JULY 13, 2026

 "If trusting God and finding joy in your work means you go 0'fer with 3 strikeouts...then you needed to go 0'fer with 3 strikeouts."

PSALM 10-12

1Help, Lord, for no one is faithful anymore;those who are loyal have vanished from the human race.2Everyone lies to their neighbor;they flatter with their lipsbut harbor deception in their hearts.(12:1-2)

ACTS 17:16-34

24“The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. 25And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. 26From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. 27God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. 28‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’^b As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’^c

29“Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by human design and skill. 30In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. 31For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.”

32When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, “We want to hear you again on this subject.” 33At that, Paul left the Council. 34Some of the people became followers of Paul and believed. Among them was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus, also a woman named Damaris, and a number of others.

JOURNAL 

I love the movie As Good as It Gets. Maybe it's the contrast between the brokenness of every character and the humor that somehow keeps them moving forward. Or maybe it's because it captures something that is undeniably true: life is hard. It isn't "noodle salad." It never has been.

The Bible never hides that reality. David writes about deception and faithlessness. Paul is mocked in Athens for preaching the resurrection. Jesus says the blessed are those who mourn, those who are persecuted, and those who hunger for righteousness. None of them promise an easy life. They promise something far better. They promise that God is with us in it.

As I compare my life to theirs, I realize how incredibly blessed I already am. I have a sound mind, a healthy body, people I love, meaningful work, and another sunrise that I didn't earn. Today is enough. Today is a gift. If I spend today worrying about tomorrow, I've traded away the only day God has actually given me.

Over the years I've learned something that has slowly changed the way I look at life. I used to think trusting God meant believing He would give me the outcome I wanted. Now I think trusting God means being completely at peace with whatever the outcome is because my joy isn't found in the result. My joy is found in walking with Him. That's why I've come to believe this:

"If trusting God and finding joy in your work means you go o'fer with three strikeouts...then you needed to go o'fer with three strikeouts."

That doesn't mean I stop preparing. It doesn't mean I stop caring or pursuing excellence. It means I stop allowing the scoreboard to determine whether God was faithful or whether my day had value. Paul preached faithfully. Some mocked him. Some wanted to hear more. A few believed. The outcome wasn't his responsibility. Faithfulness was.

That's true for coaching, teaching, marriage, fatherhood, business, and every ordinary moment of life. My responsibility is to love well, work hard, trust completely, and leave the results where they have always belonged, in God's hands.The world will always be difficult. It is not heaven. Our calling is to bring the Spirit of heaven into it. That is what it means to be an Outpost. We don't wait for perfect circumstances before we experience joy. We carry joy into imperfect circumstances because Christ walks with us there.

Today is as good as it gets. If God gives me tomorrow, then tomorrow will be as good as it gets too. Not because everything will go my way, but because once again I will have another opportunity to trust Him. And if trusting Him means I go o'fer with three strikeouts, then that was exactly what I needed. Because the victory was never in getting the hit. The victory was trusting God enough to take the next swing.

3“Blessed are the poor in spirit,

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4Blessed are those who mourn,

for they will be comforted.

5Blessed are the meek,

for they will inherit the earth.

6Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,

for they will be filled.

7Blessed are the merciful,

for they will be shown mercy.

8Blessed are the pure in heart,

for they will see God.

9Blessed are the peacemakers,

for they will be called children of God.

10Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.12Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

MATTHEW 5:4-12