Philippians 4:4-9 | Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

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?

Devotional from YouVersion Bible App – Our Daily Bread: Light in a Pandemic
Contact Pastor Rod Lindemann at RodL@TimothyLutheran.com on how to use the Bible App for additional readings and topics.
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Matthew 25:31-46 |  “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’  “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’  “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’  “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’ “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’  “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’  “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

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?

Devotional from YouVersion Bible App – Our Daily Bread: Light in a Pandemic
Contact Pastor Rod Lindemann at RodL@TimothyLutheran.com on how to use the Bible App for additional readings and topics.
We would like to thank Our Daily Bread for providing this plan. For more information, please visit: https://odb.org/

Psalms 73:16-28 | When I tried to understand all this, it troubled me deeply till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny. Surely you place them on slippery ground; you cast them down to ruin. How suddenly are they destroyed, completely swept away by terrors! They are like a dream when one awakes; when you arise, Lord, you will despise them as fantasies. When my heart was grieved and my spirit embittered, I was senseless and ignorant; I was a brute beast before you. Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory. Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Those who are far from you will perish; you destroy all who are unfaithful to you. But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds.

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.

Devotional from YouVersion Bible App – Our Daily Bread: Light in a Pandemic
Contact Pastor Rod Lindemann at RodL@TimothyLutheran.com on how to use the Bible App for additional readings and topics.
We would like to thank Our Daily Bread for providing this plan. For more information, please visit: https://odb.org/

2 Samuel 5:17-21 | When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over Israel, they went up in full force to search for him, but David heard about it and went down to the stronghold. Now the Philistines had come and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim; so David inquired of the Lord, “Shall I go and attack the Philistines? Will you deliver them into my hands?” The Lordanswered him, “Go, for I will surely deliver the Philistines into your hands.” So David went to Baal Perazim, and there he defeated them. He said, “As waters break out, the Lordhas broken out against my enemies before me.” So that place was called Baal Perazim. Baal Perazim means the lord who breaks out. The Philistines abandoned their idols there, and David and his men carried them off.

Isaiah 55:18-19 | 8“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. 9“As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

In 2 Samuel 5, there is a short but beautiful story of God delivering his people from a huge army. There are many stories like this throughout the Bible, but I like this one, in particular, because it highlights a new name for God.

David exclaims in 2 Samuel 5:20, “The Lord has broken through my enemies before me like a breaking flood. Therefore the name of that place is called Baal-perazim. (which means, Lord of the Breakthrough).”

I love this because it helps me to realize that it is not just God’s actions, but also his character that I can depend on. God’s nature and his heart never change, even if his actions aren’t always predictable.

God’s ways are higher than ours. But the fight of faith isn’t about twisting God’s arm so he will perform a specific outcome for us. Faith is so much deeper than our external circumstances. The battle we face every day is to trust God’s heart and believe for the impossible.

We are always going to need breakthrough in our lives. Jesus told us, “In this world you will have trouble.” (John 16:33). Our fight, the trials, and the hardships will continue as long as we are on this side of glory. But until that day, we can hold on to the promise given by Jesus in the last part of the previous verse, “But take heart I have overcome the world.”

So when the mountains loom large in front of you, I pray that your faith will stir you and you will believe for more. I hope you will never forget what God has done and never forget who he is.

Breakthrough isn’t just something God does, it is who he is!

“Then I will say unto my soul, ‘Don’t be discouraged; don’t be disturbed, for I fully expect my Savior-God to break through for me.’ Then I will have plenty of reasons to praise him all over again.” (Psalm 43:5 TPT).

Devotional from YouVersion Bible App
Contact Pastor Rod Lindemann at RodL@TimothyLutheran.com on how to use the Bible App for additional readings and topics.
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1 Peter 5:8 | Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

Psalm 50:15 | and call on me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me.”

Sometimes the ache in your heart nags at you and reminds you of what you used to have. You push yourself past your painful circumstances, but some nights you fall asleep with tears running down your face; hiding from others because you have had to be strong for so long.

God whispers his love letter in your ears and reminds you to trust who he is. He is the God who showed the moon where to hide until evening. The one who made the walls fall with a shout. The God who turned the sea into a highway. The one who blanketed the morning grass with bread from the heavenly storehouse. He is the God who heals, raises the dead to life, and holds time in his mighty hands.

That is the God you serve.

Sometimes the field you are standing in seems so vast and wide and your assignment in this season seems so long. You wonder how much longer you can smile and keep going. But just know that the obstacles you have been encountering are making you stronger.

In the lonely moments, remind yourself that God is faithful and his love is everlasting. No person can fill your empty soul, only Jesus can do that. The devil will also whisper in your ear telling you that you don’t matter, no one cares, and that God doesn’t see you—but he is a liar.

The enemy will attack you, but it is time to fight back, not back down, and don’t give in. Remember who you are, who you serve, and how big our God is.

I know your skin is burning from the flame of this trial. Try and embrace the process of being gold that needs refined by the fire. Before you know it, the valley becomes the mountain, the storm becomes a sprinkle, and the dark of night is replaced by the light of the sun.

Hold on, your deliverance is coming!

Devotional from YouVersion Bible App
Contact Pastor Rod Lindemann at RodL@TimothyLutheran.com on how to use the Bible App for additional readings and topics.
We would like to thank Between the Gardens for providing this plan. For more information, please visit: http://susieoneal.org