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The Warning Still Stands
In my recent study of Scripture, I came across a passage in Jeremiah that struck me. God had given Jeremiah a prophecy, which his secretary transcribed. It foretold exile and judgment—not a positive message, but God’s honest response to His rebellious people. The scroll was first read to the king’s counselors. They ordered that it be kept safely, but when they told the king about it, he ordered it burned. Once again, God instructed Jeremiah to have his secretary write the words of judgment, adding further judgment specifically for the king. This time, the scroll was read before the king himself. Scripture says that as each section was read, the king cut it off and threw it into the fire. This struck me because, somehow, the king seemed to believe he could burn away the truth of what was coming. Perhaps he thought that if he destroyed the words and refused to concern himself with what they foretold, then they would not come to pass.
Interestingly, other kings also received such messages and responded in different ways. Some tried to kill the prophet rather than destroy the scroll. Others listened, repented, and pleaded with God to withhold judgment. Many times, when they humbled themselves and cried out for mercy, He showed them mercy. In fact, the father of the king who burned the scroll had interceded before God, and judgment did not come during his lifetime because of his plea. Yet it never seemed to occur to the son who burned the scroll that he, too, should plead for mercy.
Throughout Scripture, we find many examples of impending judgment foretold when a nation refused to repent. People generally responded in one of three ways. Some gave no response at all, simply ignoring what was said by prophets, priests, and kings. Others attacked the message—whether by burning the scroll or trying to kill the prophets. Still others repented and pleaded with God for mercy.
The first two responses do not end well. Whether people attack the prophet and the prophecy or ignore them entirely, one truth remains unchanged: God does what He says. It is like hearing that severe storms and tornadoes are likely in your area. The warnings grow stronger, and finally the sirens sound. Yet even then, some people refuse to listen. They assume it will not happen to them or fail to take the danger seriously. But their denial does not prevent the devastation. The same is true of hurricane warnings. Often the storm turns or the damage is less severe than expected, but there is always the possibility that it will remain on its predicted path and will have catastrophic impacts. Ignoring a warning of impending danger is never a wise response, especially from a reliable source. The same is true of ignoring God’s warnings. He has given His own signs and sirens, so to speak, and He has said they will be evident to those who are watching. Ignoring or denying the truth does not change it. It certainly did not change the outcome for the king who burned the scroll. Just as the prophecy declared, he died, his body was left exposed and unburied, his sons were carried into exile, and his nation fell. The foretold seventy years came to pass.
I believe these accounts were preserved in Scripture as a lesson for us all. We see how kings, counselors, and ordinary people in the Old Testament responded to the warnings God gave. Just as events were foretold to them through the prophets, we have also been given promises and prophecies in Scripture—including an entire book that speaks of the end times. We must choose how we will respond to the message we have received. Many will likely ignore it, while others will attack it or try to discredit it. Yet their response cannot change the truth or prevent what has been foretold from coming to pass.
It is important that we guard our hearts and examine how we respond to God’s warnings. We should respond with repentance and cries for mercy—not only for ourselves, but also for those who are still unsaved. We should watch for the signs and remain mindful that God will do what He has said, even if it unfolds in His timing. We should also remember that people’s responses to truth are no different now than they have always been. There will be those who deny, ignore, attack, discredit, or simply refuse to care. Their indifference will not change what is coming, nor should it diminish our watchfulness. I have said it before, and I will say it again: my fellow believers, we must be ready. We must keep our eyes open and remain watchful, and we must keep our hearts humble and repentant before an awesome God who always does what He has said He will do.
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Writing Today’s Page with God
Why do we so often feel like we have to be happy? Maybe somewhere along the way, when every childhood story seemed to end with “happily ever after,” we began to believe that happiness was the goal. But life has taught us that not every ending feels happy. Some endings are painful, disappointing, or hard to understand. Still, the ending is not the whole point, is it? We do not read only the last page of a story, and we do not live only for the final chapter. The beauty, the growth, and the faithfulness of God are often found in the in-between.
We can become so focused on finding a happy ending that we forget what an ending really means: it means that season is over, and we cannot go back and live it again. What we have been given is right now. And if this moment is still part of the middle, then there is still grace to receive, still purpose to walk in, and still a page to write. So write the best page you can with the day God has placed in your hands. Do not let the small things steal the gift of the present.
Do not believe the lie of the enemy that says you need to rush toward the end, that what you have in this moment is not worth savoring, or that joy is always somewhere ahead of you. Scripture reminds us, “This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24). Not tomorrow. Not only when things are easier. This day.
I want to hold tightly to this truth: every moment is a blessing, even the messy ones. Every moment is an opportunity to be present, to engage, to trust, and to live. I know life can be discouraging. Work can feel hectic, relationships can disappoint us, finances can feel tight, and children, responsibilities, and circumstances can become overwhelming. Some days feel chaotic and daunting. But if God has given us breath for this day, then there is still mercy in it. There is still something to notice, something to learn, something to surrender, and something to thank Him for.
So do not become so overwhelmed and allow panic to begin making your choices for you or robing you of the joy of the day. Do not look everywhere at once and miss what God is placing right in front of you. Take a breath. Ask the Lord for wisdom. Step forward in faith with whatever this moment holds, trusting that His grace is sufficient for today.
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Waiting for the Father’s Wave
My position from the piano bench at church offers me a unique perspective or view. Today during the children’s moment, the pastor pulled up a chair in front of the front row to talk to the children. A little girl kept looking at, who I mistakenly thought was the pastor, only to realize she was looking past him. She was waving over and over and just waiting for the wave back. She didn’t want the pastor’s attention, she had his attention and he was trying to get hers. I smiled when I realized that the wave she was waiting for was from her father who plays electric guitar in front of where my piano is on the stage. She had eyes for only him. As soon as he gave her a little tiny wave back, she beamed and settle down.
As often happens when I see something in real life I’m reminded of a lesson or a truth. In many ways I’m like that little girl. Affirmation might come at me from many places, attention might be offered from multiple directions, and there are other things in life vying for my focus, but they are not what I want or that I actually need. What I really need is to know that my father in heaven loves me, that he sees me and acknowledges me.
The truth is that I do know that, but sometimes I still need a little wave. Sometimes I think he wants to know that I’m looking just towards him for a wave. The biggest compliment I ever received was that given by a fellow believer who told me that they knew that my father, that God was pleased with me and that he loved me just for me, not for anything I can do or will ever do. The whole world can stand before me and tell me that they like something I do or they can clamor for my time or my attention, but what I really need is to know that God is always looking in my direction, always providing for everything I need, and always attentive when I call. I know that doesn’t mean he always gives me what I want, he’s a father not a vending machine. I don’t get to put in my order and expect that he’s going to give me the exact letter number combination I asked for. Instead, I let him know when I have I a need (which he knows about already) and I can be confident that he will provide although that provision will come in the way that he sees fit. Faith in my father’s love and care for me, strengthened by his faithfulness to me all my life.
It might feel nice to get attention from others or to have distractions, we all seek them sometimes but at the heart of every person is a need that only can only be met with a little wave from Father God. The same simple love that little girl showed today when she sat there on that front row and just waved and wait and waved and waited, until her father waved back, is what I want to posses towards my heavenly Father today. Today I’m going to spend time in pray, praise, study, and when I have his attention just commune with my Father. To let him know that I seek his approval and not the approval of everyone around me. This is that kind of seeking David wrote about, as the deer pants for the water so my soul longs after you. As a child tugs or wave over and over seeking the attention of the one they love the most, so my soul seeks you Lord.
Maybe it’s been a while since you’ve waved at our heavenly father. Maybe you’ve turned your eyes to all the other things thinking that getting attention from them would somehow meet the deepest need and desire of your heart. I want you to know that it won’t. Nothing can bring you true joy and contentment like a wave from our Heavenly Father. So I challenge you to look past all the things clamoring for your attention and wave at your Father today. And wave, and wave, and wave and watch because he’ll wave back. And what a sweet moment of joy that will be for you!
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Called to Build Together
It is not good for man to be alone. Now I know that when this was written in Scripture, it was about Adam and his need for a companion. But I think it speaks to a greater need. Let’s call it part of the human condition. And I think that’s worth exploring.
When Jesus sent his disciples out to do ministry, he sent them in pairs. When I read that, I thought about it. Why would the Lord choose that way of sending people out into ministry? Maybe there really is something to this idea of partnership when it comes to building the Kingdom of God. It doesn’t necessarily have to be an Adam-and-Eve situation where you’re partnering with a spouse. Though it can be that too. It could also be a partnership with other believers who feel led to the same kind of ministry. The point is, there was a purpose behind having a partner. It’s not explicitly laid out in Scripture, but it’s logical. After all a three-strand rope is not easily broken. We are stronger when we stand together in unity and work as a body does in concert.
Even Paul, when he went out on missionary journeys, went with others. Rarely do we see solo missions in Scripture. Of course, there are some things that could only be done alone, like Jesus’ sacrifice or David slaying Goliath. Those were solo actions. But so many other events in scripture involved groups ministering to others or partners going on a journey together. Even the kings and prophets in the Old Testament generally had helpers, generals, or people around them. Only a few were called to walk completely alone, or at least alone for a season, and you can usually see the wear on them. Think about Elijah. He felt very alone for a time—so alone, in fact, that he told God he was the only one left in Israel who believed and stayed faithful. But God let him know there was still a remnant. And later Elijah had Elisha, who traveled with him for a time.
My point is that ministry rarely should be done in isolation. It’s not one person act of trying to build the Kingdom of God all on their own. There is strength in numbers and in us coming together. It says where two or three are gathered in my name, there will I be in the midst of them. That doesn’t mean God isn’t with us when we’re on our own, but there is something special about the unity and agreement that happens when we come together, whether to worship and glorify him or to build his Kingdom.
One benefit of partnership is that the load feels lighter when it’s shared by two, and even more so when it’s carried by three or more. It spreads out the weight, the responsibility, and the effort. We often think that God has called us to carry our calling, or the ministry he’s laid on our hearts, completely in our own strength and ability, and on our own. But rarely has God called you to do what he’s called you to do in isolation. He has called you to build the Kingdom with other members of the body of Christ.
There’s no need to feel like you have to go all on your own, or that it has to be some specific person who goes with you. The Lord will provide other believers to come alongside you, people who have that same burden on their hearts to do the work God has laid on yours. He’ll have you work together. That’s the beauty of the body of Christ. There are many parts, but all of us are working together to build his Kingdom.
My friend it is not good for us to be alone, we are one with Christ and each other. We should live and minister like that, stand in unity – love another as scripture tells us, bear each other burdens, and be the beautiful bride of Christ – his church – his people he has called us to be. Working together to build his kingdom.
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The Heroism of Faithful Love & Service
When we think of heroes, our minds often go to courageous people who rush into danger, rescue the helpless, or perform dramatic acts of bravery. We rightly honor those moments. But Scripture also invites us to recognize another kind of courage: the quiet, daily surrender of a life poured out in love. Not every hero dies in a single moment of sacrifice. Some heroes rise each morning and choose, again and again, to live sacrificially for the good of others.
We often identify everyday heroes as doctors, teachers, police officers, or firefighters, and we should give thanks for the ways they serve. But everyday heroes are not always wearing uniforms or standing in front of classrooms. Sometimes they are the mothers and fathers who get up early, stay up late, and give themselves steadily for their children and families. They provide meals, wash clothes, keep appointments, offer correction, speak encouragement, and carry burdens that often go unseen. Many also care for aging parents, honoring them with patience, tenderness, and faithfulness. Because these acts are ordinary, we may be tempted to overlook them. Yet in the kingdom of God, ordinary faithfulness is never small. The Lord sees the hidden labor, the tired prayers, the quiet tears, and the love that keeps serving when no one applauds. What the world may dismiss as duty, God receives as devotion.
Consider also those who care for an ailing spouse or loved one. They remember medications, attend appointments, prepare meals, offer comfort, and make space for another person’s weakness while carrying their own. Their time, energy, resources, and love are poured out day after day. Is this sacrifice any less holy because it is given at home, in private, and to someone they love? I do not believe so. Jesus taught that whatever we do for “the least of these,” we do for Him. Every act of love, patience, and service becomes an offering when it is placed before the Lord.
There may be no medals for this kind of love. There may be no public applause, no seat of honor, and no earthly reward. But Christ Himself modeled this way of life. He came not to be served, but to serve, and to give His life for many. He calls us to follow Him in the same spirit: to lay down our pride, our convenience, our comfort, and sometimes even our plans so that others might be strengthened. This is not easy. Our flesh resists sacrifice. We grow weary. We want to be noticed, appreciated, and relieved. Yet when we choose to serve anyway, by the grace of God, we reflect the heart of Jesus. In those quiet moments of obedience, love becomes worship.
Do not diminish the gravity of what it means to be a parent, friend, spouse, or child of an aging parent. Each day, you have the opportunity to be a hero to those around you by faithfully serving them, even when that service is unseen by many. God sees it.
So do not despise the hidden places where God has called you to serve. Do not diminish the weight or beauty of being a parent, spouse, friend, caregiver, or child of an aging parent. The work may be unseen by many, but it is never unseen by God. Each day, you have the opportunity to love like Christ in the very place He has planted you. Your faithfulness matters. Your service is holy. And when you pour yourself out in love, God sees, God strengthens, and God is glorified.
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Our Greatest Need
“Son, your sins are forgiven.” That’s what Christ said to the lame man lowered through the roof—the man who had never walked. I’ve always wondered why Jesus began with those words. The Pharisees questioned it too, but for different reasons; they wanted to know why He thought He had the authority to forgive sins. But I understand why: Jesus is the Son of God and He, as He later says in Mark, has the authority to forgive sins here on Earth. My reasons for wondering were different. Let me explain.
The lame man’s most obvious problem was his inability to walk. Anyone passing by would have said his issue was being lame. It was a clear, physical limitation. Yet, when faced with this need, Jesus first said, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” Did he look like a terrible sinner? How much trouble could he have gotten into without the ability to walk? But what made him a sinner is the same thing that makes us all sinners. Humanity is under the curse of Adam, separated from God. As scripture says, “Since by man came death, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.” Adam’s sin brought the curse upon us all. Humanity was corrupted, and though we don’t die immediately, sin—separation from God—creates a condition for eternal death. So when Christ looked at the lame man, He saw the man’s greatest need. It wasn’t the need to walk.
God doesn’t see things the way we do. The man’s friends didn’t bring him to Jesus for forgiveness; they brought him because they wanted him to walk again. Even they didn’t see his greatest need. But Jesus did. His greatest need was salvation, forgiveness, reconciliation with God. Walking was just an added blessing. Of course, Jesus told him to take up his mat and walk, but only after addressing his deepest need.
This made me think about what our greatest need really is. When I look at those around me, do I see them as Christ did? Am I only noticing the obvious needs—the need for healing, provision, shelter, or whatever limitation is visible? Or am I seeing their soul, in need of forgiveness and salvation?
If Christ had restored only the man’s ability to walk and not his soul, it would have been a temporary fix. Our bodies aren’t eternal. Instead, Christ restored his soul, doing an eternal work. Temporary healing addresses the body, but eternal healing—the restoration of the soul—is what lasts forever. Next time we pray for the needs of those around us, maybe we should remember their greatest need.
It’s something worth thinking about. Some people need to hear that their sins are forgiven, that they are loved, and not defined by their past. Others need to be reminded that there’s grace for them and in Christ, all things are made new. No matter the outward challenges or physical struggles, this is their greatest need.
I’m not saying God doesn’t care about our physical struggles—He absolutely does. But He didn’t come to save our bodies; He came to save our souls. By His stripes, we’re healed spiritually, emotionally, and physically. We need to remember that our greatest need isn’t something we can see or fully grasp materially. We’re sojourners, seeking restoration of heart and soul—something not easily visible from the outside. Maybe people notice something different, but it’s hard to define. That day, Christ saw the lame man’s true need and met it first. Praise God, He still does the same for you and me. Maybe it’s time we see others as He does, pray for their greatest need, love and serve to meet it, and live in gratitude that Christ has met ours when we belong to Him.
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Running to the Refuge
God is my fortress and my refuge, a very present help in times of trouble. I’ve read that Scripture, and I’ve sung that song, but now I’m living that life. It has become very real to me.
There’s one thing I’ve figured out about life in my nearly 50 years of living it: in this world, we will have trouble. It comes in all forms and at all times. Sometimes it is as small as the challenge of motivating yourself to do life that day. Sometimes it is challenges with coworkers, parenting, marriage, or single living. Sometimes it is simply the day-to-day work of avoiding conflict, keeping yourself and those you love from danger, and carrying the responsibilities that come with living. I don’t want to diminish that challenge or exaggerate it, because the truth is, it is hard to face life day after day and do all the things necessary for living. It’s not challenging like trying to lift a 1,000-pound weight, the impossible. It is more like the daily grind: a weight you have the capability of carrying, but it still feels heavy after carrying it over time. For many, anxiety or internal struggles greatly affect how they feel and approach daily life. The challenge becomes heavier because of that extra burden. It’s that feeling of wanting to run away instead of facing what is right in front of you. We’ve all felt it, and if we haven’t yet, we will. This daily grind can wear you down just as effectively as a chisel to a rock. It is like water running over a rock for a long time, slowly changing it. The water may not seem as daunting as the chisel, but over time it still has a similar effect.
I want to recognize that it has been a privilege to get to do this for almost 50 years. I know this time is not granted to everyone. So as much as the grind of daily living is a challenge, it is also a blessing, because the alternative is not living. Because of these daily challenges, we can see and recognize that we need a refuge so in a way the challenges are a blessing to because they remind us of our need for a Savior and a Shelter. We need a place of safety to hide away. We are all warriors fighting a daily battle. But just like the words of that Twila Paris song, the warrior is a child. Sometimes I feel like that, like the picture of the little girl in the grown-up woman’s shoes, as if I’m trying to fill shoes that are too big for me in life. It feels like more than I can take, like I’m an impostor, and I don’t want anyone to know that I’m actually just that girl, absolutely and totally dependent on God to give her strength. I project the confident woman, but I don’t always feel like that inside.
This daily grind has not conquered me, but it has reminded me every day that I need to stay connected to the vine. I have a source of strength and hope and peace, but it is not within myself, my own capabilities, or my circumstances. The daily grind reminds me that I serve a sovereign God, and I am not in control—He is. It reminds me that I must depend on Him very much like a child. It also reminds me that I am not alone because we are all facing it. It isn’t as if I’m the only one who has had to motivate herself to get up, dreaded the alarm clock, or felt weary before even putting her feet on the ground. Life can be exhausting. It can’t all be exciting, fun days we look forward to. Even Jesus got tired and needed to go away and be refreshed. It is part of being human. So, we should handle our daily grind and our weariness the same way Jesus did. We should be like little chicks that huddle under their mother’s wing and find rest, warmth, and safety there. We should be like the weary soldier coming back into the fortress after a fierce day of fighting, safe and protected from the battle. We should be like Jesus, going away to spend time in prayer and seek God alone. We will find that God is like a mother hen, with wings strong and wide enough to cover all who are His. He will hold us close to Himself and keep us warm and safe.
But we can’t stay there. We have to go back out and do the work He has given us to do, but we can go out strengthened and renewed by our times of refreshing with Him. We can’t forget how important it is to refuel. We can’t forget how important times of refreshing are in His presence. It doesn’t matter if it is in church, at a Bible study group, in your car praising the Lord like nobody is watching, at home in prayer and supplication, or out in nature when you feel surrounded by the glory of God. It doesn’t matter where, but as believers, we have to take those moments to steal away with God, to refocus and recenter our minds.
There is something to be said for meditating on God and focusing on all his benefits, blessings, and truth. It brings wholeness and rest to your soul and spirit. If you are weary, you should rest—rest in the Lord.
I don’t know why I ran from it for so long, fighting my own humanness and denying my own weariness, driving myself to the point of exhaustion. It is like I looked up and God was saying, “Why are you doing this to yourself? Don’t you know I’m here with a place of refuge for you?” I ask you today, fellow believers: why run from the refuge? Why seek any other solace when there is no other but God alone? Go running home when you fall down. Come when you are weary, when taking another step feels like more than you have within yourself. When all you find on every side is challenge and opposition, you can run to the name of the Lord. It is a strong tower. You can run into it and be safe. You can find that place of peace.
No, refuge doesn’t mean the battle has stopped everywhere or that the challenges have gone away, but at least for a little while, you can be at peace, rest, and shore up your strength to step out and face another day. Let’s look to the Lord everyday to be the strength of our Life and our place to hideaway and find solace and peace.
Don’t live weary my friends as those who have no refuge, no home, or shelter from the daily grind and challenges of life. Rush to rest at his feet and find peace and strength to face every challenge, every battle, and each new day!
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The Greatest Miracle
I had heard it so much all my life, really—or at least as long as I can remember—that Jesus loves me and that he forgives my sins. All of them. That he has saved me. It’s been spoken on the tongues of preachers, sung in anthems, said in prayers, written on signs. I’ve even read it in God’s Word, but I realized today a great truth: I had missed the greatest miracle recorded in Scripture.
In Luke chapter 7, when the sinful woman came to Christ and washed his feet with her tears and hair, then anointed him with perfume, Christ said to her in response, “Your sins are forgiven.” Then he proceeded to tell her that her faith had saved her, that she was to go in peace. The thought ran through my mind: her faith had saved her from what? What miracle had she received?
We’ve heard it said in other parts of Scripture that when Jesus said, “Your faith has made you well,” it involved restoration of life, physical manifestations of healing in the body. But here, very plainly, it’s not just that your faith has saved you from a temporary ailment or problem. It occurred to me that the woman was saved and freed from the penalty of the sins that had been held against her. She was released from the guilt, shame, burden, and penalty of her sins because she was forgiven by Christ. The greatest miracle is the one we overlook, or don’t even really think of as a miracle: the miracle of salvation through forgiveness by faith.
Maybe, like me, you’ve just heard it so much that you have forgotten what a miracle salvation is. Let me explain what is so amazing about the salvation provided by our Savior. You were stained with sin so completely that you could not wash it off through any effort of your own. You could not deny your guilt, although perhaps you ignored it. Literally, your sins had poisoned your soul to the point that you were completely separated from God and dead—a lost cause. Through the miracle of faith in Christ, your black soul was washed white through the red blood Christ shed for you. He honors our faith and trust in who Christ is and what he can do. He is the one who can forgive our sins. He is the only one who has made a way where there is no way. He took the penalty for our sins on himself so we would not have to bear it. He ransomed our life and defeated death so that it no longer has a hold on us. Without him, we would have been lost, condemned, and without hope. His forgiveness and salvation is everything.
Just sit with that thought for a minute and think about the wonder of the miracle of salvation. This is something we take for granted and so flippantly say, “Just come to the Lord and say a prayer, and your sins are forgiven and you’re saved.” It’s almost as if we minimize what’s happening in that moment. Complete healing, which you were incapable of bringing about yourself. Your stained soul made white. While your righteousness is like a filthy rag to be thrown away, he covers you with his own righteousness. Your debt completely paid, which was too great for you to ever pay.
The penalty for the condition of your soul and your sin was death, and you had no way to save yourself. Praise the Lord, through the grace of God and with the faith he gives you to believe, you believed in his authority and power to completely heal, restore, and redeem your life from the pit. This is not just one of the things God does, and then he heals and provides also. The salvation he gives us is everything. It is our greatest need: forgiveness and redemption. It’s the greatest miracle!
Whether you’ve heard it a million times, or it’s your first time hearing it, I want you to understand today that when Christ says, “Your sins are forgiven,” it is the most awesome miracle that could ever be done. Even more amazing is the fact that he’s saying that to you and to me. When we come in faith and believe in his power to save us, he saves and forgives.
You do need salvation. He’s the Savior for you, the only one who could save. What an awesome God we serve! He sees our greatest need and he meets it. And still he goes one step further and not only forgives us and saves us, but grants us peace, grace, and love.
Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now I’m found. I was blind, but now I see what Jesus really did for me—what he wants to do for us all, if only we will come in faith. Don’t miss the greatest miracle and Don’t miss out on the greatest miracle! It is available to us all today.
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The True Meaning of God’s Favor
What does favor look like? For a long time, I thought that if you were in someone’s favor, everything would be wonderful—that they would pour out honor and blessings on you. Like at work: if you had your boss’s favor, you’d get promoted, you’d get the best opportunities, you’d stay on the “winning” side of things. I guess I assumed favor would feel good. It would feel like a blessing. But the other day, while reading scripture, I saw God’s favor in a different light.
If you grew up in church like I did—raised in the pew and carried to Sunday school—then you know the story of Joseph. Joseph had dreams as a young boy, and when he shared those big, bold dreams with his brothers, it didn’t go over well. They resented him—and they resented their father’s deep affection for him. When the chance came, they attacked him, threw him into a well, and planned to leave him there. But then they decided to sell him instead, handing him over to slave traders passing by on the road. One young man, betrayed by his own brothers, was carted off to Egypt.
And in Egypt, Joseph did receive a “position”… but not the kind we usually imagine when we talk about favor. He was a slave. Yet scripture says God blessed what he did. God’s favor was on him. So much so that Joseph was trusted with more responsibility—higher roles, even as a slave. Have you ever thought about a “higher slave position” as favor from God? It makes you stop and think. Maybe favor doesn’t always look the way we expect it to look. Maybe it doesn’t feel the way we expect it to feel. God’s favor didn’t mean Joseph was freed. It didn’t mean he was instantly restored to the life that was stolen from him. It meant that everything he put his hand to was blessed.
That same favor didn’t keep him from trouble either. Joseph was falsely accused by his master’s wife and thrown into prison. And even there—behind bars—God blessed him. Favor didn’t mean the prison doors swung open. Favor didn’t mean the conditions suddenly became comfortable. Favor meant that God was with him, and what Joseph touched was blessed. People around him could see there was something different—something more than Joseph. It was the Lord’s presence on his life.
So maybe favor doesn’t mean things are easy. Maybe God’s favor doesn’t mean freedom from every struggle, or that life looks the way you wish it looked. Maybe favor is God providing—right in the middle of hard places. Maybe favor is the strength to keep moving forward, and the kind of integrity that shines so clearly other people can’t ignore it.
And when you look closely at Joseph, you can see why the favor of God rested on him. Think about how he responded to the two fellow prisoners who wanted to understand their dreams. Joseph didn’t act like the gift belonged to him—he pointed them to God. He made it clear: he couldn’t do it on his own, but the Lord could reveal what was hidden. Joseph understood that the power was God’s, and the glory belonged to God. That humility mattered.
People say they want the favor of God because they want blessings—open doors, ease, comfort, increase. But God doesn’t pour out His favor so we can be selfish with it. Even Israel was blessed to be a blessing. And Joseph—through every twist and turn—ended up feeding nations, saving lives, and pouring out what God put in him. He could’ve given in to bitterness. He could’ve felt sorry for himself. But again and again, he chose humility, and he chose to honor God.
In my own life, I can point to seasons that felt unfavorable—places I didn’t choose, delays I didn’t understand, hardships I didn’t ask for. But when I look back, what stands out isn’t the difficulty as much as the faithfulness of God. Even when I felt far from Him, He wasn’t far from me. And I have a feeling Joseph would say the same—not because scripture quotes him saying it, but because you can see it in the way he lived and the way he honored God.
God’s favor is not an easy life, and it’s not everything working out exactly the way you planned. His favor is His faithful, gracious provision—His presence in the pit, His blessing in the prison, His strength for the journey. So don’t believe the lie that because things aren’t picture-perfect you must have missed God or somehow fallen outside His blessing. He provides how He chooses. He sustains how He chooses. But His faithfulness is still real, and it is still for His children.
You, my friend, live under the favor of God. I pray today you recognize it and see it clearly. The road God took Joseph down had purpose—and the path to the dream ran straight through the nightmare—but at every step he was under God’s favor. So if your road feels long and hard, don’t assume God is against you. He is for you. He is drawing you to Himself. He is working, even when it’s impossible to understand. We just have to trust His heart, trust His love, and trust His faithfulness that never ends. As a child of God, you are highly favored and deeply loved. And even when the middle of the story makes no sense, one day it will be clear.
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Selective Reading
I’m sure you’re familiar with the concept of selective listening, and if you’re a parent, you’ve likely accused your children of it. It’s when you listen but only hear the messages you want to hear, while somehow ignoring everything else, even if it’s said. It’s as if you’re deaf to any instruction other than those you want to hear. This idea of selective listening got me thinking and I realized that this selective behavior also applies to reading.
For years, there were certain parts of scripture that I preferred to avoid. Some of these were for legitimate reasons, as I didn’t see how they could add value to my life. Additionally, there were scriptures whose messages I understood but didn’t want to accept. I’m not alone in this selective reading behavior. As believers, we often practice selective reading when it comes to the word of God. Popular verses like “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength” and “nothing can separate me from the love of God” easily roll off our tongues. We appreciate the messages they convey and enjoy the perceived benefits of these scriptures.
Then there are the scriptures we prefer to avoid. For instance, “As much as you can, be at peace with each other. Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, and forgiving one another as God in Christ forgave you.” We tend to avoid this when we don’t want to forgive or when we want to give free rein to our anger because we feel justified in our offense. I’ve heard many believers say they won’t forgive, which I believe is a result of selective reading, neglecting Matthew 6:15: “But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” What offense could be greater than what we did to God? We cost Him the life of His most precious, His own Son. We willfully caused this because of our sin. When I hear believers say they won’t forgive, that verse quickly comes to mind. When I’ve thought I don’t want to forgive, that scripture runs through my mind. I realized that I have to forgive, that I must forgive because God forgave me. How can I ask or require Him to forgive me so much if I’m not willing to forgive others?
What about the scripture about what true religion and what it is? According to James 1:27 religion that God our father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. You see scripture says that true religion is not attending church every Sunday, it’s not having Christian radio stations bumper stickers plastered on your car, or even blasting worship music. It’s not wearing a cross or witness wear. No true religion is when you are the hands and feet of Jesus and you minister to orphans, shut-ins, widows, the disregarded, the forgotten, those in prison, the homeless on the streets, the neighbors in need who offer nothing in return. True religion is giving freely the love of God through acts of service, kindness, and selfless generosity. That’s what scripture says. It also says that Jesus will one say to certain people that I was hungry, and you fed me, I was naked and you gave me clothes, I was sick or in prison and you visited me. That whatever you do to the least of these you’ve done unto me. Do you see the message that’s so clearly there if you will choose not to selectively read scripture but instead take it as a whole.
The very reason God chose Israel was so they could be blessed and, in turn, bless others. Nothing that God sends out returns empty or simply ends. Our salvation and the life we have in Christ are meant to be shared with others. This creates a cycle of life and growth. It flows through us and continues to others, rather than stopping with us. That’s what scripture teaches.
I challenge you to consider all of scripture, even the parts that make you uncomfortable because they highlight areas in your heart and mind that need change. King David expressed it best in Psalm 139 when he said, “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the way everlasting.” We should ask God to search us and use scripture as a guide to identify aspects of ourselves that need transformation or removal. If you only selectively read scripture, you’ll miss the full message of the gospel of Christ. Your salvation wasn’t just for you; it was a gift meant to be shared as you forgive, show kindness, serve, and love others. Ultimately, this glorifies your Father in heaven by generously offering all you are in service to Him, just as Christ offered all of Himself for you.
He doesn’t expect us to accomplish everything in one day. It’s a process, but choose today to open your heart and spirit to the transformative word of life. Choose today to embrace and fully absorb the message found in scripture. Pray the prayer David prayed and truly mean it. Then watch as the word of God, which is more powerful than you can imagine, transforms, renews, and gives you brand new vision and eyes to see the world and others. Not as problems to be solved or annoyances to avoid, but as lost souls desperate for the same amazing gift you have already received so freely. Will you read it all and let it change you? Will you read it all and let it transform others as it flows through you? Will you stop selectively reading and embrace the full gospel of Christ?
Devotions For Real Life
God moments, lessons learned, and hope for the journey
Look for a new post every Sunday. My hope is you find encouragement, wisdom for real life moments, and share them with others who may benefit from any of the posts.
