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O Lord, You have searched me and known me. You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off.
Psalm 139:1-2

Recommended Reading: John 2:24-25

Perhaps the greatest yearning of the human heart is to be known. When someone takes the time to know us deeply, it is a sign of worthiness and respect. And who doesn’t want to be respected and made to feel worthy?

God knows us. He created us in His own image (Genesis 1:26-27)—and a creator always knows the intimate details of what he has created. In one of his most beautiful psalms (Psalm 139), David expressed the profound ways in which God knew him. Beginning with his formation in his mother’s womb, David was known by God in every detail. The reason David praised God for His knowledge was that he knew only God could search his heart and show him what was truly in it (Psalm 139:23-24). David wanted to please God, so he asked God to look at his life and see if there was anything that might not be pleasing to God.

When you need direction, comfort, instruction—when you need anything—ask the One who knows you better than you know yourself.

God knows us all together and cares for us in spite of that knowledge.
J. Charles Stern

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Now Abraham and Sarah were old, well advanced in age; and Sarah had passed the age of childbearing.
Genesis 18:11

Recommended Reading: Romans 4:18-21

In the Old Testament, children were considered “a heritage from the Lord … a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior …. Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them” (Psalm 127:3-5). Hannah, the eventual mother of Samuel, is an example of an Israelite woman anxious because of her barrenness (1 Samuel 1:1–2:11).

Abraham and Sarah are another example of a barren couple. But at ages near-one hundred and ninety respectively, God appeared to them and promised them a son (Genesis 17:15-17). Sarah doubted God’s promise at first but eventually came to believe that her womb would bear the fruit she had longed for: “By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised” (Hebrews 11:11). Abraham and Sarah were learning to trust the God who called them from Mesopotamia to Canaan to walk with Him. Sarah learned that patient faith would see the promises of God fulfilled.

If you are waiting on God to answer your prayer, combine your faith with patience. Like Sarah, “judge Him faithful.”

Hope is the foundation of patience.
John Calvin

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He has made everything beautiful in its time.
Ecclesiastes 3:11

Recommended Reading: Romans 1:18-23

If you could go anywhere in the world to see something spectacular, it probably wouldn’t be a palace or temple, which humans built. It would be a beautiful spot God has made in nature. Condé Nast Traveler frequently posts articles on the most beautiful places on earth, and the pictures are stunning: Zhangye National Geopark in China, the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, and Angel Falls in Venezuela.

Most of us can’t visit those spots, but we can look out our windows and see the marshalling of the clouds, the formation of a flock of birds, and the green variations in the grass and trees.

We need to understand ourselves in the context of the vast universe God has made. We can’t truly know who we are and why we’re here until we know God. He has made everything beautiful in its time, and He wants us to appreciate His artistry. We can know God better through His majestic creation. Try to spend some of your prayer time in nature or with a view of it, giving thanks to God for the beauty around you.

The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely, or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quite alone, alone with the heavens, nature, and God.
Anne Frank

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And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.
Matthew 24:12-13, ESV

Recommended Reading: Hebrews 10:35-39

When Jesus and His parents went up to Jerusalem for the Passover feast, His parents left the city at the conclusion—but Jesus “lingered behind in Jerusalem” (Luke 2:43). On his second missionary journey Paul left Berea, but Silas and Timothy “remained there” (Acts 17:14). Both these phrases—“lingered behind” and “remained there”—are translations of the Greek word that is elsewhere translated “endure.” In other words, “endure” means “to remain fixed when others are leaving.”

When Jesus taught about the troubling times that will come in the future, He said that the love of many will grow cold—their faith will fail, and they will fall away. But He said, “the one who endures”—the one who remains fixed in place when others are leaving the faith— “will be saved.” That’s what it means to endure—to remain in place, in the faith, in the face of persecution and tribulation.

The time to be committed to enduring is before the trouble begins, whether now or in the future. Make firm today your commitment to endure to the end for the sake of Christ.

Endurance is the ability to stand up under adversity. 
Jerry Bridges

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And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope.
Romans 5:3-4

Recommended Reading: Hebrews 12:1-3

The story is told of a young, aspiring musician visiting New York City who wanted to see Carnegie Hall. She stopped a stranger on the street and asked, “How do I get to Carnegie Hall?” The stranger, also a musician, replied, “Practice, practice, practice!”

While that wasn’t the answer the young musician was looking for, it was probably the answer she needed. Enduring thousands of hours of painful practice is the only path. The apostle Paul said something similar about suffering: “We also glory [rejoice] in tribulations.” Why? Because just as the toil of practice leads to Carnegie Hall, so the “toil” of hard times leads to perseverance, which leads to character, which leads to hope. And hope “does not disappoint” because it leads to the realization of God’s love for us (Romans 5:5). As the writer of Hebrews wrote, “Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus” (Hebrews 12:1-2). We keep our eyes on the One who endured as our example.

Remain strong in your troubles, knowing that they have a purpose: perseverance, character, and hope.

Perseverance is the rope that ties the soul to the door post of heaven.
Frances J. Roberts

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[The man Jesus healed of blindness] answered and said, “A Man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes and said to me, ‘Go to the pool of Siloam and wash.’ So I went and washed, and I received sight.”
John 9:11

Recommended Reading: 1 John 1:1-3

“All we want are the facts, ma’am.” Those were the words of Sergeant Joe Friday in the popular 1950s television series, Dragnet. If we had to describe what it means to give a testimony of faith in Christ, Sergeant Friday’s words would apply. New Testament writers used that framework when bearing witness to Christ—they talked about what they had “seen and heard” (Acts 4:20; 22:15; 1 John 1:1-3).

One of the clearest examples of a testimony came from a blind man whom Jesus healed. When he was interrogated about his healing, he recounted the simple facts about what Jesus had said and done (John 9:10-41). The apostle Paul twice delivered a longer testimony of how he came to faith (Acts 22:6-21; 26:12-18). Every believer should be ready to testify to how they came to believe (1 Peter 3:15).

If you have never done so, write out your personal testimony of faith in Christ. And ask God to provide opportunities for you to share it.

Every believer is a witness whether he wants to be or not.
Donald Grey Barnhouse

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I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
2 Timothy 4:7

Recommended Reading: 2 Timothy 4:6-8

Rev. James Fleetwood, a beloved nineteenth-century Baptist preacher, died on December 20, 1862. His biographer put it vividly: “On the evening of his departure, at about nine o’clock … he commenced to praise God … and bidding goodbye to his wife [and others], with the light of heaven beaming from his emaciated countenance, he made a convulsive and strenuous effort to exclaim ‘Glory,’ And then…the weary wheels of life stood still, and his glorified spirit took its place before the throne.”

A friend of Fleetwood’s said of him, “He lived the Gospel which he preached.”¹ Could there be a better testimony than that!

Oh, that we might all live the Gospel we preach so that when the “weary wheels of life” stand still, we will be able to shout “Glory!” and be with our Lord. One of the best ways to spread the Gospel is by living it. Do you show others the love of Christ in your daily life? Ask God to show you opportunities to exhibit His love by helping others each day.

To love to preach is one thing—to love those to whom we preach, quite another.
Richard Cecil

1. James Marshall, “Memoir of the Reverend James Fleetwood,” The Primitive Methodist Magazine: June 1863, vol. 1 (London: Richard Davies), 321-324.

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Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.
Ephesians 1:3

Recommended Reading: Ephesians 1:3-14

Thunderstorms can be majestic, but they can frighten us. At any given moment, about two thousand thunderstorms are raining down on earth! That means two thousand active storm cells exist simultaneously on the globe every minute.¹

That’s hard to grasp! But here’s something else to “pour” over. God is continually sending down His showers of spiritual blessings on us, and we have more to come in the future. Harold Hoehner said, “[These blessings are] defined as ‘spiritual.’ In the Old Testament the benefits were primarily material … [and] have their source in the Spirit of God…. So God has blessed the believer with every spiritual benefit necessary for his or her spiritual well-being.”²

Some of these are for us now—peace, joy, forgiveness, grace, fellowship with God, insight into Scripture. Others we’ll experience in eternity. None of us like being caught in a rainstorm, but when it comes to God’s showers, we don’t mind being drenched each day!

Spiritual benefits that come from heaven are for the believers united with Christ, who ascended into heaven.
Dr. Harold Hoehner

1. “Severe Weather 101: Thunderstorm Basics,” NSSL: NOAA National Severe Storms Laboratory.
2. Harold Hoehner, Ephesians: An Exegetical Commentary (Baker Academic, 2002), 167-168.

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By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.
John 13:35

Recommended Reading: Matthew 5:14-16

Perhaps you have been blessed enough to know a person who embodies love. Not only do they say loving things and perform loving deeds, but even when they are not speaking or acting, they still manifest a spirit of love that is undeniable. When you are around such a person, you wonder what the explanation is for their consistent, loving personality.

It is telling that Jesus cited agape love (unconditional, selfless love) as being the primary characteristic of His followers. He didn’t say that His followers would be known for their teaching, preaching, evangelism, churches, missionary efforts, or any other worthy traits. Instead He said that one trait would mark them as His followers: unconditional, selfless love. He said “love for one another”—meaning love among those who are His disciples. But He also said that the “light” of His loving life in them should shine so brightly that the whole world would see it (Matthew 5:14-16).

The fruit of the Spirit is love (Galatians 5:22). Ask God to help you become a person who embodies the light and love of Christ—so that the world will recognize Christ as the source.

Love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all.
Isaac Watts

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And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.
Ephesians 4:32

Recommended Reading: Romans 5:6-11

We occasionally hear expressions like, “It takes one to know one,” and, “You can’t give away what you don’t already have.” Those words certainly apply when it comes to extending forgiveness to others—especially to our enemies.

Paul’s exhortation in Ephesians 4:32 is an example. The first half of the verse is not unexpected—an exhortation to be kind, tenderhearted, and forgiving toward others. But it is the second half of the verse that is arresting in its implication: We are to forgive others just as God in Christ has forgiven us. We might be inclined to be kind and forgiving toward others without taking the standard of God’s forgiveness into account. And how did God forgive? Totally and unconditionally—for past, present, and future sins. In fact, God forgave us “when we were enemies” (Romans 5:10). So that is our standard when it comes to forgiving those who have hurt us—past, present, and future—unconditional forgiveness.

Take a moment to do an inventory of your forgiveness toward others. If there is someone you have not forgiven totally and unconditionally, purpose to forgive them as God has forgiven you.

The glory of Christianity is to conquer by forgiveness.
William Blake

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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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