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My child, fear the Lord and the king. Don’t associate with rebels, for disaster will hit them suddenly. Who knows what punishment will come from the Lord and the king?
Proverbs 24:21-22, NLT

Recommended Reading: Romans 13:1-7

One of the Pharisees’ attempts to entrap Jesus concerned paying taxes to Caesar. If Jesus said it was wrong to pay taxes to Caesar, the Pharisees would have reported Him to the Roman governor. If He said it was appropriate to pay taxes to Caesar, the Pharisees would have accused Him of being disloyal to God. His answer negated their attempts at entrapment: pay to Caesar what is owed to Caesar and pay to God what is owed to God (Matthew 22:15-22).

In both the Old Testament and the New Testament, we are told to honor both God and the king (Ecclesiastes 8:2-5; 1 Peter 2:17). Paul gives the most detailed explanation in Romans 13:1-7 where he says that civil rulers have been established by God. Therefore, to rebel against civil authority is to rebel against God. He says that civil authorities are God’s ministers who commend right behavior and punish wrong behavior.

We may not always agree with civil authorities, but we are to honor them just as we are to fear the Lord (1 Timothy 2:1-2).

All the world’s thrones are occupied by rulers under God’s authority.
John Blanchard

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The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
Proverbs 9:10

Recommended Reading: Job 28:12-19

We may never find ourselves in a predicament as trying as Job’s. But that doesn’t mean we won’t have some of the same questions. We would do well to learn from Job’s search for wisdom as he tried to unravel the reasons for his circumstances.

Job was searching for the wisdom to navigate his difficulties. In his discourse with his friends, Job said, “But where can wisdom be found?… From where then does wisdom come? And where is the place of understanding?… And to man [God] said, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom’” (Job 28:12, 20, 28). Job’s words would find agreement from Solomon who later wrote, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Proverbs 9:10). When we lack answers, the place to begin is the fear of the Lord—which means elevating His plans and purposes above our own and submitting our lack of answers to His omniscience.

When you find yourself needing wisdom, remember the words of James who quoted Solomon: “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6).

Humility is the hallmark of wisdom. 
Jeremy Collier

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If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.
James 1:5

Recommended Reading: 1 Kings 3:4-14

Imagine you are facing the most daunting challenge of your life—and you feel totally unprepared to handle it. Then imagine God invites you to ask Him for anything you need. What would you ask Him for?

This was the experience of Solomon, David’s son, when he was about twenty years old and became king. What would you have felt as a twenty year old in Solomon’s position? God came to Solomon in a dream and told him to ask for whatever he needed (1 Kings 3:5). Solomon’s reply to God was humble and wise. He asked God for “an understanding heart” to be able to judge the people of Israel as king. Because Solomon did not ask for long life, riches, or victory over enemies, God granted his request and gave him “a wise and understanding heart” (1 Kings 3:9, 12).

The apostle James wrote that we have the same privilege—to ask God for wisdom whenever we need it. If you are facing a challenge in your life, ask God for wisdom and expect to receive it.

Of all the pursuits open to men, the search for wisdom is most perfect, more sublime, more profitable, and more full of joy.
Thomas Aquinas

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Five curtains shall be coupled to one another, and the other five curtains shall be coupled to one another.
Exodus 26:3

Recommended Reading: Exodus 26:1-6

Since August has five weekends, let’s have fun with biblical fives, starting with the Old Testament tabernacle. God the Father so loved His people, He wanted to camp among them. The tabernacle was a special, ornate tent designed for that purpose, and we keep bumping into the number five as we study it. There were five curtains (Exodus 26:3), five supporting rods (26:26-28), and five pillars at the entrance (26:37). The altar was five cubits long and five cubits wide (27:1), and there were ten sets of five loops and clasps (26:5-6).

There’s nothing magical about the number five, but it does show us how intentional God was in structuring a place to abide among the Israelites. Nothing about the tabernacle was random. It was planned, structured, and graciously provided for.

In the same way, the God who arranged every curtain and pillar has also arranged all that is needed to make His home in your heart through His Spirit. His presence with you is wisely ordered, and your very body is the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19). What a blessing!

The Holy Spirit takes up residence in believers, making their bodies a holy place for the dwelling of God’s special presence.
Richard L. Pratt, Jr.

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Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them.
Romans 12:6

Recommended Reading: Romans 12:3-8

A recent study conducted by scholars from China and Switzerland found they could use brain stimulation to make people more generous. Gently syncing two brain areas made people noticeably more generous, even when it ended up being costly to them.¹

The apostle Paul wanted to stimulate the brains and hearts of Christians by the power of the Word of God. So he said we should use our gifts generously, whether prophesying or ministry or teaching or exhorting or giving or leading or showing mercy (Romans 12:6-8).

Giving is tangible evidence of the reality of our love. We see God’s love all around us as we benefit from His blessings. So why would we not desire to do things for the Lord after all He has done for us? Whether it’s through tithing, getting involved in a church ministry, or serving others as He directs you, make a point to evidence your faith through giving.

All God’s giants have been weak men who did great things for God because they reckoned on His power and presence to be with them.
J. Hudson Taylor

1. PLOS, “Scientists Used Brain Stimulation to Make People More Generous,” Science Daily, February 13, 2026.

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Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?
Romans 6:16

Recommended Reading: Romans 6:15-19

Paul begins Romans by calling himself a bondservant of Jesus Christ (Romans 1:1). He uses the same Greek word, doulos, in chapter 7. But here in chapter 6 it is translated as “slave.” We were at one time slaves to the law and to sin. Now, he says, we are slaves to righteousness. He adds in verse 22: “Having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness.”

Everyone serves someone. Are you a slave to sin or to righteousness? By birth we are slaves to sin, but by grace and faith we have become slaves of God. There’s no need to be enslaved by shame, addiction, sin, guilt, and death. Christ wants to set you free from all of those things that you might be a slave to God.

Have you become a servant of God? If not, take time today to accept Christ as Savior, and He will set you free.

Obedience to God releases His blessings and joy, here and hereafter…. Humbling acts of service to others, as Jesus modeled when He washed the feet of His disciples, releases joy in our hearts.
Bill Bright

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My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you.
Galatians 4:19

Recommended Reading: Galatians 4:17-20

It takes time to grow into the image of Jesus Christ. This reality is counterintuitive to our instant gratification culture where we can get same-day delivery for packages and instant accessibility to the world from the palms of our hands. But forming our souls does not happen at digital speed. It occurs slowly and often painfully.

The apostle Paul told the Galatians that he was laboring for Christ to be formed within them. This is the ultimate goal of our Christian experience. We want our souls and spirits to be shaped into the personality of Jesus Christ. And, for the glory of God, we want others to see this.

If you spend time with someone for a while, you can know what they’re like. Similarly, when someone spends time with us, we want them to be able to tell by our actions that we are Christ followers. Are you living in a way that proclaims your commitment to the Lord?

Spiritual maturity is marked by spiritual knowledge being put into action. 
Edward Bedore

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As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a loyal heart and with a willing mind; for the Lord searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever.
1 Chronicles 28:9

Recommended Reading: 1 Chronicles 28:1-10

A recent survey found the top friendliest small businesses in America. The results included a candle company in South Dakota, a chocolate company in Minneapolis, and a bookstore in Montana.¹ These enterprises had gone above and beyond in serving their clientele. The survey didn’t include churches, but wouldn’t we expect local churches to be the friendliest places town?

That depends on you and me. How important to know God and to serve Him with a loyal heart and a willing mind. When we serve others outwardly, it strengthens our inner being. And it not only glorifies God, but it also benefits us as Christians.

If you are not serving, you are not living and nourishing your inward being. Consider places in your church where you can serve, and volunteer with a willing heart.

One of the principal rules of religion is, to lose no occasion of serving God. And since he is invisible to our eyes, we are to serve him in our neighbor.
John Wesley

1. Irving Betesh, “Study Reveals the Top 150 Friendliest Small Businesses in the U.S.,” Advance Funds Network, February 19, 2026

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We do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
2 Corinthians 4:18

Recommended Reading: 2 Corinthians 5:6-8

Both the Old Testament (1 Samuel 16:7) and the New Testament draw a clear distinction between the priority of the inner person over the outer person. Yet in our modern world that priority is reversed. Far more attention is put on cultivating the outward appearance than is put on developing the spiritual person.

That’s not to say that the physical person is not important. Paul made clear that our body is a temple of the Holy Spirit and should be treated accordingly (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). But Paul also made clear that our physical body is slowly fading away and will return to dust in anticipation of a glorified, eternal body when Christ returns. As he said in 2 Corinthians 4:7-18, things that are seen are temporary while things that are not seen are eternal. Death is at work in us physically, but life is at work in us spiritually (verse 12).

Make sure your priorities are biblical and that you are cultivating the life that will live eternally through prayer and Bible study.

All that is not eternal is eternally out of date.
C. S. Lewis

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Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock.
Matthew 7:24

Recommended Reading: Luke 6:46-49

“The wise man built his house upon the rock…. And the rains came tumbling down. The rains came down, and the floods came up…. And the house on the rock stood firm.”¹

Many Christians have fond memories of singing in their childhood Sunday school classes. One of the most memorable songs they probably sang was about a wise man who built his house on the rock and a foolish man who built his house on the sand. Complete with hand motions, the song taught the lesson found in Jesus’ parable in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 7:24-27). Jesus likened the rock to His teachings—building a house (life) on His words would be a strong defense against life’s winds, rains, and floods. Ignoring His teachings would be the equivalent of building a house on the sand. In the Middle East there is no shortage of rocks and sand—the lesson would have been obvious to Jesus’ listeners.

Take Jesus’ words to heart—build your life on the sure foundation of His Word.

My conscience is captive to the Word of God.
Martin Luther

1. Ann Omley, “The Wise Man and the Foolish Man,” 1948, public domain.

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The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.
Romans 8:6, NIV

Recommended Reading: Romans 8:1-9

Some chapters of the Bible are special enough to have nicknames. We call Hebrews 11 the Faith Chapter of the Bible. We think of 1 Corinthians 13 as the Love Chapter. Psalm 23 is the Shepherd’s Psalm. We consider Romans 8 the Holy Spirit Chapter of the Bible. The Spirit is mentioned twice in the first seven chapters of Romans. In Romans 8, the Holy Spirit is mentioned about twenty times.

When our mind is governed by the Spirit, a peace floods our hearts. The Spirit takes the verses of the Bible which we have been studying, and He makes them real to us. We learn to set our minds on Christ and turn our thoughts to things above.

When we have fears and doubts, we can experience the peace of God as the Holy Spirit manifests the life of Christ in and through us. Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to come alongside us to comfort and encourage us. Take steps to make sure your mind is governed by the Spirit. Focus on Scripture. Let the truth of God establish your steps.

The Holy Spirit hath given us relief…by supplying us with a rule of the interpretation of Scripture.
John Owen

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Surely God will never do wickedly, nor will the Almighty pervert justice.
Job 34:12

Recommended Reading: Job 34:10-15

Kendra Thomas, professor of psychology, listens when children cry, “It’s not fair!” She wrote, “Every experience shapes a kid’s worldview. In childhood, injustice comes with the sense of powerlessness; it is both outraging and demoralizing.” She said that children need adults in their lives to “teach them how to cope with it…. Perhaps they are handling a minor injustice and need a listening ear and some perspective.”¹

When Job was going through his trials, he and his friends often questioned whether justice was being served. Job’s friends thought that he deserved punishment, but Job could not understand why God let him suffer so greatly. However, the great points of the book of Job are that God will never do wickedly and the Almighty will never pervert justice.

You may be going through some situations that are not fair, not just. But as time goes by, it’s amazing how we can look back and see God’s hand of goodness and justice. We can trust Him with hard days. Remember the wise saying: When you cannot trace God’s hand, you can trust His heart.

Sometimes when we get overwhelmed, we forget how big God is.
A. W. Tozer

1. Kendra Thomas, “Why You Should Listen When Your Child Cries, ‘Not Fair!’” Scientific American, March 18, 2024.

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Listen to this, Job; stop and consider God’s wonders…. The Almighty is beyond our reach and exalted in power.
Job 37:14, 23, NIV

Recommended Reading: Romans 1:19-20

What is your response when you hear something about God or the Bible that you have never heard before or which you have heard but don’t believe? All of us have blind spots due to lack of teaching or due to our presuppositions. After investigation we may find our original position confirmed, or we may change our views. But in the beginning we must be humble and ask God to show us what is correct.

Job was a man who had blind spots about God. He had four friends who attempted to enlighten him with some views that were correct and some that were incorrect. But Job was not receptive. He thought what he knew about God was accurate until God revealed Himself. Job was forced to repent and change his beliefs and actions (Job 38–42). He had to acknowledge that God was bigger and more majestic than he had ever known.

Make room in your understanding for God to reveal Himself in ways that you did not expect. Allow Him to expand your knowledge and experience.

Every work of [God] serves to display His glory, and set off the greatness of His majesty.
John Gill

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The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles.
Psalm 34:17

Recommended Reading: Psalm 73:25-28

Troubles can either drive us away from God or draw us near to God. Our response does not depend on the kind of trouble. Rather, our response depends on our heart and on our view of God. We can view Him either as the source of our trouble or the source of our tranquility.

If we view God as the source of our trouble, we will likely be resentful and self-pitying. But if we view Him as the source of our tranquility, we will draw near to Him knowing that He will draw near to us. As James wrote, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you” (James 4:8). And as Paul wrote, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7).

If you are in a time of trouble or testing, let your experience drive you closer to God rather than away from Him. In His presence, you will find the answers you need.

True peace comes not from the absence of trouble but from the presence of God. 
Alexander Maclaren

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I sought the Lord, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.
Psalm 34:4

Recommended Reading: Psalm 34:1-4

The Greek word in the New Testament for confess is homologeo: homo (“same”) and lego (“to speak”). It means “to say the same thing.” It is usually translated as “confess” or “profess.” But there is also another time to “agree with God”—when we acknowledge to Him how we feel since He is aware of what we are going through before we even speak (Matthew 6:8).

Before David assumed the throne of Israel as king, he found himself in a perilous situation with a Philistine king (1 Samuel 21:10-15). He wrote Psalm 34 as a record of this encounter and how God delivered him from danger. He began the psalm with praise to God (verses 1-3) before stating, “[He] delivered me from all my fears” (verse 4). David wasn’t afraid to acknowledge his fears to God or to acknowledge that “many are the afflictions of the righteous” (verse 19). Nor should we be. When we confess to God how we are feeling, we are acknowledging that He knows our need.

Whatever you are feeling or experiencing, tell God. And praise Him that He will deliver you from your fears.

A Christian with faith has nothing to fear from the facts.
Paul Johnson

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He would have fed them also with the finest of wheat; and with honey from the rock I would have satisfied you.
Psalm 81:16

Recommended Reading: Deuteronomy 32:12-13

“O my brother, do you know the Savior, who is wondrous, kind, and true? He’s the rock of your salvation! There’s honey in the Rock for you.”¹

There is evidence that ancient civilizations practiced the art of beekeeping in order to harvest honey and pollinate crops. The practice of keeping bees intentionally grew out of the observation that bees will naturally create a hive in trees, crevices in rocks, and even in the carcass of a wild animal (Judges 14:8-9). Isaiah referred to the Assyrian army as bees that would rest “in the clefts of the rocks” (Isaiah 7:18-19). When Moses (Deuteronomy 32:13) and the psalmist (Psalm 81:16) referred to God providing “honey from the rock,” it was likely a metaphorical reference to God’s provision for His people—just as He provided water from a rock in the wilderness (Exodus 17:6; Numbers 20:8-11), an image that was seen to be the preincarnate Christ (1 Corinthians 10:3-4).

However unlikely your circumstances may seem, know that God is able to provide for you through Christ Jesus.

God’s purposes always have God’s provision.
John Blanchard

1. F. A. Graves, “Honey in the Rock,” 1895.

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They waged war against the Hagrites…. They were helped in fighting them, and God delivered the Hagrites and all their allies into their hands, because they cried out to him during the battle. He answered their prayers, because they trusted in him.
1 Chronicles 5:19-20, NIV

Recommended Reading: Psalm 55:22-23

Perhaps in reading through the Bible, you skim across 1 Chronicles 1–9 because these chapters contain long lists of genealogies. Yet here and there, the writer paused to say something special about some of the people. In chapter 5, the Reubenites, Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh went to war against the Hagrites. They prevailed, not because of their size or armaments but because of two critical weapons—prayer and faith. They cried out to God during the battle, and He answered because they trusted in Him.

That exact formula will give you victory today. Are you facing an army of Hagrites? Is a loved one in crisis? Is the medical challenge great? Is cash tight? Are your spirits low? Cry out to God, and rely on Him. Trust Him. God is pleased when we bring Him our burdens, and He can lift the heaviest load.

Cry to Him during the battle. He will answer because He will help you trust in Him.

Leave it all in the Hands that were wounded for you.
Elisabeth Elliott

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Remember me, O my God, concerning this also, and spare me according to the greatness of Your mercy!
Nehemiah 13:22

Recommended Reading: Nehemiah 5:17-19

In A Praying Life, Paul Miller recommends praying aloud as Jesus did. “We know what he is praying in Gethsemane because his disciples overhear him as he pours out his heart to his Father…. Praying out loud can be helpful because it keeps you from getting lost in your head. It makes your thoughts concrete.”

Miller admits, “Personally, I’ve found it hard to pray out loud because I’m so in the habit of praying silently. Still, when I confess a sin aloud, it feels more real. When I hear my own voice admitting that I’ve done something wrong, I’m surprised by how concrete the sin feels.”¹

The book of Nehemiah is full of “arrow prayers,” which Nehemiah sends up in moments of need. Telling God our problems and needs is the first step to moving toward hope. When we describe our troubles aloud to God, we find He is bigger than our problems. Take your troubles to the Lord today.

Regardless of how or when you pray, if you give God the space, he will touch your soul. God knows you are exhausted, but at the same time he longs to be part of your life.
Paul Miller

1. Paul Miller, A Praying Life (NavPress, 2017), 46-47.

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Then Job answered the Lord and said: “I know that You can do everything, and that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You.”
Job 42:1-2

Recommended Reading: Genesis 45:4-8

People often refer to “the patience of Job.” But truth be told, Job was not all that patient—he persisted in declaring his own innocence. It was not until God revealed Himself to Job at the end of his trials that Job repented of his self-defense and yielded himself to God’s sovereign will and wisdom.

The hardest thing about going through a time of trouble is continuing to walk by faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). Faith means trusting God and His purposes, even when we can’t see or understand His reasons. In the Old Testament, Joseph is a good example of one who realized that God had a sovereign purpose for the suffering he had endured. He declared to his brothers, the ones who had sold him into slavery in Egypt, that God had sent him to Egypt to prepare for the salvation of his family during a time of famine (Genesis 45:4-8).

When you experience a time of difficulty, stay focused on God and His sovereign purposes in your life. Trust that He has a plan for you.

Faith sees the invisible, believes the unbelievable, and receives the impossible.
Corrie ten Boom

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But [Job] said to [his wife], “You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips.
Job 2:10

Recommended Reading: Romans 8:28-29

In the midst of his suffering, Job’s wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die!” (Job 2:9) Job had a choice: curse God or bless God.

Job had accepted great good from God up to this point. He had ten children and owned herds of thousands of sheep, camels, oxen, and donkeys. He was the greatest man of his day (Job 1:1-5). Job showed his gratitude to God by living a righteous life in every regard. But when God allowed Satan to remove all of Job’s many blessings, he was faced with a choice: bless God in spite of his difficulties or curse God because of them. To his credit, Job refused to curse God—though it took time for him to understand why he should continue to bless God (Job 42:1-6).

If you are looking for a reason to bless God in the midst of your difficulties, meditate on Romans 8:28-29.

It is when God appears to have abandoned us that we must abandon ourselves most wholly to God. 
François Fenelon

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