A husband had a habit of grumbling about the food his wife prepared for meals. He would grumble, then offer a prayer of thanksgiving. His pattern of grumbling then thanking was the same every day.
One day his young daughter asked, “Dad, does God hear our prayers?”
“Why yes,” the father replied.
The daughter continued, “Does God hear everything else we say?”
“Of course,” the dad said. He was bubbling with pride because he had inspired his child to ask spiritual questions.
His pride quickly turned to embarrassment and humility when the daughter asked, “Well, which one does he believe: your grumbling or thanksgiving?”
Blessings can come in all shapes and sizes, and Psalm 136 encourages us to give thanks to the Lord for all that he has done for us.
Verses 1-3 say, “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His faithful love endures forever. Give thanks to the God of gods. His faithful love endures forever. Give thanks to the Lord of lords. His faithful love endures forever.”
The Psalmist gives us some reasons to give thanks.
Give thanks for the mighty miracles God performs.
Give thanks for the beautiful creation surrounding us.
Give thanks to him for the freedom he brings.
Give thanks to him for the provisions he provides.
Give thanks to him for his past actions.
Give thanks to him for his present grace.
Give thanks to him for his grace and love. We are reminded 26 times the Lord’s faithful love endures forever.
With current events, it is easy to forget how many times we have been blessed, yet there is much for which we can be thankful.
Helen Keller said, “So much has been given to me that I have no time to ponder that which I don’t have.” There are many reasons we have to be grateful. Take time today to thank God for 10 of your blessings.
Pip: Welcome to Get Encouraged — where the storms are real, the foundation is solid, and someone has already looked up the relevant Scripture.
Mara: Chris Miller has been writing this week about what keeps people going when life gets hard — resilience through setbacks, peace and kindness in community, and what it means to stand firm when the ground shifts. Let's start with the question of how we face challenges and keep moving forward.
Resilience Through Setbacks
Mara: The thread running through these posts is a simple but serious one: what do you do when you're stuck between a rock and a hard place, or when past mistakes keep pulling you backward?
Pip: "Finding Hope Amid Life's Challenges" reaches for a verse that answers that directly. The setup is God's provision being bigger than personal convenience, and the quote from 2 Corinthians lands it: "God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work."
Mara: So the upshot is that provision isn't just comfort — it's functional. It frees you to focus on the work in front of you rather than scrambling to survive the moment.
Pip: "Press On: Finding Hope Beyond Past Mistakes" pushes that forward — literally. Paul's framing in Philippians 3 is almost athletic: forget what's behind, fix your eyes on what's ahead, run toward the prize. The post breaks that into concrete steps: start the day with gratitude, learn from mistakes without living in them, take one small step forward.
Mara: And "Overcoming Setbacks: Believe in God's Presence" anchors it with Thomas Edison — whose factory burned to the ground in 1914, and who looked at the wreckage and said, "We can start over anew. All of our mistakes are burned up."
Pip: That's either extraordinary faith or extraordinary denial. The post argues it's faith — grounded in the promise from Matthew 28:20 that Jesus is present "always, even to the very end of the age."
Mara: All three posts land on the same practical move: refuse to let failure or the past define your next step. God goes ahead of you into tomorrow before you arrive there.
Pip: Which raises the question of how we treat each other while we're all stumbling forward together.
Peace and Kindness in Community
Mara: This segment is about what community looks like when it's actually working — and what quietly corrodes it.
Pip: "Seeing the Heart: A Call to Grace and Acceptance" goes to Galatians 3 for the foundation: "There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus."
Mara: What that means in practice is that the only deciding factor for belonging is acceptance — God looks at the heart, and the post challenges us to do the same with one another.
Pip: And then "Loose Lips Sink Ships" arrives to explain exactly how fast we can undermine that. Gossip, the post notes, can erode confidence and ruin reputations in minutes. The WWII slogan is apt: loose lips sink ships — and communities.
Mara: "Finding True Peace Amid Life's Noise" ties it together — peace isn't found by escaping the noise, but by trusting the One greater than it. Bring everything to God in prayer, and the calm follows.
Pip: From how we speak about each other to where we stand when the ground shakes.
Standing Firm in Storms
Mara: "Building a Firm Foundation in Stormy Times" is direct about the moment we're in: storms are coming from every direction, and the question is what your foundation is made of.
Pip: Solomon puts it plainly in Proverbs 10:25: "When the storms of life come, the wicked are whirled away, but the Godly have a lasting foundation."
Mara: The post points to Jesus's parable of the two builders — one who skipped the digging, one who didn't. The storm treated them very differently. The foundation isn't decoration; it's what's left when everything else is tested.
Pip: Press on, look at the heart, and dig before the storm arrives — not a bad week's worth of reminders.
Mara: Next time, we'll see what else is waiting at Get Encouraged. Keep coming back.
Columnist Deborah Mathis has written about her observations during a particular trip through Union Station in Washington D.C. There was a great deal of movement and noise. Announcements blaring, security guards shouting directions, horns honking, people moving in all directions, and a traveler singing What a Friend We Have in Jesus.
“What a friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear;
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer.”
Slowly a change came over the noisy crowd. The voice continued:
“O what peace we often forfeit,
O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer.”
As the traveler sang, the hubbub of the station was replaced with a calm peace. A man in front of Mathis commented that he was not a Christian, but the peace was nice. Amid current events and all the noise of the world around us, many people are searching for peace. There are a number of places and products promising peace, but it seems those spots only leave the searcher longing for more and wondering if there really is true peace.
The Bible teaches there is true peace, and it comes in trusting the Lord.
Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.”
We read in Philippians 4:6-7, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”
When we trust the Lord, he brings us peace just like he did on a stormy, scary night for a few of his first followers. The night started with Jesus and his disciples beginning the journey across a lake. As they were crossing, a fierce storm came up. The boat was rocked as it began to fill with water. Mark’s Gospel says, “Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion. The disciples woke him up, shouting, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to drown?” When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Silence! Be still!” Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm.”
The calmness was once again interrupted on the other side of the lake. Jesus and the disciples were met by a man possessed by a legion of demons. This man had not had peace for a long time, and his presence probably created a scary situation for the disciples. Jesus, though, had control of the situation. He ordered the demons out of the man and into a herd of pigs, which went dashing over a cliff into the lake. Calm and peace were once again restored.
No matter the source of the hubbub, Jesus is in control. The same Lord who calmed a storm and cast out demons can give us a perfect peace. Isaiah 26:3 promises, “You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!”
Peace is not found in escaping the noise of life but in trusting the One who is greater than it. Today, the storms may look different for us. They may come through financial stress, broken relationships, health struggles, uncertainty about the future, or the constant stream of troubling news surrounding us. Yet the invitation remains the same: bring everything to God in prayer and fix your thoughts on Him.
Instead of carrying every burden alone, pause throughout the day to pray, read His Word, and remind yourself that Jesus is still in control. The same Savior who calmed the wind and waves can calm anxious hearts today. When we choose to trust Him in the middle of life’s hubbub, He gives a peace the world cannot offer and circumstances cannot take away.
Pip: Get Encouraged is a site that does exactly what it says on the label — which, in a media landscape built on outrage, is either quaint or quietly radical.
Mara: Chris Miller has been writing this week about some genuinely old questions: how we live alongside people who are different from us, what we do when we fail, and whether Scripture can actually hold up as a guide through all of it.
Pip: Let's start with harmony and what it actually costs to pursue it.
Living Together on Purpose
Mara: The tension here is real: harmony sounds like a nice idea, but the posts push on what it actually requires — not agreement, but a deliberate choice to pursue unity across difference.
Pip: David puts it in Psalm 133, and the image is striking. The quote reads: "How wonderful and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony. For harmony is as precious as the anointing oil that was poured over Aaron's head."
Mara: So harmony isn't passive — it's described as something precious, even sacred. The practical upshot is that it requires effort: listening first, seeking understanding over winning, choosing to forgive.
Pip: The Power of a Servant's Heart lands in the same territory — Jesus redefining greatness as service, which is basically harmony's operating system. Both posts are asking the same uncomfortable question: are you contributing to unity or quietly working against it?
Mara: And that question about what we're building toward connects directly to failure — because pursuing harmony or servant leadership means you will stumble.
When Stumbling Is Part the Story
Mara: The posts here sit with a question most of us avoid: what do failure and fulfillment actually have to do with each other?
Pip: Overcoming Failure: Lessons from History's Successes opens the answer with a list — Babe Ruth, Robert Frost, Winston Churchill, Oprah — and then lands on Max Lucado: "Though you've failed, God does not. Face your failures with faith and God's goodness."
Mara: That's the turn. Failure is not the end of the story; it's a data point inside a longer one. The Psalmist in 37:23-24 puts it plainly: "Though they stumble, they never fall for the Lord holds them by the hand."
Pip: What I find useful about that framing is it doesn't minimize the stumble. It just refuses to let the stumble write the conclusion.
Mara: Finding True Fulfillment: Lessons from Solomon takes the other side of that coin. Solomon had everything — wisdom, wealth, influence — and still ran the experiment on every path life could offer.
Pip: And the experiment came back negative. Pleasure, accomplishment, possessions — meaningless, he says, unless the Lord remained central. That's not a small conclusion from someone who actually had the resources to test the premise.
Mara: Ecclesiastes 12:13 is where he lands: "Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone's duty." What the post draws out is that this is actually freeing — you don't have to keep chasing things that were never designed to satisfy.
Pip: Which is a more useful reframe than it sounds. If Solomon already ran the trial, you don't have to replicate it.
Mara: Both posts are making the same underlying argument: the thing you're afraid of — failure, or the emptiness after success — doesn't have to be the final word.
Pip: And if the conclusion is that Scripture anchors you through both, that's exactly where the next set of posts picks up.
Scripture as a Compass, Not a Relic
Mara: The question these posts press on is whether God's Word is actually functional — not just historically significant, but useful today, in real decisions.
Pip: Unlocking Wisdom: The Benefits of God's Word from Psalm 119 makes the case directly. Verse 105: "Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path."
Mara: The practical point is that a lamp only helps if it's on. Navigating Life's Storms with God's Word makes that concrete through Shackleton's Antarctic expedition — a crew navigating 800 miles of open ocean using only a compass and a sextant, and Scripture functioning the same way through uncertainty. Building Life on a Foundation You Can Trust grounds all of it in Psalm 111: fear of the Lord is the foundation of true wisdom, and that wisdom is expressed through obedience, not just knowledge.
Pip: Three posts, one consistent claim — the Word isn't decorative. It's load-bearing.
Mara: Harmony, failure, fulfillment, wisdom — these posts keep returning to the same underlying question: what are you actually building on?
Pip: And whether the foundation holds. More on that next time.
Have you ever noticed how easy it is to find reasons to disagree and how difficult it can be to live in harmony?
Every day we are surrounded by division. Social media, politics, cultural differences, and personal preferences often seem to highlight what separates us rather than what unites us. Yet Scripture reminds us that harmony is not only possible—it is beautiful.
The worshipers of the Lord in David’s day had many differences. They came from different regions, belonged to different tribes, and included people from various backgrounds. They did not all look alike, think alike, or share the same life experiences. Yet they had common ground. They were united in their worship of God.
Several times each year, they traveled to Jerusalem to celebrate the feasts of the Lord. As they journeyed together up the mountain roads, they sang and recited the Psalms. One of those songs was Psalm 133.
David wrote, “How wonderful and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony. For harmony is as precious as the anointing oil that was poured over Aaron’s head, that ran down his beard, and onto the border of his robe. Harmony is as refreshing as the dew from Mount Hermon, that falls on the mountains of Zion, and there the Lord has pronounced his blessing, even life everlasting.”
David describes harmony as something precious, refreshing, and life-giving. It brings joy to those who experience it and reflects God’s design for His people. Harmony does not mean everyone agrees on everything. Rather, it means people choose unity, love, and peace despite their differences.
The same is true today. Geography, race, ethnicity, economics, personality, and countless other factors may distinguish us from our neighbors, but we share common ground. God’s grace is available to all. On the night of Jesus’ birth, the angel announced to the shepherds, “I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.”
God does not reserve salvation for a select few. The invitation of the gospel extends to everyone. Because of that, Scripture repeatedly calls us to pursue unity and live in harmony with one another.
Of course, harmony does not happen accidentally. It requires effort. It means listening before speaking. It means seeking understanding rather than winning arguments. It means showing kindness when it would be easier to respond with frustration. It means being willing to forgive, to extend grace, and to pursue peace whenever possible.
What might this look like today?
• Reach out to someone with whom you’ve had a disagreement and seek reconciliation. • Listen carefully to another person’s perspective before responding. • Choose encouraging words instead of critical ones. • Look for what you have in common with others rather than focusing only on differences. • Pray for God to help you become a peacemaker in your home, workplace, church, and community.
Psalm 133 reminds us that the Lord blesses harmony. In a world often marked by division, followers of Christ have an opportunity to demonstrate something different.
A Challenge for Today.
Take a moment to ask yourself, “Am I contributing to harmony or division?” Then look for one practical way to bring peace, encouragement, and unity to someone around you. The Lord delights in harmony, and His blessing follows those who pursue it.
It has happened to us all. No one likes it, and it is not one of life’s enjoyable experiences. It hurts, it is painful, and it is a part of everyone’s life. It is failure.
One stumble does not break or define a person. Some of history’s most successful people have experienced the agony of failure.
Babe Ruth held the record for the most strike outs, and struck out multiple times in a World Series game. Yet, look at his overall record.
Robert Frost was rejected by a magazine stating there was no place for his poetry.
An English teacher wrote on Winston Churchill’s report card that he did not have much potential for success.
Oprah was fired from a Chicago TV station. She went on.
You and I can insert our failures here.
Max Lucado says, “Though you’ve failed, God does not. Face your failures with faith and God’s goodness.”
“The Lord directs the steps of the Godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they never fall for the Lord holds them by the hand,” remarks the Psalmist in 37:23-24.
Proverbs 24:16 says, “The Godly may trip seven times, but they will get up again. But one disaster is enough to overthrow the wicked.”
Failures will come, but the Lord will help us overcome those failures and move on with life. Remember amid failure, the Lord is with you.
What would happen if you had access to wisdom for every decision, hope for every difficult season, encouragement for every discouragement, and guidance for every step of life?
According to Psalm 119, we do.
Psalm 119 is the longest chapter in the Bible, and its central theme is the value and importance of God’s Word. Throughout the chapter, the psalmist repeatedly expresses his love for Scripture and describes the many ways it transforms his life. Far more than an ancient collection of writings, God’s Word provides the guidance, comfort, hope, and wisdom we need each day. As we hide God’s Word in our hearts, we discover countless blessings. Here are just a few of the benefits Psalm 119 highlights.
1. God’s Word gives us wise advice.
Psalm 119:24 says, “Your laws please me; they give me wise advice.” There’s advice on every topic.
2. God’s Word encourages us.
When we are in need of encouragement, it seems the Bible has just the right words for the moment.
Psalm 119:50 says, “Your promise revives me. It comforts me in all my troubles.”
3. God’s Word gives us hope.
Psalm 119:43 says, “Do not snatch your word of truth from me, for your regulations are my only hope.”
Psalm 119:49 says, “Remember your promise to me. It is my only hope.”
4. God’s Word is trustworthy.
Psalm 119:86 says, “All your commands are trustworthy.”
The promises we find in God’s Word can be trusted. The shepherds on the night of Jesus’ birth can serve as an example for us. According to Luke 2, the shepherds trusted the angel’s word and went to find Jesus. They found the baby, his mother, and everything just as the angel had said it would be. God’s Word is trustworthy.
5. God’s Word is eternal.
Verse 89 reminds us God’s Word stands firm in Heaven. When everything else is gone and nothing else can be considered secure, we can count on the words and promises of the Lord.
6. God’s Word provides wisdom.
In Psalm 119, the Psalmist states the word of the Lord gives him wisdom. We find guidance for every part of life in the Scriptures.
7. God’s Word offers guidance.
Verse 105 says, “Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.” As we walk through life, God’s Word can guide us. We should think of it like a flashlight at night. A flashlight guides our path and lights up what is right in front of us. If we turn it off, there is a chance we will run into something. If we do not allow God’s Word to guide us, there is a chance we will run into a pitfall in life.
8. God’s Word is a treasure for us.
Psalm 119:111 says, “Your laws are my treasure, they are my heart’s delight.” God’s Word is the most valuable thing we can possess. It is more valuable than gold or silver.
Verse 162 says, “I rejoice in your word like one who has found a great treasure.”
9. God’s Word can bring justice.
The Psalmist reminds us following God’s Word brings justice to all.
Hiding God’s Word in our hearts has many benefits. May we echo the desire of the Psalmist in always keeping God’s Word close to us using it as the compass to guide our lives.
In 1914, Ernest Shackleton and a team of explorers set out from England to do something no one before had accomplished, cross Antarctica from one side to the other across the South Pole. Disaster struck when the team’s ship became entrapped in ice and the hull was eventually crushed. The ship sank, and the team was marooned on nearby Elephant Island. There seemed little hope for their survival.
In a desperate attempt to get help, Ernest and 5 others set out in a 20-foot lifeboat across some of the most dangerous and storm filled waters in the world. It was an 800-mile journey to South Georgia Island where help could be found. For 15 days, the men battled the treacherous seas and massive storms with waves up to 100-feet using only a compass and a sextant. Frank Worsley, who had captained the Endurance, navigated their course until they safely reached land and found help.
The group found another ship and returned to rescue all of the team. Shackleton became a national hero in England for his courage and persistence.
All of us will go through stormy times in life. The uncertainties of tomorrow are many. The level of misinformation we see on a daily basis is extremely high. In these moments, Psalm 119:11 suggests we store up God’s Word to guide us.
The Psalmist says, “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” In other words, the Psalmist says, “I have stored up God’s Word so I know the difference between right and wrong and true and false.”
The only way to ensure that we do not go astray is to have an objective source of truth that will guide us just as a compass can guide sailors through dark and uncharted waters. God’s Word can guide us through uncertain and difficult circumstances. We need to trust God’s Word over everything else. Our feelings and emotions can lead us astray, but Scripture can guide us.
The challenge for today is begin storing God’s Word in our hearts. Choose one verse and commit it to memory. Throughout the day, whenever you encounter uncertainty, frustration, or a difficult decision, pause and repeat that verse to yourself. Allow God’s Word to function like Frank Worsley’s compass and sextant, helping you navigate life’s storms with confidence and direction.
Just as Shackleton’s crew depended on reliable instruments to cross dangerous waters safely, we need a trustworthy guide to navigate the challenges of life. Circumstances change, emotions fluctuate, and human opinions often conflict. But God’s Word remains steady. The more we store it in our hearts, the better prepared we will be to recognize truth, resist temptation, and follow the path God has set before us.
Every builder knows the foundation matters. A beautiful house may look impressive from the outside, but if its foundation is weak, cracks will eventually appear. The same is true of our lives. The decisions we make, the values we hold, and the direction we choose all need a foundation strong enough to withstand life’s challenges. Scripture tells us that foundation is found in true wisdom.
As David neared the end of his life, he placed Solomon on the throne as Israel’s next king. David’s final charge to his son was simple yet profound: observe all of the Lord’s commands. According to David, this is where success is found. In following the Lord, Solomon would discover true wisdom and the stability that comes with it.
Psalm 111:10 says, “Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true wisdom. All who obey his commandments will grow in wisdom.” This wisdom is not merely knowledge or intelligence. It is a way of living that is rooted in a relationship with God and expressed through obedience to Him.
Psalm 111 reflects on the many ways God has proven Himself faithful:
Verse 4 reminds us that the Lord is gracious and merciful.
Verse 5 tells us He provides for our needs.
Verse 6 recalls His power at work on behalf of His people.
Verse 9 points us to the ransom He has paid for us. Jesus echoed this truth in Mark 10 when He said, “For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and give his life as a ransom for many.”
Verse 9 also reminds us that God has guaranteed His covenant with us.
The psalmist then declares, “All he has done is just and good, and all his commandments are trustworthy. They are forever true, to be obeyed faithfully and with integrity” (Psalm 111:7-8).
Justice, goodness, and trustworthiness are found in true wisdom because they are found in God Himself. When we build our lives on His wisdom, we are building on a foundation that will never fail.
So how can we live this out today?
Start by spending a few moments each morning acknowledging God and seeking His guidance. True wisdom begins with a reverent awareness of who He is. Before making decisions, ask yourself whether your choice aligns with what God has already revealed in His Word. Wisdom grows through obedience, not simply through gaining more information.
Take time to reflect on God’s faithfulness in your life. Consider keeping a journal of answered prayers, unexpected provisions, and moments when God carried you through difficult circumstances. Looking back often strengthens our trust moving forward.
Practice integrity in your daily interactions. Be honest in your conversations, fair in your dealings, and willing to do what is right even when it is inconvenient. If God’s works are just and good, those qualities should become evident in our lives as well.
When worries arise, choose trust over control. Bring your concerns to the Lord in prayer and place them in His hands. The God who has faithfully guided His people throughout history is still guiding His people today.
Finally, make it a habit to notice God’s goodness. At the end of the day, reflect on a few ways you saw His provision, mercy, or faithfulness. The more we recognize His hand at work, the more confident we become in His wisdom.
Take a moment today to reflect on how the Lord has proven Himself. Not only throughout history, but also in your own life. How has His justice, goodness, and trustworthiness shown up in your story? As you remember His faithfulness, your trust in Him will grow. And as your trust grows, you’ll find yourself building more and more of your life on the solid foundation of true wisdom.
Get Encouraged is the kind of site that meets you in the cave before it hands you the canteen — and this week, Chris Miller brought both.
The posts this week move through some real human territory — rebuilding trust after betrayal, finding peace and strength when life feels unstable, and what it means to stop for someone who needs help.
Let’s start with the hardest one first — what it actually takes to trust again after you’ve been hurt.
Trust Rebuilds on an Unshakable Foundation
The post on rebuilding trust after heartbreak opens with a direct question: how do you trust again when the pain runs deep — whether from a relationship, a friendship, or even the church?
And the answer it lands on isn’t “try harder with people.” It points somewhere else entirely. The post quotes Isaiah 26:4 directly: “Trust in the LORD always, for the LORD GOD is the eternal Rock.”
That verse does real work in the piece. The argument is that human beings — even well-meaning ones — can disappoint, abandon, or break their promises. God’s character, by contrast, is not determined by what others do. He remains faithful regardless.
So trusting God isn’t a workaround for trusting people. It’s a different category of foundation altogether.
Right. And the post is careful to say this isn’t about pretending the hurt never happened. Choosing forgiveness is named as one practical step — not to excuse wrongdoing, but to free your own heart from carrying bitterness forward.
That distinction matters more than it might sound. Now, if trust is the foundation, the next question is what you build on top of it — peace, strength, and hope when life won’t hold still.
Peace, Strength, and Hope When Nothing Holds Still
“Finding Hope in Hopeless Moments” opens with the Psalmist in Psalm 77 asking raw, honest questions — and the post quotes them in full: “Has the Lord rejected me forever? Will he never again be kind to me? Is his unfailing love gone forever? Have his promises permanently failed?”
That’s not polished Sunday-morning language. Those are the questions people carry quietly.
Exactly — and the post names that directly. The turning point comes in verse 11: “But then I recall all you have done, O LORD.” The Psalmist doesn’t find hope by feeling better. He finds it by remembering — God’s deeds, His character, His power. The post even suggests keeping a written record of moments when God provided or guided, to revisit during hard seasons.
Memory as a spiritual practice. That’s less abstract than it sounds.
“When Life is Uncertain, Where Do You Find Peace and Strength?” builds on the same ground. It draws from Psalm 29:11 — “The Lord gives his people strength. The Lord blesses them with peace” — and anchors that promise in who is making it: the God who commands storms and spoke creation into existence.
The comfort is proportional to the source. A promise from someone powerless doesn’t carry much weight.
“An Unstable Life” follows David through seasons of running — from Saul, then from his own son’s rebellion — and shows how his confidence wasn’t rooted in stable circumstances but in the conviction that God still reigns. And “Tell Yourself the Truth” brings in George Washington Carver, who credited God for every discovery and said he’d be helpless without Him — as a frame for how honest self-talk grounded in Scripture can quiet fear without denying it.
All four posts are essentially asking the same question from different angles: where do you put your weight when the ground moves? Which brings us somewhere more outward-facing — not just what steadies you, but what you do for someone else who’s been knocked down.
Remembering Who Stopped — and Whether You Will
“Who Will Stop?” works through the parable of the Good Samaritan, and it opens the question from an unexpected angle — not “who is my neighbor” but whether you’ve ever been the wounded man on the road.
Which reframes the whole thing. You’re not just evaluating your generosity; you’re remembering what it felt like to need someone to stop.
The post puts it plainly: “A neighbor is anyone whose need crosses your path.” It traces the priest and the Levite — both of whom had reasons to keep moving — and names the Samaritan’s response as costly compassion, not convenient compassion. He used his own resources, stayed involved, and promised to return.
The post also reaches into history — Franz Stigler escorting a damaged enemy bomber to safety, Richard Kirkland carrying water to wounded soldiers on the opposite side at Fredericksburg. Mercy interrupting what hatred expects.
And the piece closes with a small story: a little girl who sat beside a man on the sidewalk and held his hand. When her father asked what she did, she said, “I helped him feel less alone.” That’s the scale most of it actually operates at.
“There’s Something Powerful about Remembering” connects this outward attention to Memorial Day — drawing on Joshua 4, where stones carried from the Jordan River became a memorial so future generations could ask what they meant. Remembering sacrifice, the post argues, is itself a biblical instinct: it keeps gratitude alive and reminds us we didn’t arrive where we are on our own.
Romans 13:7 ties it together: “Give to each one what you owe. If honor, give honor. If respect, give respect.” Stopping for someone, honoring someone — both are forms of the same refusal to look away.
Trust, peace, memory, mercy — it’s a pretty complete map of what it takes to stay human when things get hard.
And all of it starts with honesty — about the hurt, the fear, and the people on the road in front of you. More of that next time.
Get Encouraged 