October 18, 2026

Genesis 42: 36 (NIV)

“Everything is against me!”

We cannot see what loss, sorrows, and trials are accomplishing.*

I read a book in which the heroine recalled a time when she had fallen and injured herself badly. When she complained that “everything hurt,” her sister said, “Everything? What about the middle finger on your left hand? What about your ear lobes?” From then on, whenever she hurt, physically or emotionally, the young lady reminded herself that not everything hurt.

When Jacob complained that everything was against him, a lot of things were. His favorite son was already lost to him; ten of his eleven remaining sons were accused of stealing from Pharaoh; one son of the eleven was being held hostage in Egypt; they were about to run out of grain again and in order to purchase more in Egypt, they would have to bring along their youngest brother (and Jacob’s new favorite) as a pledge of their honor. Was everything against him? With the loss of three sons, tragic as that would have been, he had nine loyal sons remaining. He still had the means with which to buy more grain from Egypt during the famine in his homeland. There was still grain available for purchase in Egypt. And, Jacob had more blessings to count than he realized: his lost son wasn’t dead – he was in charge of grain distribution in Egypt. He and his family were going to be provided for in abundance, far beyond his expectations.

When everything seems to be against us, it’s hard to maintain our confidence in God’s provision. When everything hurts, stop and assess the actual damage. What doesn’t hurt? What has already begun to heal? How can you make accommodations for injuries that won’t heal? Where is God and his glory? Remember his promises: that he will never forsake us; that we will have abundant life; that he works for the good of those who love him. We can’t see how he is working these things for our good, but if God is for us, how can everything be against us?

Let God’s promises shine on your problems.*

October 17, 2026

Acts 1: 3, 7, 8 (NIV)

After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.  . . .  He said to them: . . . “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.”

Speaking what one has seen and heard is the essence of witnessing.*

In the movie, Weekend at Bernie’s, two losers are invited for a fun weekend at their boss’s mansion, only to find him dead. Refusing to let a little thing like a dead host spoil their fun, they manage to prop up Bernie’s body so that he appears to be participating in and enjoying their weekend activities.

Jesus’ followers were not like those two guys. Jesus was not a dead boss but a living Savior. They saw him, touched him, spoke to him, and listened to him – all after his crucifixion and resurrection. There is as much proof that he is alive again as there is that any other historical figure lived at all.

How do you know that Alexander the Great created one of the largest empires of the ancient world, from Greece to Egypt, to India and Pakistan; and that he was undefeated in battle and is considered one of history’s most successful military commanders? I know it because I read it in Wikipedia. The people at Wikipedia know it because they consulted sources who saw him, touched him, spoke to him and listened to him. The difference is, although Alexander is considered to be one of the most influential people in human history, once he died, his followers were unable to maintain his quest to reach the ends of the world.* Jesus’ followers, in contrast, not only spread his kingdom to the ends of the earth but have kept it alive and vibrant for more than 2,000 years. That kind of campaign can’t be sustained with a dead leader who has to be propped up by his disciples. A dead king could not inspire his subjects to endure persecution and torture for the sake of the kingdom.

And a dead king cannot leave his Holy Spirit to empower his followers to reach the world with his message of hope and salvation. Accept the testimony of the eyewitnesses. Believe the testimony of the Holy Spirit. We serve a risen Savior! He has made us victorious!

Our Lord’s resurrection is not merely an historical event; it is a history-making event.*

October 16, 2026

Romans 14: 13-22 (NIV)

Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another.  Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother’s way. . . . If your brother is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. . . . So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the man who does not condemn himself by what he approves.

In our world today, there are plenty of people trying to seize the authority of God Himself, and make the rules by which men should live.*

In my opinion, there is such a thing as inappropriate attire for church. I say inappropriate because I don’t have exact criteria for what constitutes appropriate, only the opposite of it. I say it’s my opinion because God doesn’t really address a church attendance dress code. I believe that whatever fashion guidelines we might find in the Bible, they refer to what’s proper and improper no matter where you are.

The big controversial issue that Paul is tackling here has to do with clean versus unclean food. That’s not a subject we tend to get riled up about, but we could apply his admonitions to any other matter of opinion among church members. (I did a paper in college in which I substituted rock music for the food controversy.) As Christians, we follow Christ, who is the only way to salvation. Perhaps our “rightness” about the truth has precipitated our slide into self-righteousness about our opinions. Whatever the cause, it’s not pretty!

I used to be more passionate in my views on appropriate church attire – especially for those who are up front leading in worship. It wasn’t quite interfering with my ability to worship . . . but, two things happened to change my attitude. First was a video shown one Sunday morning before the sermon. It depicted a group of people who were meeting secretly, outside, in the woods, because their lives were at risk if they got caught worshipping. What difference does it make what they are wearing? I thought suddenly. They just want to worship. The second thing that happened was that I started praying about my opinion and my attitude. As I was writing this, it occurred to me that I didn’t even notice what the praise team was wearing last Sunday!

There is much more that could be said here if we had the space. So, read Romans chapter 14 for yourself. Read it prayerfully. Ask God to show you clearly the differences between matters of opinion and matters of salvation. As Paul said, blessed is the man who does not condemn himself by what he approves – and, we might add, who does not condemn others by what he disapproves!

I don’t care what lost people wear to church. All I care about is that they are wearing righteousness when they leave.*

October 15, 2026

Romans 10: 17 (NIV)

Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.

Faith is more than conviction of the reality of the facts that God has unveiled. Faith also exists as response to those facts.*

There are many things that can enhance your faith: seeing God’s hand at work in nature; having your prayers answered; experiencing God’s provision for your daily life. But these are not where faith comes from. It is safe to say that faith will only and always be “preceded by hearing the word of Christ.”* There is no other circumstance by which faith can occur - not even by “touching the heart.”*

What is the “word of Christ”? Of course, it’s the gospel – his life, ministry, death, resurrection. We (you and I) access the word easily. We have multiple copies of the Bible in our homes. We can click on Biblegateway.com or download an electronic version of the scripture on our computers and phones and tablets. We are like the Jews about whom Paul asked (and answered) in the very next verse: “Did they not hear? Of course they did.”

Sad to say, though, that while hearing the word is a necessary condition for faith, it is not a sufficient one. Hearing is not the same as believing; it doesn’t automatically result in saving faith.* Saving faith is the result of the personal, individual decision we make upon our exposure to the message of the gospel. Many, many people hear the gospel and reject its saving message – either deliberately or by simply ignoring it.

One of the components of the message of Christ is his command to go, disciple, baptize, and teach (Matthew 28: 19, 20). There is no loophole that says, “If they are rejecting the message, you can stop preaching it.” Faith comes by hearing, yes, but some people need to hear it over and over. Keep spreading the news! The world needs to hear it.

If God by a miracle wrought faith in the heart, he could dispense with the preacher.*

October 14, 2026

Acts 16: 14 (NIV)

One of those listening was a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message.

I don’t believe I’m personally responsible for the salvation of every lost person with whom I come into contact. God is big enough not to need me.*

My parents worked for a couple of years with a mission church in the Kiamichi Mountains of southeastern Oklahoma. One day my dad went to call on an elderly Choctaw man. When he arrived, the man was sitting on his front porch as if waiting for my dad to arrive. Before my dad could begin to talk to him, the man told him that he knew about the Lord; he had just been waiting for someone to come along and baptize him. Someone had planted and perhaps even watered so that all my dad had to do was pluck the fruit.

The same seems to have been true in the case of Lydia. While Paul was no doubt a dynamic and effective preacher, it really wasn’t his message that moved Lydia to respond. She already knew and worshipped God – the seed had been planted. Paul’s sermon was like a gentle spring rain, causing the seed to sprout and open up to the Holy Spirit’s leading. Her response was to be baptized – as if she was just waiting for the final piece of the puzzle. Just like the old Choctaw man. As someone has said, “The Holy Spirit will convict men of the truth; one does not have to be hit over the head with it.”*

  

We can’t tell when or if the seed that we plant is going to take root; we don’t know if we are overwatering or underwatering; we can’t see if the seed is germinating. It’s easy to become discouraged when we don’t see the results of our diligent gardening efforts but we must trust the Holy Spirit to work on the hearts of our little sprouts and reap the harvest. That is his job, not ours.

Paul didn’t preach to win arguments. He preached to win souls. He viewed conversion not as his work, but as the work of the Holy Spirit. So rather than depend on his persuasive powers, Paul depended on the Spirit’s power to bring people to Christ.*

October 13, 2026

John 19: 10 (NIV)

“Do you refuse to speak to me?” Pilate said. “Don’t you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?”

He was no passive victim of circumstances.*

Pilate might have felt that he had the power of life and death over Jesus but he was so wrong. What was he expecting from Jesus in response? Did he think Jesus was going to beg for mercy? Offer him a bribe? Curse him, perhaps? Instead, Jesus calmly put Pilate in his place. “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above,” he said (verse 11).

Jesus did not deny that Pilate had earthly authority over him. He could set Jesus free or he could order him to be crucified. Because it was necessary to fulfill God’s plan, Pilate was allowed to exercise his authority over Jesus’ life and death. The same power that permitted Pilate to act is the same power that could have swooped in and rescued Jesus from the ordeal ahead.

Sometimes we are overpowered by circumstances or authorities. Can we meet them with the same calmness and assurance that Jesus did? Are we willing to endure whatever we must in order to bring glory to God? Do we know, without a doubt, that God is standing trial with us; that he could deliver us if it fulfilled his plan; and that he will empower us to stand firm in the face of our adversity? Jesus showed us how it was done when he did it for us.

God overrules in the affairs of ordinary men and women as He works out His eternal purposes in the redemption of mankind.*

October 12, 2026

Psalm 18: 17 (NIV)

He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me.

Our strength does not lie in our own ability but in God’s supernatural ability.*

I’m happy for David. God rescued him from his enemies more than once. I have never had to deal with enemies so I can’t relate to the sentiments of this psalm. Sure, there are people who don’t like me. I’m certain that I sometimes make others angry as I go on my merry way. But enemies?

Do enemies have to be human? Could not our most powerful foes be our circumstances? Do we not struggle with temptation daily? Doesn’t Satan know our weaknesses – and doesn’t he exploit them with extreme precision? Ah, yes. Now I can sing along with David!

Off the top of my head, I can recall two times in my life when God rescued me – not from my weakness or circumstances but from stupidity. That may not be the kind of situation that inspires poetry and song but it inspires gratitude. And awe. Awe that the most powerful force in the universe would stoop to protect me from the consequences of deliberate folly.

So, my enemies – listen up! God is my hero. He will come to my rescue when I am tempted, attacked, or a victim of my own poor choices. You can knock me down but I won’t stay down because I am equipped with superhuman strength.

Are you plagued by enemies? Are the circumstances of life too strong for you? Call on the Lord. Wait on the Lord. Rely on the Lord. He works in all things for the good of those who love him and are called according to his purpose (Romans 8: 28).

Worship-less people have no power greater than themselves to call on.*