Daily Devotionals
Short StudiesWatch RIGHT HERE | RIGHT NOW Episode 12: Colossians 3:17 with your family! Explore how you REPRESENT Jesus in all you SAY and DO! #righthererightnow
Watch RIGHT HERE | RIGHT NOW Episode 11: Matthew 5:16 with your family! Explore how your family’s GOOD DEEDS can prompt others to PRAISE God! #righthererightnow Watch RIGHT HERE | RIGHT NOW Episode 10: Philippians 2:4-5 with your family! Dig into ways your family can have the same ATTITUDE Jesus had when dealing with people! #righthererightnow View RIGHT HERE | RIGHT NOW Episode 9 (1 John 5:21) with your family now! Dig into ways your family can KEEP God first in your HEARTS! #righthererightnow Watch RIGHT HERE | RIGHT NOW Episode 8 (Deuteronomy 6:5) with your family! Dig into ways your family can LOVE God with ALL you are! #righthererightnow Watch RIGHT HERE | RIGHT NOW Episode 7 (1 Samuel 16:7b) with your family! Dig into ways your family can SEE God and one other more clearly. #righthererightnow Watch RIGHT HERE | RIGHT NOW Episode 6: Hebrews 11:6 with your family! Dig into ways your family can PLEASE God by living faithfully! #righthererightnow Watch RIGHT HERE | RIGHT NOW Episode 5: Romans 10:9 with your family! Dig into ways your family can declare that you believe Jesus is Lord! #righthererightnow Watch RIGHT HERE | RIGHT NOW Episode 4 (1 Timothy 4:12) with your family! Discover why nobody in your family is too young to be an example in an amazing way! #righthererightnow Watch RIGHT HERE | RIGHT NOW Episode 3 (Romans 12:2) with your family! Discover how God is busy TRANSFORMING you and why that’s a great blessing! #righthererightnow Watch RIGHT HERE | RIGHT NOW Episode 2: 1 Peter 5:6-7 with your family! Discover how you can humble yourself before God and give Him all your worries and cares. #righthererightnow Watch Right Here | Right Now Episode 1 with your family! Discover how God made your family a masterpiece! #righthererightnow |
Light In Times of Struggle
This 25-day journey is full of devotional articles and reflections that will remind you of God’s presence and faithfulness in times of struggle.
Hope
Day 1: Grief, God, and Gratitude
We find ourselves living in a time of significant grief. In addition to our personal challenges and losses, we face a historic pandemic, political strife, rekindled racial tensions, and economic uncertainty.
This is a season of deep grief, a grief that at times feels unyielding. However, we must also find a way to allow it to become a time of sincere gratitude. If we are to negotiate the grips of pain that lead to despair, our grief must learn to surrender to gratitude. We will never be completely finished with loss, but if there is to be healing and hope or the possibility of “shattered expectations” being redeemed, we must find, amid the pain, things for which we can say “thank you.”
The Bible, though a book of hope, is filled with stories of loss and grief. One example is the death of Lazarus. In this story, Jesus loses a good friend, whom He loves. And even though Jesus knows this story doesn’t end in death, that Lazarus will live again, He grieves. John 11:32–33 (NRSV) reads, When Mary came where Jesus was and saw him, she knelt at his feet and said to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, he was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved.
Jesus said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.”
The Bible tells us “Jesus began to weep. So the Jews said, ‘See how he loved him!’” (John 11:34–36). The story tells us that Jesus, knowing the possibility of Lazarus” death, did not come quickly to heal him, but waited and entered the pain fully with Mary and Martha. Jesus wept for Lazarus with those grieving his death. He shared the weight of the loss, even while He trusted God to be present in the pain and the restoration. In this moment, we see an important set of truths: grief is an emotion that emerges as our defenses are stripped away or as we are forced to face losses that are inevitable in life.
We also see that Jesus, because of His love, joins us in these places of deep vulnerability and pain. When we experience suffering, whether sickness, death, financial insecurity—or all of them at once—we are forced to struggle with disorientation and pain. But we must also know that Jesus is in this with us as we believe in Him. Much like Mary, we want Jesus to come before we face the loss, to allow us to avoid the pain, but His promise is that He will be present with us in the midst of our pain and suffering. This is the place where gratitude begins, when God will meet us in our grief and not leave us alone.
In my own pain and loss during the death of both parents within a three-month span, I felt a deep sense of being orphaned, even as an adult. It wasn’t just the loss of two people who loved and knew me; it was also the feeling of profound aloneness in the world. In those moments, my siblings and I needed to know we were connected and that God would be in this with us. That puts these moments of suffering within the context of a larger story: that bodily death is not the end. A story that says to us we are not alone. Our gratitude, as people of faith, begins in these two beliefs: that God is active in human affairs, and that new life can come from death.
Though Jesus genuinely grieved, before He raised Lazarus from the dead He offered gratitude to the Father: “And Jesus looked upward and said, ‘Father, I thank you for having heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I have said this for the sake of the crowd standing here, so that they may believe that you sent me’” (John 11:41–42 NRSV).
We might think it easier for Jesus to make meaning of these events since He was the Son of God and knew what was to happen. But an embodied Jesus was also subject to the pains, aches, and yearnings of this life. However, He knew that God would not leave Him alone and unheard, and that this was not the end of the story. We know this, too, because we read it in the Bible. We celebrate it together each year by walking from Christmas to Easter. We know that the sting of bodily death has been suppressed and that Jesus will return to set all things right. This provides us with a story of hope in which to set all the events of our lives. This allows us to make meaning of individual experiences. They are not the end of the story—painful as they may be—but moments in God’s redemptive narrative.
Making meaning does not equate to assuming we deserve the suffering or to downplaying and masking the impact of tragedy. After all, Jesus entered fully into the present suffering, body and spirit, and wept. It is instead a way of reframing the story, emphasizing learning and allowing us to see opportunities of growth through the struggles. Jesus demonstrates that we can both grieve—sitting together in our pain—and maintain a spirit of hope and even gratitude.
Why would Jesus begin His prayer with gratitude? What’s so important about gratitude? Gratitude is pivotal. It’s a transformative shift that allows you to feel within your body how bad the situation is but still see that God is active in your circumstance. Gratitude builds resilience. It allows you to hold the bad without losing sight of the good. When we can once again be grateful, we are on our way to healing and building hope.
The Christian faith does not teach us to pursue physical comfort but encourages us toward resilience and perseverance. We are called to be light in places of darkness in the world. We are asked to hold hope in the middle of despair. We can only do this by taking in the larger story of God and allowing it to re-story our narrative of now, not as people who have denied or avoided pain, but as those who have found God in the midst of it. We must ask ourselves, how does God enter the middle of the story and change the ending? How do we make meaning so that something we could describe as catastrophic instead becomes a season of growth and change? How can we, like Jesus, see even in death an opportunity for new life?
J. Derek McNeil, Ph.D.
Day 2: When Distance Isn’t Good
Today’s Scripture: Psalm 73:16–28
But as for me, it is good to be near God. -Psalm 73:28
In a matter of weeks, the dreaded COVID-19 virus had turned our world upside down. “Everyone’s walking around not talking to each other. There’s no eye contact. It’s a very eerie feeling. The tension is really high. It feels like doom.” These were one person’s comments in our local newspaper describing life since the outbreak of the virus. People have been urged to keep safe distances from each other month after month, for their own protection and for the protection of others.
Social distance is a good thing when it’s necessary for human safety. However, this “distancing” principle doesn’t apply in our relationship with God. Spiritual distance isn’t good.
The writer of Psalm 73 wisely concluded, “But as for me, it is good to be near God” (v. 28). But aren’t there days and seasons when God seems far off? Things don’t add up; life doesn’t make sense. The “wrong teams” are winning (vv. 2–15). Confusion reigns in our lives and we cry out, “God, where are you? Have you forgotten about me?”
Then we come to our senses. Sometimes it’s in the context of worship (vv. 16–17) or through reading Scripture or through the encouragement of friends. Our hearts become sensitive again; prayers begin to rise from within (vv. 23–25). Our sight becomes clear and once again we recognize that “God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever” (v. 26). Even in the difficulties of life, we can be assured of God’s presence and draw close to Him.
Arthur Jackson
When have you felt far from God? What led to the renewal of your faith and a closer relationship with Him?
Day 3: Free from Fear
Today’s Scripture: Psalm 34:1–10
I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. -Psalm 34:4
Fear sneaks into my heart without permission. It paints a picture of helplessness and hopelessness. It steals my peace and my concentration. What am I fearful about?
I’m concerned about the safety of my family or the health of loved ones. I panic at the loss of a job or a broken relationship. Fear turns my focus inward and reveals a heart that sometimes finds it hard to trust.
When these fears and worries strike, how good it is to read David’s prayer in Psalm 34: “I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears” (v. 4). And how does God deliver us from our fears? When we “look to him” (v. 5), when we focus on Him, our fears fade; we trust Him to be in control. Then David mentions a different type of fear—not a fear that paralyzes, but a deep respect and awe of the One who surrounds us and delivers us (v. 7). We can take refuge in Him because He is good (v. 8).
This awe of His goodness helps put our fears into perspective. When we remember who God is and how much He loves us, we can relax into His peace. “Those who fear him lack nothing” (v. 9), concludes David. How wonderful to discover that in the fear of the Lord we can be delivered from our fears.
Keila Ochoa
From what fears does God deliver you? How has God been good to you? Consider the praise in Psalm 34.
Day 4: A People of Healing
Today’s Scripture: Matthew 25:31–46
When did we see you sick . . . and go to visit you? -Matthew 25:39
Believers in Jesus, though a meager minority, enacted a bold witness as the plagues overwhelmed the Roman Empire. According to Rodney Stark in The Rise of Christianity, while the wealthy managed private medical care and fled the city, believers cared for their sick neighbors, nursing them to health or caring for them until death.
In the fourth century, Basil of Caesarea continued this practice by organizing the first major hospital, caring for lepers. From the church’s founding through the Middle Ages and into our contemporary COVID-19 crisis, one of the sure signals of its faithfulness has been sacrificial care for the sick.
Likewise, when we ignore those who suffer, we can be certain we’ve abandoned our calling. Scripture warns that at the end of our life when we must give account for our actions, one of the questions we’ll answer is how we cared for those who were ill (Matthew 25:37–39).
We even hear a stunning reality: to care for the sick is to care for Jesus. “Truly I tell you,” He said, “whatever you did for one of the least of these . . . you did for me” (v. 40). While this doesn’t mean we’re to abandon all safety and take risks with our own health, we’re called to be a people of healing. As we move toward those who suffer, we enact the sacrificial life God has given us, and we directly touch and serve Jesus.
Winn Collier
Where do you see suffering or sickness? How, with your resources and capacity, might God call you to be a person of healing?
Day 5: Friendship Bench
Today’s Scripture: Exodus 33:9–11
The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend. -Exodus 33:11
In the African country of Zimbabwe, war trauma and high unemployment can leave people in despair—until they find hope on a “friendship bench.” Hopeless people can go there to talk with trained “grandmothers”—elderly women taught to listen to people struggling with depression, known in that nation’s Shona language as kufungisisa, or “thinking too much.”
The Friendship Bench Project is being launched in other places, including Zanzibar, London, and New York City. “We were thrilled to bits with the results,” said one London researcher. A New York counselor agreed. “Before you know it, you’re not on a bench, you’re just inside a warm conversation with someone who cares.”
The project evokes the warmth and wonder of talking with our Almighty God. Moses put up not a bench but a tent to commune with God, calling it the tent of meeting. There, “the LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend” (Exodus 33:11). Joshua, his assistant, wouldn’t even leave the tent, perhaps because he so valued his time with God (v. 11).
Today we no longer need a tent of meeting. Jesus has brought the Father near. As He told His disciples, “I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you” (John 15:15). Yes, our God awaits us. He’s our heart’s wisest helper, our understanding Friend. Talk with Him now.
Patricia Raybon
God, grant me clear vision to see You even when it’s difficult because of my circumstances.
Day 6: The Cure for Anxiety
Today’s Scripture: Philippians 4:1, 4–9
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. -Philippians 4:6
We were excited about moving for my husband’s job. But the unknowns and challenges left me feeling anxious. Thoughts of sorting and packing up belongings. Looking for a place to live. My finding a new job too. Making my way around a new city, and getting settled. It was all . . . unsettling.
As I thought about my “to-do” list, words written by the apostle Paul echoed in my mind: Don’t worry, but pray (Philippians 4:6–7). If anyone could have been anxious about unknowns and challenges, it would have been Paul. He was shipwrecked. He was beaten. He was jailed. In his letter to the Philippian church, he encouraged his friends who also were facing unknowns, telling them, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (v. 6).
Paul’s words encourage me. Life is not without uncertainties—whether they come in the form of a major life transition, family issues, health scares, or financial trouble.
What I continue to learn is that God cares. He invites us to let go of our fears of the unknown by giving them to Him. When we do, He, who knows all things, promises that His peace, “which transcends all understanding, will guard” our heart and mind in Christ Jesus (v. 7).
Karen Wolfe
God, there’s suffering everywhere. When I don’t know what to do about it, would You show me?
Day 7: Light in Darkness
On a dark Sunday morning, my wife, Diane, and I received a call that awoke and startled us. Diane’s father, Tom, had COVID-19 and needed to be hospitalized. We quickly prepared to travel the ten hours from our home in Michigan to be near Tom at the nursing home in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, where he lived. Thankfully, Diane was allowed to visit him in intensive care briefly the next day. That thirty-minute visit would be their last. Tom passed away two days later.
We complied with Tom’s previously planned funeral wishes. I led a small graveside service that only immediate family members attended. The next morning, Diane had COVID-19 symptoms. We returned home right away.
She developed more symptoms over the next few days, and so did I—on our thirtieth wedding anniversary. At first, we had mild exhaustion, headaches, body aches, and fever.
A week later, we were not getting better, so we were tested for COVID-19. Our results were positive. We began to wonder as so many do: Will this lead to hospitalization?
When I noticed trouble breathing as I climbed the stairs in our home, our daughter took me to the emergency room at our local hospital, where Diane is a nurse, to be evaluated and treated. Doctors determined I had viral pneumonia, needed oxygen and further medical attention, and admitted me to a private room in the designated COVID-19 unit.
My symptoms quickly increased. I felt anxious due to the higher fever. I had stronger headaches and body aches. I experienced strange smells and tastes, had nausea, and couldn’t sleep well. I grew very concerned. This came to mind: “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21). I tried to encourage myself. During moments when I could concentrate, I prayed for strength to persevere and gave thanks for the care I was receiving from the medical staff, for the meals, and for the room (rather than being in a tent or hallway). I sang to myself and listened online to favorite worship songs like Steve Green’s “El Habita al Abrigo de Dios” (“He who dwells in the shadow of the Almighty”).
Several times a day, I received messages and calls that encouraged me from friends, church members, family in Mexico, and from Diane and our children. A friend and fellow Latino pastor Kevin Casillas sent Bible verses I couldn’t think of on my own that expressed how I felt: “How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me? . . . But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing the LORD’s praise, for he has been good to me” (Psalm 13:2, 5–6).
Another Scripture reminded me that I could still praise God for His goodness to me: “Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him” (Lamentations 3:21–24).
God was not blind to my condition. Regardless of the progress of my disease, He would never let me go. God’s words encouraged me as my fever broke and I began to feel better. Every morning was another step toward healing and a sign of God’s faithful presence. When I had moments of anxiety, I turned to Psalm 94:19, “When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy.”
Bible verses guided me to trust God through my pain, to not despair over this sickness that had impacted our family so quickly and dangerously, and to remind me that God would use my sickness for His glory to comfort others. “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God” (2 Corinthians 1:3–4).
My wife continued with mild symptoms and recovered within a month. I continued to improve and was released from the hospital after six days but still needed to use oxygen at home for four more months. God used my recovery time to strengthen my faith and give me a new perspective as I continued to trust in Him in prayer, singing, and meditating on Scripture.
As the apostle Paul wrote, our final victory over trials and difficulties will come when we are in God’s presence, but not in this life (Romans 8:18–39). Paul asked a series of rhetorical questions that remind and affirm to us God’s faithful love: If God is for us, who can be against us? Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will affliction, difficulties, persecution, lack of food, lack of sufficient clothing, danger, or physical threats separate us? Like Paul, we can be convinced that neither death, physical life, angels, supernatural powers, nor those who exist now, nor those who will exist, nor spiritual powers, nor what exists above us or underneath, nor any creature will be able to separate us from God’s love through our Lord Christ Jesus (vv. 38–39).
In the midst of difficulties and sufferings, believers in Christ are not forgotten or abandoned by God. We can depend on God’s promises of His love and close presence. He is not blind or deaf to our cries but will give us the strength to persevere. God can turn our illnesses into an opportunity to grow spiritually and to later serve those who are enduring pain. We can serve even within the limitations due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We can provide food to those who are convalescing.
Family and friends can call and write words of encouragement, including to essential workers. We can in humility value others by following virus mitigation measures. We can influence others in our world by putting into practice God’s words to us: “Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality” (Romans 12:10–13).
Many still need support now and will in the future. Our testimony is always to be hopeful and persistent in our faith; to be God’s instruments to demonstrate His care to those who need love, hope, and healing; and to care for our communities, even in the midst of a pandemic. As Paul wrote, “Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us” (Romans 5:3–5).
Rev. Eli Garza
Day 8: Better Than Life
Today’s Scripture: Psalm 63:1–8
Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. -Psalm 63:3
Her name was Mary—and life was hard, real hard. Two sons preceded her in death as did two grandsons, both victims of shootings. And Mary herself suffered a crippling stroke that left her paralyzed on one side.
Yet she loved Jesus. As soon as she was able, she made her way to church services where it wasn’t uncommon for her—with fractured speech—to express praise to the Lord with words like, “My soul loves Jesus; bless His name!”
Long before Mary expressed her praise to God, David penned the words of Psalm 63. The heading of the psalm notes that David wrote it when he was in the Desert of Judah.” Though in a less than desirable—even desperate—situation, he didn’t despair, because he hoped in God. “You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you . . . in a dry and parched land where there is no water” (v. 1).
Perhaps you’ve found yourself in a place of difficulty, without clear direction or adequate resources. Uncomfortable situations can confuse us, but they need not derail us when we cling to the One who loves us (v. 3), satisfies us (v. 5), helps us (v. 7), and whose right hand upholds us (v. 8). Because God’s love is better than life, like Mary and David, we can express our satisfaction with lips that praise and honor God (vv. 3–5).
Arthur Jackson
Day 9: Eternal Eyes
Today’s Scripture: 2 Corinthians 4:7–18
We fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. -2 Corinthians 4:18
Eternal eyes, that’s what my friend Madeline prays her children and grandchildren would have. Her family has gone through a tumultuous season that ended with the death of her daughter.
As the family grieves from this horrific loss, Madeline longs for them to be less and less nearsighted—consumed by the pain of this world. And to be more and more farsighted—filled with hope in our loving God.
The apostle Paul and his co-workers experienced great suffering at the hands of persecutors and even from believers who tried to discredit them. Yet, they had their eyes fixed on eternity. Paul boldly acknowledged that “we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:18).
Although they were doing God’s work, they lived with the reality of being “hard pressed on every side,” “perplexed,” “persecuted,” and “struck down” (vv. 8–9). Shouldn’t God have delivered them from these troubles? But instead of being disappointed, Paul built his hope on the “eternal glory” that supersedes momentary troubles (v. 17). He knew God’s power was at work in him and had complete assurance that “the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus” (v. 14).
When our world around us feels shaky, may we turn our eyes to God—the eternal Rock that will never be destroyed.
Estera Pirosca Escobar
Day 10: He Won’t Let Us Go
Today’s Scripture: John 10:22–30
I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my Hand. -John 10:28
Julio was biking across the George Washington Bridge—a busy, double-decked thoroughfare connecting New York City and New Jersey—when he encountered a life-or-death situation. A man was standing on a ledge over the Hudson River preparing to jump.
Knowing that the police wouldn’t arrive in time, Julio acted quickly. He recalls getting off his bike and spreading out his arms, saying something like: “Don’t do it. We love you.” Then, like a shepherd with a crook, he grabbed the distraught man, and with the help of another passerby, brought him to safety. According to reports, Julio wouldn’t let go of the man, even after he was safe.
Two millennia earlier, in a life-or-death situation, Jesus, the Good Shepherd, said He would lay down His life to save and never let go of those who believed in Him. He summarized how He would bless His sheep: they would know Him personally, have the gift of eternal life, would never perish, and would be secure in His care.
This security didn’t depend on the ability of the frail and feeble sheep—or depend on people—but on the sufficiency of the Shepherd who’ll never let one be snatched “out of [His] hand” (John 10:28–29).
When we were distraught and feeling hopeless, Jesus rescued us; now we can feel safe and secure in relationship with Him. He loves us, pursues us, finds us, saves us, and promises to never let us go.
Marvin Williams
How are you experiencing the security found in your Savior?
Day 11: Hope Blossoms
Today’s Scripture: Isaiah 35:1–4
The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. -Isaiah 35:1
In the city of Philadelphia, when weedy vacant lots were cleaned up and brightened with beautiful flowers and trees, nearby residents also brightened in overall mental health. This proved especially true for those who struggled economically.
“There’s a growing body of evidence that green space can have an impact on mental health,” said Dr. Eugenia South, “and that’s particularly important for people living in poorer neighborhoods.” South, a faculty member at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine, is coauthor of a study on the subject.
The downtrodden people of Israel and Judah found fresh hope in the prophet Isaiah’s vision of their beautiful restoration by God. Amid all the doom and judgment Isaiah foretold, this bright promise took root: “The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. Like the crocus, it will burst into bloom; it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy” (Isaiah 35:1–2).
No matter our situation today, we too can rejoice in the beautiful ways our heavenly Father restores us with fresh hope, including through His creation. When we feel down, reflecting on His glory and splendor will bolster us. “Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way,” Isaiah encouraged (v. 3). Can a few flowers rekindle our hope? A prophet said yes. So does our hope-giving God.
Patricia Raybon
What is your hope in God today?
Day 12: We Will Not Break
Today’s Scripture: Psalm 37:23–28
Though [we] may stumble, [we] will not fall. -Psalm 37:24
In the early, harrowing days of the global coronavirus pandemic, Dr. Craig Smith (chief of surgery at Columbia University Medical Center) stood at the epicenter of the US outbreak. Every day, Smith posted a note to his hospital colleagues.
In one memo, after outlining their dire reality (the skyrocketing cases, the impending need for ventilators and ICU rooms), he closed with this powerful image: A forest of bamboo bends to the ground in a typhoon but rarely breaks. We are that forest and we must not break.”
There are critical moments—tragedy, heartache, sickness, financial loss, family disintegration, national catastrophe—when we must gather our wits, steady our courage, and refuse to surrender. We face the impossible challenge, and we know that we must not break.
And yet, we also know that if we’re left only to our own strength and resources, we’re doomed.
If we’re to hold fast, we need God to help us. Thankfully, as we surrender our future to God and fix our hope in Him, we discover how “the LORD makes firm [our] steps” (Psalm 37:23). We discover that even though we “may stumble, [we] will not fall, for the LORD upholds [us] with his hand” (v. 24).
Our resilience rests not on our vigor, effectiveness, or tenacity but in knowing that our God is with us. He upholds us. And we trust that in Him we will not break.
Winn Collier
What causes you to stumble and threaten to break? How can you lean into God when you face those challenges?
Day 13: When Joy Comes
Weeping may last through the night, but a shout of joy comes in the morning. -Psalm 30:5 (NASB)
The impact of COVID-19 has been devastating. We all remember day after day of bad news of more COVID cases and more death. The disproportionate impact of COVID-19 deaths in Black and Brown communities exposed preexisting economic and healthcare access disparities. In 2020, Indigenous, Black, and Latino Americans were at least 2.7 times more likely to die than their White neighbors. In these communities, the losses were profound and many who served them were overwhelmed.
Tim, a 29-year-old worship leader at the Bridge Church where I pastor, gave me harrowing firsthand accounts of the tragic reality of the pandemic in the East Flatbush of Brooklyn where he serves as the funeral director at his family’s funeral home.
He told me how most families weren’t prepared to pay for one funeral during the pandemic, but many lost multiple members of their household, sometimes within days. In addition to the sorrow of loss, many mourners expressed to Tim their guilt over their forced absence from the funerals. This was caused by many factors including ten-person funeral maximums, the inability to travel during the pandemic, or their lack of income with the loss of work.
Adding to the crisis was the fact that, in some cases, the loved ones lost were those who provided for the families, leaving not only grief, but also crisis in the present. Tim told me recently that between April and December 2020, his family’s funeral home provided twice the funerals they’d done throughout the entirety of 2019. He also had to turn away dozens of families seeking desperately for a funeral home to bury those they lost. Tim reflected to me, “I lost sleep over that.”
During the pandemic, like never before, many of us have experienced “weeping may last for the night” and for a host of reasons. Whether it was the loss of our loved ones, our livelihoods, or the loss of something else personal to us, all of us lost something. Weeping, lamenting our losses, is not just an outburst of emotion, but an expression of significant loss for those we loved and for life as we knew it. Our lamenting also has come from our inability to know when things will return to normal. When will the morning come? When does mourning turn to morning? “But a shout of joy comes in the morning” (Psalm 30:5 NASB).
Prior to the pandemic, Tim told me he understood “the morning” to be a fixed time in the future when the circumstances that caused weeping would be changed, whether in this life or the one to come. This season has revealed to Tim, and many of us, a deeper meaning in this passage. Tim told me, “God is teaching me endurance. I am learning to have joy in the midst of suffering.” For many of us, any sense of entitlement regarding what we could expect in life has been broken down by the reality that was always there but sometimes hidden: we are not in control. Joy can be defined as a settled state of contentment, confidence, and hope. It often results in praise.
Even when the circumstances don’t change in the morning, God can use our “settled state of hope” to change us in the midst of our circumstances. Tim is seeing this happen even in the midst of people experiencing the worst days of their lives. He shared with me that families who are exiting the funeral home are frequently interacting and even supporting families who are entering, though they don’t know each other. “People are mindful of other people’s sufferings in a way I’ve never seen before.”
In the midst of such loss, Tim and the families he serves have found hope—and so can we! We can be grateful to be alive in a way we may have taken for granted before. We can praise God anew that “He woke me up this morning and started me on my way!” as some folk say. Tim and his family have employed new innovations to help people celebrate their loved ones. Before the pandemic, the only way to pay one’s respect to a lost loved one was to be present at the funeral. For those who could not be present at a funeral, their grief was also accompanied by a deep disappointment. Now Tim and his family offer live streaming for all their funerals. Their innovation has made it possible for more people than ever to celebrate the lives of those they love.
In the midst of the weeping, the “settled state of hope” of joy provides perseverance and possibilities that allow for innovative trust. Even when we don’t know what the future holds, we can experience joy because we know who holds the future. “Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22–23). Each morning God brings us new reasons to praise Him, and new opportunities to trust Him. Morning by morning, new mercies we see. Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes in the morning.
Rasool A. Berry
Day 14: It Pays to Give
Today’s Scripture: Proverbs 11:24–25
Whoever refreshes others will be refreshed. -Proverbs 11: 25
The rent was due, but the landlord’s tenants couldn’t pay. The husband had lost his job and his wife couldn’t find extra work. The COVID-19 pandemic struck, with everyone in their area ordered to stay home. Thus, they all—including the landlord—faced bills. But no one could leave home to earn money.
After praying, however, the landlord waived his tenants’ rent payment. As he said, “Sure, I had bills to pay, too. But I’d hate to see my tenants get sick trying to go out and make money to pay me.” Grateful to God for providing for his own family, the landlord passed on practical love to his tenants.
The result? “Total peace and joy,” the landlord said. “Helping my tenants gave me great contentment.” Even more, “my faith in God has grown,” he said. “When it comes to this year’s bills, I’m no longer worried. The Lord will provide.” The Bible promises such refreshing faith for those who give loving, compassionate help to others. “One person gives freely, yet gains even more,” says Proverbs 11:24. The contrast? “Another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty.”
This life lesson goes against logic. But simply helping others always benefits the giver. “Whoever refreshes others will be refreshed” (v. 25). It’s such a simple Bible principle. But when we reach out to help those in need, as with the landlord, we can find that God provides the faith and provision we truly need.
Patricia Raybon
Who in your life needs your practical, loving help? How would your faith in God grow if you offered your loving help to others?
Day 15: “Yes, But . . .”
Today’s Scripture: Psalm 78:40–55
He settled the tribes of Israel in their homes. -Psalm 78:55
In strange days of “shelter in place,” nationwide quarantines and vaccinations, people are finding creative ways to build community. Now more than ever, online chat sessions have become a place where people can share their hearts. Some are making the helpful suggestion to remember God’s goodness and thank Him for it. Others, however, tend to say, “Yes, but . . .”
Which approach is right? Should we count our blessings? Or recount worst-case scenarios?
God’s songbook, the Psalms, employs both approaches. Many of the psalms are laments. They tell God exactly what is going wrong, often in angry, desperate terms. Other psalms recall the good things God has done without saying “yes, but.”
Psalm 78 occurs in the same section as many of the “lament” psalms, yet it pointedly remembers the great things God has done. Despite Israel’s disobedience, “He brought his people out [of slavery in Egypt] like a flock; he led them like sheep through the wilderness” (v. 52). The psalm recalls how “He guided them safely, so they were unafraid” (v. 53)—even as the sea literally swallowed their enemies. Ultimately, “He settled the tribes of Israel in their homes” (v. 55).
This life remains uncertain. The one constant is God, who promises one day to settle us at home with Him. Accepting this great truth will help us become agents of God’s peace, instead of purveyors of panic.
Tim Gustafson
How do you tend to respond in a crisis, and what effect do you think your response has on others? What laments might you need to share with God today? What can you praise Him for?
Day 16: Praising Through Problems
Today’s Scripture: Job 1:13–22
Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble? -Job 2:10
“It’s cancer.” I wanted to be strong when Mom said those words to me. But I burst into tears. You never want to hear those words even one time. But this was Mom’s third bout with cancer. After a routine mammogram and biopsy, Mom learned that she had a malignant tumor under her arm.
Though Mom was the one with bad news, she had to comfort me. Her response was eye-opening for me: “I know God is always good to me. He’s always faithful.” Even as she faced a difficult surgery, followed up by radiation treatments, Mom was assured of God’s presence and faithfulness.
How like Job. Job lost his children, his wealth, and his health. But after hearing the news, Job 1:20 tells us “he fell to the ground in worship.” When advised to curse God, he said, “Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?” (2:10). What a radical initial response! Though Job later complained, ultimately he accepted that God had never changed. Job knew that God was still with him and that He still cared.
For most of us, praise is not our first response to difficulties. Sometimes the pain of our circumstances is so overwhelming we lash out in fear or anger. But watching Mom’s response reminded me that God is still present, still good. He will help us through hard times.
Linda Washington
Compassionate God, encourage us in our praise.
Day 17: Choose Joy
Today’s Scripture: Psalm 33
The earth is full of his unfailing love. -Psalm 33:5
I was taking yet another walk by myself on yet another day during the COVID-19 quarantine when words written on a driveway caught my attention.
Choose joy. Write down here what you’re thankful for. A container of sidewalk chalk sat nearby. Among others, these answers had been scribbled down by passersby: food, a home, my dad and mom, my dog, candy, and God’s love. The driveway was filled with words of gratitude. Filled with words of gratitude.
The unknown writer of Psalm 33 had a heart like that. In this psalm, he thanks God for His character and “unfailing love” (vv. 4–5), His majesty in creation (vv. 6–7), and His blessing on His people (v. 12). He praises God for His knowledge, His care, and His power (vv. 13–19). The psalmist saw that the earth was full of God’s goodness, and he reminded his fellow Israelites: “He is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name” (vv. 20–21).
Charles Spurgeon wrote about these verses: “Our soul, our life, must hang upon God; we are to trust him . . . with all we have and are.” God gives us many reasons to have a heart like the psalmist’s that’s filled with gratitude. May we trust Him, give Him the praise He deserves, and “shout for joy” (v. 3).
Anne Cetas
What are you shouting for joy about today? Read the psalm again to help get you started.
Day 18: From Wailing to Worship
Today’s Scripture: Psalm 30
You turned my wailing into dancing; you . . . clothed me with joy. -Psalm 30:11
Kim began battling breast cancer in 2013. Four days after her treatment ended, doctors diagnosed her with a progressive lung disease and gave her three to five years to live. She grieved, sobbing prayers as she processed her emotions before God for the first year. By the time I met Kim in 2015, she had surrendered her situation to Him and radiated contagious joy and peace.
Though some days are still hard, God continues to transform her heart-wrenching suffering into a beautiful testimony of hope-filled praise as she encourages others. Even when we’re in dire circumstances, God can turn our wailing into dancing.
Though His healing won’t always look or feel like we’d hoped or expected, we can be confident in God’s ways (Psalm 30:1–3). No matter how tear-stained our path may be, we have countless reasons to praise Him (v. 4). We can rejoice in God, as He secures our confident faith (vv. 5–7).
We can cry out for His mercy (vv. 8–10), celebrating the hope He’s brought to many weeping worshipers.
Only God can transform wails of despair into vibrant joy that doesn't depend on circumstances (vv. 11–12). As our merciful God comforts us in our sorrow, He envelops us in peace and empowers us to extend compassion toward others and ourselves. Our loving and faithful Lord can and does turn our wailing into worship that can lead to heart-deep trust, praise, and maybe even joyful dancing.
Xochitl Dixon
Day 19: My Protection
Most of my adult life has been in service to others. I have found through experience that the best way to serve is with a merry heart and joy. This does not mean I haven’t had unexpected situations to deal with. But I know that I have a spiritual protection system that always centers me in God. As one icon, Harriet Tubman, used to pray: “I’m going to hold steady on You. You’ve got to see me through.” I, too, am holding on to God.
Having had a career in law enforcement for more than twenty years and now serving as a pastor and a police chaplain has given me a unique view on life. I learned that I can serve effectively with my protection system. A merry heart and joy are two of my secret weapons. They keep me smiling even during a storm. I know I will get through the storm because God is with me. A merry heart and joy also help to keep my attitude and thought process focused on God and His goodness instead of whatever situation I Encounter.
Last year and into this one has been an unusual time not only for America but also for the world. I have been ministering to others in everyday struggles, sickness, bereavement, and dismay. I wondered what I could say to law enforcement, to the church congregations, and to the communities that would give them hope. I made a choice: I told them to smile in the midst of the rain. There are forty-three muscles in our face. It only takes seventeen of them to smile and all forty-three to frown. It’s also important to give ourselves time to recuperate, to relax, and to settle down.
So many have been weary, tired, isolated, and afraid. People seem to have received more bad news than good. Many people they’ve known have passed away. At times, it has gotten to the point that people do not know who they are crying over. But when people show up to a funeral, a “homegoing” service, many of them are not present because a person has died. Many are present because the person has lived.
Legendary author Maya Angelou said, “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
The power of laughter from a merry heart filled with joy cannot be relegated to a corner of the room. Laughter has been known to bring blood pressure down and to reduce anxiety and anger. Merriam-Webster defines laughter: “to show emotion with a chuckle or explosive vocal sound.” A merry heart is a gift we can give to each other from the joy that God gives to us.
Sometimes I have shown up to a police command meeting with two homemade cakes. I wasn’t showing up just to talk. I was present to give members of the group a little sweetness to help them make it through the day. As they ate that slice of buttery pound cake, I would begin to share. They would begin to smile. A merry heart is what we can do for one another. We can make that call, send that card of encouragement. Some people feel isolated and alone, and your call can make all the difference in the world.
I knew personally so many people who transitioned from this life in 2020. I’ve chosen to think of the things they said or did to make me laugh or smile. Sometimes, even with tears in my eyes, I can smile because of the memories they’ve left with me. Now joy is not based on circumstance or situation. It’s based on the Word of God. We can face a violent and unpredictable storm, yet relax in our Savior’s strength. In Nehemiah 8:10, the prophet declares, “the joy of the lord is your strength.” When I have joy, I have strength; and when I have strength, I feel better and act better. I praise my God better. I begin to realize that I am more than a conqueror through Him who loves me (see Romans 8:37). We cannot have the strength of the Lord without having the joy of the Lord.
Even in the midst of a pandemic, we can choose to have joy. Everything changes when we make the choice to hold on to joy in the face of despair. When we choose to be joyful in the time of sorrow. When we give God joyful praise, we can experience His presence. My mother always sang this old song to me: “If you want joy, real joy, wonderful joy, let Jesus come into your heart.”
God will see us through. Take your merry heart and the joy of the Lord together with you everywhere you go. It clears out the roadblocks and the negative circumstances along the way.
At the end of church services, I share this anonymous quote: “My faith is dead to doubt, dumb to discouragement, blind to impossibilities, and knows nothing but success.” The real success is in having a merry heart filled with the joy of the Lord.
When I talk to law enforcement or congregations about managing through crisis, I give this example: You are on a plane with a family member that depends on you. The flight attendant begins to give the safety instructions. At one point she states, “In case of an emergency, the oxygen mask above your head will drop down. Put the mask on yourself first before assisting others.”
You cannot help, encourage, or inspire anyone else if you can’t breathe. Let the mask of hope, of a merry heart, and of joy help you to breathe through life so you can help others do the same.
Chaplain Barbara Williams-Harris
Day 20: When One Hurts, All Hurt
Today’s Scripture: 1 Corinthians 12:14–26
If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. -1 Corinthians 12:26
When a coworker called in sick due to extreme pain, everyone at the office was concerned. After a trip to the hospital and a day of bed rest, he returned to work and showed us the source of that pain—a kidney stone. He had asked his doctor to give him the stone as a souvenir. Looking at that stone, I winced in sympathy, remembering the gallstone I had passed years ago.
The pain had been excruciating. Isn’t it interesting that something so small can cause a whole body so much agony?
But in a way, that’s what the apostle Paul alludes to in 1 Corinthians 12:26: “If one part suffers, every part suffers with it.” Throughout chapter 12, Paul used the metaphor of a body to describe Christians around the world. When Paul said, “;God has put the body together” (v. 24), he was referring to the entire body of Christ—all Christians.
We all have different gifts and roles. But since we’re all part of the same body, if one person hurts, we all hurt. When a fellow Christian faces persecution, grief, or trials, we hurt as if we’re experiencing that pain. My coworker’s pain drove him to get the help his body needed. In the body of Christ, someone’s pain ignites our compassion and moves us toward action. We might pray, offer a word of encouragement, or do whatever it takes to aid the healing process. That’s how the body works together.
Linda Washington
Do you need encouraging words today? Do you know someone else who does?
Day 21: Asking God
Today’s Scripture: Psalm 6:4–9
The LORD has heard my cry for mercy; the LORD accepts my prayer. -Psalm 6:9
When my husband, Dan, was diagnosed with cancer, I couldn’t find the “right” way to ask God to heal him. In my limited view, other people in the world had such serious problems—war, famine, poverty, natural disasters. Then one day, during our morning prayer time, I heard my husband humbly ask, “Dear Lord, please heal my disease.”
It was such a simple but heartfelt plea that it reminded me to stop complicating every prayer request, because God perfectly hears our righteous cries for help. As David simply asked, “Turn, LORD, and deliver me; save me because of your unfailing love” (Psalm 6:4).
That’s what David declared during a time of spiritual confusion and despair. His exact situation isn’t explained in this psalm. His honest pleas, however, show deep desire for godly help and restoration. “I am worn out from my groaning,” he wrote (v. 6). Yet, David didn’t let his own limits, including sin, stop him from going to God with his need. Thus, even before God answered, David was able to rejoice, “the LORD has heard my weeping. The LORD has heard my cry for mercy; the LORD accepts my prayer” (vv. 8–9).
Despite our own confusion and uncertainty, God hears and accepts the honest pleas of His children. He’s ready to hear us, especially when we need Him most.
Patricia Raybon
What is your plea?
Day 22: God’s Care Is Rock Solid
Today’s Scripture: Hebrews 13:1–8
The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. -Matthew 7:25
During my four years at college, I found lifelong friends and mentors. But one of my most formative experiences was participating in a historically Black church through the “watch care” program it hosted for students. Being under “watch care” meant I could temporarily enjoy full membership privileges at the congregation during my studies to help me grow in my faith.
That Mississippi church became a haven of wisdom and support to me and many of my classmates. The foundation of love and mentorship I found there reflected many biblical examples of God’s people offering support and encouragement.
For example, when Mary learned she was pregnant with Jesus, she found encouragement through the faith of Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist (Luke 1:39–56). Wife and husband Priscilla and Aquila, who served as spiritual leaders in their community, grew in faith through developing a close relationship with the apostle Paul. They went on to share God’s truth with Apollos (Acts 18:24–26), who went far and wide to teach others the gospel.
What my watch care experience taught me, and what any of our experiences of being sustained and nurtured by fellow Christian believers can offer us, is a reminder that God often extends His care, healing, and guidance through fellow believers (Hebrews 13:1–8). Wherever we are, God is our solid anchor—with us, within us, always watching over us.
Stacy Hawkins Adams
In what ways is God watching over you?
Day 23: Encouraging Words
Today’s Scripture: Proverbs 16:20–24
Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones. -Proverbs 16:24
A recent study has shown that encouraging words from a health-care provider can help patients recuperate faster from their ailments. A simple experiment exposed volunteer study participants to a skin allergen to make them itch and then compared the reactions between those who received assurance from their physician and those who didn’t.
Patients who received encouragement from their doctors had less discomfort and itching than their counterparts. The writer of Proverbs knew how important encouraging words are. “Gracious words” bring “healing to the bones,” he wrote (Proverbs 16:24).
The positive effect of words isn’t limited to our health: when we heed the wisdom of instruction, we’re also more likely to prosper in our efforts (v. 20). So too encouragement buoys us for the challenges we face now and may encounter in the future.
We may not yet fully understand why or even how much wisdom and encouragement bring strength and health to our daily lives. Yet the cheers and guidance of our parents, coaches, and colleagues seem to help us endure difficulty and steer us toward success.
Similarly, the Bible brings us encouragement when we face trials, equipping us to bear up under even the most unthinkable circumstances. Help us, God, to be strengthened by Your wisdom and to, in turn, offer the healing and hope of “gracious words” to those You’ve placed in our lives.
Kirsten Holmberg
What gracious words do you have for the people in your life?
Day 24: Sweet and Bitter
Today’s Scripture: Psalm 119:65–72
You are good, and what you do is good. -Psalm 119:68
Some people like bitter chocolate and some prefer sweet. Ancient Mayans in Central America enjoyed chocolate as a beverage and seasoned it with chili peppers. They liked this “bitter water,” as they called it. Many years later it was introduced in Spain, but the Spaniards preferred chocolate sweet, so they added sugar and honey to counteract its natural bitterness.
Like chocolate, days can be bitter or sweet as well. A seventeenth-century French monk named Brother Lawrence wrote, “If we knew how much [God] loves us, we would always be ready to receive equally . . . from His hand the sweet and the bitter.” Accept the sweet and the bitter equally? This is difficult! What is Brother Lawrence talking about?
The key lies in God’s character. The psalmist said of God, “You are good, and what you do is good” (Psalm 119:68). Mayans also valued bitter chocolate for its healing and medicinal properties. Bitter days have value too. They make us aware of our weaknesses, and they help us depend more on God. The psalmist wrote, “It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees” (v. 71).
Let us embrace life today, with its different flavors—reassured of God’s goodness. Let us say, “You have done many good things for me, LORD, just as you promised” (v. 65 NLT).
Keila Ochoa
Day 25: Through Storm and Famine
Genesis 26:1–22
COVID-19, a disease we’d only heard about on television, became real to us when multiple people began testing positive in our office building a year ago. Our landlord ordered immediate evacuation as “the virus” could travel through the building’s vents. He had heard about the virus’ impact from his father, a physician in Italy, and warned we did not realize how our lives would change as a “storm” was coming with “the virus.”
That began our pandemic journey.
COVID-19 has taken more lives than several wars combined. Many still struggle to breathe on ventilators, others have permanent medical disability from strokes, heart attacks, and chronic lung disease. Many have lost jobs, small businesses, homes, and the ability to celebrate signature life events. Others missed weddings and graduations. Loved ones have suffered and died alone because of “the virus.” My cousin watched her son die on Facetime.
Many churches ceased in-person worship and mutual sharing of life. We have learned how to “shelter in place” and worship, fellowship, pursue education, and work from the sterile environment of cell phones and computers. The emotional and spiritual impact of the pandemic has been an escalating parallel event in this storm. Early in the pandemic, “shelter in place” quickly transitioned from being alone to being lonely. The voice of preexisting marital and family problems amplified as the background noise of other relationships and activities became silent. This isolation led to unhealthy self-soothing behaviors such as binge consumption of food and alcohol. Excessive use of social media became a risk factor for increased rates of fear and anxiety.
The hope for a quick and natural resolution to the pandemic turned into a sense of “fatigue with COVID” when such dreams did not come true. Non-COVID life went on with the racial and political conflicts further focusing us on the problems we face in our communities, even if COVID did not exist. Hope began to evaporate with the slow rollout of vaccines and the appearance of new mutations of “the virus.” Multiple studies have associated COVID-19 with high rates of anxiety, stress, sleep difficulties, obsessive worrying, and depression. In other words, people have been suffering in isolation without the usual guardrails of personal access to family, church, small groups, accountability partners, and friends.
There is a tangible sense of uncertainty as to whether our old way of life will ever come back. There is so much to grieve. I grieve missed times with my grandchildren; two only know me with a mask on. I grieve for my cousin who lost her son to COVID. There is a famine of hope powered by fear and uncertainty about the future. This famine has people fainting alone in the heat of depression and worry. There is not enough water of vaccines to quench our thirst and the heat of the mutating virus is unrelenting. However, this is not the first “famine” that God has led His people through.
In many ways, our pandemic is like Isaac’s famine (Genesis 26). People were uprooted from their homes, lost their agricultural jobs, became ill, and many died. Families separated as people sought food and water. It was devastating. Isaac considered going to Egypt—as his father had done (Genesis 12:10–20). Going to Egypt had been his father’s idea, as Abraham tried to fix the problem on his own, even if it meant engaging in solutions not in God’s plan. After failing in Egypt, Abraham journeyed to an altar that was important in his past relationship with God and worshiped (Genesis 13:4). Abraham needed to remember where and what God had done in his life in the past before the famine and let that instruct him through the disaster.
Isaac confronted his famine differently. God appeared to him, and Isaac recognized God was speaking to him. Isaac had practiced spending time alone seeking the face of God before the famine, and so he was in a spiritual position to hear from God when the famine occurred. Isaac had learned how to be alone with God. The pandemic can be an opportunity to shelter in prayer, in the Word, in worship, and in gratitude as we remember what God has done and is doing in our lives (Psalm 43:5; Philippians 4:4–7; Colossians 4:2).
Isaac was specifically told not to go to Egypt. To not engage in behaviors that he knew were not from God. Many people around us today are “going to Egypt” with binge drinking, eating, shopping, smoking, social media, and more. Isaac was told to stay temporarily with King Abimelech in the land of the Philistines. The king would prove to be a friend and protector of Isaac, even when he made similar mistakes with Abimelech as Abraham had done with Pharaoh. Isaac was not perfect in handling his famine, but God directed him to a resource, Abimelech, that would be there for him.
Who and what has God placed in our lives during this pandemic? How has God provided resources for us in our past famines of suffering and trials? Perhaps it was inspirational music or literature, having a prayer partner, memorizing Scripture, journaling about what God has done in your life, or being the Abimelech for someone else (Galatians 6:2, 9–10). Like Abraham, we may need to return to that altar of worship where we met God in a time before the pandemic. God promised Isaac, “I will be with you” before addressing that He would meet his physical needs. It is more critical to know we aren’t alone in a time of crisis.
Finally, Isaac had to manage what he could manage. He had to dig wells. He could not just pray about water; he had something to do. We have things to do: wash our hands, wear a mask, and socially distance. We may have prescribed medications to take and virtual doctor visits to keep to prevent ending up in emergency rooms for avoidable medical problems. We can protect our thought life and fill it actively with positivity (Philippians 4:8). We can act to stay connected through phone or video platforms or safe in-person meetings.
We can dig our wells, but we need to assume that other problems in life will occur, like Philistines stealing the wells that we’ve dug. I am sure that some of Isaac’s men carried signs that said, “Our Wells Matter” and were tired of digging new ones. Famines tend to highlight problems that may have been there before the famine. Some storms in life will be pandemic-related. Some will not. But He has promised to never leave us or forsake us no matter the problem, level of isolation, degree of grief, or lack of certainty about the future (Hebrews 13:5). There is a famine in the land, but there is a balm in Gilead (Jeremiah 8:22) and a well that cannot be stolen or run dry (John 4:13–14).
Michael R. Lyles M.D.
Day 1: Grief, God, and Gratitude
We find ourselves living in a time of significant grief. In addition to our personal challenges and losses, we face a historic pandemic, political strife, rekindled racial tensions, and economic uncertainty.
This is a season of deep grief, a grief that at times feels unyielding. However, we must also find a way to allow it to become a time of sincere gratitude. If we are to negotiate the grips of pain that lead to despair, our grief must learn to surrender to gratitude. We will never be completely finished with loss, but if there is to be healing and hope or the possibility of “shattered expectations” being redeemed, we must find, amid the pain, things for which we can say “thank you.”
The Bible, though a book of hope, is filled with stories of loss and grief. One example is the death of Lazarus. In this story, Jesus loses a good friend, whom He loves. And even though Jesus knows this story doesn’t end in death, that Lazarus will live again, He grieves. John 11:32–33 (NRSV) reads, When Mary came where Jesus was and saw him, she knelt at his feet and said to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, he was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved.
Jesus said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.”
The Bible tells us “Jesus began to weep. So the Jews said, ‘See how he loved him!’” (John 11:34–36). The story tells us that Jesus, knowing the possibility of Lazarus” death, did not come quickly to heal him, but waited and entered the pain fully with Mary and Martha. Jesus wept for Lazarus with those grieving his death. He shared the weight of the loss, even while He trusted God to be present in the pain and the restoration. In this moment, we see an important set of truths: grief is an emotion that emerges as our defenses are stripped away or as we are forced to face losses that are inevitable in life.
We also see that Jesus, because of His love, joins us in these places of deep vulnerability and pain. When we experience suffering, whether sickness, death, financial insecurity—or all of them at once—we are forced to struggle with disorientation and pain. But we must also know that Jesus is in this with us as we believe in Him. Much like Mary, we want Jesus to come before we face the loss, to allow us to avoid the pain, but His promise is that He will be present with us in the midst of our pain and suffering. This is the place where gratitude begins, when God will meet us in our grief and not leave us alone.
In my own pain and loss during the death of both parents within a three-month span, I felt a deep sense of being orphaned, even as an adult. It wasn’t just the loss of two people who loved and knew me; it was also the feeling of profound aloneness in the world. In those moments, my siblings and I needed to know we were connected and that God would be in this with us. That puts these moments of suffering within the context of a larger story: that bodily death is not the end. A story that says to us we are not alone. Our gratitude, as people of faith, begins in these two beliefs: that God is active in human affairs, and that new life can come from death.
Though Jesus genuinely grieved, before He raised Lazarus from the dead He offered gratitude to the Father: “And Jesus looked upward and said, ‘Father, I thank you for having heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I have said this for the sake of the crowd standing here, so that they may believe that you sent me’” (John 11:41–42 NRSV).
We might think it easier for Jesus to make meaning of these events since He was the Son of God and knew what was to happen. But an embodied Jesus was also subject to the pains, aches, and yearnings of this life. However, He knew that God would not leave Him alone and unheard, and that this was not the end of the story. We know this, too, because we read it in the Bible. We celebrate it together each year by walking from Christmas to Easter. We know that the sting of bodily death has been suppressed and that Jesus will return to set all things right. This provides us with a story of hope in which to set all the events of our lives. This allows us to make meaning of individual experiences. They are not the end of the story—painful as they may be—but moments in God’s redemptive narrative.
Making meaning does not equate to assuming we deserve the suffering or to downplaying and masking the impact of tragedy. After all, Jesus entered fully into the present suffering, body and spirit, and wept. It is instead a way of reframing the story, emphasizing learning and allowing us to see opportunities of growth through the struggles. Jesus demonstrates that we can both grieve—sitting together in our pain—and maintain a spirit of hope and even gratitude.
Why would Jesus begin His prayer with gratitude? What’s so important about gratitude? Gratitude is pivotal. It’s a transformative shift that allows you to feel within your body how bad the situation is but still see that God is active in your circumstance. Gratitude builds resilience. It allows you to hold the bad without losing sight of the good. When we can once again be grateful, we are on our way to healing and building hope.
The Christian faith does not teach us to pursue physical comfort but encourages us toward resilience and perseverance. We are called to be light in places of darkness in the world. We are asked to hold hope in the middle of despair. We can only do this by taking in the larger story of God and allowing it to re-story our narrative of now, not as people who have denied or avoided pain, but as those who have found God in the midst of it. We must ask ourselves, how does God enter the middle of the story and change the ending? How do we make meaning so that something we could describe as catastrophic instead becomes a season of growth and change? How can we, like Jesus, see even in death an opportunity for new life?
J. Derek McNeil, Ph.D.
Day 2: When Distance Isn’t Good
Today’s Scripture: Psalm 73:16–28
But as for me, it is good to be near God. -Psalm 73:28
In a matter of weeks, the dreaded COVID-19 virus had turned our world upside down. “Everyone’s walking around not talking to each other. There’s no eye contact. It’s a very eerie feeling. The tension is really high. It feels like doom.” These were one person’s comments in our local newspaper describing life since the outbreak of the virus. People have been urged to keep safe distances from each other month after month, for their own protection and for the protection of others.
Social distance is a good thing when it’s necessary for human safety. However, this “distancing” principle doesn’t apply in our relationship with God. Spiritual distance isn’t good.
The writer of Psalm 73 wisely concluded, “But as for me, it is good to be near God” (v. 28). But aren’t there days and seasons when God seems far off? Things don’t add up; life doesn’t make sense. The “wrong teams” are winning (vv. 2–15). Confusion reigns in our lives and we cry out, “God, where are you? Have you forgotten about me?”
Then we come to our senses. Sometimes it’s in the context of worship (vv. 16–17) or through reading Scripture or through the encouragement of friends. Our hearts become sensitive again; prayers begin to rise from within (vv. 23–25). Our sight becomes clear and once again we recognize that “God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever” (v. 26). Even in the difficulties of life, we can be assured of God’s presence and draw close to Him.
Arthur Jackson
When have you felt far from God? What led to the renewal of your faith and a closer relationship with Him?
Day 3: Free from Fear
Today’s Scripture: Psalm 34:1–10
I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. -Psalm 34:4
Fear sneaks into my heart without permission. It paints a picture of helplessness and hopelessness. It steals my peace and my concentration. What am I fearful about?
I’m concerned about the safety of my family or the health of loved ones. I panic at the loss of a job or a broken relationship. Fear turns my focus inward and reveals a heart that sometimes finds it hard to trust.
When these fears and worries strike, how good it is to read David’s prayer in Psalm 34: “I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears” (v. 4). And how does God deliver us from our fears? When we “look to him” (v. 5), when we focus on Him, our fears fade; we trust Him to be in control. Then David mentions a different type of fear—not a fear that paralyzes, but a deep respect and awe of the One who surrounds us and delivers us (v. 7). We can take refuge in Him because He is good (v. 8).
This awe of His goodness helps put our fears into perspective. When we remember who God is and how much He loves us, we can relax into His peace. “Those who fear him lack nothing” (v. 9), concludes David. How wonderful to discover that in the fear of the Lord we can be delivered from our fears.
Keila Ochoa
From what fears does God deliver you? How has God been good to you? Consider the praise in Psalm 34.
Day 4: A People of Healing
Today’s Scripture: Matthew 25:31–46
When did we see you sick . . . and go to visit you? -Matthew 25:39
Believers in Jesus, though a meager minority, enacted a bold witness as the plagues overwhelmed the Roman Empire. According to Rodney Stark in The Rise of Christianity, while the wealthy managed private medical care and fled the city, believers cared for their sick neighbors, nursing them to health or caring for them until death.
In the fourth century, Basil of Caesarea continued this practice by organizing the first major hospital, caring for lepers. From the church’s founding through the Middle Ages and into our contemporary COVID-19 crisis, one of the sure signals of its faithfulness has been sacrificial care for the sick.
Likewise, when we ignore those who suffer, we can be certain we’ve abandoned our calling. Scripture warns that at the end of our life when we must give account for our actions, one of the questions we’ll answer is how we cared for those who were ill (Matthew 25:37–39).
We even hear a stunning reality: to care for the sick is to care for Jesus. “Truly I tell you,” He said, “whatever you did for one of the least of these . . . you did for me” (v. 40). While this doesn’t mean we’re to abandon all safety and take risks with our own health, we’re called to be a people of healing. As we move toward those who suffer, we enact the sacrificial life God has given us, and we directly touch and serve Jesus.
Winn Collier
Where do you see suffering or sickness? How, with your resources and capacity, might God call you to be a person of healing?
Day 5: Friendship Bench
Today’s Scripture: Exodus 33:9–11
The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend. -Exodus 33:11
In the African country of Zimbabwe, war trauma and high unemployment can leave people in despair—until they find hope on a “friendship bench.” Hopeless people can go there to talk with trained “grandmothers”—elderly women taught to listen to people struggling with depression, known in that nation’s Shona language as kufungisisa, or “thinking too much.”
The Friendship Bench Project is being launched in other places, including Zanzibar, London, and New York City. “We were thrilled to bits with the results,” said one London researcher. A New York counselor agreed. “Before you know it, you’re not on a bench, you’re just inside a warm conversation with someone who cares.”
The project evokes the warmth and wonder of talking with our Almighty God. Moses put up not a bench but a tent to commune with God, calling it the tent of meeting. There, “the LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend” (Exodus 33:11). Joshua, his assistant, wouldn’t even leave the tent, perhaps because he so valued his time with God (v. 11).
Today we no longer need a tent of meeting. Jesus has brought the Father near. As He told His disciples, “I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you” (John 15:15). Yes, our God awaits us. He’s our heart’s wisest helper, our understanding Friend. Talk with Him now.
Patricia Raybon
God, grant me clear vision to see You even when it’s difficult because of my circumstances.
Day 6: The Cure for Anxiety
Today’s Scripture: Philippians 4:1, 4–9
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. -Philippians 4:6
We were excited about moving for my husband’s job. But the unknowns and challenges left me feeling anxious. Thoughts of sorting and packing up belongings. Looking for a place to live. My finding a new job too. Making my way around a new city, and getting settled. It was all . . . unsettling.
As I thought about my “to-do” list, words written by the apostle Paul echoed in my mind: Don’t worry, but pray (Philippians 4:6–7). If anyone could have been anxious about unknowns and challenges, it would have been Paul. He was shipwrecked. He was beaten. He was jailed. In his letter to the Philippian church, he encouraged his friends who also were facing unknowns, telling them, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (v. 6).
Paul’s words encourage me. Life is not without uncertainties—whether they come in the form of a major life transition, family issues, health scares, or financial trouble.
What I continue to learn is that God cares. He invites us to let go of our fears of the unknown by giving them to Him. When we do, He, who knows all things, promises that His peace, “which transcends all understanding, will guard” our heart and mind in Christ Jesus (v. 7).
Karen Wolfe
God, there’s suffering everywhere. When I don’t know what to do about it, would You show me?
Day 7: Light in Darkness
On a dark Sunday morning, my wife, Diane, and I received a call that awoke and startled us. Diane’s father, Tom, had COVID-19 and needed to be hospitalized. We quickly prepared to travel the ten hours from our home in Michigan to be near Tom at the nursing home in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, where he lived. Thankfully, Diane was allowed to visit him in intensive care briefly the next day. That thirty-minute visit would be their last. Tom passed away two days later.
We complied with Tom’s previously planned funeral wishes. I led a small graveside service that only immediate family members attended. The next morning, Diane had COVID-19 symptoms. We returned home right away.
She developed more symptoms over the next few days, and so did I—on our thirtieth wedding anniversary. At first, we had mild exhaustion, headaches, body aches, and fever.
A week later, we were not getting better, so we were tested for COVID-19. Our results were positive. We began to wonder as so many do: Will this lead to hospitalization?
When I noticed trouble breathing as I climbed the stairs in our home, our daughter took me to the emergency room at our local hospital, where Diane is a nurse, to be evaluated and treated. Doctors determined I had viral pneumonia, needed oxygen and further medical attention, and admitted me to a private room in the designated COVID-19 unit.
My symptoms quickly increased. I felt anxious due to the higher fever. I had stronger headaches and body aches. I experienced strange smells and tastes, had nausea, and couldn’t sleep well. I grew very concerned. This came to mind: “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21). I tried to encourage myself. During moments when I could concentrate, I prayed for strength to persevere and gave thanks for the care I was receiving from the medical staff, for the meals, and for the room (rather than being in a tent or hallway). I sang to myself and listened online to favorite worship songs like Steve Green’s “El Habita al Abrigo de Dios” (“He who dwells in the shadow of the Almighty”).
Several times a day, I received messages and calls that encouraged me from friends, church members, family in Mexico, and from Diane and our children. A friend and fellow Latino pastor Kevin Casillas sent Bible verses I couldn’t think of on my own that expressed how I felt: “How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me? . . . But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing the LORD’s praise, for he has been good to me” (Psalm 13:2, 5–6).
Another Scripture reminded me that I could still praise God for His goodness to me: “Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him” (Lamentations 3:21–24).
God was not blind to my condition. Regardless of the progress of my disease, He would never let me go. God’s words encouraged me as my fever broke and I began to feel better. Every morning was another step toward healing and a sign of God’s faithful presence. When I had moments of anxiety, I turned to Psalm 94:19, “When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy.”
Bible verses guided me to trust God through my pain, to not despair over this sickness that had impacted our family so quickly and dangerously, and to remind me that God would use my sickness for His glory to comfort others. “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God” (2 Corinthians 1:3–4).
My wife continued with mild symptoms and recovered within a month. I continued to improve and was released from the hospital after six days but still needed to use oxygen at home for four more months. God used my recovery time to strengthen my faith and give me a new perspective as I continued to trust in Him in prayer, singing, and meditating on Scripture.
As the apostle Paul wrote, our final victory over trials and difficulties will come when we are in God’s presence, but not in this life (Romans 8:18–39). Paul asked a series of rhetorical questions that remind and affirm to us God’s faithful love: If God is for us, who can be against us? Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will affliction, difficulties, persecution, lack of food, lack of sufficient clothing, danger, or physical threats separate us? Like Paul, we can be convinced that neither death, physical life, angels, supernatural powers, nor those who exist now, nor those who will exist, nor spiritual powers, nor what exists above us or underneath, nor any creature will be able to separate us from God’s love through our Lord Christ Jesus (vv. 38–39).
In the midst of difficulties and sufferings, believers in Christ are not forgotten or abandoned by God. We can depend on God’s promises of His love and close presence. He is not blind or deaf to our cries but will give us the strength to persevere. God can turn our illnesses into an opportunity to grow spiritually and to later serve those who are enduring pain. We can serve even within the limitations due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We can provide food to those who are convalescing.
Family and friends can call and write words of encouragement, including to essential workers. We can in humility value others by following virus mitigation measures. We can influence others in our world by putting into practice God’s words to us: “Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality” (Romans 12:10–13).
Many still need support now and will in the future. Our testimony is always to be hopeful and persistent in our faith; to be God’s instruments to demonstrate His care to those who need love, hope, and healing; and to care for our communities, even in the midst of a pandemic. As Paul wrote, “Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us” (Romans 5:3–5).
Rev. Eli Garza
Day 8: Better Than Life
Today’s Scripture: Psalm 63:1–8
Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. -Psalm 63:3
Her name was Mary—and life was hard, real hard. Two sons preceded her in death as did two grandsons, both victims of shootings. And Mary herself suffered a crippling stroke that left her paralyzed on one side.
Yet she loved Jesus. As soon as she was able, she made her way to church services where it wasn’t uncommon for her—with fractured speech—to express praise to the Lord with words like, “My soul loves Jesus; bless His name!”
Long before Mary expressed her praise to God, David penned the words of Psalm 63. The heading of the psalm notes that David wrote it when he was in the Desert of Judah.” Though in a less than desirable—even desperate—situation, he didn’t despair, because he hoped in God. “You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you . . . in a dry and parched land where there is no water” (v. 1).
Perhaps you’ve found yourself in a place of difficulty, without clear direction or adequate resources. Uncomfortable situations can confuse us, but they need not derail us when we cling to the One who loves us (v. 3), satisfies us (v. 5), helps us (v. 7), and whose right hand upholds us (v. 8). Because God’s love is better than life, like Mary and David, we can express our satisfaction with lips that praise and honor God (vv. 3–5).
Arthur Jackson
Day 9: Eternal Eyes
Today’s Scripture: 2 Corinthians 4:7–18
We fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. -2 Corinthians 4:18
Eternal eyes, that’s what my friend Madeline prays her children and grandchildren would have. Her family has gone through a tumultuous season that ended with the death of her daughter.
As the family grieves from this horrific loss, Madeline longs for them to be less and less nearsighted—consumed by the pain of this world. And to be more and more farsighted—filled with hope in our loving God.
The apostle Paul and his co-workers experienced great suffering at the hands of persecutors and even from believers who tried to discredit them. Yet, they had their eyes fixed on eternity. Paul boldly acknowledged that “we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:18).
Although they were doing God’s work, they lived with the reality of being “hard pressed on every side,” “perplexed,” “persecuted,” and “struck down” (vv. 8–9). Shouldn’t God have delivered them from these troubles? But instead of being disappointed, Paul built his hope on the “eternal glory” that supersedes momentary troubles (v. 17). He knew God’s power was at work in him and had complete assurance that “the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus” (v. 14).
When our world around us feels shaky, may we turn our eyes to God—the eternal Rock that will never be destroyed.
Estera Pirosca Escobar
Day 10: He Won’t Let Us Go
Today’s Scripture: John 10:22–30
I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my Hand. -John 10:28
Julio was biking across the George Washington Bridge—a busy, double-decked thoroughfare connecting New York City and New Jersey—when he encountered a life-or-death situation. A man was standing on a ledge over the Hudson River preparing to jump.
Knowing that the police wouldn’t arrive in time, Julio acted quickly. He recalls getting off his bike and spreading out his arms, saying something like: “Don’t do it. We love you.” Then, like a shepherd with a crook, he grabbed the distraught man, and with the help of another passerby, brought him to safety. According to reports, Julio wouldn’t let go of the man, even after he was safe.
Two millennia earlier, in a life-or-death situation, Jesus, the Good Shepherd, said He would lay down His life to save and never let go of those who believed in Him. He summarized how He would bless His sheep: they would know Him personally, have the gift of eternal life, would never perish, and would be secure in His care.
This security didn’t depend on the ability of the frail and feeble sheep—or depend on people—but on the sufficiency of the Shepherd who’ll never let one be snatched “out of [His] hand” (John 10:28–29).
When we were distraught and feeling hopeless, Jesus rescued us; now we can feel safe and secure in relationship with Him. He loves us, pursues us, finds us, saves us, and promises to never let us go.
Marvin Williams
How are you experiencing the security found in your Savior?
Day 11: Hope Blossoms
Today’s Scripture: Isaiah 35:1–4
The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. -Isaiah 35:1
In the city of Philadelphia, when weedy vacant lots were cleaned up and brightened with beautiful flowers and trees, nearby residents also brightened in overall mental health. This proved especially true for those who struggled economically.
“There’s a growing body of evidence that green space can have an impact on mental health,” said Dr. Eugenia South, “and that’s particularly important for people living in poorer neighborhoods.” South, a faculty member at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine, is coauthor of a study on the subject.
The downtrodden people of Israel and Judah found fresh hope in the prophet Isaiah’s vision of their beautiful restoration by God. Amid all the doom and judgment Isaiah foretold, this bright promise took root: “The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. Like the crocus, it will burst into bloom; it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy” (Isaiah 35:1–2).
No matter our situation today, we too can rejoice in the beautiful ways our heavenly Father restores us with fresh hope, including through His creation. When we feel down, reflecting on His glory and splendor will bolster us. “Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way,” Isaiah encouraged (v. 3). Can a few flowers rekindle our hope? A prophet said yes. So does our hope-giving God.
Patricia Raybon
What is your hope in God today?
Day 12: We Will Not Break
Today’s Scripture: Psalm 37:23–28
Though [we] may stumble, [we] will not fall. -Psalm 37:24
In the early, harrowing days of the global coronavirus pandemic, Dr. Craig Smith (chief of surgery at Columbia University Medical Center) stood at the epicenter of the US outbreak. Every day, Smith posted a note to his hospital colleagues.
In one memo, after outlining their dire reality (the skyrocketing cases, the impending need for ventilators and ICU rooms), he closed with this powerful image: A forest of bamboo bends to the ground in a typhoon but rarely breaks. We are that forest and we must not break.”
There are critical moments—tragedy, heartache, sickness, financial loss, family disintegration, national catastrophe—when we must gather our wits, steady our courage, and refuse to surrender. We face the impossible challenge, and we know that we must not break.
And yet, we also know that if we’re left only to our own strength and resources, we’re doomed.
If we’re to hold fast, we need God to help us. Thankfully, as we surrender our future to God and fix our hope in Him, we discover how “the LORD makes firm [our] steps” (Psalm 37:23). We discover that even though we “may stumble, [we] will not fall, for the LORD upholds [us] with his hand” (v. 24).
Our resilience rests not on our vigor, effectiveness, or tenacity but in knowing that our God is with us. He upholds us. And we trust that in Him we will not break.
Winn Collier
What causes you to stumble and threaten to break? How can you lean into God when you face those challenges?
Day 13: When Joy Comes
Weeping may last through the night, but a shout of joy comes in the morning. -Psalm 30:5 (NASB)
The impact of COVID-19 has been devastating. We all remember day after day of bad news of more COVID cases and more death. The disproportionate impact of COVID-19 deaths in Black and Brown communities exposed preexisting economic and healthcare access disparities. In 2020, Indigenous, Black, and Latino Americans were at least 2.7 times more likely to die than their White neighbors. In these communities, the losses were profound and many who served them were overwhelmed.
Tim, a 29-year-old worship leader at the Bridge Church where I pastor, gave me harrowing firsthand accounts of the tragic reality of the pandemic in the East Flatbush of Brooklyn where he serves as the funeral director at his family’s funeral home.
He told me how most families weren’t prepared to pay for one funeral during the pandemic, but many lost multiple members of their household, sometimes within days. In addition to the sorrow of loss, many mourners expressed to Tim their guilt over their forced absence from the funerals. This was caused by many factors including ten-person funeral maximums, the inability to travel during the pandemic, or their lack of income with the loss of work.
Adding to the crisis was the fact that, in some cases, the loved ones lost were those who provided for the families, leaving not only grief, but also crisis in the present. Tim told me recently that between April and December 2020, his family’s funeral home provided twice the funerals they’d done throughout the entirety of 2019. He also had to turn away dozens of families seeking desperately for a funeral home to bury those they lost. Tim reflected to me, “I lost sleep over that.”
During the pandemic, like never before, many of us have experienced “weeping may last for the night” and for a host of reasons. Whether it was the loss of our loved ones, our livelihoods, or the loss of something else personal to us, all of us lost something. Weeping, lamenting our losses, is not just an outburst of emotion, but an expression of significant loss for those we loved and for life as we knew it. Our lamenting also has come from our inability to know when things will return to normal. When will the morning come? When does mourning turn to morning? “But a shout of joy comes in the morning” (Psalm 30:5 NASB).
Prior to the pandemic, Tim told me he understood “the morning” to be a fixed time in the future when the circumstances that caused weeping would be changed, whether in this life or the one to come. This season has revealed to Tim, and many of us, a deeper meaning in this passage. Tim told me, “God is teaching me endurance. I am learning to have joy in the midst of suffering.” For many of us, any sense of entitlement regarding what we could expect in life has been broken down by the reality that was always there but sometimes hidden: we are not in control. Joy can be defined as a settled state of contentment, confidence, and hope. It often results in praise.
Even when the circumstances don’t change in the morning, God can use our “settled state of hope” to change us in the midst of our circumstances. Tim is seeing this happen even in the midst of people experiencing the worst days of their lives. He shared with me that families who are exiting the funeral home are frequently interacting and even supporting families who are entering, though they don’t know each other. “People are mindful of other people’s sufferings in a way I’ve never seen before.”
In the midst of such loss, Tim and the families he serves have found hope—and so can we! We can be grateful to be alive in a way we may have taken for granted before. We can praise God anew that “He woke me up this morning and started me on my way!” as some folk say. Tim and his family have employed new innovations to help people celebrate their loved ones. Before the pandemic, the only way to pay one’s respect to a lost loved one was to be present at the funeral. For those who could not be present at a funeral, their grief was also accompanied by a deep disappointment. Now Tim and his family offer live streaming for all their funerals. Their innovation has made it possible for more people than ever to celebrate the lives of those they love.
In the midst of the weeping, the “settled state of hope” of joy provides perseverance and possibilities that allow for innovative trust. Even when we don’t know what the future holds, we can experience joy because we know who holds the future. “Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22–23). Each morning God brings us new reasons to praise Him, and new opportunities to trust Him. Morning by morning, new mercies we see. Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes in the morning.
Rasool A. Berry
Day 14: It Pays to Give
Today’s Scripture: Proverbs 11:24–25
Whoever refreshes others will be refreshed. -Proverbs 11: 25
The rent was due, but the landlord’s tenants couldn’t pay. The husband had lost his job and his wife couldn’t find extra work. The COVID-19 pandemic struck, with everyone in their area ordered to stay home. Thus, they all—including the landlord—faced bills. But no one could leave home to earn money.
After praying, however, the landlord waived his tenants’ rent payment. As he said, “Sure, I had bills to pay, too. But I’d hate to see my tenants get sick trying to go out and make money to pay me.” Grateful to God for providing for his own family, the landlord passed on practical love to his tenants.
The result? “Total peace and joy,” the landlord said. “Helping my tenants gave me great contentment.” Even more, “my faith in God has grown,” he said. “When it comes to this year’s bills, I’m no longer worried. The Lord will provide.” The Bible promises such refreshing faith for those who give loving, compassionate help to others. “One person gives freely, yet gains even more,” says Proverbs 11:24. The contrast? “Another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty.”
This life lesson goes against logic. But simply helping others always benefits the giver. “Whoever refreshes others will be refreshed” (v. 25). It’s such a simple Bible principle. But when we reach out to help those in need, as with the landlord, we can find that God provides the faith and provision we truly need.
Patricia Raybon
Who in your life needs your practical, loving help? How would your faith in God grow if you offered your loving help to others?
Day 15: “Yes, But . . .”
Today’s Scripture: Psalm 78:40–55
He settled the tribes of Israel in their homes. -Psalm 78:55
In strange days of “shelter in place,” nationwide quarantines and vaccinations, people are finding creative ways to build community. Now more than ever, online chat sessions have become a place where people can share their hearts. Some are making the helpful suggestion to remember God’s goodness and thank Him for it. Others, however, tend to say, “Yes, but . . .”
Which approach is right? Should we count our blessings? Or recount worst-case scenarios?
God’s songbook, the Psalms, employs both approaches. Many of the psalms are laments. They tell God exactly what is going wrong, often in angry, desperate terms. Other psalms recall the good things God has done without saying “yes, but.”
Psalm 78 occurs in the same section as many of the “lament” psalms, yet it pointedly remembers the great things God has done. Despite Israel’s disobedience, “He brought his people out [of slavery in Egypt] like a flock; he led them like sheep through the wilderness” (v. 52). The psalm recalls how “He guided them safely, so they were unafraid” (v. 53)—even as the sea literally swallowed their enemies. Ultimately, “He settled the tribes of Israel in their homes” (v. 55).
This life remains uncertain. The one constant is God, who promises one day to settle us at home with Him. Accepting this great truth will help us become agents of God’s peace, instead of purveyors of panic.
Tim Gustafson
How do you tend to respond in a crisis, and what effect do you think your response has on others? What laments might you need to share with God today? What can you praise Him for?
Day 16: Praising Through Problems
Today’s Scripture: Job 1:13–22
Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble? -Job 2:10
“It’s cancer.” I wanted to be strong when Mom said those words to me. But I burst into tears. You never want to hear those words even one time. But this was Mom’s third bout with cancer. After a routine mammogram and biopsy, Mom learned that she had a malignant tumor under her arm.
Though Mom was the one with bad news, she had to comfort me. Her response was eye-opening for me: “I know God is always good to me. He’s always faithful.” Even as she faced a difficult surgery, followed up by radiation treatments, Mom was assured of God’s presence and faithfulness.
How like Job. Job lost his children, his wealth, and his health. But after hearing the news, Job 1:20 tells us “he fell to the ground in worship.” When advised to curse God, he said, “Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?” (2:10). What a radical initial response! Though Job later complained, ultimately he accepted that God had never changed. Job knew that God was still with him and that He still cared.
For most of us, praise is not our first response to difficulties. Sometimes the pain of our circumstances is so overwhelming we lash out in fear or anger. But watching Mom’s response reminded me that God is still present, still good. He will help us through hard times.
Linda Washington
Compassionate God, encourage us in our praise.
Day 17: Choose Joy
Today’s Scripture: Psalm 33
The earth is full of his unfailing love. -Psalm 33:5
I was taking yet another walk by myself on yet another day during the COVID-19 quarantine when words written on a driveway caught my attention.
Choose joy. Write down here what you’re thankful for. A container of sidewalk chalk sat nearby. Among others, these answers had been scribbled down by passersby: food, a home, my dad and mom, my dog, candy, and God’s love. The driveway was filled with words of gratitude. Filled with words of gratitude.
The unknown writer of Psalm 33 had a heart like that. In this psalm, he thanks God for His character and “unfailing love” (vv. 4–5), His majesty in creation (vv. 6–7), and His blessing on His people (v. 12). He praises God for His knowledge, His care, and His power (vv. 13–19). The psalmist saw that the earth was full of God’s goodness, and he reminded his fellow Israelites: “He is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name” (vv. 20–21).
Charles Spurgeon wrote about these verses: “Our soul, our life, must hang upon God; we are to trust him . . . with all we have and are.” God gives us many reasons to have a heart like the psalmist’s that’s filled with gratitude. May we trust Him, give Him the praise He deserves, and “shout for joy” (v. 3).
Anne Cetas
What are you shouting for joy about today? Read the psalm again to help get you started.
Day 18: From Wailing to Worship
Today’s Scripture: Psalm 30
You turned my wailing into dancing; you . . . clothed me with joy. -Psalm 30:11
Kim began battling breast cancer in 2013. Four days after her treatment ended, doctors diagnosed her with a progressive lung disease and gave her three to five years to live. She grieved, sobbing prayers as she processed her emotions before God for the first year. By the time I met Kim in 2015, she had surrendered her situation to Him and radiated contagious joy and peace.
Though some days are still hard, God continues to transform her heart-wrenching suffering into a beautiful testimony of hope-filled praise as she encourages others. Even when we’re in dire circumstances, God can turn our wailing into dancing.
Though His healing won’t always look or feel like we’d hoped or expected, we can be confident in God’s ways (Psalm 30:1–3). No matter how tear-stained our path may be, we have countless reasons to praise Him (v. 4). We can rejoice in God, as He secures our confident faith (vv. 5–7).
We can cry out for His mercy (vv. 8–10), celebrating the hope He’s brought to many weeping worshipers.
Only God can transform wails of despair into vibrant joy that doesn't depend on circumstances (vv. 11–12). As our merciful God comforts us in our sorrow, He envelops us in peace and empowers us to extend compassion toward others and ourselves. Our loving and faithful Lord can and does turn our wailing into worship that can lead to heart-deep trust, praise, and maybe even joyful dancing.
Xochitl Dixon
Day 19: My Protection
Most of my adult life has been in service to others. I have found through experience that the best way to serve is with a merry heart and joy. This does not mean I haven’t had unexpected situations to deal with. But I know that I have a spiritual protection system that always centers me in God. As one icon, Harriet Tubman, used to pray: “I’m going to hold steady on You. You’ve got to see me through.” I, too, am holding on to God.
Having had a career in law enforcement for more than twenty years and now serving as a pastor and a police chaplain has given me a unique view on life. I learned that I can serve effectively with my protection system. A merry heart and joy are two of my secret weapons. They keep me smiling even during a storm. I know I will get through the storm because God is with me. A merry heart and joy also help to keep my attitude and thought process focused on God and His goodness instead of whatever situation I Encounter.
Last year and into this one has been an unusual time not only for America but also for the world. I have been ministering to others in everyday struggles, sickness, bereavement, and dismay. I wondered what I could say to law enforcement, to the church congregations, and to the communities that would give them hope. I made a choice: I told them to smile in the midst of the rain. There are forty-three muscles in our face. It only takes seventeen of them to smile and all forty-three to frown. It’s also important to give ourselves time to recuperate, to relax, and to settle down.
So many have been weary, tired, isolated, and afraid. People seem to have received more bad news than good. Many people they’ve known have passed away. At times, it has gotten to the point that people do not know who they are crying over. But when people show up to a funeral, a “homegoing” service, many of them are not present because a person has died. Many are present because the person has lived.
Legendary author Maya Angelou said, “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
The power of laughter from a merry heart filled with joy cannot be relegated to a corner of the room. Laughter has been known to bring blood pressure down and to reduce anxiety and anger. Merriam-Webster defines laughter: “to show emotion with a chuckle or explosive vocal sound.” A merry heart is a gift we can give to each other from the joy that God gives to us.
Sometimes I have shown up to a police command meeting with two homemade cakes. I wasn’t showing up just to talk. I was present to give members of the group a little sweetness to help them make it through the day. As they ate that slice of buttery pound cake, I would begin to share. They would begin to smile. A merry heart is what we can do for one another. We can make that call, send that card of encouragement. Some people feel isolated and alone, and your call can make all the difference in the world.
I knew personally so many people who transitioned from this life in 2020. I’ve chosen to think of the things they said or did to make me laugh or smile. Sometimes, even with tears in my eyes, I can smile because of the memories they’ve left with me. Now joy is not based on circumstance or situation. It’s based on the Word of God. We can face a violent and unpredictable storm, yet relax in our Savior’s strength. In Nehemiah 8:10, the prophet declares, “the joy of the lord is your strength.” When I have joy, I have strength; and when I have strength, I feel better and act better. I praise my God better. I begin to realize that I am more than a conqueror through Him who loves me (see Romans 8:37). We cannot have the strength of the Lord without having the joy of the Lord.
Even in the midst of a pandemic, we can choose to have joy. Everything changes when we make the choice to hold on to joy in the face of despair. When we choose to be joyful in the time of sorrow. When we give God joyful praise, we can experience His presence. My mother always sang this old song to me: “If you want joy, real joy, wonderful joy, let Jesus come into your heart.”
God will see us through. Take your merry heart and the joy of the Lord together with you everywhere you go. It clears out the roadblocks and the negative circumstances along the way.
At the end of church services, I share this anonymous quote: “My faith is dead to doubt, dumb to discouragement, blind to impossibilities, and knows nothing but success.” The real success is in having a merry heart filled with the joy of the Lord.
When I talk to law enforcement or congregations about managing through crisis, I give this example: You are on a plane with a family member that depends on you. The flight attendant begins to give the safety instructions. At one point she states, “In case of an emergency, the oxygen mask above your head will drop down. Put the mask on yourself first before assisting others.”
You cannot help, encourage, or inspire anyone else if you can’t breathe. Let the mask of hope, of a merry heart, and of joy help you to breathe through life so you can help others do the same.
Chaplain Barbara Williams-Harris
Day 20: When One Hurts, All Hurt
Today’s Scripture: 1 Corinthians 12:14–26
If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. -1 Corinthians 12:26
When a coworker called in sick due to extreme pain, everyone at the office was concerned. After a trip to the hospital and a day of bed rest, he returned to work and showed us the source of that pain—a kidney stone. He had asked his doctor to give him the stone as a souvenir. Looking at that stone, I winced in sympathy, remembering the gallstone I had passed years ago.
The pain had been excruciating. Isn’t it interesting that something so small can cause a whole body so much agony?
But in a way, that’s what the apostle Paul alludes to in 1 Corinthians 12:26: “If one part suffers, every part suffers with it.” Throughout chapter 12, Paul used the metaphor of a body to describe Christians around the world. When Paul said, “;God has put the body together” (v. 24), he was referring to the entire body of Christ—all Christians.
We all have different gifts and roles. But since we’re all part of the same body, if one person hurts, we all hurt. When a fellow Christian faces persecution, grief, or trials, we hurt as if we’re experiencing that pain. My coworker’s pain drove him to get the help his body needed. In the body of Christ, someone’s pain ignites our compassion and moves us toward action. We might pray, offer a word of encouragement, or do whatever it takes to aid the healing process. That’s how the body works together.
Linda Washington
Do you need encouraging words today? Do you know someone else who does?
Day 21: Asking God
Today’s Scripture: Psalm 6:4–9
The LORD has heard my cry for mercy; the LORD accepts my prayer. -Psalm 6:9
When my husband, Dan, was diagnosed with cancer, I couldn’t find the “right” way to ask God to heal him. In my limited view, other people in the world had such serious problems—war, famine, poverty, natural disasters. Then one day, during our morning prayer time, I heard my husband humbly ask, “Dear Lord, please heal my disease.”
It was such a simple but heartfelt plea that it reminded me to stop complicating every prayer request, because God perfectly hears our righteous cries for help. As David simply asked, “Turn, LORD, and deliver me; save me because of your unfailing love” (Psalm 6:4).
That’s what David declared during a time of spiritual confusion and despair. His exact situation isn’t explained in this psalm. His honest pleas, however, show deep desire for godly help and restoration. “I am worn out from my groaning,” he wrote (v. 6). Yet, David didn’t let his own limits, including sin, stop him from going to God with his need. Thus, even before God answered, David was able to rejoice, “the LORD has heard my weeping. The LORD has heard my cry for mercy; the LORD accepts my prayer” (vv. 8–9).
Despite our own confusion and uncertainty, God hears and accepts the honest pleas of His children. He’s ready to hear us, especially when we need Him most.
Patricia Raybon
What is your plea?
Day 22: God’s Care Is Rock Solid
Today’s Scripture: Hebrews 13:1–8
The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. -Matthew 7:25
During my four years at college, I found lifelong friends and mentors. But one of my most formative experiences was participating in a historically Black church through the “watch care” program it hosted for students. Being under “watch care” meant I could temporarily enjoy full membership privileges at the congregation during my studies to help me grow in my faith.
That Mississippi church became a haven of wisdom and support to me and many of my classmates. The foundation of love and mentorship I found there reflected many biblical examples of God’s people offering support and encouragement.
For example, when Mary learned she was pregnant with Jesus, she found encouragement through the faith of Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist (Luke 1:39–56). Wife and husband Priscilla and Aquila, who served as spiritual leaders in their community, grew in faith through developing a close relationship with the apostle Paul. They went on to share God’s truth with Apollos (Acts 18:24–26), who went far and wide to teach others the gospel.
What my watch care experience taught me, and what any of our experiences of being sustained and nurtured by fellow Christian believers can offer us, is a reminder that God often extends His care, healing, and guidance through fellow believers (Hebrews 13:1–8). Wherever we are, God is our solid anchor—with us, within us, always watching over us.
Stacy Hawkins Adams
In what ways is God watching over you?
Day 23: Encouraging Words
Today’s Scripture: Proverbs 16:20–24
Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones. -Proverbs 16:24
A recent study has shown that encouraging words from a health-care provider can help patients recuperate faster from their ailments. A simple experiment exposed volunteer study participants to a skin allergen to make them itch and then compared the reactions between those who received assurance from their physician and those who didn’t.
Patients who received encouragement from their doctors had less discomfort and itching than their counterparts. The writer of Proverbs knew how important encouraging words are. “Gracious words” bring “healing to the bones,” he wrote (Proverbs 16:24).
The positive effect of words isn’t limited to our health: when we heed the wisdom of instruction, we’re also more likely to prosper in our efforts (v. 20). So too encouragement buoys us for the challenges we face now and may encounter in the future.
We may not yet fully understand why or even how much wisdom and encouragement bring strength and health to our daily lives. Yet the cheers and guidance of our parents, coaches, and colleagues seem to help us endure difficulty and steer us toward success.
Similarly, the Bible brings us encouragement when we face trials, equipping us to bear up under even the most unthinkable circumstances. Help us, God, to be strengthened by Your wisdom and to, in turn, offer the healing and hope of “gracious words” to those You’ve placed in our lives.
Kirsten Holmberg
What gracious words do you have for the people in your life?
Day 24: Sweet and Bitter
Today’s Scripture: Psalm 119:65–72
You are good, and what you do is good. -Psalm 119:68
Some people like bitter chocolate and some prefer sweet. Ancient Mayans in Central America enjoyed chocolate as a beverage and seasoned it with chili peppers. They liked this “bitter water,” as they called it. Many years later it was introduced in Spain, but the Spaniards preferred chocolate sweet, so they added sugar and honey to counteract its natural bitterness.
Like chocolate, days can be bitter or sweet as well. A seventeenth-century French monk named Brother Lawrence wrote, “If we knew how much [God] loves us, we would always be ready to receive equally . . . from His hand the sweet and the bitter.” Accept the sweet and the bitter equally? This is difficult! What is Brother Lawrence talking about?
The key lies in God’s character. The psalmist said of God, “You are good, and what you do is good” (Psalm 119:68). Mayans also valued bitter chocolate for its healing and medicinal properties. Bitter days have value too. They make us aware of our weaknesses, and they help us depend more on God. The psalmist wrote, “It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees” (v. 71).
Let us embrace life today, with its different flavors—reassured of God’s goodness. Let us say, “You have done many good things for me, LORD, just as you promised” (v. 65 NLT).
Keila Ochoa
Day 25: Through Storm and Famine
Genesis 26:1–22
COVID-19, a disease we’d only heard about on television, became real to us when multiple people began testing positive in our office building a year ago. Our landlord ordered immediate evacuation as “the virus” could travel through the building’s vents. He had heard about the virus’ impact from his father, a physician in Italy, and warned we did not realize how our lives would change as a “storm” was coming with “the virus.”
That began our pandemic journey.
COVID-19 has taken more lives than several wars combined. Many still struggle to breathe on ventilators, others have permanent medical disability from strokes, heart attacks, and chronic lung disease. Many have lost jobs, small businesses, homes, and the ability to celebrate signature life events. Others missed weddings and graduations. Loved ones have suffered and died alone because of “the virus.” My cousin watched her son die on Facetime.
Many churches ceased in-person worship and mutual sharing of life. We have learned how to “shelter in place” and worship, fellowship, pursue education, and work from the sterile environment of cell phones and computers. The emotional and spiritual impact of the pandemic has been an escalating parallel event in this storm. Early in the pandemic, “shelter in place” quickly transitioned from being alone to being lonely. The voice of preexisting marital and family problems amplified as the background noise of other relationships and activities became silent. This isolation led to unhealthy self-soothing behaviors such as binge consumption of food and alcohol. Excessive use of social media became a risk factor for increased rates of fear and anxiety.
The hope for a quick and natural resolution to the pandemic turned into a sense of “fatigue with COVID” when such dreams did not come true. Non-COVID life went on with the racial and political conflicts further focusing us on the problems we face in our communities, even if COVID did not exist. Hope began to evaporate with the slow rollout of vaccines and the appearance of new mutations of “the virus.” Multiple studies have associated COVID-19 with high rates of anxiety, stress, sleep difficulties, obsessive worrying, and depression. In other words, people have been suffering in isolation without the usual guardrails of personal access to family, church, small groups, accountability partners, and friends.
There is a tangible sense of uncertainty as to whether our old way of life will ever come back. There is so much to grieve. I grieve missed times with my grandchildren; two only know me with a mask on. I grieve for my cousin who lost her son to COVID. There is a famine of hope powered by fear and uncertainty about the future. This famine has people fainting alone in the heat of depression and worry. There is not enough water of vaccines to quench our thirst and the heat of the mutating virus is unrelenting. However, this is not the first “famine” that God has led His people through.
In many ways, our pandemic is like Isaac’s famine (Genesis 26). People were uprooted from their homes, lost their agricultural jobs, became ill, and many died. Families separated as people sought food and water. It was devastating. Isaac considered going to Egypt—as his father had done (Genesis 12:10–20). Going to Egypt had been his father’s idea, as Abraham tried to fix the problem on his own, even if it meant engaging in solutions not in God’s plan. After failing in Egypt, Abraham journeyed to an altar that was important in his past relationship with God and worshiped (Genesis 13:4). Abraham needed to remember where and what God had done in his life in the past before the famine and let that instruct him through the disaster.
Isaac confronted his famine differently. God appeared to him, and Isaac recognized God was speaking to him. Isaac had practiced spending time alone seeking the face of God before the famine, and so he was in a spiritual position to hear from God when the famine occurred. Isaac had learned how to be alone with God. The pandemic can be an opportunity to shelter in prayer, in the Word, in worship, and in gratitude as we remember what God has done and is doing in our lives (Psalm 43:5; Philippians 4:4–7; Colossians 4:2).
Isaac was specifically told not to go to Egypt. To not engage in behaviors that he knew were not from God. Many people around us today are “going to Egypt” with binge drinking, eating, shopping, smoking, social media, and more. Isaac was told to stay temporarily with King Abimelech in the land of the Philistines. The king would prove to be a friend and protector of Isaac, even when he made similar mistakes with Abimelech as Abraham had done with Pharaoh. Isaac was not perfect in handling his famine, but God directed him to a resource, Abimelech, that would be there for him.
Who and what has God placed in our lives during this pandemic? How has God provided resources for us in our past famines of suffering and trials? Perhaps it was inspirational music or literature, having a prayer partner, memorizing Scripture, journaling about what God has done in your life, or being the Abimelech for someone else (Galatians 6:2, 9–10). Like Abraham, we may need to return to that altar of worship where we met God in a time before the pandemic. God promised Isaac, “I will be with you” before addressing that He would meet his physical needs. It is more critical to know we aren’t alone in a time of crisis.
Finally, Isaac had to manage what he could manage. He had to dig wells. He could not just pray about water; he had something to do. We have things to do: wash our hands, wear a mask, and socially distance. We may have prescribed medications to take and virtual doctor visits to keep to prevent ending up in emergency rooms for avoidable medical problems. We can protect our thought life and fill it actively with positivity (Philippians 4:8). We can act to stay connected through phone or video platforms or safe in-person meetings.
We can dig our wells, but we need to assume that other problems in life will occur, like Philistines stealing the wells that we’ve dug. I am sure that some of Isaac’s men carried signs that said, “Our Wells Matter” and were tired of digging new ones. Famines tend to highlight problems that may have been there before the famine. Some storms in life will be pandemic-related. Some will not. But He has promised to never leave us or forsake us no matter the problem, level of isolation, degree of grief, or lack of certainty about the future (Hebrews 13:5). There is a famine in the land, but there is a balm in Gilead (Jeremiah 8:22) and a well that cannot be stolen or run dry (John 4:13–14).
Michael R. Lyles M.D.