Time has a way of slipping by when we’re not paying attention. One moment it’s morning, and the next, we’re turning out the lights, wondering where the day went. Our days move quickly, and our weeks pass with lightning speed. Time has a way of marching on whether or not we like it. Since we can’t stop time, the Bible offers encouragement for the swiftness of its passing.
Psalm 90reminds us life is short. This is a truth we don’t like to think about, but rather than causing fear, this truth should inspire purpose.
Moses prays, “Teach us to number our days…” He’s not just talking about keeping a calendar or setting reminders on our phones. He’s asking the Lord to help us live intentionally, to value each day as a gift, and to approach life with wisdom that only comes from God. We spend so much of our lives waiting for the “next thing.” The next season, next break, next achievement, but in the process, we can overlook the moment we’re in right now. This is why there is power in numbering our days.
Numbering our days means recognizing that this day is worth something. Today has purpose, potential, and today matters.
Numbering our days means we learn to say “yes” to what truly counts. We become more patient with our loved ones, generous with our time, and grateful for the little blessings.
Numbering our days means we stop living on autopilot and start walking in the kind of wisdom that brings peace and perspective.
Psalm 90:12 is a simple verse, but it carries a powerful reminder. Life is a gift, and wisdom is found when we make the most of the time we’ve been given.
So today, let’s ask the Lord to help us number our days—not to count down, but to count up—to live with purpose, to love deeply, and to walk wisely.
Pip: Get Encouraged lives up to its name this week — storms, fish, and a holiday cookout all end up pointing somewhere eternal.
Mara: Chris Miller has been writing about hope that holds under pressure, the surprising shapes divine answers can take, and the freedom that outlasts any fireworks display. Let's start with what it actually looks like to find hope in the middle of a trial.
Hope That Holds When Everything Else Doesn't
Pip: The question running through this whole segment is whether hope is just a feeling we conjure when things are going okay, or whether it's something that reaches into the worst moments — hospital rooms, doctor's offices, the dark quiet of a car after bad news.
Mara: The post "Still Offering Hope" opens with a story that makes the case without arguing it. A teacher visits a severely burned boy to help with a grammar assignment, leaves feeling she accomplished nothing, and then hears from a nurse the next day: "I don't know what you did yesterday, but the patient's outlook has completely changed. He is fighting back and responding to treatment."
Pip: She showed up to teach nouns and adverbs, and what she actually delivered was proof that someone thought he was worth teaching — that he had a future worth preparing for.
Mara: That's exactly the connection the post draws. The boy later explained: "They wouldn't send a teacher to work on homework with a dying boy, would they?" The act itself was the message. And the post ties that directly to Isaiah 1:18, where God says, "Come now, let us settle the matter — though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow."
Pip: God showing up is itself the signal that the situation isn't terminal.
Mara: "Finding Strength in Stormy Times" builds on that with Isaiah 43, which is careful about one word: when. Not if you pass through the waters — when. Hardship is assumed. What changes is who's in it with you.
Pip: And "The One Hope that Never Changes" names the contrast plainly — friends, politicians, savings accounts, all limited. One source isn't.
Mara: Romans 15:13 is the anchor there: God is called "the God of hope." The post draws a straight line from that title to what it means practically — light into dark places, peace into anxious hearts, purpose into painful seasons.
Pip: "Finding Hope in Life's Storms" leans on David for the same argument. A man who knew betrayal and loss firsthand wrote Psalm 18:30 anyway: "God's way is perfect. All the Lord's promises prove true. He is a shield for all who look to him for protection."
Mara: And "Healing the Brokenhearted" zeroes in on Psalm 147:3 — "He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds." The post is careful to note this isn't always fast. But slow doesn't mean uncertain.
Pip: That's the thread across all of it — the answer may not look like relief, but it is presence. Which, it turns out, is exactly the setup for the next theme.
When God's Answer Arrives Unrecognizable
Pip: Jonah prayed to survive the sea, and God sent a fish. That's the shape of this segment — provision that doesn't look like provision.
Mara: Jonah 1:17 puts it plainly: "Now the Lord had arranged for a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was inside the fish for three days and three nights."
Pip: Smelly, dark, and entirely not what he asked for — and also the only reason he lived.
Mara: The post "When Answers Come in Unlikely Packages" asks directly whether we grumble at the unusual rescue or thank God for it. That same story also gets explored in the podcast episode "A Great Fish was Provided," for anyone who'd rather listen than read. The question underneath both: what if the thing that looks like a setback is actually the lifeboat?
Pip: Freedom, it turns out, can arrive in similarly unexpected wrapping — which is where we're headed next.
The Freedom That Outlasts the Fireworks
Pip: July Fourth is the frame, but "Finding Lasting Freedom Through Christ This July 4th" is after something bigger than a holiday — the kind of freedom that doesn't depend on geography or government.
Mara: Galatians 5:1 is the spine of it: "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." The post walks through what that means practically — leaving guilt with Jesus, choosing faith over fear, extending grace outward.
Pip: Celebrate the cookout, enjoy the fireworks, and then remember what the empty tomb actually secured.
Mara: John 8:36 closes it: "So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed." That's not a circumstantial freedom. It's a permanent one.
Pip: Hope in trials, answers in disguise, freedom that holds — the throughline is the same God showing up in forms we didn't expect.
Mara: Same territory next time, most likely. There's always more ground to cover when the subject is encouragement that actually holds.
Have you ever found yourself holding the pieces of a broken heart? Maybe it was the unexpected news, relationship that ended, job that slipped away, or deep loss that left a silence in your soul. Life has a way of hitting hard sometimes. In those moments, Psalm 147:3 offers a quiet, steady hope.
“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.”
This is a reminder God is not distant from our pain. He doesn’t just see it, but he steps into it with us. He’s not afraid of the mess, questions, or tears. In fact, he leans in when we feel like falling apart. While others might offer quick fixes or empty words, God offers healing.
Notice the personal touch in this verse. He heals. He binds. This isn’t rushed or careless. It’s deliberate and tender. When our hearts are shattered, the Lord doesn’t ignore the broken pieces. He gathers them, holds us close, and starts the slow, loving work of restoration.
It doesn’t always happen overnight. Sometimes healing takes time. But just because it’s slow doesn’t mean it isn’t sure. The God who created the stars (Psalm 147:4) is the same God who cares deeply about your wounds. He’s big enough to run the universe, yet close enough to care about what’s hurting you right now.
If today feels heavy, or your heart feels bruised, remember, you are not alone or forgotten. The Lord is near, even when you can’t feel His presence. He is patiently working in ways you may not yet see, taking every broken piece and shaping it into something beautiful.
Whatever wound you’re carrying today, don’t give up. Bring it to the one who promises to heal the brokenhearted. Trust him with your pain, questions, and tears. The same God who placed every star in the sky knows your name, sees every hurt, and will be faithful to complete the work he has begun in you.
Your heart may be broken today, but it won’t stay that way forever. The Lord is still healing, still restoring, and still making all things new.
One phone call, doctor’s appointment, or unexpected conversation is all it takes for life to change direction.
No one plans for the storms that interrupt our lives, yet everyone will face them. Dreams can be delayed, relationships strained, and carefully made plans suddenly fall apart. When life feels uncertain, we need something that doesn’t change.
David understood that feeling. His life was marked by betrayal, loss, danger, and even the consequences of his own failures. Yet when he looked back over his journey, he saw something remarkable: through every victory and every setback, God had remained faithful. That is why David could confidently write in Psalm 18:30, “God’s way is perfect. All the Lord’s promises prove true. He is a shield for all who look to him for protection.”
Here are three encouraging truths from Psalm 18:30.
God’s way is the best way.
It may not always seem like the best approach, but if God is leading, he will always take the best way. He will always make arrangements for things to work out. Remember, he arranged for a great fish to swallow Jonah and help him travel to where God wanted him. The provision may come in an unexpected way, but the Lord will always provide.
God’s promises prove true.
The Lord keeps his promises. He has never made a promise he does not intend to keep. On the night of Jesus’ birth, the shepherds found everything the way they were told it would be. The Bible records many instances of the Lord sending someone on a journey with a promise, and the individual found the promise to be true.
You and I have been made promises by the Lord, and we will find each of them to be true.
God is a shield of protection.
God offers us protection.
Psalm 18 says, “For who is God except the Lord? Who but our God is a solid rock? God arms me with strength, and he makes my way perfect.”
Whatever storm you may be facing today, remember that the same God who guided David is guiding you. His way is still perfect, promises are still true, and protection has not failed.
You may not understand everything he is doing today, but one day you’ll be able to look back and see His faithfulness woven through every chapter of your story.
So keep trusting. Keep praying. Keep taking the next step of obedience. The storm may rage around you, but your God remains your solid rock, your faithful guide, and your sure refuge.
Hold tightly to the promises of Psalm 18:30. They have stood the test of time, and they will hold you steady today.
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Pip: If you have ever wondered whether God is paying attention, Get Encouraged has been quietly making the case that He is — and that He tends to show up in the least convenient, most unexpected ways possible.
Mara: Chris Miller has been writing about exactly that — what it looks like to trust God through hard seasons, and how Scripture frames hope and provision when circumstances say otherwise. Let's start with the harder question: what does trusting God actually cost you?
Trusting God In Hard Seasons
Pip: The posts in this segment sit with a real tension — what do you do when you have prayed, waited, and obeyed, and the situation still has not moved?
Mara: "How God Shows Up When We Least Expect It" frames the starting point clearly: "The Lord is not confined to a church building or a Sunday morning worship service. He is present in our everyday lives, working through ordinary people and ordinary moments."
Pip: Which means the expectation is the problem. If you are waiting for a dramatic sign, you may be missing the encouraging text or the timely conversation that was already the answer.
Mara: "Is Trusting God Worth It?" pushes that further with Romans 10:11 — "Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced." The post is careful to note what Paul does not promise: smooth circumstances, answered prayers on schedule, or a life exempt from difficulty.
Pip: So the promise is not comfort on demand. It is more like a guarantee against ultimate humiliation — which is a different thing entirely.
Mara: Right, and "Understanding Life's Delays" makes the preparation argument. Moses appears as the central example — palace, desert, wilderness, then leadership — each phase shaping him for the next. The post asks readers to consider that today's entry-level moment may be building toward something they cannot yet see.
Pip: "Finding Hope When Dreams Seem Lost" anchors that in Abraham, who kept hoping, the post notes, even when there was no reason for hope — triple digits in age, a promise that looked humanly impossible.
Mara: And "Finding Victory in Overwhelming Times" brings Romans 8:37-39 in as the load-bearing verse — "overwhelming victory is ours through Christ" — even when nothing in the circumstances has changed yet.
Pip: Five different angles, one consistent claim: the delay is not abandonment.
Mara: That theme of provision showing up despite impossible odds runs straight into the next set of posts.
Hope And Provision In Scripture
Mara: The question here is whether provision is something God does in principle or something He actually does when the numbers do not add up.
Pip: "A Flask of Olive Oil was Enough" answers that with a story from 2 Kings — a widow, no resources, and a prophet's instruction to start filling borrowed jars. The text reads: "Soon every container was filled to the rim. 'Bring me another jar,' she said to one of her sons. 'There aren't any more,' he told her, and the olive oil stopped flowing."
Mara: So the supply matched exactly the capacity she had prepared for — not more, not less. The post draws a direct line to present circumstances: the Lord can provide when bank balances seem low.
Pip: "The Good News You Need to Hear Today" widens the frame — recent medical breakthroughs, answered prayers, restored relationships — and quotes James 1:17: "Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father." The argument is that good news is constant; we have just stopped noticing it. There is also a podcast episode on Naaman's seventh dip in the Jordan — same patience-and-obedience logic, different story.
Mara: The throughline is that provision rarely announces itself. You have to be paying attention.
Pip: Whether it is a widow's oil, a delayed dream, or a promise that has not arrived yet — the posture is the same: keep the eyes open.
If you’ve spent much time watching the news lately, you know that discouraging stories seem to come one after another. Conflict, tragedy, and uncertainty often dominate the headlines, making it easy to believe there’s not much to celebrate.
In fact, followers of Christ have reason to celebrate every day because the Lord is continually at work. James writes, “Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father…” (James 1:17).
Every answered prayer, every restored relationship, every encouraging phone call, every healing, every act of kindness, and every peaceful moment with the people we love is evidence of God’s goodness.
The problem is that these moments rarely become national headlines.
The evening news won’t tell you about the parent who finally found peace after months of anxiety. It probably won’t report on the marriage that was restored, the neighbor who quietly met someone’s need, or the person who discovered hope in Christ. Yet these are the kinds of miracles God performs every single day.
Sometimes we’ve become so accustomed to hearing bad news that we stop noticing the good.
Today, take a few moments to reflect on the blessings God has placed in your own life. Think about the prayers he has answered. Remember how he has carried you through difficult seasons. Celebrate the people he has given you. Thank him for His faithfulness.
The headlines never tell the whole story.
God is still healing, providing, answering prayer, changing lives, and he is still writing stories of hope. This includes yours.
As the psalmist says, “Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me” (Psalm 103:2).
Today, don’t let the world’s bad news drown out the good news of God’s faithfulness.
Thanks for reading, and consider subscribing for daily encouragement.
Pip: Welcome to Get Encouraged — where the parking lot is a moral classroom and the waiting room has a psalm on the wall.
Mara: Chris Miller's recent posts cover three stretches of territory: choosing kindness in everyday moments, finding strength while waiting on God, and the courage it takes to step into new roles and new seasons.
Pip: Real ground, all of it. Let's start with those everyday moments of kindness — and what we actually do when the choice is right in front of us.
Choosing Kindness in Everyday Moments
Mara: Every day drops small decisions in our path — the stranger at the intersection, the difficult person in line — and the question is simply how we respond.
Pip: The post "Choosing Kindness: A Lesson from the Parking Lot" sets it up plainly, drawing from Psalm 37: "Trust in the Lord and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper."
Mara: The upshot is that faith isn't just interior — it's the thing that drives the response. You may not know the full story behind someone's need, but the directive stays the same: do good.
Pip: And the post doesn't leave it abstract. A man outside a Bob Evans was holding a sign asking for food money. They gave him enough for a meal. Small act, clear principle.
Mara: That same territory — who actually stops to help — gets explored in the podcast episode "Who Will Stop? Encouragement from the Good Samaritan," which draws the same thread through the parable. The question isn't whether the need is legitimate. It's whether we're willing to be the one who stops.
Pip: Kindness as a daily practice is one thing. But what about the seasons when doing good means mostly waiting?
Waiting, Trusting, and Finding Strength
Mara: Waiting is the frame here — not passive resignation, but an active choice to trust when the timeline isn't yours.
Pip: "Finding Strength in Waiting" reaches for Psalm 27:14 directly: "Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord."
Mara: What this means in practice is that courage and waiting aren't opposites. The post argues the greatest act of courage is sometimes choosing not to charge ahead on your own.
Pip: "Waiting with Faith: Biblical Encouragement for Life's Delays" makes the same case from Isaiah 64:4 — that God works specifically for those who wait. And "Overcoming Exhaustion: Trusting God's Strength" addresses what happens when the waiting drains you — Isaiah's promise that those who trust the Lord will find renewed strength.
Mara: Waiting and courage turn out to be the same muscle. Which connects directly to what courage looks like when life asks you to step into something new.
Courage, Change, and the Shape of Fatherhood
Mara: This segment sits at the intersection of courage and family — what it looks like to step into a role you didn't expect, or a season you didn't plan.
Pip: "Celebrating All Types of Dads This Father's Day" makes the case directly: "Fatherhood is far more than biology. It is sacrifice. It is patience. It is showing up day after day."
Mara: The stakes there are real. The post honors stepdads, foster dads, adoptive dads — men who chose fatherhood through love rather than circumstance. Psalm 68:5 frames it as a reflection of how God himself cares for the fatherless.
Pip: "Lessons on Fatherhood from Joseph's Story" fills that out with a specific example — Joseph's response to an impossible situation was compassion first, then obedience, then quiet consistency. Loud isn't the same as faithful.
Mara: And "Embrace New Adventures with Courage" pulls it wider — any new role, any unfamiliar threshold. The call is the same: be strong and courageous, because God goes before you.
Pip: Courage as a posture, not a feeling. That's the thread running through all of it.
Mara: Kindness in small moments, strength in long seasons, courage at new thresholds — it's a practical map for ordinary days.
Pip: And apparently, a Bob Evans parking lot is as good a place as any to start. More soon.
God often shows up in the places we least expect. For someone who has hit rock bottom, He may work through a person who takes the time to listen and offer hope. For a struggling parent, He may provide encouragement through a friend’s timely advice. For a husband or wife who feels like giving up on their marriage, He may speak through an older couple who has walked the same road and reminds them not to lose heart. We never really know where God will reveal Himself.
The Lord is not confined to a church building or a Sunday morning worship service. He is present in our everyday lives, working through ordinary people and ordinary moments. He promises to be with us wherever we go. Psalm 138:8 says, “The Lord will work out his plans for my life. For your faithful love, O Lord, endures forever. Don’t abandon me, for you made me.”
Today, slow down enough to notice His presence. Before you rush into your day, ask God to open your eyes to the ways He is working around you. Pay attention to the unexpected conversation, the encouraging text message, the opportunity to help someone, or the moment of peace in the middle of a busy schedule. Those seemingly ordinary moments may be God’s way of reminding you that He is near.
You never know when—or through whom—the Lord will show up. Keep your eyes open, your heart attentive, and your hands ready to join Him in what He is already doing.
Thanks for reading, and consider subscribing for daily encouragement.
We pulled into the Bob Evans parking lot, and our daughter noticed a gentleman standing between the parking lot and street. He was holding a sign at the intersection of two busy roads. She read the sign and asked if we could give him some money. His sign was requesting money for food.
How were we going to respond to his request?
We didn’t know the man, but we were faced with a choice. This is just one example of an everyday occurrence; each day we are given the choice of how to respond to various situations. Whether it is the guy in the parking lot with a sign or the lady in front of us in line, we have to choose how to interact. We have to decide how to respond to that driver who cut us off in traffic or that grouchy person who bumped into us on the bus. Each day brings a new set of opportunities needing our response, and Psalm 37 gives us a pattern to follow.
Verse 3 says, “Trust in the Lord and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper.”
The Psalmist encourages us to use these opportunities to do good. As we trust in the Lord, we should allow our faith to drive us to doing what is right even if others are doing what is wrong. We should allow our faith to guide us to do what is good. We may not know every detail of each situation, but the Lord does. When these opportunities come, our response should always be to do good.
As for the guy in the Bob Evans parking lot, we didn’t know his situation. All we knew is he was holding a sign asking for help, so we gave him enough money for a meal. He said thank you, and we went on our way. We’ll probably never cross paths again, but I hope by our doing good, the man at least saw a glimpse of Christ’s grace.
Life often feels like standing at the edge of the unknown. A new job, a difficult diagnosis, a growing family, an unexpected setback, or a door God is opening can all leave us wondering what comes next. In those moments, courage isn’t the absence of fear. It’s choosing to trust God even when we can’t see the entire picture.
Psalm 27:14 says, “Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.”
Notice that David connects courage with waiting on God. We often think courage means charging ahead on our own. We imagine it looks like having all the answers, making bold decisions, and never hesitating.
Sometimes, though, the greatest act of courage is choosing to wait.
Waiting on God means:
Trusting God’s timing, even when His schedule doesn’t match ours.
Following God’s direction instead of rushing ahead with our own plans.
Depending on God’s strength when we realize our own isn’t enough.
Waiting isn’t passive. It’s an active expression of faith. Every day we choose to trust God, obey His Word, and remain faithful, we’re demonstrating the kind of courage David describes.
Today, take the next step God has placed in front of you. You don’t need to have every answer. You don’t need to see the entire path. You simply need to trust the One who does.
The God who has faithfully carried you through every season of your life will not stop now. Be strong. Take heart. Wait on the Lord. He is with you every step of the way, and He is faithful to lead you exactly where you need to go.
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