Verse from Isaiah

““I am the Lord, that is My name; I will not give My glory to another, Nor My praise to idols.”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭42‬:‭8‬ ‭

Too late, Tom felt the chilling “click” beneath his combat boots. Instinctively, he bounded away in an adrenaline-fueled leap. The deadly device hidden underground didn’t detonate. Later, the explosive ordnance disposal team unearthed eighty pounds of high explosives from the spot. Tom wore those boots until they fell apart. “My lucky boots,” he calls them.

Tom may have clung to those boots simply to commemorate his close call. But people are often tempted to consider objects “lucky” or to even give them the more spiritual label “blessed.” Danger arrives when we credit an object—even a symbol—as a source of God’s blessing.

The Israelites learned this the hard way. The Philistine army had just routed them in battle. As Israel reviewed the debacle, someone thought of taking the “ark of the Lord's covenant” into a rematch (1 Samuel 4:3). That seemed like a good idea (vv. 6–9). After all, the ark of the covenant was a holy object.

But the Israelites had the wrong perspective. By itself, the ark couldn’t bring them anything. Putting their faith in an object instead of in the presence of the one true God, the Israelites suffered an even worse defeat, and the enemy captured the ark (vv. 10–11).

Mementos that remind us to pray or to thank God for His goodness are fine. But they’re never the source of blessing. That is God—and God alone.

Verse from Deuteronomy

“But you are to remember the Lord your God, for it is He who is giving you power to make wealth, in order to confirm His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.”

‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭8‬:‭18‬ ‭

We so easily forget to give thanks when things are going well. It's easy for us to whine and ask God to help us when we are in trouble, but so often, we feel like we "deserve" the good things that happen to us. God reminds us that what we have, confirms His grace and faithfulness to us. 

Let's remind each other that our blessings come from His hand, not because we deserve them more than someone else. In addition, God blesses us so that we can share His blessings with others (2 Corinthians 9:10-11). We are called to be conduits of God's blessings and grace.

Verse from 2 Chronicles

“As they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated.”

‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭20‬:‭22‬ ‭

Singing—especially songs of praise—is one way that believers in Jesus can find peace in the battle. King Jehoshaphat found this to be true when he faced vast invading armies (2 Chronicles 20). Terrified, the king called all the people together for prayer and fasting (vv. 3–4). In response, God told him to lead out soldiers to meet the enemy, promising that they’d “not have to fight this battle” (v. 17). Jehoshaphat believed God and acted in faith. 

He appointed singers to go ahead of the soldiers and sing praise to God for the victory they believed they would see (v. 21). And as their music began, He miraculously defeated their enemies and saved His people (v. 22).

Victory doesn’t always come when and how we want it to. But we can always proclaim Jesus’ ultimate victory over sin and death that’s already been won for us. We can choose to rest in a spirit of worship even in the middle of a war zone.

Verse from John

“When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.”

‭‭John‬ ‭10‬:‭4‬ ‭

Jesus told His disciples that He was the Shepherd, and His followers were the sheep. “The sheep listen to [the shepherd’s] voice,” He said. “He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out” (John 10:3). In a time when numerous leaders and teachers sought to confuse Christ’s disciples by asserting their authority, He declared that His loving voice could still be heard clearly, more distinctly than all the others. “His sheep follow [the shepherd], because they know his voice” (v. 4).

May we be careful as we listen for Jesus’ voice and avoid foolishly dismissing it, for the fundamental truth remains: The Shepherd speaks clearly, and His sheep hear His voice. Perhaps through a verse of Scripture, the words of a believing friend, or the nudge of the Spirit—Jesus speaks, and we do hear.

Verse from Genesis

 ““For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.””

‭‭Genesis‬ ‭3‬:‭5‬ ‭

Jesus’ beloved disciple John recognized in the serpent’s temptation of Eve (Genesis 3:1–7) the fundamental temptations all people face. He wrote that “everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes from the . . . world” (1 John 2:16). 

His words echo Eve’s thoughts as she looked at the tree: it was good for food, pleased the eye, and would make one wise like God (Genesis 3:6). We all face the same kinds of temptations (1 Corinthians 10:13). Instead of giving in, however, the Spirit will help us to stand firm in the faith (Galatians 5:16; 1 Peter 5:8–9).

Verse from Galatians

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”

‭‭Galatians‬ ‭6‬:‭9‬ ‭

In Galatians 6:9, Paul counters the human tendency to quit with these words: “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” The Greek word translated “become weary” (enkakeō) means “to be utterly spiritless, to be wearied out, exhausted.”

The word for “give up” (eklyō) can mean literally “to dissolve,” but here the idea is used figuratively to mean “weaken, relax, faint, exhaust.” In the Gospels, this word is used to describe what would happen to the multitude—“collapse”—if they were sent away without nourishment: “I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may collapse on the way” (Matthew 15:32; see Mark 8:3). Put positively, the message for believers of any era is to press on!

Verse from 1 John

“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.”

‭‭1 John‬ ‭3‬:‭1‬ ‭

After Sherman Smith recruited Deland McCullough to play American football for Miami University, he grew to love him and became the father Deland never had. Deland had great admiration for Sherman and aimed to become the man he was. Decades later, when Deland tracked down his birth mom, she shocked him with the news, “Your father’s name is Sherman Smith.” Yes, that Sherman Smith. Coach Smith was stunned to learn he had a son, and Deland was stunned that his father figure was literally his father!

The next time they met, Sherman hugged Deland and said, “My son.” Deland had never heard that from a father. He knew Sherman “was saying it from a place of ‘I’m proud. This is my son,’ ” and he was overwhelmed.

We too should be overwhelmed by the perfect love of our heavenly Father. John writes, “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!” (1 John 3:1). We’re as dumbfounded as Deland, who didn’t dare think someone like Sherman could be his dad. Is it really true? John insists, yes, “that is what we are!” (v. 1).

If you believe in Jesus, His Father is also your dad. You may feel orphaned, alone in the world. But the truth is, you have a Father—the only perfect One—and He’s proud to call you His child.