AUGUST 29, 2026

 “Masculinity grows not out of conquering the woman, but only out  of conquering the man—and not another man, as in war, but oneself.” 

― Gordon Dalbey, Healing the Masculine Soul: God's Restoration of Men to Real Manhood

PSALM 139-141

1You have searched me, Lord,

and you know me.

2You know when I sit and when I rise;

you perceive my thoughts from afar.

3You discern my going out and my lying down;

you are familiar with all my ways.

4Before a word is on my tongue

you, Lord, know it completely.

5You hem me in behind and before,

and you lay your hand upon me.

6Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,

too lofty for me to attain. (139:1-6)

1 CORINTHIANS 10:1-13

12So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! 13No temptation^c has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted^d beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted,^e he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.

JOURNAL 

Rereading The Road Less Traveled has been incredibly timely for me. Peck begins with the simple truth that “life is difficult,” but what strikes me now is his point that once we truly accept that reality, life actually becomes less difficult. Problems are not interruptions to life. They are life. And much of the joy, growth, and meaning of life comes through facing and solving them.

I think what has made problems overwhelming for me at times is not the problem sitting in front of me today. It is adding tomorrow's problems to it. I take something that needs to be faced today and immediately project it into the future. What will this mean next week? What if this doesn't work? What if something else happens? Before long I am no longer dealing with one problem. I am carrying ten imaginary ones that don't even exist yet.

But God doesn't ask me to solve tomorrow today. He gives me today, and He gives me His Spirit to meet whatever today contains. Power, love, and discipline. That completely shifts my perspective. Today's problems may still be difficult, but they become challenges rather than something overwhelming. I can look at what is actually in front of me, seek God's wisdom, exercise the abilities He has given me, and take the next faithful step. Then I can surrender tomorrow back to Him.

Maybe this is part of what it means to conquer myself. The real battle is resisting that impulse to control the future, demand a particular outcome, or escape today's discomfort. Discipline means staying present and doing today's work faithfully while trusting God with everything beyond it. I can plan and dream, but I don't have to live there.

There is tremendous freedom in realizing that I only have to live one day at a time. Today's problems are mine to encounter with God. Tomorrow's belong to Him. And perhaps that is precisely the size God intended life to be.

21Many are the plans in a person’s heart,

but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails. 

PROVERBS 19:21