April 7, 2026

Psalm 142: 4 (NIV)

Look to my right and see; no one is concerned for me. I have no refuge; no one cares for my life.

You can keep complaining or you can take God’s hand and step into the new life he has for you.*

In the heading of this Psalm, we are told that this is a prayer of David – when he was “in the cave.” In the scriptural accounts of David’s experiences in a cave, we never read that he was alone or friendless. In I Samuel 22, we read about David’s escape to the cave of Abdullam where his family joined him to show their support; he attracted a following of those who were on the fringes of society; and he had about 400 men there with him.  On another occasion, David and his men were hiding in the back of a cave and witnessed King Saul in what the king thought was a private moment.

So perhaps David was not referring to an actual cave but to a figurative "pit of despair." In his honest expression of self-pity, we can see ourselves. Sometimes we just feel lonely and powerless and we need a moment to wallow in it. We can’t look at David's circumstances and think that he had nothing to feel depressed about. He was being hunted down like a game animal. Saul, the king who used to be soothed by David's music, wanted him dead. David has been anointed as the next king but he is not living like a king.

But after he has his “moment,” David’s despair begins to fade. He has freely admitted his feelings to God. His next step is to ask God to deliver him: “Set me free from my prison, that I may praise your name.” (Verse 7a) And already he is able to find the hope in his situation: “Then the righteous will gather about me because of your goodness to me.” (Verse 7b)

We can follow David’s example when our lives are looking bleak and hopeless. Don’t be afraid to tell God how you feel. Pour out to him. He won’t belittle you for your pettiness, short-sightedness, or faithlessness. Then ask God to deliver you – not just from your circumstances but from your pettiness, short-sightedness, and faithlessness. Then he will show you how you can find hope in the midst of troubles.

Jesus’ followers aren’t immune to arthritis and Alzheimer’s, colds and cancer, depression and death – but we face them with hope. We encounter the same stressful challenges common to the rest of humanity. We suffer, but not alone.*

April 6, 2026

Genesis 2: 18-22 (NIV)

The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” Now the Lord God had formed . . . all the beasts . . . and the birds . . . He brought them to the man to see what he would name them . . . But for Adam no suitable helper was found. . . . Then the Lord God made a woman . . . and he brought her to the man.

Adam . . . was confined to one wife; and, if he had put her away, there was no other for him to marry, which plainly intimated that the bond of marriage was not to be dissolved at pleasure.*

Adam was a busy, productive, single guy with lots of pets. We don’t read of Adam’s having any complaints about his bachelor lifestyle but . . . ignorance is bliss. God knew that Adam would never learn how to pick up after himself if he didn’t have a “suitable helper” so he created one for him. Once again, no complaints recorded from Adam.

But what happened after the honeymoon phase was over? It turns out that the woman wasn’t so perfect – she gave in to Satan’s temptation and broke the only law in their world, then she enticed Adam into breaking the law as well. What was Adam to do? He couldn’t move back in with his parents – for obvious reasons – and he couldn’t send her home to live with her mother, either. He couldn’t very well replace her with a younger, more pliable model. Their only choice was to work it out.

Perhaps more marriages would be saved today if couples determined that their only choice is to work it out. If it doesn’t work out, we can get a divorce, is an attitude of failure. So is, Even if it doesn’t work out, we can’t get a divorce. Neither option fosters a willingness to do whatever it takes to keep your vows. And maybe fewer marriages would arrive at this malfunction junction if they entered into it with God as the matchmaker. God found a “suitable helper” for Adam – why can’t we trust him to do it for us instead of depending on our emotions and hormones to lead us down the aisle?

Divorce . . . is nothing more than public acknowledgement that someone has broken his or her vows.*

April 5, 2026

Matthew 21: 8-10 (NIV)

A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, “. . . Hosanna in the highest!” When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred . . .”

In great revivals of religion it is almost impossible to prevent wild-fire from getting in amongst the true fire.*

It was 2012 and President Obama had made an afternoon campaign appearance in our town, Kissimmee, Florida. We were happy to leave the traffic jam behind as we headed up to Orlando for a get-together with my husband’s university alumni group. We began to suspect that something was afoot when we started seeing state troopers and deputy sheriffs stationed at major intersections. By the time we got in sight of our destination, hundreds of motorcycle cops and big black SUVs were swarming all the entrances to the strip center we were heading for. Yes, folks. Of all the restaurants and bars in Orlando, Florida, President Obama decided to have a beer at the one where our event was being held.

As we stood behind the yellow tape separating us from the president’s entourage, there was lots of excitement among those in the crowd. Everyone was hoping for a look at our country’s leader. Once we were cleared to go inside the restaurant, all the buzz was about the president’s surprise visit and hardly anyone was discussing politics. It was just entertainment.

While I am not making comparisons between Jesus and Barak Obama, there are similarities between the two crowds:

• Not everyone in the crowd supported the star attraction, even if they were caught up in the moment. 
• Even among those who were supportive of him then, not all were there for him when he needed them.

Even in Jesus’ day, people celebrated the celebrity, not necessarily what he stood for. Many shouted, “Hosanna in the highest!” because everyone else did. Among any crowd of worshipers you will find some who are there just for the thrill of the moment. There will be some genuine believers, but many of those will lose their enthusiasm and will not be around to serve the Lord when they are needed. The true followers will still be walking along with Jesus after the parade is over.

Jesus knew that his celebrity status was hollow and temporary. He didn’t need it in order for him to become a worldwide sensation. He only needed twelve faithful followers to start a movement that could not be stopped. Today, he is not a rock star looking for a posse - he is the Rock of Ages seeking those few who are willing to walk the unpopular path with him.

Jesus never confused the adoration of men or the posture and prestige of social status with real power.*

April 4, 2026

Luke 12: 2 (NIV)

“There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known.”

When you worry about your reputation but not your character, the red light is flashing.*

There are some things that we keep secret for good reasons, but here Jesus is addressing the hypocrisy of the Pharisees. While he is clearly condemning them for being two-faced, there is another element of his warning that we often overlook: the pointlessness of trying to appear to be better than you are. Sure, God sees what you’re really made of, but being a hypocrite involves your relationships with other humans and, as the saying goes, you can fool some of the people some of the time but you can’t fool all the people all the time. Sooner or later you will be exposed for the phony that you are.

None of us is what we should be. Trying, failing, repenting, and trying again – that’s what a sincere Christian looks like. You are not a hypocrite if you simply fail to practice to perfection what you preach. But if you are putting on a show of virtue or condemning others for their lack of perfection, your days of faking it are numbered!

Integrity produces faithfulness, not perfection.*

April 3, 2026

Luke 8: 38, 39 (NIV)

The man from whom the demons had gone out begged to go with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, “Return home and tell how much God has done for you.” So the man went away and told all over town how much Jesus had done for him.

The first principle of discipleship is this: We are set apart for the purpose of doing whatever Christ commands.*

A formerly demon-possessed man has a dramatic testimony, one that would add pizzazz to any evangelistic team. He begs to be allowed to go with Jesus, but Jesus refused to take him. Why wouldn’t Jesus want to include this man in his roadshow?

In my former career, we often had to plan and execute big projects. When it came to assigning the right personnel for each task of the operation, my assistant did a masterful job. She knew the strengths and skills of each staff member so she was able to use each person where he or she could shine and make us all look good.

Jesus knows our strengths and where we can use them for the best benefit of the Kingdom. We should also note that we don’t all have the same mission field. As in any major project, there are big jobs and small tasks that have to be done in order to accomplish our goal. Some of us may have to travel to another state or a foreign country to fulfill our part of the mission, but for most of us, our assignment is to “return home and tell how much God has done for you.”

What has God done for you? Are you ready to tell your story?

If you find what you do each day seems to have no link to any higher purpose, you probably want to rethink what you’re doing.*

April 2, 2026

Matthew 9: 36 (NIV)

When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

Jesus was merciful to people regardless of who they were, what they’d done, or whether they liked him.*

Love is something you do. Jesus demonstrated love over and over. He told us how to love and what love looks like. Paul wrote about love in First Corinthians chapter 13 and gave us some insights not only on what love is, but what love isn’t. Not one word about feelings. This is good for me because I’m all about the doing and not so much about the feeling.

But if love is something you do, then compassion is its feeling twin. Jesus loved but he also felt. He looked at the crowds that followed him and he didn’t just see their selfishness, their lives all messed up because of their own bad choices, their lack of purpose. He felt their pain and their hopelessness. We might say that his heart broke for them, but the Jews considered the bowels to be the “seat of sympathy and the tender passions”* so they might say that Jesus felt for them in his gut. Pity is a shallow, anemic emotion compared to what Jesus feels.

When Jesus looks out over the crowd, he isn’t overwhelmed by the volume of desperation he sees - he feels compassion for each hurting soul on an individual basis. He knows their stories and their excuses; he knows what it takes to make them whole again.

Do you feel overwhelmed by the size of the suffering crowd? Do what Jesus did – have compassion on them, one soul at a time. Learn each person's story and help them write a happy ending to their story by showing them Jesus.

We often think we could lay down our life in a dramatic way to show our love for others. But God often calls us to lay down our lives little by little - in small coins instead of one large payment - but it is laying down our lives nonetheless.*

April 1, 2026

Isaiah 61: 1, 2 (NIV)

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captive and release from darkness for the prisoners.

God is always about blessing people who bless the poor.*

I have always been in awe – and a little envious – of people who knew what they wanted to be when they grew up. My husband decided in high school what career he wanted. He pursued his degrees and went on to be successful in his field. I ended up in a job that would have been exactly what I would have chosen for myself if I had known it existed, so I can’t complain.

Isaiah exudes confidence in the rightness of his path. He knows that the Lord has anointed him to preach good news to the poor; has sent him to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captive, and release from darkness for the prisoners. When he goes to work every day, he knows that he is on a mission from God.

In Luke chapter four, we read about Jesus’ return to his hometown of Nazareth. While there, he popped into the synagogue, as he usually did, and he stood up and read this passage from Isaiah. Then he rolled up the scroll, handed it back to the attendant, and sat down. Luke says that the eyes of everyone were “fastened on him.” What’s he going to do now? they must be thinking. Drum roll, please! Jesus announces, “Today, this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”

The ministry that Isaiah was so confident he had been called to perform has now been adopted by Jesus as the agenda for his mission.* Suddenly, I’m seeing Isaiah’s anointed career in a new light. No matter what job we do to put food on the table, all Christians are called to this same purpose. Like Isaiah, like Jesus, we are called to preach the good news. Our ministry is to the poor, the broken-hearted, the oppressed, and the prisoners. And who hasn’t fallen into one or more of those categories in their life? That means we can’t overlook anyone if we aim to fulfill our mission.

May the Spirit of the Sovereign Lord be upon you!

Jesus took the message to the people, and his discipline of proclamation calls for imitation.*