Read: Genesis 16:1–13 I have now seen the One who sees me. Genesis 16:13 In his book The God I Don’t Understand, Christopher Wright observes that an unlikely person is one of the first to give God a name. It’s Hagar! Hagar’s story provides a disturbingly honest look at human...

Read: Exodus 4:1–12 Who gave human beings their mouths? . . . Is it not I, the Lord? Now go; I will help you speak. Exodus 4:11–12 My nerves fluttering, I waited for the phone to ring and the radio interview to start. I wondered what questions the host would...

Read: 1 Peter 2:9–12 You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession. 1 Peter 2:9 While delivering a well-publicized speech, a respected leader and statesman got the attention of his nation by declaring that most of his country’s honorable Members of Parliament (MPs) were...

Read: Psalm 119:17–19, 130–134 I have hidden your word in my heart. Psalm 119:11 One difficult part of growing older is the fear of dementia and the loss of short-term memory. But Dr. Benjamin Mast, an expert on the topic of Alzheimer’s disease, offers some encouragement. He says that patients’...

Read: Mark 14:32–42 Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. Mark 14:38 From my window I can see a 1,700-meter hill called the Cerro del Borrego or “Hill of the Sheep.” In 1862, the French army invaded Mexico. While the enemy camped in the central park...

Read: Hebrews 1:1–12 What we have received is . . . the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. 1 Corinthians 2:12 Recently, my son-in-law was explaining to my granddaughter Maggie that we can talk with God and that He communicates...

Read: 1 Corinthians 10:1–13 If you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! 1 Corinthians 10:12 When my friend Elaine was recovering after a bad fall, a hospital worker placed a bright yellow bracelet on her wrist. It read: Fall Risk. That phrase meant: Watch this...

Read: Hebrews 10:19–25 Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Hebrews 10:24 While standing in line for a popular attraction at Disneyland, I noticed that most people were talking and smiling instead of complaining about the long wait. It made me ponder...

Read: Numbers 13:25–14:9 We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it. Numbers 13:30 After being encamped near Mt. Sinai for two years, the people of Israel were on the verge of entering Canaan—the land God had promised them. God told them to...

Read: Matthew 20:1–16 Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous? Matthew 20:15 Thomas J. DeLong, a professor at Harvard Business School, has noted a disturbing trend among his students and colleagues—a “comparison obsession.” He writes:...

Read: 2 Chronicles 13:10–18 The people of Judah were victorious because they relied on the Lord, the God of their ancestors. 2 Chronicles 13:18 As the convoy waited to roll out, a young marine rapped urgently on the window of his team leader’s vehicle. Irritated, the sergeant rolled down his...

Read: Romans 16:1–4,13,21–23 Encourage one another and build each other up. 1 Thessalonians 5:11 In the summer of 2015, Hunter (aged 15) carried his brother Braden (8) for a fifty-seven-mile walk to raise awareness of the needs of people with cerebral palsy. Braden weighs sixty pounds, so Hunter needed frequent...