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If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink; for so you will heap coals of fire on his head, and the Lord will reward you.
Proverbs 25:21-22

Recommended Reading: Romans 12:14; 12:17-21

A strange, ancient practice used as a metaphor occurs in Proverbs 25:22 and in Romans 12:20. The metaphor is based on an apparent practice of a guilty party being forced to carry a container of burning coals on his head. Some scholars think the practice was common in Egypt; the intent seems to be to motivate a guilty party to repent of his actions. The writer of Proverbs and the apostle Paul both cite the practice (as a metaphor) when encouraging charitable actions toward one’s enemy. In other words, charitable actions toward an enemy may motivate him to repent of his evil deeds.

There are examples in Scripture of feeding and clothing enemy captives in times of war (2 Kings 6:22; 2 Chronicles 28:15), and exhortations against seeking vengeance against those who have hurt you (Romans 12:14, 17-21). Jesus corrected a Jewish tradition that allowed for hating one’s enemies: “Love your enemies, bless those who curse you” (Matthew 5:43-44).

If you have been hurt, follow Jesus’ example and be kind.

The success of the Gospel exasperates its enemies.
Matthew Henry

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For it is not an enemy who reproaches me; then I could bear it. Nor is it one who hates me who has exalted himself against me; then I could hide from him. But it was you, a man my equal, my companion and my acquaintance.
Psalm 55:12-13

Recommended Reading: Matthew 24:9-10

We wonder what Jesus must have felt when He was betrayed by Judas and then denied by Peter. In His teaching on the End Times Jesus said that many will turn away from the faith and will betray their friends who choose to remain faithful (Matthew 24:10-11).

There are many examples of betrayal by friends in the Bible. Cain betrayed his brother Abel; Joseph was betrayed by his own brothers; Jacob betrayed his brother Esau. And David recounted numerous instances of his friends turning against him (Psalm 31:11; 38:11; 41:9; 55:12-13). It pays to choose friends wisely, though even a wise choice doesn’t guarantee loyalty. True friends are made for adversity (Proverbs 17:17), and there are friends who can be more loyal than family (Proverbs 18:24). One way to cultivate true friendships is by being the kind of friend you desire to have (Proverbs 18:24).

Give thanks today that Jesus is your truest friend (John 15:14-15).

What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear!
Joseph M. Scriven

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But your sorrow will be turned into joy.
John 16:20

Recommended Reading: 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

Some Bible verses are twins—they say exactly the same thing in slightly different words. Compare, for example, these two verses about looking at our suffering in life from the perspective of eternity:

I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us—Romans 8:18 (NIV).

For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all—2 Corinthians 4:17 (NIV).

When we go through suffering, it’s important to look ahead to the wonder and joy we’ll experience in heaven with our Lord. When we learn to look at life from the perspective of eternity, we gain a unique perspective that lightens any load. Just before His crucifixion Jesus promised the disciples that their sorrow would be turned to joy. The same is true for us. The Bible says, “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning” (Psalm 30:5). Ask God to help you put your suffering into perspective, understanding that difficulties now pale in comparison to the wonders of heaven.

If you could see the everlasting crowns of the saints in heaven, and the great glory wherein they now rejoice. How could you dare to complain?
Thomas à Kempis

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Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.
1 John 5:14

Recommended Reading: 1 John 5:14-15

Guess how long it takes a raindrop to reach the ground? The height at which the drops fall from clouds varies, but the drops fall at an average speed of 14 miles per hour. So if the cloud is hovering at 2,500 feet above earth, it would take a raindrop about 2 minutes to hit you on the nose.¹

How long does it take for God to send down the answers to our prayers? He hears us instantly, and sometimes He answers even before we’ve asked (Isaiah 65:24). Sometimes He answers instantly (2 Kings 20:1-6), and on other occasions we wait for His timing to coordinate all that is necessary to send down His showers of blessings (Psalm 27:14).

Enoch Edwin Byrum wrote, “There are many who occasionally receive blessings, and whose faith is honored by God, but they are living so far below the standard of truth that their showers of blessings are not very frequent.”² Let’s pray consistently, continuously, and confidently. Ask God to meet your need today, and He will send His answers to you like rain from the sky.

The greatest tragedy of life is not unanswered prayer, but unoffered prayer.
F. B. Meyer

1. Brian Donegan, “7 Facts About Rain,” Fox Weather.
2. E. E. Byrum, The Secret of Prayer (Anderson, IN: Revell, 1912), 95.

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Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven.
Matthew 5:11-12, NIV

Recommended Reading: Matthew 24:1-12

Paul Schneider wouldn’t stop preaching. Hitler took it personally and sent him to Buchenwald concentration camp where on three occasions he was whipped with 25 lashes. When asked what he would do if released, Schneider said he would go on preaching. For that he was suspended by his wrists for hours, feet off the floor. He kept preaching the cross, and he died in Buchenwald at age 41.¹

That was decades ago, yet persecution against Christians is greater now than ever. In His sermon on the Last Days, Jesus warned: “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake” (Matthew 24:9).

Even if we aren’t tortured, we’ll find ourselves hated by the world. Jesus told us to expect that. So if someone dislikes you for your faith and biblical worldview, rejoice!

Do not deceive yourselves, you cannot participate in Jesus’ glory and victory unless you, for His sake, take up the holy cross and go with Him along the path of suffering and death.
Paul Schneider

1. Don Stephens, War and Grace (Evangelical Press, 2014), chapter 2.

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There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.
Matthew 24:7, NIV

Recommended Reading: Psalm 29

Like many residents of western North Carolina, Benny and Keva Messer lost everything in the floods spawned by Hurricane Helene in 2024. Samaritan’s Purse sent more than fifty thousand volunteers to the area. One crew built a new house for the Messers in Waynesville and gave them the keys and a deed that was stamped, “Paid in Full.”

“I am so overwhelmed,” said Keva. “So blessed!”

Benny said, “They prayed with [us] when they came. They let their light shine. I appreciate every one of them.”¹ Samaritan’s Purse isn’t alone. Thousands of Christian organizations of all sizes go about their work every day around the world.

Natural disasters are horrific events, but it’s important to look past the tragedies to see what God is doing. During such times, many draw closer to each other and to the Lord. Volunteers band together, and Christians demonstrate God’s love and help others through troubled times.

What can you do to be an example and help to others in difficult times?

We need to focus not on what can be torn down by the storms of life but on what stands for eternity.
Franklin Graham

1. Kimberly King, “Samaritan’s Purse Gives Waynesville Couple a New Home After Helene’s Destruction,” ABC13 News, June 2, 2025.

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Then it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, “Lest perhaps the people change their minds when they see war, and return to Egypt.”
Exodus 13:17

Recommended Reading: Psalm 91:1-8

It is easy to be irritated when we encounter unexpected circumstances. But God might use such events for our protection. That’s what happened to the Israelites when they came out of captivity in Egypt.

The shortest route from Egypt to Canaan was along “the way of the land of the Philistines”—a trade route that hugged the southeast shore of the Mediterranean Sea. That road led directly to the land of the Philistines. Through Moses, God directed the people to turn south into the Sinai wilderness to avoid encountering the war-like Philistines and be destroyed or driven back into Egypt. Though the Sinai wilderness was inhospitable, the change in direction at least kept the Hebrews alive. There is no record in Scripture that the Israelites were ever told that what they considered an inconvenience likely saved their lives.

Use unexpected events as a way to thank God that every event works together for your good (Romans 8:28).

No Christian should feel under the circumstances because the circumstances are under God.
John Blanchard

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“Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name, Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”
Matthew 1:23

Recommended Reading: Hebrews 13:5-6

The allegorical poem “Footprints in the Sand” is well known. The narrator describes a dream of walking along a beach with Jesus, reflecting on scenes from his life. During particularly troubling memories their two sets of footprints were reduced to one. The narrator wondered why Jesus abandoned him during life’s difficult moments. But Jesus explained that during those troubling times the single set of footprints reveals that He was carrying the narrator through those hard times. This fictional poem represents a biblical truth: God is always with us, even during the hard times when we might doubt His presence.

When an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, he said that Mary would give birth to a Son who would fulfill the prophecy of Isaiah 7:14 and would be called Immanuel—Hebrew for “God with us.” When we are walking through life’s challenging moments, we can rely on the promise that Jesus—Immanuel—is with us.

Though we can’t see Jesus physically, we believe He is there as we walk by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7).

God works in us and with us, not against us or without us. 
John Owen

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God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.
Revelation 21:4

Recommended Reading: Revelation 21:1-4

Have you ever thought about the incompleteness of Revelation 21:4? The Lord tells us four things we’ll not have to endure in eternity—death, sorrow, crying and tears, and pain. Hallelujah for that! But that’s just a summary. There will be no more illness, no more crime, no more sin, no more separation, no more debt, no more anxiety. And there will be no more war!

Right now the United States spends about a trillion dollars a year on its military, followed by China with more than 300 billion, then Russia with 150 billion. These vast sums finance arms and armies, and the weapons have never been more deadly.

When we look around the world today, we see armed conflicts everywhere. But God has promised that one day there will be no more wars. That should bring hope to your heart! We need to pray for peace on earth and for the armed forces of our nations. But we must not be so worried about today’s conflicts that we forget to thank God for His promises about tomorrow.

Earth’s troubles fade in the light of heaven’s hope.
Billy Graham

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And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:19

Recommended Reading: Philippians 4:10-20

Even a light rain can release thousands of gallons of water in an hour, amounting to millions of individual drops! That’s also the way God showers us with blessings. He sends countless small mercies into our lives, meeting our needs according to His riches. Philippians 4:19 is a vivid promise, but don’t forget the context.

In this passage, the apostle Paul was thanking the Philippians for financially supporting his work. In return he promised God would meet all their needs. In his commentary on Philippians, Jacobus Müller wrote, “In the same way as [the Philippians] supplied Paul’s needs by the gifts they sent him, so God with His gifts and blessings will supply all their needs. This great assurance is given to the Church by the apostle…. [God] will make provision in His fatherly love and care for all needs material and spiritual, for time and eternity, according to the richness and fullness of His divine providence.”¹

Let’s support God’s work, and you can be sure of His showers of blessings on your life.

Christian, remember the all sufficiency of thy God!
Charles Spurgeon

1. Jac. J. Müller, The Epistles of Paul to the Philippians and to Philemon (1980), 152.

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You belong to your father, the devil … He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar, and the father of lies.
John 8:44, NIV

Recommended Reading: John 8:31-32

It is estimated that there are more than seven thousand languages in use today. Among all of these languages there is one named language you will not find: Liar.

Yet Jesus identified Liar as the language native to Satan. Some modern English translations of Jesus’ words say that lies are consistent with Satan’s character or his nature. The New International Version says that lies are his “native language”—the language with which a person is most comfortable and conversant; perhaps the language they grew up speaking and use most often. When it comes to Satan, Jesus said that he has been a murderer and a liar “from the beginning,” probably referring to the Garden of Eden. He lied to Adam and Eve about God’s instructions because “there is no truth in him.”

If you find yourself denying or doubting the Word of God, consider where those thoughts may be coming from.

There is no form of sin in which we act more satanically than when we indulge in telling a lie.
Frank Gaebelein

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When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart.
Matthew 13:19

Recommended Reading: Matthew 4:1-11

Most Americans know who said, “Ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country.” (President John F. Kennedy) The most important words of famous people are usually well known. But one of the most important things Jesus said is hardly known at all.

It is found in Mark’s account of Jesus’ famous parable about the sower, seeds, and soils (Mark 4:1-20). Mark quotes Jesus as saying, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables?” (verse 13) Jesus seemed to say that this parable was key to understanding the rest of His parables. Why? Because it has to do with hearing and receiving the Word of God. And specifically the possibility that Satan is ready to snatch the Word away when it is not readily embraced.

It is important not to read or hear the Word of God carelessly. Don’t give Satan an opportunity to deny or counterfeit God’s truth by treating it lightly.

As seed is made for soil and soil for seed, so the heart is made for God’s truth and God’s truth for the heart. 
Richard Glover

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And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled.
Matthew 24:6

Recommended Reading: Psalm 46

Do you have a device that monitors your heart rhythm, sleep patterns, daily steps, oxygen levels, and body temperature? What if you had a stressometer that could measure your anxiety levels right now? Are you calm, nervous, frightened, worried, or afraid of the future? Most of our fears have to do with the future, and we find ourselves afraid of what might happen to our loved ones or to us.

In His sermon about the Last Days, Jesus made two seemingly contradictory statements: The world will be filled with war; we are to be filled with peace. See that you are not troubled.

How do we do that? By trusting Him with the future. We may not know all that is to come, but we do know that whatever happens Jesus is on His throne and in control. The throne of heaven governs the affairs of earth and the pathway of God’s children. So don’t be troubled. Ask Him today to give you the courage to trust Him.

To say that God is sovereign is to declare that He is the almighty and the owner of all power in heaven and earth. No one can defeat His plans, prevent His purposes, or resist His will.
A. W. Pink

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The Lord is not slack concerning His promise.
2 Peter 3:9

Recommended Reading: 2 Peter 3:1-9

President George H. W. Bush famously said, “Read my lips: no new taxes.” People later felt he broke that promise, and it hurt him politically. Lance Armstrong denied using performance-enhancing drugs, but he later confessed he did. Bill Clinton promised Americans he didn’t have an inappropriate relationship with an intern, but he was found out. When anyone in public life breaks a promise, it erodes our faith in the trustworthiness of our leaders.

We don’t have to worry about that with Jesus. He said, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away” (Matthew 24:35). He spoke those words on the Mount of Olives during His message about the Last Days in Matthew 24. And He gave us a staggering example. He said about Herod’s temple in Jerusalem: “Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another” (verse 2). In A.D. 70, Jerusalem was destroyed, and the temple demolished. The rubble is still visible today.

Jesus speaks with integrity. He loves you and will keep all His promises to you—including His precious promise to return and call you up to be with Him. Rest in that today!

The Bible is a supernatural, spiritual, sovereign, surviving, sustaining, supercharged book about my Savior.
Adrian Rogers

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Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.
Matthew 24:35

Recommended Reading: Matthew 24:32-35

One of the ways Corrie ten Boom survived the horror of a Nazi death camp was by focusing on the prophetic promises of Scripture. She loved the books of Daniel and Revelation, and she frequently reminded people, “Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.” She viewed biblical prophecy not as speculation but as solid hope that could never fail us.

When Jesus prophesied about the world of the end, He did it to give us hope and confidence to face difficult times. Prophecy is practical because it allows us to learn about what will happen so that we can know how to live today. Jesus told us in His sermon about the End Times in Matthew 24 that the earth and universe will one day perish. But His Word is eternal—and eternally hopeful.

Take time to study biblical prophecy and as you do so, ask the Lord to give you a growing sense of anchoring hope.

The Lord Jesus has promised to return. And He will. It may be very soon. In the meantime, are you taking hold of all the riches God has given us in Jesus Christ?
Corrie ten Boom

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I will make them and the places all around My hill a blessing; and I will cause showers to come down in their season; there shall be showers of blessings.
Ezekiel 34:26

Recommended Reading: Ezekiel 34:25-31

Ezekiel’s “showers of blessings” concern the coming thousand-year reign of Christ, but the imagery is appropriate for those of us who have the reign of Christ established now in our hearts. Let’s start with rain itself. If water fell from the sky in sheets or one-gallon units, life would be impossible. In the clouds above us are tiny cloud droplets. It takes millions of these tiny particles to collide and form a single raindrop. As the drops fall to earth, they cleanse the air by capturing dust, pollen, and pollutants.

Almighty God sends our blessings one drop at a time—literally in the form of rain and metaphorically in the form of other blessings. Each is timed perfectly, shaped appropriately, and results in the blessings of a refreshed and cleansed life.

One of the greatest ways of adjusting our attitudes is to try counting our blessings. We can’t really do that any more than we can count the drops of rain outside our windows. But for each one we identify and turn into praise, our hearts are encouraged. Thank God for some drops today!

Mercy drops round us are falling!
Daniel Whittle

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Then, as [the women] were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth, [the angels] said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen!”
Luke 24:5-6

Recommended Reading: Philippians 3:20-21

When we seek wisdom about some area of life, we go to a person who is an expert in that field. Likewise, we ought not to expect guidance about the Kingdom of God from someone who is not a Kingdom citizen.

The angels who spoke to the women who discovered Jesus’ empty tomb expressed a similar perspective: “Why do you seek the living among the dead?” The angels were referring to Jesus, who was alive, as they stood among the tombs. Their words to the women expressed a general truth: Spiritual life is not to be found among the spiritually dead. Applying their words to our life means that we, as citizens of heaven, should not see the world as a source of inspiration for our lives.

If Jesus was still entombed among the dead, we would have nowhere to turn except to the world. But since He was resurrected and is alive, let us turn to Him for wisdom and guidance—not to the world.

While all men seek after happiness, scarcely one in a hundred looks for it from God.
John Calvin

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For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus.
1 Timothy 2:5

Recommended Reading: Romans 8:31-34

One of the great themes of the book of Job is Job’s longing for someone to defend him before God. Outwardly Job was a righteous man, and he couldn’t understand why God had visited suffering on him (Job 1:1-7). He found no one on earth who would defend him and thought he would find an advocate only in heaven (Job 16:19-21). He lamented, “If only there were someone to arbitrate between [God and me], to lay his hand upon us both” (Job 9:33, NIV1984).

Job wasn’t wishing prophetically about the Christ who was to come because he didn’t think he needed forgiveness. He only thought he needed an advocate, a mediator, an intercessor—someone to plead his case for him. But as it turned out, Christ became all that Job, and every sinner since, needed. First, by His death and resurrection, Christ paid for sins. Then, He ascended back to the Father where He occupies the role of Mediator (1 Timothy 2:5), Advocate (1 John 2:1), and Intercessor (Romans 8:34).

Give God thanks today that Christ defends you against any condemnation—based on His righteousness, not yours.

The saved are singled out, not by their own merits, but by the grace of the Mediator.
Martin Luther

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He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs.
Acts 1:3

Recommended Reading: Acts 1:1-3

What do all these people have in common—Dr. Sarah Irving-Stonebraker, history professor at Australian Catholic University in Australia; British journalist Frank Morison; homicide detective J. Warner Wallace; and Sir Lionel Luckhoo, the Guinness-recognized “world’s most successful attorney with 245 consecutive murder acquittals”? They all became followers of Christ after studying the historical evidence for the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Since Jesus Christ returned to life in the darkened tomb and appeared to us with “many infallible proofs,” our faith isn’t a blind leap. It’s a sensible step, one that brings life change and gladness to our hearts and minds.

Many people believe they may go to heaven because they have tried to live an upright life. But only faith in the death and resurrection of Christ can save us. Ephesians 2:8 says we are saved by grace through faith. Have you definitively and consciously received Christ’s forgiveness and eternal life by trusting His grace? It’s not too late for you to do that now!

I’m a Christian because it is true. I’m a Christian because I want to live in a way that reflects the truth. I’m a Christian because my high regard for the truth leaves me no alternative.
J. Warner Wallace

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They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
Acts 2:42, NIV

Recommended Reading: Acts 2:42-47

The Chicago Tribune recently reported, “Despite being more digitally connected than ever, many people are struggling to forge the kind of deep, meaningful relationships that give life purpose. We have thousands of online ‘friends’ but fewer real confidants. We work longer hours, move more frequently, and engage in fewer communal activities…. A 2015 meta-analysis … found that prolonged social isolation carries the same health risks as smoking 15 cigarettes a day.”¹

Does any of that relate to you? God made us with a need for fellowship with Himself and others. Our word fellowship is a translation of the New Testament Greek word koinonia, which meant “something held in common, a shared state, being partners in a relationship.” This word occurs twenty times in the New Testament, beginning with Acts 2:42 and the Church created by the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost.

Do you have a church to attend? Ask God to guide you to a circle of fellowship in a church or Bible study. Make the effort, and you will be blessed.

When a Christian shuns fellowship with other Christians, the devil smiles.
Corrie Ten Boom

1. John Hewko, “Chicago Tribune: Curing the Loneliness Epidemic, Rotary-Style,” Rotary International, February 2025.

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