Isaiah 22:23 KJV
And I will fasten him as a nail in a sure place; and he shall be for a glorious throne to his father's house.
Anchored in Truth
My family lives in a nearly century-old house with a lot of character, including wonderfully textured plaster walls. A builder cautioned me that with these walls, to hang a picture I’d have to either drill the nail into a wood support or use a plaster anchor for support. Otherwise, I’d risk the picture crashing to the ground, leaving an ugly hole behind.
The prophet Isaiah used the imagery of a nail driven firmly into a wall to describe a minor biblical character named Eliakim. Unlike the corrupt official Shebna (Isaiah 22:15–19), as well as the people of Israel—who looked to themselves for strength (vv. 8–11)—Eliakim trusted in God. Prophesying Eliakim’s promotion to palace administrator for King Hezekiah, Isaiah wrote that Eliakim would be driven like a “peg into a firm place” (v. 23). Being securely anchored in God’s truth and grace would also allow Eliakim to be a support for his family and his people (vv. 22–24).
Yet Isaiah concluded this prophecy with a sobering reminder that no person can be the ultimate security for friends or family—we all fail (v. 25). The only completely trustworthy anchor for our lives is Jesus (Psalm 62:5–6; Matthew 7:24). As we care for others and share their burdens, may we also point them to Him, the anchor who will never fail.
Reflect & Pray
How can you stay firmly anchored in God’s truth and grace? In what ways can you support those feeling weighed down by life’s burdens?
Dear Jesus, thank You for being my anchor. As Your child, I know that I’m firmly planted in You.
Insight
The prophet Isaiah describes how the honorable Eliakim (an official in King Hezekiah’s court) would be like a peg driven into a firm place (Isaiah 22:23). However, that peg “will be sheared off and will fall, and the load hanging on it will be cut down” (v. 25). He would be brought down by his family who took advantage of his high position, bringing about his ruin as the peg gave way under the strain (v. 24). The quick reversal of fortune isn’t unusual in the book of Isaiah, where any word of present deliverance was only temporary, while real future hope lay after the impending judgment that was coming because of Israel’s persistent faithlessness.
Philippians 1:3 KJV
I thank my God upon every remembrance of you,
Companions in Christ
The Harvard Study of Adult Development is a decades-long project that’s resulted in a greater understanding of the importance of healthy relationships. The research began with a group of 268 sophomores at Harvard University in the 1930s and later expanded to, among others, 456 Boston inner-city residents. Researchers have conducted interviews with the participants and pored over their medical records every few years. They discovered that close relationships are the biggest factor in predicting happiness and health. It turns out that if we surround ourselves with the right people, we’ll likely experience a deeper sense of joy.
This appears to reflect what the apostle Paul is describing in Philippians 1. Writing from prison, Paul can’t help but tell his friends that he thanks God for them every time he remembers them, praying “with joy” (v. 4). But these aren’t just any friends; these are brothers and sisters in Jesus who “share in God’s grace,” partners in the gospel with Paul (v. 7). Their relationship was one of sharing and mutuality—a true fellowship shaped by God’s love and the gospel itself.
Yes, friends are important, but fellow companions in Christ are catalysts of a true and deep joy. The grace of God can bind us together like nothing else. And even through the darkest seasons of life, the joy that comes from that bond will last.
Reflect & Pray
Who are the friends that surround you? What’s the substance of your relationships? How has the grace of God shaped your choice of companions?
Dear God, thank You for the gift of friendship. Help me to express my gratitude to those who have been faithful companions to me. Give me the grace to strengthen and encourage them.
Insight
When Paul recalled his relationship with the Philippians “from the first day until now” (Philippians 1:5), he was giving them reasons for hope going forward (v. 6). He and his companions had tried to go elsewhere before receiving a vision from God to come to their region (Acts 16:6–12). Soon after his arrival, they met Lydia. She and some other women had been meeting on a riverbank outside of town waiting for God to answer their prayers (vv. 13–15). Her spiritual openness followed by the baptism of her household was the beginning of things to come (vv. 16–40). What an introduction! In Philippi, Paul and Silas encountered a demon-possessed fortune teller; were arrested, beaten, imprisoned; survived an earthquake; and witnessed the amazing story of a jailer’s conversion and the baptism of his family. It was God who’d brought them all together.
Exodus 40:38 KJV
For the cloud of the Lord was upon the tabernacle by day, and fire was on it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys.
Through Thick and Thin
On January 28, 1986, the US Space Shuttle Challenger broke apart seventy-three seconds after takeoff. In a speech of comfort to the nation, President Reagan quoted from the poem “High Flight” in which John Gillespie Magee, a World War II pilot, had written of “the high untrespassed sanctity of space” and the sense of putting out his hand to touch “the face of God.”
Although we can’t literally touch God’s face, we sometimes experience a stunning sunset or a place of meditation in nature that gives us an overwhelming sense that He’s near. Some people call these moments “thin places.” The barrier separating heaven and earth seems to grow a little thinner. God feels a little closer.
The Israelites may have experienced a “thin place” as they sensed the nearness of God in the desert wilderness. God provided a pillar of cloud by day and pillar of fire by night to lead them through the desert (Exodus 40:34–38). When they were staying in the camp, “the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle” (v. 35). Throughout all their travels, they knew God was with them.
As we enjoy the incredible beauty of God’s creation, we grow conscious that He’s present everywhere. As we talk with Him in prayer, listen to Him, and read the Scriptures, we can enjoy fellowship with Him anytime and anywhere.
Reflect & Pray
What places in nature make you feel especially close to God? How can you seek Him anytime and anywhere?
Father, help me to seek and find You even when I’m lost in a desert wilderness.
Insight
The tabernacle (tent of meeting) was the place where God dwelled (Exodus 25:8). The book of Exodus devotes many chapters to this portable sanctuary that served as a place of worship in the desert and in Israel until Solomon built the temple. In Exodus 24–31 instructions for the tabernacle’s structure and its furnishing are given in minute detail. Then in chapters 35–40 we read how all these directions were carried out by the Israelites at Mount Sinai. Exodus 39:32–40:37 details the dedication of the tabernacle. It was completed according to God’s directions to Moses in the beginning of the second year after the Israelites escaped out of Egypt (40:2, 17). When everything was in place, the cloud covered the tabernacle where God’s glory dwelled (v. 34). The cloud had directed the Israelites’ travels throughout their wilderness wanderings (vv. 34–38; see 13:21; Nehemiah 9:12, 19).
Romans 14:21 KJV
It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak.
Love Reins Us In
Most young Samoan boys receive a tattoo signaling their responsibility to their people and their chief. Naturally, then, the marks cover the arms of the Samoan men’s rugby team members. Traveling to Japan where tattoos can carry negative connotations, the teammates realized their symbols presented a problem for their hosts. In a generous act of friendship, the Samoans wore skin-colored sleeves covering the designs. “We’re respectful and mindful to . . . the Japanese way,” the team captain explained. “We’ll be making sure that what we’re showing will be okay.”
In an age emphasizing individual expression, it’s remarkable to encounter self-limitation—a concept Paul wrote about in the book of Romans. He told us that love sometimes requires us to lay down our rights for others. Rather than pushing our freedom to the boundaries, sometimes love reins us in. The apostle explained how some people in the church believed they were free “to eat anything,” but others ate “only vegetables” (Romans 14:2). While this might seem like a minor issue, in the first century, adherence to Old Testament dietary laws was controversial. Paul instructed everyone to “stop passing judgment on one another” (v. 13), before concluding with particular words for those who ate freely. “It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother or sister to fall” (v. 21).
At times, loving another means limiting our own freedoms. We don’t have to always do everything we’re free to do. Sometimes love reins us in.
Reflect & Pray
When have you seen people limit their freedom for the sake of other believers in Jesus? What was that like? What’s difficult about those situations where love reins us in?
God, help me to see where I need to encourage others to experience freedom and how I need to limit how I use my own freedoms.
Insight
Paul’s normal pattern for his church letters was to present a section of teaching (doctrine) followed by a section on living out one’s faith (practice). As one pastor put it, what we believe prepares the way for how we behave. If Romans 1–11 provide the doctrine—Paul’s careful explanation of the truth that the gospel is a message of grace freely offered to us by our gracious God—it should come as no surprise that in the practical portion of the letter (such as today’s text), he would call us to extend and live out that grace in our relationships with one another.
Psalm 57:1 KJV
Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast.
Refuge for the Rejected
George Whitefield (1714–1770) was one of the most gifted and effective preachers in history, leading thousands to faith in Jesus. But his life wasn’t without controversy. His practice of preaching outdoors (to accommodate large crowds) was sometimes criticized by those who questioned his motives and felt he should speak only within the four walls of a church building. Whitefield’s epitaph sheds light on his response to others’ harsh words: “I am content to wait till the Day of Judgment for the clearing up of my character; and after I am dead, I desire no other epitaph than this, ‘Here lies George Whitefield—what sort of a man he was, the great day will discover.’ ”
In the Old Testament, when David faced harsh criticism from others, he too entrusted himself to God. When Saul falsely accused David of leading a rebellion and he was forced to hide from Saul’s approaching army in a cave, David described being “in the midst of lions,” among “men whose teeth are spears and arrows, whose tongues are sharp swords” (Psalm 57:4). But even in that difficult place, he turned to God and found comfort in Him: “For great is your love, reaching to the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies” (v. 10).
When others misunderstand or reject us, God is our “refuge” (v. 1). May He be forever praised for His unfailing and merciful love!
Reflect & Pray
How does dwelling on God’s mercy help you when you’re discouraged? How can you demonstrate His love to another?
Abba Father, I praise You that I can be accepted by You forever because of Your Son. I take refuge in Your perfect love today.
Insight
Psalm 57 vividly contrasts the psalmist’s sense of vulnerability, as if among beasts of prey (v. 4), with a growing awareness of and confidence in God’s far-surpassing greatness. A deep awareness of God’s powerful care allows for a steady confidence in harrowing circumstances. Like Psalm 17:8 and 36:7, Psalm 57:1 uses the metaphor of the protection of a mother bird to capture God’s tender, protective care. This metaphor was also used in ancient Egyptian and Assyrian literature as an image of divine protection for the king. But in Psalm 36:7, the psalmist emphasizes that “all humanity finds shelter in the shadow of your wings” (nlt). Through celebrating God’s glory (57:5, 11; Hebrew kebod), the psalmist experiences God’s breathing new life into his own soul (v. 8). David is saying that God’s glory is now his glory as he looks to God for deliverance and protection.
Habakkuk 3:18 KJV
Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.
Finding Joy in Praise
When the famous British writer C. S. Lewis first gave his life to Jesus, he initially resisted praising God. In fact, he called it “a stumbling block.” His struggle was “in the suggestion that God Himself demanded it.” Yet Lewis finally realized “it is in the process of being worshipped that God communicates His presence” to His people. Then we, “in perfect love with God,” find joy in Him no more separable “than the brightness a mirror receives” from the “brightness it sheds.”
The prophet Habakkuk arrived at this conclusion centuries earlier. After complaining to God about evils aimed at the people of Judah, Habakkuk came to see that praising Him leads to joy—not in what God does, but in who He is. Thus, even in a national or world crisis, God is still great. As the prophet declared:
“Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord” (Habakkuk 3:17–18). “I will be joyful in God my Savior,” he added.
As C. S. Lewis realized, “The whole world rings with praise.” Habakkuk, likewise, surrendered to praising God always, finding rich joy in the One who “marches on forever” (v. 6).
Reflect & Pray
When you praise God, what’s the impact on your spirit? Reflecting on God’s goodness, name three things you can praise Him for today.
Loving God, even during hard times, stir in my heart—and on my lips—the rich spirit of joyful praise to You.
Insight
The book of Habakkuk describes a prophet’s complaint about the injustice that’s oppressing his people. In his exchange with God, Habakkuk has to come to terms with the methods and timing of God. This leads him to sing a powerful song celebrating His strength and power. Creation itself quakes at the approach of the Creator. Some of the pictures of this powerful God are indeed fear-inducing: plague goes before Him and pestilence follows Him (Habakkuk 3:5); the earth shakes when He stands and the ancient mountains and hills crumble (v. 6). But this picture of God as a warrior inspires a joy and confidence in Habakkuk that finds expression in the final verses. Despite the circumstances that surround the prophet, he’ll “rejoice in the Lord” (v. 18) because this mighty God is his strength (v. 19).
Proverbs 19:21 KJV
There are many devices in a man's heart; nevertheless the counsel of the Lord, that shall stand.
Imperfect Plans
I was exploring a library on the bottom floor of a new community center when an overhead crash suddenly shook the room. A few minutes later it happened again, and then again. An agitated librarian finally explained that a weight-lifting area was positioned directly above the library, and the noise occurred every time someone dropped a weight. Architects and designers had carefully planned many aspects of this state-of-the-art facility, yet someone had forgotten to locate the library away from all the action.
In life as well, our plans are often flawed. We overlook important considerations. Our plans don’t always account for accidents or surprises. Although planning helps us avoid financial shortfalls, time crunches, and health issues, even the most thorough strategies can’t eliminate all problems from our lives. We live in a post-Eden world.
With God’s help, we can find the balance between prudently considering the future (Proverbs 6:6–8) and responding to difficulties. God often has a purpose for the trouble He allows into our lives. He may use it to develop patience in us, to increase our faith, or simply to bring us closer to Him. The Bible reminds us, “Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails” (Proverbs 19:21). As we submit our goals and hopes for the future to Jesus, He’ll show us what He wants to accomplish in us and through us.
Reflect & Pray
How do you respond when your plans don’t work out or when your expectations are unmet? What might God want you to learn through those experiences?
God, I believe You’re in control of everything. Help me to live wisely in this world, committing all my plans to You.
Insight
The verses of Proverbs 19:20–23 are connected by key words that suggest both the importance of God’s people seeking wisdom and of acknowledging that God’s plans are authoritative. In verse 20, the Hebrew word esa is translated as “advice,” but in verse 21, the same word is translated as “purpose.” Both word usages are correct, but the repetition of the word shows a correlation between the verses. In other words, a person who listens to advice is wise, but God’s purposes and plans are still above the plans of the wise. As verse 22 states, desiring God’s unfailing love is necessary to gain this kind of wisdom. Further, the wise person fears God and “rests content, untouched by trouble” (v. 23). It’s important to remember, however, that the book of Proverbs offers general guidelines for living; it’s not guaranteed that one who lives in this way will be immune to difficulties (see the book of Job).
Matthew 25:40 KJV
And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
Serving the Least
His name is Spencer. But everybody calls him “Spence.” He was a state track champion in high school; then he went on to attend a prestigious university on a full academic scholarship. He lives now in one of America’s largest cities and is highly respected in the field of chemical engineering. But if you were to ask Spence his greatest achievements to date, he wouldn’t mention any of those things. He would excitedly tell you about the trips he makes to Nicaragua every few months to check in on the kids and teachers in the tutoring program he helped establish in one of the poorest areas of the country. And he’d tell you how enriched his life has been by serving them.
“The least of these.” It’s a phrase people use in a variety of ways, yet Jesus used it to describe those who, according to the world’s standards, have little or nothing to offer us in return for our service. They are the men and women and children the world often overlooks—if not forgets completely. Yet it’s exactly those people Jesus elevates to such a beautiful status by saying, “Whatever you did [for them], you did for me” (Matthew 25:40). You don’t have to have a degree from a prestigious university to understand Christ’s meaning: serving “the least” is the same as serving Him. All it really takes is a willing heart.
Reflect & Pray
Who comes to mind when you hear the phrase “the least of these”? What’s something you could do for them?
King Jesus, I’m afraid I make serving You harder than it is. Your words are clear—You call me to the least and the littlest, perhaps in Nicaragua or maybe in my neighborhood. Give me courage to serve.
Insight
Matthew 25:31–40 opens with Jesus’ words about the time of judgment when the sheep (believers in Jesus) will be separated from the goats (unbelievers): “He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left” (v. 33). What does this parable represent? The Expositor’s Bible Commentary offers this explanation: “In the countryside, sheep and goats mingled during the day. At night they were often separated. Sheep tolerate the cool air, but goats have to be herded together for warmth. In sparse grazing areas the animals might be separated during the day as well. But now these well-known, simple, pastoral details are freighted with symbolism. The right hand is the place of power and honor.”
2 Timothy 1:5 KJV
When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.
The Frosting of Faith
Hand in hand, my grandson and I skipped across the parking lot to find a special back-to-school outfit. A preschooler now, he was excited about everything, and I was determined to ignite his happiness into joy. I’d just seen a coffee mug with the inscription, “Grandmas are moms with lots of frosting.” Frosting equals fun, glitter, joy! That’s my job description as his grandma, right? That . . . and more.
In his second letter to his spiritual son Timothy, Paul calls out his sincere faith—and then credits its lineage both to Timothy’s grandmother, Lois, and his mother, Eunice (2 Timothy 1:5). These women lived out their faith in such a way that Timothy also came to believe in Jesus. Surely, Lois and Eunice loved Timothy and provided for his needs. But clearly, they did more. Paul points to the faith living in them as the source of the faith later living in Timothy.
My job as a grandmother includes the “frosting” moment of a back-to-school outfit. But even more, I’m called to the frosting moments when I share my faith: Bowing our heads over chicken nuggets. Noticing angelic cloud formations in the sky as God’s works of art. Chirping along with a song about Jesus on the radio. Let’s be wooed by the example of moms and grandmas like Eunice and Lois to let our faith become the frosting in life so others will want what we have.
Reflect & Pray
How have you been influenced by the faith of others? How are you living out your faith so that others might be influenced?
Dear God, help me to invest my time in living out my faith before others.
Insight
Luke tells us in Acts 16:1 that Timothy’s mother was a Jewish believer but his father was a Greek. His mixed heritage, together with the fact that Timothy had already earned the respect of believers in Jesus in his Roman hometown of Lystra (vv. 1–2), caught Paul’s attention. He and Silas were in the process of helping Jewish and gentile followers of Christ understand their relationship to the law of Moses and to one another (15:22). Elders of the church in Jerusalem had recently come to some important conclusions about ways to welcome and encourage gentiles into the faith (vv. 7–21). Paul apparently saw Timothy as an example of a young gentile who was growing in the ways of Jesus. What began like a father-son relationship, developed into a partnership to the point that Paul acknowledged Timothy as his co-author of 2 Corinthians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, and Philemon.
Ephesians 5:9 KJV
(For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth
Live Like It’s Morning
When I have to travel across time zones by air, I try various remedies to avoid jet lag. I think I’ve tried them all! On one occasion, I decided to adjust my in-flight eating to the time zone where I was heading. Instead of eating dinner with the rest of the passengers, I kept watching a movie and tried to fall asleep. The hours of elective fasting were difficult, and the breakfast that came right before we landed left much to be desired. But living “out of sorts” with those around me worked. It jolted my body clock into a new time zone.
Paul knew that if believers in Jesus were to truly reflect Him in their lives, they would need to live out of step with the world around them. They “were once darkness” but now they were to live as “children of light” (Ephesians 5:8). And what might that look like? Paul goes on to fill out the picture: “The fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth” (v. 9).
Sleeping through dinner may have seemed foolish to the people on my flight, but even as it’s midnight in the world, as believers, we’re called to live like it’s morning. This may provoke scorn and opposition, but in Jesus we can “walk in the way of love,” following the example of the One who “love us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God” (v. 2).
Reflect & Pray
Where have your actions and choices lined up too closely with the world around you? What would the fruit of goodness, righteousness, and truth look like in your life?
Jesus, wake me up to the new day that has come in You. Fill me with Your power to live in a “different time zone.” Open my eyes to choose goodness, righteousness, and beauty.
Insight
Paul often writes of what our new life in Christ is to look like. We’re new creations from which the old has gone and the new has come (2 Corinthians 5:17). In Ephesians 5:3–7, he lists specific characteristics or actions that should have no place in the lives of believers in Jesus.
But the focus of this section lies in the reason Paul gives for leaving these things behind. The word for at the beginning of verse 8 signals that what follows is causal. We leave these things behind because we’re no longer darkness but light. Paul doesn’t say that we inhabited these areas, but rather that we were these things. We were darkness, but now we’re light. The actions left behind belong to darkness and have no place in light.
