"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off every encumbrance and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with endurance the race set out for us. 2Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the authora and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3Consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. - Hebrews 12:1-3
2 KINGS 18-19
14Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers and read it. Then he went up to the temple of the Lord and spread it out before the Lord. 15And Hezekiah prayed to the Lord: “Lord, the God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. 16Give ear, Lord, and hear; open your eyes, Lord, and see; listen to the words Sennacherib has sent to ridicule the living God.17“It is true, Lord, that the Assyrian kings have laid waste these nations and their lands. 18They have thrown their gods into the fire and destroyed them, for they were not gods but only wood and stone, fashioned by human hands. 19Now, Lord our God, deliver us from his hand, so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you alone, Lord, are God.”(19:14-19)JOHN 6:22-44
35Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. 36But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe. 37All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. 38For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. 39And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. 40For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”JOURNAL
There is something deeply comforting in the thought from Hebrews that we are “surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses.” Not witnesses sitting in condemnation, waiting for us to fail, but witnesses the way family leans forward in the stands at a game, or friends hold their breath as someone they love steps into a defining moment. They are invested. They care. They know the struggle. They remember their own fear, weakness, triumphs, and failures. And now somehow, in the mystery of God, they cheer us on.
Hezekiah spreads the terrifying letter before the Lord, fully aware of his weakness and inability to control what is happening around him. Jesus walks steadily toward the cross, not seeking his own will but surrendering to the Father’s. Again and again scripture reminds us that God moves through what appears weak, obscure, foolish, or impossible. An overlooked king prays and an empire falls overnight. A carpenter from Nazareth becomes the Savior of the world. A brutal cross becomes the most recognized symbol in human history.
And maybe that is part of the beauty of today itself.
The heroes of faith are not calling me to perform perfectly. They are not withdrawing love every time I stumble. They are watching the same way people who deeply love you watch you step onto the field. They want to see you live fully. They want to see you trust God in the middle of uncertainty. They know what courage costs. Abraham knows. Moses knows. David knows. Paul knows. Peter knows. They know what it feels like to doubt, to fear, to fail, and still keep walking.
Somehow that changes the ordinary moments of my life. This morning matters. This conversation matters. The way I handle disappointment matters. The way I love people matters. The way I respond to fear matters. Not because my worth hangs in the balance, but because my life is part of a much larger story God has been telling from the beginning.
God did not create me to imitate someone else’s role in the kingdom. He created me as me. My personality, my wounds, my gifts, my experiences, even my weaknesses are somehow woven into His purpose. To shrink back from that calling is not humility. It is forgetting that God knew exactly what He was doing when He formed me.
Paul pleaded for his thorn to be removed, but instead God answered with something greater: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Maybe the cloud of witnesses understands that better now than ever before. Maybe they are not most inspired when I appear strong, but when I continue trusting God while weak.
Today I stand on holy ground, not because I have everything figured out, but because God is with me. Heaven is not silent toward my life. Love surrounds me. Grace sustains me. And somewhere beyond what I can fully understand, the faithful are cheering me onward to keep running my race.
Sunday, May 17, 2026
MAY 17, 2026
Saturday, May 16, 2026
MAY 16, 2026
“How blind is the delusion that the greatness of a man is measured by his living; rather, it’s always by his giving.”
2 KINGS 15-17
34To this day they persist in their former practices. They neither worship the Lord nor adhere to the decrees and regulations, the laws and commands that the Lord gave the descendants of Jacob, whom he named Israel. 35When the Lord made a covenant with the Israelites, he commanded them: “Do not worship any other gods or bow down to them, serve them or sacrifice to them. 36But the Lord, who brought you up out of Egypt with mighty power and outstretched arm, is the one you must worship. To him you shall bow down and to him offer sacrifices. 37You must always be careful to keep the decrees and regulations, the laws and commands he wrote for you. Do not worship other gods. 38Do not forget the covenant I have made with you, and do not worship other gods. 39Rather, worship the Lord your God; it is he who will deliver you from the hand of all your enemies.”
JOHN 6:1-21
12When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.” 13So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.
14After the people saw the sign Jesus performed, they began to say, “Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.” 15Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself. JOURNAL
What does God want from us and why? That is a question that has inserted itself into my brain on more than a few occasions. Sometimes life seems pretty pointless, unfair, random and meaningless. Often it can seem that what I do really doesn't matter. However if I believe scripture then I have to embrace the reality that everything matters but it matters in a way that is very different from what I learn from the world.
The ultimate goal in life as a believer is not to become a crowned king. The old testament and new both very clearly dispute the glory and honor of getting the title of King. So if obtaining all the privileges and trappings of kingship is not the goal then what is? From what I read...serving God and loving others is about as simple as I can define my purpose here on this planet. To serve God means to be fully and completely obedient to him. It also means that I seek to know his character, his intentions, his ways and that I constantly seek to do my very best to be my very best. The very best that he created me to be.
Secondly, that I care for, and contribute to those in my care and in my sphere of influence, to be their very best. That's it...it has nothing to do with a trophy or a title or being recognized or making a certain amount of money. Although those things may be a result of me being my best...they are not the reason nor are they the reward. The reward is simply knowing in my heart that I have given and done my best and that I have helped others do the same.
This, I believe, is the "peace that passes understanding", this is the joy of living and following God and it is a joy that can exist whatever my external circumstance...whether rich or poor, sick or healthy, accepted or rejected, loved or hated, powerful or weak, winner or loser...the circumstance does not matter. What matters is the answer to the question: Is God my only God, do I serve him, do I seek him and do I love others? If the answer is yes then my life is a glorious success. If the answer is no then I have failed in every way...
The ultimate goal in life as a believer is not to become a crowned king. The old testament and new both very clearly dispute the glory and honor of getting the title of King. So if obtaining all the privileges and trappings of kingship is not the goal then what is? From what I read...serving God and loving others is about as simple as I can define my purpose here on this planet. To serve God means to be fully and completely obedient to him. It also means that I seek to know his character, his intentions, his ways and that I constantly seek to do my very best to be my very best. The very best that he created me to be.
Secondly, that I care for, and contribute to those in my care and in my sphere of influence, to be their very best. That's it...it has nothing to do with a trophy or a title or being recognized or making a certain amount of money. Although those things may be a result of me being my best...they are not the reason nor are they the reward. The reward is simply knowing in my heart that I have given and done my best and that I have helped others do the same.
This, I believe, is the "peace that passes understanding", this is the joy of living and following God and it is a joy that can exist whatever my external circumstance...whether rich or poor, sick or healthy, accepted or rejected, loved or hated, powerful or weak, winner or loser...the circumstance does not matter. What matters is the answer to the question: Is God my only God, do I serve him, do I seek him and do I love others? If the answer is yes then my life is a glorious success. If the answer is no then I have failed in every way...
40“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me." - Matthew 25:40
Friday, May 15, 2026
MAY 15, 2026
“It is unwise to be too sure of one's own wisdom. It is healthy to be reminded that the strongest might weaken and the wisest might err.”
2 KINGS 12-14
8One day Amaziah sent messengers with this challenge to Israel’s king Jehoash, the son of Jehoahaz and grandson of Jehu: “Come and meet me in battle!”c9But King Jehoash of Israel replied to King Amaziah of Judah with this story: “Out in the Lebanon mountains, a thistle sent a message to a mighty cedar tree: ‘Give your daughter in marriage to my son.’ But just then a wild animal of Lebanon came by and stepped on the thistle, crushing it!10“You have indeed defeated Edom, and you are very proud of it. But be content with your victory and stay at home! Why stir up trouble that will only bring disaster on you and the people of Judah?”11But Amaziah refused to listen, so King Jehoash of Israel mobilized his army against King Amaziah of Judah. The two armies drew up their battle lines at Beth-shemesh in Judah. 12Judah was routed by the army of Israel, and its army scattered and fled for home. 13King Jehoash of Israel captured Judah’s king, Amaziah son of Joash and grandson of Ahaziah, at Beth-shemesh. Then he marched to Jerusalem, where he demolished 600 feetd of Jerusalem’s wall, from the Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate. 14He carried off all the gold and silver and all the articles from the Temple of the LORD. He also seized the treasures from the royal palace, along with hostages, and then returned to Samaria.JOHN 5:25-47
39“You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me! 40Yet you refuse to come to me to receive this life.41“Your approval means nothing to me, 42because I know you don’t have God’s love within you. 43For I have come to you in my Father’s name, and you have rejected me. Yet if others come in their own name, you gladly welcome them. 44No wonder you can’t believe! For you gladly honor each other, but you don’t care about the honor that comes from the one who alone is God.e45“Yet it isn’t I who will accuse you before the Father. Moses will accuse you! Yes, Moses, in whom you put your hopes. 46If you really believed Moses, you would believe me, because he wrote about me. 47But since you don’t believe what he wrote, how will you believe what I say?”
JOURNAL
I can only imagine the tension here as Jesus rebukes the Jewish leaders. Yet I also imagine their own frustration as Jesus is completely different than what they imagined the Messiah would be. Their expectations were of a prim and proper political / military leader who would affirm them and overtake the Roman government. To believe in Jesus would have meant they had to let go of all their preconceived ideals. It was simply too much for them. Jesus was not what they imagined and therefore they rejected him.
Sounds pretty familiar...I tend to have expectations and hopes on pre-conceived notions of how things should go. Then when life doesn't fit those expectations I tend to believe that something is wrong. I shrink back and think that maybe a different direction, or a different tactic might improve the outcome and get things back on track.
Sounds pretty familiar...I tend to have expectations and hopes on pre-conceived notions of how things should go. Then when life doesn't fit those expectations I tend to believe that something is wrong. I shrink back and think that maybe a different direction, or a different tactic might improve the outcome and get things back on track.
Too often I don't consider that God is not wringing his hands in frustration...fretting about my path or my decisions, my success, my failure etc. God is God and he is completely at peace with where I am on the journey. Yet I find that far too often, I am not and that's a problem. For the more I sink into scripture and allow myself to truly trust God, the more comfortable and courageous I become.
This, I believe...is one of God's gifts. It is his spirit that compels me to push boundaries while also stopping to acknowledge the beauty and magnificence of today. It draws me to indulge in the hard and uncomfortable while also enjoying the simple pleasures of my outrageous blessings. It calls me to accept my limitations and humanity while also dreaming of the perfection of eternity.
In all things big and small I find that God is there...never worried or busy or fretting, just waiting patiently with arms open wide.
This, I believe...is one of God's gifts. It is his spirit that compels me to push boundaries while also stopping to acknowledge the beauty and magnificence of today. It draws me to indulge in the hard and uncomfortable while also enjoying the simple pleasures of my outrageous blessings. It calls me to accept my limitations and humanity while also dreaming of the perfection of eternity.
In all things big and small I find that God is there...never worried or busy or fretting, just waiting patiently with arms open wide.
34He mocks proud mockers, but shows favor to the humble and oppressed.
- PROVERBS 3:34
Thursday, May 14, 2026
MAY 14, 2026
“Any fool can know. The point is to understand.”
― Albert Einstein
2 KINGS 9-11
30The Lord said to Jehu, “Because you have done well in accomplishing what is right in my eyes and have done to the house of Ahab all I had in mind to do, your descendants will sit on the throne of Israel to the fourth generation.” 31Yet Jehu was not careful to keep the law of the Lord, the God of Israel, with all his heart. He did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam, which he had caused Israel to commit..... 17Jehoiada then made a covenant between the Lord and the king and people that they would be the Lord’s people. He also made a covenant between the king and the people. 18All the people of the land went to the temple of Baal and tore it down. They smashed the altars and idols to pieces and killed Mattan the priest of Baal in front of the altars. Then Jehoiada the priest posted guards at the temple of the Lord. 19He took with him the commanders of hundreds, the Carites, the guards and all the people of the land, and together they brought the king down from the temple of the Lord and went into the palace, entering by way of the gate of the guards. The king then took his place on the royal throne. 20All the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was calm, because Athaliah had been slain with the sword at the palace.
JOHN 5:1-24
16So the Jewish leaders began harassingc Jesus for breaking the Sabbath rules. 17But Jesus replied, “My Father is always working, and so am I.” 18So the Jewish leaders tried all the harder to find a way to kill him. For he not only broke the Sabbath, he called God his Father, thereby making himself equal with God.19So Jesus explained, “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself. He does only what he sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does. 20For the Father loves the Son and shows him everything he is doing. In fact, the Father will show him how to do even greater works than healing this man. Then you will truly be astonished. 21For just as the Father gives life to those he raises from the dead, so the Son gives life to anyone he wants. 22In addition, the Father judges no one. Instead, he has given the Son absolute authority to judge, 23so that everyone will honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Anyone who does not honor the Son is certainly not honoring the Father who sent him.24“I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life.
JOURNAL
There is so much here in these passages. The story of Jehu and then the foiling of the plan of Athaliah is rich in drama. I can only imagine if this story was delved into and I could see it play out. It reminds me that there is so much more to learn and understand as God is interwoven into the lives of all these former kings. I also see how they all had their flaws yet God was gracious.
The story of the healing of the lame man at the pool gives a glimpse into the absolute restrictive culture the Jews protected. Jesus defying the laws and traditions for the sake of healing and loving reminds me that he came to free us from oppressive religious practices. He came to free us from tying ourselves in knots over "what people may think". It also reminds me that God always has something deeper going on than the obvious. Healing is never just a healing, a miracle is never just a miracle, a sermon is never just a sermon and a sacrifice is never just a sacrifice. Just as the Bible and it's stories are never just words on a page...they contain so much more.
God gives us and blesses me with so many resources, the Bible being one of them. I don't have to rely on someone to interpret it for me. I can seek out answers and God pushes me to do so. In doing so I learn, struggle, contemplate and fall deeper into the arms of God.
The story of the healing of the lame man at the pool gives a glimpse into the absolute restrictive culture the Jews protected. Jesus defying the laws and traditions for the sake of healing and loving reminds me that he came to free us from oppressive religious practices. He came to free us from tying ourselves in knots over "what people may think". It also reminds me that God always has something deeper going on than the obvious. Healing is never just a healing, a miracle is never just a miracle, a sermon is never just a sermon and a sacrifice is never just a sacrifice. Just as the Bible and it's stories are never just words on a page...they contain so much more.
God gives us and blesses me with so many resources, the Bible being one of them. I don't have to rely on someone to interpret it for me. I can seek out answers and God pushes me to do so. In doing so I learn, struggle, contemplate and fall deeper into the arms of God.
16All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. 17God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.
2 TIMOTHY 3:16-17
Wednesday, May 13, 2026
MAY 13, 2026
“The work of restoration cannot begin until a problem is fully faced.”
2 KINGS 6-8
33While Elisha was still saying this, the messenger arrived. And the kingb said, “All this misery is from the LORD! Why should I wait for the LORD any longer?”1Elisha replied, “Listen to this message from the LORD! This is what the LORD says: By this time tomorrow in the markets of Samaria, five quarts of choice flour will cost only one piece of silver,a and ten quarts of barley grain will cost only one piece of silver.b”2The officer assisting the king said to the man of God, “That couldn’t happen even if the LORD opened the windows of heaven! But Elisha replied, “You will see it happen with your own eyes, but you won’t be able to eat any of it!”
JOHN 4:31-54
31Meanwhile, the disciples were urging Jesus, “Rabbi, eat something.”32But Jesus replied, “I have a kind of food you know nothing about.”33“Did someone bring him food while we were gone?” the disciples asked each other.34Then Jesus explained: “My nourishment comes from doing the will of God, who sent me, and from finishing his work. 35You know the saying, ‘Four months between planting and harvest.’ But I say, wake up and look around. The fields are already ripeefor harvest. 36The harvesters are paid good wages, and the fruit they harvest is people brought to eternal life. What joy awaits both the planter and the harvester alike! 37You know the saying, ‘One plants and another harvests.’ And it’s true. 38I sent you to harvest where you didn’t plant; others had already done the work, and now you will get to gather the harvest.”
JOURNAL
There are many times when I read the text and the words just seem to go right by me. I feel like I might as well be reading a different language. This must be how the disciples often felt with Jesus. He often spoke about things that they could not at the time understand...yet they would eventually.
These verses also speak of how God works things out above and beyond what I often even consider possible. I am not to be ashamed when I don't understand or are frustrated in my doubt or impatience. The Bible is full of those who felt those exact emotions yet would see in time that things worked out in ways that they could never have conceived. The challenge is to trust through the frustrations, doubts and trials. It is here that I get to experience the presence of God in the ditch of uncertainty.
It is also the path to recovery and restoration. Problems, trials and the pain of life can leave me feeling all alone and searching for anything that tells me I have a place and a purpose. Yet this is the place where I can actually find peace, because it is when I reach out to God the most. Again this is the beauty of the Gospel. I can find almost identical examples of others who felt and experienced the same questions and doubts. So...regardless of where I am or what I am experiencing, I can find purpose and the peace of his spirit. Doing so means I must focus on the day, the moment and when I do...I realize he is always there with me.
3We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. 4And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. 5And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.
ROMANS 5:3-5
There are many times when I read the text and the words just seem to go right by me. I feel like I might as well be reading a different language. This must be how the disciples often felt with Jesus. He often spoke about things that they could not at the time understand...yet they would eventually.
These verses also speak of how God works things out above and beyond what I often even consider possible. I am not to be ashamed when I don't understand or are frustrated in my doubt or impatience. The Bible is full of those who felt those exact emotions yet would see in time that things worked out in ways that they could never have conceived. The challenge is to trust through the frustrations, doubts and trials. It is here that I get to experience the presence of God in the ditch of uncertainty.
It is also the path to recovery and restoration. Problems, trials and the pain of life can leave me feeling all alone and searching for anything that tells me I have a place and a purpose. Yet this is the place where I can actually find peace, because it is when I reach out to God the most. Again this is the beauty of the Gospel. I can find almost identical examples of others who felt and experienced the same questions and doubts. So...regardless of where I am or what I am experiencing, I can find purpose and the peace of his spirit. Doing so means I must focus on the day, the moment and when I do...I realize he is always there with me.
These verses also speak of how God works things out above and beyond what I often even consider possible. I am not to be ashamed when I don't understand or are frustrated in my doubt or impatience. The Bible is full of those who felt those exact emotions yet would see in time that things worked out in ways that they could never have conceived. The challenge is to trust through the frustrations, doubts and trials. It is here that I get to experience the presence of God in the ditch of uncertainty.
It is also the path to recovery and restoration. Problems, trials and the pain of life can leave me feeling all alone and searching for anything that tells me I have a place and a purpose. Yet this is the place where I can actually find peace, because it is when I reach out to God the most. Again this is the beauty of the Gospel. I can find almost identical examples of others who felt and experienced the same questions and doubts. So...regardless of where I am or what I am experiencing, I can find purpose and the peace of his spirit. Doing so means I must focus on the day, the moment and when I do...I realize he is always there with me.
3We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. 4And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. 5And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.
ROMANS 5:3-5
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