We’ll be patient with a picture that looks like it came from a 1950s Hollywood set because of the beautiful truths it seeks to convey.

Both women knew God was at work. And isn’t that what we all want?

Yielding to God’s call almost always leads to difficulty, if not hardship and heartache. Mary’s story is a prime example.

The fact that the Samaritan overcame a longstanding religious and cultural divide makes his actions more than generous; he demonstrated remarkable grace. And the fact that the traveler‘s suffering was his own fault magnifies the Samaritan’s mercy even more.

Most of us can relate to the man who didn’t have what he needed most. All of us can thank God for filling the gap through the goodness of others.

Jesus tells us what the Surfside architects surely knew: Buildings constructed on rock will stand; those built on sand won’t.

He described something more than religious observance and offered something better than habits for a well-ordered life.

“Thank you, Lord, for staying with us through each storm, even when we wonder if it will overwhelm us.”

He was pretty satisfied with himself, with all he had done, and all he had avoided doing. But he hadn’t given God his heart, and I wonder: Have I?

Children everywhere are suffering, and Jesus cares. He cares not only about them but also about the adults in our care becoming more childlike month by month.

The second in a series of devotions for October. “Here’s What Jesus Does.”  He reminds us of God’s care.

Here’s hope for caregivers who feel oppressed—and a challenge for those who love them.

Look closely and you’ll find encouragement for caregivers in this well-known account of Jesus’ conversation with a Samaritan woman.

It’s good for us to read this story again, to wonder at its depth as well as its simplicity, and to think what it means for ourselves as well as those in our care.

Maybe I’ve never prayed so long because I never faced a decision as large as the one Jesus was anticipating.

It’s so easy to become accustomed to the ordinary. And when God intervenes, we hardly know how to respond.

Scripture tells us he “in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15). Frankly, I find that difficult to grasp.

Here we see the humility, the deity, and the example of Jesus. Ultimately, it’s a story to bring us hope.

Which part of Nehemiah’s pattern would you do well to imitate first?

Will we be as faithful as they were now that we’re living with trial every day?