JUNE 23, 2026

  “Before success comes in any man’s life, he is sure to meet with much temporary defeat, and, perhaps, some failure. When defeat overtakes a man, the easiest and most logical thing to do is to quit. That is exactly what the majority of men do. More than five hundred of the most successful men this country has ever known told the author their greatest success came just one step beyond the point at which defeat had overtaken them.” 

― Napoleon Hill

ESTHER 7-10

 24For Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of all the Jews, had plotted against the Jews to destroy them and had cast the pur (that is, the lot) for their ruin and destruction. 25But when the plot came to the king’s attention,^a he issued written orders that the evil scheme Haman had devised against the Jews should come back onto his own head, and that he and his sons should be impaled on poles.(9:24-25)

1King Xerxes imposed tribute throughout the empire, to its distant shores. 2And all his acts of power and might, together with a full account of the greatness of Mordecai, whom the king had promoted, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Media and Persia? 3Mordecai the Jew was second in rank to King Xerxes, preeminent among the Jews, and held in high esteem by his many fellow Jews, because he worked for the good of his people and spoke up for the welfare of all the Jews.(10:1-3)

ACTS 6

8Now Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, performed great wonders and signs among the people. 9Opposition arose, however, from members of the Synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called)—Jews of Cyrene and Alexandria as well as the provinces of Cilicia and Asia—who began to argue with Stephen. 10But they could not stand up against the wisdom the Spirit gave him as he spoke.

11Then they secretly persuaded some men to say, “We have heard Stephen speak blasphemous words against Moses and against God.”

12So they stirred up the people and the elders and the teachers of the law. They seized Stephen and brought him before the Sanhedrin. 13They produced false witnesses, who testified, “This fellow never stops speaking against this holy place and against the law. 14For we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs Moses handed down to us.”

15All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.

JOURNAL 

There is a lesson that seems to surface over and over in my life: peace and joy are not products of my circumstances. They do not come from finding the perfect job, the perfect team, the perfect family situation, or the perfect season of life. Peace and joy are born from something much deeper. They come from living in alignment with who God created me to be and faithfully using the gifts He has entrusted to me.

For years, I believed that if I could just find the right situation, everything would finally settle into place. But the more I reflect on Scripture and on my own life, the more I see that God rarely changes us through comfort. More often, He develops us through challenge, opposition, and uncertainty. The question is not whether the environment is ideal. The question is whether I will continue to live out my calling within it.

Mordecai, Esther, and Stephen all faced circumstances that would have caused most people to retreat. They encountered opposition, injustice, false accusations, and real danger. Yet none of them allowed their circumstances to define their purpose. They understood something deeper. Their confidence came from knowing who they served and why they were there.

Mordecai remained faithful when no recognition seemed likely. Esther stepped forward when fear would have been the easier choice. Stephen stood firm even when lies were being spread about him. What stands out is not that they avoided difficulty. It is that they remained steadfast within it. Their strength came from an internal conviction that God was at work through them regardless of what was happening around them.

I often find myself wanting God to remove the difficulty when He may be asking me to bring His presence into it. I look for a better situation when He is calling me to become a better steward. I look for peace in the environment when He is trying to cultivate peace within my spirit.

The story of Haman reminds me that God sees far more than I can see. What appears to be victory for evil is often temporary. What appears to be defeat for God's people is often preparation for something greater. Again and again, God demonstrates His ability to redeem what seems hopeless and turn circumstances in ways no one could have predicted.

Stephen's example challenges me as well. Even when facing false accusations and mounting hostility, he displayed a remarkable calmness and confidence. His peace did not come from public approval. It came from being filled with God's presence. The people around him were consumed by fear, anger, and control. Stephen was anchored by something deeper.

Napoleon Hill observed that many successful people found their greatest breakthroughs just beyond the point where they were tempted to quit. That resonates with me because so much of growth happens on the other side of discouragement. The moments that define us are often not the moments of victory but the moments when we decide to keep going despite uncertainty.

Perhaps that is one of God's greatest invitations. Not to wait for ideal circumstances, but to faithfully show up where we are. Not to seek escape, but transformation. Not to measure life by comfort, recognition, or achievement, but by obedience and purpose.

Today, I choose to believe that peace is not waiting somewhere in the future. It is available right now. It comes from knowing that I am part of something bigger than myself. It comes from understanding that God's Kingdom advances through ordinary people who are willing to trust Him, serve others, and remain faithful when circumstances are difficult.

This day may not be easy. It may not unfold according to my plans. But it is still a gift. And my calling is not to conquer it, control it, or escape it. My calling is to enter it fully, carrying God's power, love, and discipline into whatever opportunities He places before me.

"This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it."

PSALM 118:24