Finding Your Way Out Of The Wilderness

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Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert. The burning sand will become a pool, the thirsty ground bubbling springs. In the haunts where jackals once lay, grass and reeds and papyrus will grow. Isaiah 35:6b-7 NIV

What do you do when you find yourself in the wilderness? Our first home in Africa was in Bophuthatswana. Sitting on the edge of the Kalahari Desert, it was known for its dry and harsh conditions, where brown became the new green. The winds blew dry, dusty air, often forcing us to put wet rags under the doors to try to keep out the dust. During the worst droughts, animals and livestock died from hunger.

Living so far from the familiar surroundings of home, I realized that living in the wilderness was not just a physical place but also an emotional and spiritual experience. It was on one of those mornings, feeling the weight of my wilderness, that I stepped outside our front door. It felt as if God wanted to remind me that even in the deepest wilderness, He would be there. I looked up and saw one of the most spectacular rainbows I have ever seen, as if God was writing His name across the sky. It was His signature, a guarantee of “I will always be here with you.”

Choosing to rejoice in God’s presence during our wilderness seasons may not come easily. However, without Him, survival becomes impossible. Your wilderness could become a place where you are overwhelmed with pain, anger, and loneliness without His presence. “You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water.” Psalm 63:1 NIV

The 2026 Winter Olympics have captured the world’s attention through much of February, with 92 nations sending their top athletes to compete at the Milano Cortina 2026 games. The event has offered breathtaking moments of victory and crushing defeat. Norway has led the medal count but had to make space for the Brazilian alpine skiing gold medalist.  He won the first medal ever from a South American country and from any tropical nation. The medalists will rejoice, but several athletes will find themselves in their own wilderness.

U.S. Olympic skater Amber Glenn was a favorite for gold at this year’s Winter Olympics in the ladies’ singles competition. She lived up to expectations, skating beautifully with a flawlessly executed performance. “After hitting the highest-graded triple Axel of her career and a solid triple-triple jump combination, Glenn just needed one more jump to complete the most difficult elements in her short program.” She completed her third and final jump without a fall and, to the casual observer, delivered a perfect skate.

However, to the judges’ trained eyes, she made an unforgivable mistake that would cost her a medal. Glenn executed a flawless double loop, but the rules required a triple. She just needed one more revolution to qualify, but she failed. So close—why not just give her credit, knowing she could do it? The problem was that ISU Special Regulations and Technical Rules require a skater to perform a triple jump; if not, the element is officially considered “not according to requirements.”

Lindsey Vonn dreamed of making a comeback after five years away from the sport following a partial knee replacement. However, she crashed seconds after the start of her downhill run, suffering a badly broken left leg that required four surgeries. “My Olympic dream did not finish the way I dreamt it would. It wasn’t a storybook ending or a fairytale; it was just life. I dared to dream and had worked so hard to achieve it. In downhill ski racing, the difference between a strategic line and a catastrophic injury can be as small as five inches.” (Luke Phillips, AFP)

Ilia Malinin, nicknamed the “Quad God,” known for his quadruple axels, was expected to win medals. Going into the Olympics, he competed in four events with scores ranging from 209 to 238, but his final score was 156.33, which placed him eighth. Why? The normally flawless skater fell multiple times during his final routine. “Of course, it didn’t go the way I wanted it to.”…All I have to do is just learn from my mistakes…

How they emerge from their own wilderness depends greatly on where they focus. Some will wander; others will thrive. Passion to be the best will help some of them walk out of their place of struggle. David Jeremiah writes, “Passionate people hang in there when the going gets tough. They persist, they persevere, they never lose heart, and they never quit.”

What if we find a way to make peace in those wandering times? British Pastor Pete Greig writes, “God’s blessings may come to me not instead of this wilderness, not in spite of this wilderness, but actually within it. The very situation I am currently tempted to resent may become the theatre of God’s greatest grace in my life. And so, I must ask myself a difficult question (and I don’t ask it lightly). Is it possible that God has actually called me into this dry, difficult, or disappointing place?”

“For though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again, but the wicked stumble when calamity strikes. “ (Proverbs 24:16 NIV)

I have found that wandering in a wilderness is not a once-in-a-lifetime experience, as you may have also discovered, especially if you live long enough. You walk out of one wilderness experience only to find yourself, at some point in your life journey, wandering in a new one. However, I have learned that the only thing that will provide the courage, hope and faith to walk out of the wilderness is that God will be there to wander with you.

“What god is as great as our God? Your path led through the sea, your way through the mighty waters, though your footprints were not seen.” Psalm 77:13b,19)

God is great!

Come, Follow Me

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But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, Matthew 6:33a

Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. Matthew 7: 13-14

What do you consider important? Most people see the election of a nation’s leader as important. In the 2024 United States election, 154 million people, or 65.3%, of the population voted. (US Census Dept) Attending church is still highly valued in the US, with 65-100 million people attending services weekly. (Church Trac) Everyone has their own idea of what is important. One Sunday each year seems to define importance: Super Bowl Sunday.

Super Bowl Sunday is the biggest and most-watched sporting event in the United States. According to Nielsen, this past Super Bowl drew 124.9 million viewers in the U.S. alone. That is a lot of people. But that’s only part of the story.

Steve Randall with Investment News writes, “Super Bowl LX was not just a football game but a one-night financial ecosystem, touching broadcast television, labor contracts, municipal budgets, and a rapidly expanding betting economy.”

The average ticket price for the 2026 game ranged from $6,200 to $8,000, with top-tier seats costing over $30,000. If you got thirsty during the game, a simple bottle of water cost $8, and other drinks were significantly more expensive. The winning team’s players received a bonus of $178,000. However, the losing players got a consolation prize of $103,000.

Marketing involves capturing viewers’ attention and converting it into purchases, which is why advertisers target large audiences. During the Super Bowl, advertisers were willing to pay an average of $8-10 million for a 30-second ad.

Coinbase, a regulated cryptocurrency exchange, spent an estimated $14 million dollars for a 60-second spot featuring a color-changing, bouncing QR code. Apparently, it worked: it drove over 20 million people to the Coinbase site, causing the app to crash and adding nearly $1 billion to its market cap. Why would anyone think a bouncing QR code is important? Asher Bykov writes, “Humans have an innate desire to understand the world around them. As a result, if we don’t understand something, we spend countless hours searching for the truth. Coinbase’s QR code ad was genius because it tapped into this desire.”

The American Gaming Association projected $1.76 Billion in legal wagers nationwide. Houston’s Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale made headlines by placing a $2 million bet on the New England Patriots to win Super Bowl LX.

If importance were simply measured by impressive numbers and economic impact, the Super Bowl would claim that spot every year. However, that importance will be short-lived unless you are one of the advertisers writing the $6 million check or “Mattress Mack” covering his $2 million wager.  Most of you would know that the Seattle Seahawks defeated the New England Patriots in this 60th Super Bowl matchup, but if I asked 100 random people on the street who won last year’s Super Bowl, far fewer would remember. I had to Google to see who won, even though I watched the game last year. David Icke’s quote could be applied to the Super Bowl: “I love sport as long as it’s kept as an entertainment – not a meaning of life.”

If winning the Super Bowl is not the greatest thing in the world, what is? We might say our families, which are important. We might also mention being a good citizen, employee, employer, or neighbor—all of which are important. We could list a thousand and one things, and they would all be important.

Jesus was asked many questions about what mattered most, but all his answers pointed back to one thing: Himself. “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?” (Matthew 16:24-26 NIV)

Jesus emphasized what mattered most when he called his disciples to the journey. His simple reply was, “Come, follow me.” The outward benefits of good doctrine, a way of life, gospel influence, and more would come, but first, they were only asked to “Follow me.”

We typically measure effectiveness and impact using external standards such as wealth, education, influence, and position to decide what matters. However, what we see and prioritize is rarely what God highlights. Jesus was approached by a wealthy, doctrinally sound, high-ranking man who held power, seeking guidance on how to gain eternal life. Jesus didn’t look at his impressive resume and say, “You have it all together.” Instead, he looked at him and said, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” (Matthew 19:23-34)

Paul’s Damascus Road vision wasn’t about him becoming a great theologian and writing half the New Testament, but it was about who to follow. “Come, follow me.” Oswald Chambers writes, “Paul was not given a message or a doctrine to proclaim; he was brought into a vivid, personal, overmastering relationship to Jesus Christ…Paul was devoted to a Person not to a cause. He was absolutely Jesus Christ’s, he saw nothing else, he lived for nothing else.”

Jesus’ invitation to follow Him was never extended to those who had everything together. His invitation wasn’t for people who never made mistakes. It was never meant for men and women who immediately understood the full meaning of everything He said. Jesus’ invitation remains the same for us misfits, slow learners, and ego-centered folks today. “Come, follow me.”

God is great!

Hope When It Doesn’t Look Like Hope

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But I pray to you, LORD, in the time of your favor; in your great love, O God, answer me with your sure salvation. Rescue me from the mire, do not let me sink; deliver me from those who hate me, from the deep waters. Do not let the floodwaters engulf me or the depths swallow me up or the pit close its mouth over me. Psalm 69:13-15 NIV

When hope doesn’t look like hope, what do you do? Hope might mean a 2.5-mile swim in shark-infested waters. Last Friday, that was what it looked like for 13-year-old Austin Appelbee when he, his mom, brother, and sister were having a last-minute swim off the shore near Quindalup, Australia, before heading home. Unexpected strong winds came up, sweeping them out into the ocean, farther from shore. Austin and his mother decided he should try to swim back to shore to get help for his family.

Austin reached the shore at sunset and called for help. After a large rescue effort, Austin’s family was located about 14 kilometers offshore. In an interview with the BBC, Austin reflected on the experience, saying, “that prayer, Christian songs, and thoughts of his family kept him going. I don’t think it was me who did it—it was God the whole time. I kept praying and praying, and I said to God, ‘I’ll get baptized, I’ll get baptized.”

Cerith Gardiner, writing about the incident, said, “Courage often looks like persistence, faith often sounds like a song half-remembered, and God’s presence is sometimes felt most clearly in the simple resolve to keep swimming—one stroke, one prayer, one hopeful thought at a time.”

Hope might mean standing before millions to show what God can do. Jelly Roll, a former convicted felon, was not the same man on stage Sunday night as he stood on the biggest stage in the music world to accept a Grammy Award. He credited Jesus Christ, who is “for everybody.” Jelly Roll walked onto the stage with a Bible in hand to accept the award for best contemporary country album, Beautifully Broken.

“First of all, Jesus, I hear you and I am listening, Lord! Second of all, I want to thank my beautiful wife. I would have never changed my life without you. I’d have ended up dead or in jail. I’d have killed myself if it wasn’t for you and Jesus. I thank you for that.”  Jelly Roll went on to say, “There was a time in my life when I was broken. That’s why I wrote this album. I didn’t think I had a chance, y‘all. There was days I thought the darkest things. I was a horrible human. … I believe that music had the power to change my life and God had the power to change my life.”  (Today.com)

He ended his speech by saying, “I want to tell y’all right now: Jesus is for everybody. Jesus is not owned by one political party. Jesus is not owned by no musical label. Jesus is Jesus and anybody can have a relationship with him. I love you, Lord.”

“This is what the Gospel does. God does not look for perfect people—He redeems broken ones. He meets people in jail cells, addiction, shame, failure, and despair, and He rewrites their stories. Jelly Roll’s life is living proof that your past does not disqualify you from God’s purpose. In fact, it often becomes the very platform God uses to display His power.” Craig Johnson

Hope might look like Jesus walking on water to rescue us. Storms will come up, and we realize life doesn’t always turn out the way we thought it would. We may find ourselves knee deep in sickness, job loss, marriage struggles, wayward children, or even the death of loved ones. Yet hope lives as we see Jesus walking towards us, hands held out. When the disciples saw Jesus walking towards them on the water, they were terrified. Jesus told them, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”  (Matthew 14:27)

Hope might look as if it will never come. Matthew records a powerful and moving narrative of a concerned mother for her daughter’s healing and Jesus. “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly.” (15:22b) Jesus looked at her and told her not today, but she kept on asking. Please Jesus. I need your help. “Then Jesus said to her, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” And her daughter was healed at that moment.” (15:28)

“When God gives a vision and darkness follows, wait. God will make you in accordance with the vision He has given if you will wait His time. Never try and help God fulfill His word.” (Oswald Chambers)

Learning to wait is challenging. We live in a time when action is often valued more than patience. It’s probably less true than we think that God can only guide a moving object. We’ve often been told that God needs you to take the first step, and then He will guide your steps. Still, we must realize that waiting is not passive; it involves active trust. Allowing God to speak requires silence, which is a difficult discipline for many of us. In the waiting, we find hope and, much like the Canaanite woman, healing.

Hope may look different in every situation, but the one constant is Jesus, the ultimate hope. “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:13 NIV)

God is great!

Melody of Joy and Hope

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The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders; where morning dawns, where evening fades, you call forth songs of Joy. Psalm 65:8 NIV

When we moved to Georgia, it had many advantages, but one thing it lacked was the steady winds of Oklahoma. You can rely on Oklahoma winds to have enough force to produce a beautiful sound as they blow through the wind chimes, although sometimes the wind is a little too strong, knocking the wind chimes off their hooks. Granted, winter keeps you indoors, but even these cold days can’t stop the winds from creating a melody of joy and hope.

There is a legend about a German baron who wanted to build a gigantic wind harp at his castle to play continuous music. He had wires strung from tower to tower to catch the wind blowing across them. Unfortunately, the gentle breezes that swirled through the castle did not have enough force to make any noise. He was disappointed until one night when a fierce storm arose, sending strong winds against the castle. Awakened by the powerful winds beating against the castle walls, he was surprised to hear the most beautiful melody, even above the roar of the storm. “It had taken a fierce storm to produce the music!” (paraphrase from Streams in the Desert)

Upheaval seems to be the main story on the nightly news. Like the 90s movie, Groundhog Day, where the weather anchor keeps reliving the same day over and over, it feels like we are living the same stories repeatedly. These stories might focus on recent snow and ice storms, violence in Minnesota or Iran, or who knows what.

It is almost impossible to hear anything other than the noise of the day. Too often, we are like The Baron, who wanted to sit in his easy chair and listen to the sounds of his wind harp. But the gentle winds did not produce music until a fierce storm arose that could move the strings. It is in storms that we can truly hear and appreciate what emerges from the chaos.

Jesus knew that the upheaval of this world could feel overwhelming, but he wasn’t surprised. Jesus reminded us to turn to the Father and to remember that God will always be in control, even when it looks darkest. “Watch out that no one deceives you. Many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and will deceive many. When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines. These are the beginning of birth pains. You must be on your guard.” (Mark 13:5-9a)

C.S. Lewis, in his book The Screwtape Letters, writes that Satan’s “cause is never in more danger than when a human, no longer desiring, but still intending, to do God’s will, looks round upon a universe from which every trace of him seems to have vanished, and asks why he has been forsaken, and still obeys.”

What should we do during this waiting period? God said to pray, not only for ourselves but also for the nation. “Seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.” (Jeremiah 29:7) Israel was captive in the hostile land of Babylon, with nowhere to go, their homeland completely destroyed, and hope all but lost—which is where God steps in. God reminds them that even in their darkest days, “I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future,” (29:11)

David encouraged the people in Psalm 122 to “pray for the peace of Jerusalem.” “I rejoiced with those who said to me, Let us go to the house of the LORD. Our feet are standing in your gates, Jerusalem.”

Praying scripture is a powerful way to align our needs, desires, and burdens with God. When we’re overwhelmed by problems, frustrated with our nation’s leadership—whether elected or not—or simply heartbroken over a particular incident, the best and only place to pray is from God’s perspective.

Psalm 122 is one of many scriptural passages that express the words we so desperately need to say. Words that have been prayers for generations, asking God to intervene on behalf of their city, state, province, or nation. This powerful prayer enables us to watch the evening news without feeling anxious or fearful. It provides a way to pray for peace in Washington, Minneapolis, Nairobi, Johannesburg, London, or wherever you lay your head tonight. We can watch the broadcasts, read the stories, scroll through the internet, or listen to friends’ pain, but now with hope and promise.

“Pray for the peace of (you voice the location); May those who love you be secure. May there be peace within your walls and security within your citadels. For the sake of my family and friends, I will say, Peace be within you. For the sake of the house of the LORD our God, I will seek your prosperity,” (122:6-9)

We can carefully position our wind chimes in just the right spot to catch the wind, but there is silence until the wind blows through them. “Let all your thoughts be with the Most High and direct your humble prayers unceasingly to Christ.” (Thomas a Kempis). Can you only imagine what a beautiful sound in heaven as our prayers echo through the streets of Heaven? Can you only imagine the chorus of millions praying for the peace of their city?

God is great!

When Others Dismiss You, What Do You Do?

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Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ. Galatians 1:10 NIV

“This hobbit was a very well-to-do hobbit, and his name was Baggins. The Bagginses had lived in the neighbourhood of The Hill for time out of mind, and people considered them very respectable, not only because most of them were rich, but also because they never had any adventures or did anything unexpected: you could tell what a Baggins would say on any question without the bother of asking him. This is a story of how a Baggins had an adventure and found himself doing and saying things altogether unexpected. He may have lost the neighbours’ respect, but he gained—well, you will see whether he gained anything in the end.” (from The Hobbit, J.R.R. Tolkien)

J.R.R. Tolkien opened our imaginations to adventure. One thing we learned about Bilbo Baggins was that as long as he lived according to Hobbit expectations, all was fine. However, when he went on his great adventure with Gandalf, everything changed.

 Tolkien experienced a similar kind of rejection after he was nominated by his good friend C.S. Lewis for the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1961. Lewis believed his friend showed a unique, imaginative scope and depth in storytelling that deserved acknowledgment. Unfortunately, the Nobel Prize committee didn’t agree and rejected the nomination, stating that “Tolkien’s storytelling lacked the literary quality required for the prize.” Tolkien may not have matched others’ expectations, but he kept doing what he did best: writing. He became known as the “father” of modern fantasy literature and is considered one of the most influential authors of all time.

When others dismiss you, what do you do? You look for God’s view. When Samuel the prophet was given the task of anointing the next king of Israel after Saul failed, he first looked at the outward appearance of the sons of Jesse. “Surely the LORD’s anointed stands here before the LORD.”  Wrong! God told Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” (I Samuel 16:7)

Fernando Mendoza faced 130 rejections before finally being signed by Cal University as a third-string quarterback. When a transfer was brought in to compete for his position, he entered the transfer portal and moved to Indiana University, the losingest program in college football history. That all changed Monday night when Mendoza led Indiana University to its first national championship and undefeated season.

When others dismiss you, what do you do? You find God’s confidence to stand firm. The Psalmist understood that only in God do we have the confidence to withstand the rejections of others. “When hard pressed, I cried to the LORD; he brought me into a spacious place. The LORD is with me; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me? The LORD is with me; he is my helper. I look in triumph on my enemies.” (Psalm 118: 5-7 NIV)

“Never mind if you think you are unable to take another step, for either he will strengthen you to make you able, or he will call a sudden halt, and you will not have to take it at all.” (Frances Ridley Havergal)

When others dismiss you, what do you do? Keep your focus on God. Our darkest hours are often just moments away from when God will do His greatest work. The Book of Genesis offers a glimpse of God’s work in Joseph’s life. Joseph’s journey—from the favorite son to the despised brother, then sold into slavery, falsely accused, imprisoned, interpreter of dreams, and eventually becoming a prime minister—culminates with him as the rescuer of a nation. At any point, Joseph could have made his life easier by choosing a different path. Yet he chose to stay focused on God and was able to end his story by saying, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives” Gen 50:20.

“All the good that you will do will come not from you but from the fact that you have allowed yourself to be used by God’s love. Think of this more, and gradually you will be free from the need to prove yourself, and you can be more open to the power that will work through you without your knowing it.” Thomas Merton

When others dismiss you, what do you do? Make sure your identity is firmly rooted in Jesus Christ. Paul was a no-exception rule-keeping religionist until the day he finally encountered living grace. From that day on, there was no mistaking that Paul’s identity was rooted in Jesus. “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20)

The answer to everything we need, every answer we seek, every problem we must overcome is from our identity rooted in Jesus. “God is not a retailer dispensing grace to us in doses. God is not measuring out some patience to the impatient, some love to the unloving, some meekness to the proud in quantities that we take and work on as a kind of capital. God has given only one gift to meet all our need—His Son, Christ Jesus. As I look to Him to live out His life in me, He will be humble and patient and loving and everything else I need—in my stead… (Watchman Nee)

Father, because I am in Christ Jesus, I have everything I need regardless of what others may think or say. I place my trust in you to work out your plans in my life. I take my hands off, letting you have full control. “I will run after you with delight in my heart.” My soul delights in you.

God is great!

Choosing Wisely

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Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:4-7 NIV

“Marriage is hard. Divorce is hard. Choose your hard.

Obesity is hard. Being fit is hard. Choose your hard.

Being in debt is hard. Being financially disciplined is hard. Choose your hard.

Communication is hard. Not communicating is hard. Choose your hard.

Life will never be easy. It will always be hard. But we can choose our hard. Pick Wisely.”

I appreciate the effort of this wannabe philosopher who came up with this little capsule of truth. I can’t acknowledge the author because I don’t know who wrote it, but we could all add a few lines to the meme. We can add our own “hard” to create a new line or two.

We seldom get to choose our hard; they come to us. Ann Hodges simply wanted a nap, but instead she gained notoriety as the only person documented as being struck by a meteorite. Little did she know that when she lay down on her couch over Sylacauga, Alabama, on November 30, 1954, a meteorite was falling through the sky.

The fragment crashed through her roof, leaving a three-foot hole, bounced off the family’s radio, and hit Mrs. Hodges. The meteorite fragment left a bruise on her upper thigh and caused years of emotional trauma. The piece is now on display in an exhibit at the Alabama Museum of Natural History and is known as the Hodges Fragment. Just for some random information, scientists estimate that more than 50,000 meteorites have hit Earth; you just never know.

 I don’t think you need to put getting hit by a meteorite in your hard category, since you have only a 1 in several million chance of being hit. However, you will face hard. So how do you choose which hard? What do you do when the hard times come? Life is always about choices, what we will do, what we will not do, and it all depends upon you.

You can handle the “hard” on your own. You choose your response by copying what others do, what you think you should do, or how you’ve always dealt with “hard” choices. What we find when we do it ourselves is that it doesn’t always work.

 Jesus knew a few things about making wise decisions when faced with difficult choices. He told his disciples and now shares this truth with us: “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

Choosing wisely requires a dependable source. Trust God. He will guide. In Proverbs, we are reminded to “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” (3:5-6)

Choosing wisely requires more than we possess. Ask God for wisdom. James reminds us that “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” (1:5)

Choosing wisely requires knowing whom you will serve. Joshua reminds us that when faced with a choice of whom to serve, he knows exactly whom to serve. “But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve…But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.” (Joshua 24:15)

Choosing wisely requires knowing we are not alone. David reminds us that “The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing…He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” (Psalm 23: 1,3-4)

We will face competing choices on which “hard” to make. When we face difficult choices about which “hard” to choose, it is good to know we have a God who listens and cares for us. God is more than willing to help us navigate the options to choose the best outcome. Howard Thurman’s wise saying from Meditations of the Heart beautifully expresses our dependence upon God.

Open unto me—light for my darkness.

Open unto me—courage for my fear.

Open unto me—hope for my despair.

Open unto me—peace for my turmoil.

Open unto me—joy for my sorrow.

Open unto me—strength for my weakness.

Open unto me—wisdom for my confusion.

Open unto me—forgiveness for my sins.

Open unto me—love for my hates.

Open unto me—thyself for myself.

Lord—Lord, open unto me!

Amen. (Meditations of the Heart: LORD, Open Unto Me)

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” (Philippians 4:8)

God is great!

“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” Martin Luther King, Jr.

Leftover Resolutions

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Help me turn my eyes away from illusions so that I pursue only that which is true; drench my soul with life as I walk in your paths. Psalm 119:37 TPT

How’s your New Year’s resolution holding up? If you made a resolution, then you are in good company. Pew Research estimates that three in ten adults made a 2026 resolution, and Stagwell, a digital marketing company, increases that number to 42%. The most common resolutions are to exercise more, be happier, eat healthier, improve physical health, and save money. All noble resolutions!

However, you are also in good company if you have already broken your resolution. The University of Scranton estimates that only 8-9% actually keep their resolutions. There is an unofficial holiday, Quitter’s Day, observed on the 2nd Friday of January, when people give up on their resolutions. This year, Quitter’s Day was on January 9.

Resolutions can be helpful if they draw our attention to something in our lives. The problem is that resolutions, for the sake of resolutions, often fail. We all intend to keep our resolutions, so why do we often fail? The reasons are probably just as diverse as the resolutions: lack of time, busy schedules, conflicting interests, too complicated, or simply one more task to do. Whatever the reason, we tend to move on to something else.

I didn’t observe Quitter’s Day this year because I didn’t make any resolutions. However, I did decide on my defining word for the year. Last year’s word was space—not outer space, but inner space. My desire was to create space within my soul for God, and from it flowed what truly mattered.

This year, I chose the word “Sacred.” I realize that everything I do should be sacred, which for me means honoring God in how I use my time, energy, money, writing, social media, and life itself. The key verse for me is found in Colossians 3:17, “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” (NIV)

Life is often described as a contrast between the sacred and the secular, creating a divide between God and our world. Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines sacred as “set apart for the service or worship of deity,” and secular as “not sacred or ecclesiastical.”

This past week, one of my favorite writers admitted to an eight-year affair involving infidelity. His work helped a generation understand and live a grace-filled life. I felt disappointment, frustration, and a bit of shock. At first, I thought it was just an AI-generated hoax. Lisa Whittle of Relevant Magazine said it well, “We can be sad and mad at this, but it shouldn’t cause us to lose faith in God. God had nothing to do with this. People can be a Christian and sin. People can be a spiritual leader and sin. Secret sin kills everyone around us. It’s time to take it seriously.”

This writer may have had good intentions to be faithful and made all the resolutions to stay true, but somewhere along the way, he failed to keep his first commitment to honor God. My heart grieves for another voice lost because of his failure to stay true to God’s way, but even more for his wife, family, the church, and those outside the community of faith who only see another Jesus follower fail.

I don’t think Jesus was overly concerned with making resolutions, but he was concerned with how we live and where our focus should be. When asked what the greatest commandment is, Jesus answered, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” (Matthew 22:37) That keeps everything in focus!

This week’s failure was not the first, nor, unfortunately, will it be the last. Nonetheless, what is certain is that God’s grace, love, and faithfulness continue. I offer this prayer, worded by Sarah Yardley, to encourage us:

“Christ, have mercy. Keep me holy. Keep me humble.

Expose my unrepentant sin. Convict me of thoughts, desires, behaviors that could shatter my soul and destroy my credibility.

Give me friends who speak to me boldly, clearly, calling me to a deeper holiness. Make me this kind of friend to others. Thank you for the companions who have walked with me all my life with honest, holy love. Let me hate patterns of sin and deeply love people in my life. Christ came for sinners, and I am one.

Break my heart for the layers and depths of the hell we choose when we betray hearts, bodies, lives. I grieve the heartache, despondency, disillusionment, pain. Christ, who entered that hell and took captivity captive, have mercy. Enter into the places that feel like hell today. Lead captives into freedom.

Let the name on my lips be Jesus; the only true hero, the one who is always faithful. Spirit of God, make me more like Jesus. Do not let me delight in sin or deride it casually. Give me holy grief and deep compassion.

Jesus, Keep me holy, Keep me humble, Keep my heart close to you.

God is great!

Christmas Is Just The Beginning

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After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” Matthew 2:1-2 NIV

Did you get what you really wanted for Christmas? Hopefully, you did better than Diane, who excitedly ripped open the box from her sister. Inside, she found a colorful hat, soft and fuzzy; she loved it. However, after several attempts to get the right angle, it just didn’t look right. So, she called her sister. “I got the hat you sent me,” Diane said, “but it doesn’t fit.” Her sister replied, “A hat?” “I sent you a toilet seat cover!” (Life in these United States, Reader’s Digest)

Yes, Christmas is over, or at least that’s how we see it. The gifts have been unwrapped, the parties are finished, and we attended the special services at church. Now, our thoughts turn to the coming year. In a few days, most people will start packing away decorations and deep cleaning the house. The lines at Walmart, Target, and UPS will be long and slow as people return the wrong-size shirts, duplicate gifts, or even toilet seat covers.

However, in reality, Christmas is just the beginning. Both Christmas and Easter serve as essential dates on the calendar that remind us of the impact God has had, had, or will have on the world. Jesus never intended to be confined to two days on a human calendar but to be alive and transformative every day of our lives. Howard Thurman expressed this beautifully in his poem “The Mood of Christmas.”

“When the song of the angels is stilled,

When the star in the sky is gone,

When the kings and princes are home,

When the Shepherds are back with their flock,

                  The work of Christmas begins:

                  To find the lost,

                  To heal the broken,

                  To feed the hungry,

                  To release the prisoner,

                  To rebuild the nations,

                  To bring peace among people

                  To make music in the heart.”                (The Mood of Christmas by Howard Thurman)

Matthew added a twist to Luke’s account of Jesus’ birth. He introduced us to a small group of scholars from the East, who set out on a mission to find the true king who was meant to change the world. These “foreigners,” Gentiles, intellectuals, and advisors to kings—yet outside the Jewish faith—searched for the real meaning of Christmas. Others might have looked up at the night sky and seen the star, but did nothing to seek the truth.

Religious leaders knew the location from years of careful study of Scripture. When asked about where the Messiah was to be born, they knew precisely by quoting the prophets. They wanted a Messiah, on their own terms. What a difference if they had decided to join this band of seekers and follow the star. No doubt they gave good directions; unfortunately, they didn’t follow their own instructions to Bethlehem to find the Messiah.

This band of seekers wanted more than directions and more knowledge concerning the birthplace of the king of the Jews. They hadn’t traveled for weeks simply to talk with an earthly political leader; they sought the real king. This band of wise men didn’t need more information; their journey towards Christmas wouldn’t be complete until they saw the King of kings.

“After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” Matthew 2:9-11 NIV

These outsiders, seekers, scholars are a great example of those who understood the real meaning of Christmas. They willingly gave up comfort, prestige, and wealth to seek out the “one who has been born king of the Jews, the Messiah, the One who could bring real meaning to life.

“Not often, but every once in a while, God brings us to a major turning point—a great crossroads in our life. From that point we either go toward a more and more slow, lazy, and useless Christian life, or we become more and more on fire, giving our utmost for His highest—our best for His glory.” (Oswald Chambers)

What will you do with Christmas as we celebrate the arrival of 2026? Was it just another day that gets crossed off the calendar until next year? We can make our plans for 2026, and we should, but remember that they are subject to change often due to circumstances beyond our control. The one thing that remains certain is that God will be with us throughout 2026. “For to us a child is born…And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6) There will be times in the coming year when these names and titles of Jesus will be our place of refuge and strength to face our challenges.

I pray that the hope, joy, and promise of Christmas continue throughout this year. Thank you for subscribing to and reading Prayer Safari each week.  I hope it offers a quick word of encouragement as we journey together on Safari. My desire is to honor God with each post.

Happy New Year!

God is great!

 

Due to technical problems post failed to send Monday

Christmas Is Just the Beginning

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After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” Matthew 2:1-2 NIV

Did you get what you really wanted for Christmas? Hopefully, you did better than Diane, who excitedly ripped open the box from her sister. Inside, she found a colorful hat, soft and fuzzy; she loved it. However, after several attempts to get the right angle, it just didn’t look right. So, she called her sister. “I got the hat you sent me,” Diane said, “but it doesn’t fit.” Her sister replied, “A hat?” “I sent you a toilet seat cover!” (Life in these United States, Reader’s Digest)

Yes, Christmas is over, or at least that’s how we see it. The gifts have been unwrapped, the parties are finished, and we attended the special services at church. Now, our thoughts turn to the coming year. In a few days, most people will start packing away decorations and deep cleaning the house. The lines at Walmart, Target, and UPS will be long and slow as people return the wrong-size shirts, duplicate gifts, or even toilet seat covers.

However, in reality, Christmas is just the beginning. Both Christmas and Easter serve as essential dates on the calendar that remind us of the impact God has had, had, or will have on the world. Jesus never intended to be confined to two days on a human calendar but to be alive and transformative every day of our lives. Howard Thurman expressed this beautifully in his poem “The Mood of Christmas.”

“When the song of the angels is stilled,

When the star in the sky is gone,

When the kings and princes are home,

When the Shepherds are back with their flock,

                  The work of Christmas begins:

                  To find the lost,

                  To heal the broken,

                  To feed the hungry,

                  To release the prisoner,

                  To rebuild the nations,

                  To bring peace among people

                  To make music in the heart.”                (The Mood of Christmas by Howard Thurman)

Matthew added a twist to Luke’s account of Jesus’ birth. He introduced us to a small group of scholars from the East, who set out on a mission to find the true king who was meant to change the world. These “foreigners,” Gentiles, intellectuals, and advisors to kings—yet outside the Jewish faith—searched for the real meaning of Christmas. Others might have looked up at the night sky and seen the star, but did nothing to seek the truth.

Religious leaders knew the location from years of careful study of Scripture. When asked about where the Messiah was to be born, they knew precisely by quoting the prophets. They wanted a Messiah, on their own terms. What a difference if they had decided to join this band of seekers and follow the star. No doubt they gave good directions; unfortunately, they didn’t follow their own instructions to Bethlehem to find the Messiah.

This band of seekers wanted more than directions and more knowledge concerning the birthplace of the king of the Jews. They hadn’t traveled for weeks simply to talk with an earthly political leader; they sought the real king. This band of wise men didn’t need more information; their journey towards Christmas wouldn’t be complete until they saw the King of kings.

“After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” Matthew 2:9-11 NIV

These outsiders, seekers, scholars are a great example of those who understood the real meaning of Christmas. They willingly gave up comfort, prestige, and wealth to seek out the “one who has been born king of the Jews, the Messiah, the One who could bring real meaning to life.

“Not often, but every once in a while, God brings us to a major turning point—a great crossroads in our life. From that point we either go toward a more and more slow, lazy, and useless Christian life, or we become more and more on fire, giving our utmost for His highest—our best for His glory.” (Oswald Chambers)

What will you do with Christmas as we celebrate the arrival of 2026? Was it just another day that gets crossed off the calendar until next year? We can make our plans for 2026, and we should, but remember that they are subject to change often due to circumstances beyond our control. The one thing that remains certain is that God will be with us throughout 2026. “For to us a child is born…And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6) There will be times in the coming year when these names and titles of Jesus will be our place of refuge and strength to face our challenges.

I pray that the hope, joy, and promise of Christmas continue throughout this year. Thank you for subscribing to and reading Prayer Safari each week.  I hope it offers a quick word of encouragement as we journey together on Safari. My desire is to honor God with each post.

Happy New Year!

God is great!

 

Due to technical problems post failed to send Monday

Merry Christmas! Emmanuel, God with Us

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So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. Luke 2:4-7 NIV

The need for a warm touch, a kind word, a gentle hug, or a caring smile is a welcome respite in our frantic, hurried world. Jumbo, a large, multi-site supermarket in the Netherlands, decided to find a way to make a difference. Jumbo launched a customer line, Kletskassa (chat checkouts or slow checkouts), in 2019. The objective of opening a slow lane was to offer a more personal, social shopping experience. The cashiers on the slow line spend extra time chatting with customers. “Sometimes innovation means slowing down operations rather than speeding them up.” (Catherine Douglas Moran, Grocery DIVE)

Colette Cloosterman-Van Eerd, the company’s Chief Commercial Officer, said in an interview, “Many people, especially the elderly, sometimes feel lonely. As a family business and supermarket chain, we are at the heart of society. Our shops are an important meeting place for many people, and we want to play a role in identifying and reducing loneliness.”

There will be times when we need the express lanes of life or even the self-checkout lines, but more often than not, we need the slower lines that nurture relationships and community. We need that warm hand to touch us, to encourage us, to lift us out of darkness, and to hold us steady against life’s storms.

I have never seen an intentional chat checkout line in the United States, though I have stood in countless slow lines that were not intentional. Given the pressures of Christmas shopping, I doubt if most people would welcome a slow line at Walmart. Yet there are life-changing moments that force us into the slow lane, and interruptions that play havoc with the most well-organized calendar. One of these is a birth!

The canopy of night had fallen on the little town of Bethlehem when all of eternity converged. Every home and lodging that night was crowded with families and strangers who had traveled long distances. Joseph and Mary finally found a warm, dry shelter, knowing the baby was coming. Scripture doesn’t record the actual birth details, but you can only imagine the panic on Joseph’s face when he heard Mary say, “The baby is coming.”

You can almost picture someone going to get the older woman in town who had delivered lots of babies.  She served as the midwife to countless young mothers and helped them give birth to their babies. Nothing out of the ordinary for her, she knew how to comfort the mother and quickly took charge of the delivery. The panic on Joseph’s face was relaxing just a bit, Mary was breathing again, and a host of angels were getting ready to sing. This unknown, unrecorded lady held Mary’s wiggling, crying baby. She tenderly caressed the little body, drying the baby off and gently handing Jesus to Mary. Yet for a moment in time, she held Emmanuel, God with Us, looking deeply into the eyes of the One who came that all might have life. Her strong but tender hands held for the first time, eternity in her hands.

Mary held her baby close to her heart, then wrapped him in the cloths she had brought. The King of Kings was laid in a manger filled with clean, fresh hay—the sounds of her baby’s cries breaking the stillness of the moment. Mary, through tears of joy and happiness, looked into the face of Emmanuel, God with us. You can almost hear Mary softly singing to her baby, “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on, all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me—holy is his name.”

The quiet room was soon filled with shepherds who came seeking to find and worship the Messiah. They had heard the Good News and left their sheep to seek someone greater. “But the angel said to them, Do not be afraid, I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David, a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.” (Luke 2:10-11)

“In the darkness of a church, the candles burn. They hold the darkness back, just barely hold it back. In the darkness of that Judean night, in the midst of nowhere, to parents who were nobody, the child was born, and whoever it was that delivered him, slapped his bare backside to start the breath going, and he cried out, as each on of us cried out, at the shock and strangeness of being born into the darkness of the world. Then, as the Gospels picture it, all heaven broke loose.” (Frederick Buechner, The Hungering Dark)

Heaven did burst open that night when “a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” (Luke 2:13-14)

Advent has been a time of waiting, even as we struggled to find space among the many things to do, people to meet, and activities to attend. Maybe you don’t feel it has been as quiet and reflective as you wanted, but hopefully, there have been moments where you could quietly sit and reflect on the One who came for you.

Jesus, we celebrate your first coming and look forward to your return. In this Christmas season, we pause to say thank you for your love and redeeming us out of darkness.

Merry Christmas. Blessings to you and your family.

God is great!