goliath.

No matter how enormous the problem, when God is with us there’s nothing that we need to fear. With His strength, we’re also mighty.

Verse from Psalms

“Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.” And you forgave the guilt of my sin.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭32:5‬ ‭

King David rested in forgiveness through confession (Ps. 32:1–2). He had hidden his sins against Bathsheba and Uriah (2 Sam. 11–12) until his “strength was sapped” (Ps. 32:3–4). 

But once David refused to “cover up” his wrongs, the Lord erased his guilt (v. 5). God protected him “from trouble” and wrapped him in “songs of deliverance” (v. 7). David rejoiced because the “Lord’s unfailing love surrounds the one who trusts in him” (v. 10).

We can’t choose the consequences of our sins or control people’s responses when we confess and seek forgiveness. But the Lord can empower us to enjoy freedom from the bondage of sin and peace through confession, as He confirms that our guilt is gone.