In 2021, Star Trek actor William Shatner enjoyed the opportunity to be catapulted into space in a rocket capsule. When he later reflected on the voyage, he said everything he had expected about the experience was wrong. He’d anticipated the vastness of space would give him a deep sense of connection to all living things, but instead he felt grief: he found the darkness of space cold and empty which distilled in him a new awareness of earth’s beauty and fragility.

Not many people have ventured into space to have such an experience firsthand. The Bible’s account of God’s creative work in the cosmos invites us to see it through His eyes. God’s first recorded actions were to create “the heavens and the earth” bringing order to what was “formless and empty” and “[separating] the light from the darkness” (Genesis 1:1-2, 4). The rest of the creation account unfolds all the good things God brought into being, including vegetation, creatures, and, ultimately, His image bearers—humans.

While the entirety of creation—even the darkest, farthest reaches of space—reveals God’s power and might, we’ve been given special insight into His work right here on earth. The beauty that surrounds us beckons us to worship the One who made it all.

One of my daughter’s most vivid childhood memories is the day her dad taught her to ride a bike without training wheels. At one point in their outing, my husband balanced his feet on the hubs of her rear wheel (while she kept hers on the pedals and they shared the handlebars) so they could coast down a small, gently sloping section together. She remembers her dad laughing with joy—a sharp contrast to her own fearful experience of the moment. The ride was so short that the entire episode happened too quickly for him to stop and empathize with her. As they reminisce about the incident today, my husband’s gentle response to her recollection is to reassure her that he knew everything would be okay.

Their story is an apt metaphor for the moments when we too experience fear in life. The “hills” might look big and scary from our vantage point and the risk of being hurt can seem very real. Yet Scripture assures us that because “the Lord is with [us],” we don’t need to “be afraid” (Psalm 118:6). Though human help may fail us, He’s a trustworthy refuge when we feel overwhelmed by our struggles (vv. 8-9).

God is our “helper” (v. 7), which means we can trust Him to care for us during life’s most trying and fearful moments. Despite any falls, scars, and pain we might endure, His saving presence is our “strength” and “defense” (v. 14).  

Traffic came to a halt, but I had no idea why. There were few cars on the road, and I could see no obvious reason to be stopped. And then, suddenly—to my great surprise and delight—thousands of sheep emerged and crossed the freeway. As a newcomer to Idaho, I wasn’t yet familiar with the annual migration of the sheep into the Boise foothills each spring. Local ranchers escort their flocks into the foothills where they graze on the native grasses over the summer.

Because I’d only lived in urban and suburban areas throughout my life, the sight was something of a spectacle to me. Yet sheep were a regular part of living in the days of Ezekiel (and much of the Bible’s recorded history). The prophet drew on something familiar to the people—sheep and shepherding—to convey God’s message to them (i.e. of comfort and hope). 

Ezekiel offered words of comfort and hope to the Israelites, telling them that despite the years of hardship in Babylon—the consequence of their recurrent rebellion against God—He’d one day restore them to “their own land” (Ezekiel 34:13). God would then, like a shepherd, “tend them in a good pasture,” and they would “lie down in good grazing land” (v. 14).

God shows similar care for His people. We can trust Him, our Shepherd, to lead us forward through life—though we may feel “scattered” like sheep in the midst of difficulties—toward good pastures (vv. 12–14).

When Diana’s vision began to deteriorate, she grew concerned. She’d also been having trouble thinking and kept repeating herself. Her symptoms caused doctors to believe it wasn’t a problem with her eyes but something in her brain. They learned she had a large tumor in her brain that needed to be removed. Diana was concerned that the surgery would impair her ability to sing—something she’s passionate about and shares with her family. So her surgeon did something incredible and kept her awake for the pain-free surgery, asking her to sing during the procedure so he’d know he’d preserved that part of her neurological circuitry. The two even recorded a duet during the operation.

Like Diana, King David—who penned many of the Bible’s psalms—was passionate about singing. He often sang to God in both lament and joy. When he was delivered from his enemies, he acknowledged that it was God who set him “free from [his] enemies” (2 Samuel 22:49). Because of God’s good works, David declared, “I will praise you, Lord, among the nations; I will sing the praises of your name” (v. 50).

God continues to be at work in the world and in each of our lives, delivering us from the malady that plagues us all: sin. May we, like David, set our hearts on singing God’s praises for all He’s done.

When Neil Douglas boarded his flight to Ireland, he was met with quite a surprise. He discovered his seat was occupied by another passenger, so he began a conversation to sort out the discrepancy. When the passenger looked up to answer, Neil was face to face with his lookalike! Onlooking passengers laughed at the men’s resemblance while the two took a selfie. The coincidences didn’t end there: they ran into each other again when checking into the same hotel and a third time at a local pub. The next morning, they discovered their selfie had gone viral on social media due to their striking facial similarities.

Bearing a resemblance to another human being is a surprise for those of us without a biological twin, but the Bible says we’ll begin to look more like God as we follow Him. In the Old Testament, Moses’ countenance was changed by his face-to-face encounter with God—so much so that “the Israelites could not look steadily at [his face] because of its glory” (2 Corinthians 3:18; see Exodus 34:33-35).

Today, we see the glory of Jesus revealed in the Bible and through it “we . . . are being transformed into his image” (v. 18) by the Spirit. Though our physical appearance may not be changed in an observable way, our growing knowledge of and love for God results in an unmistakable transformation. When God “makes over” our hearts and minds, it’s visible to our fellow travelers in this journey of life.

As an elementary school teacher, my friend often escorted her students to various other classrooms for subjects such as music or art. When asked to line up to make their way to another room, the fifth-grade students would jockey for position, some scrambling for the coveted spot at the head of the line. One day, Jenni surprised them by having everyone turn around and lead them from what had been—just seconds before—the end of the line. Their shock was audible, “Whaaattt??”

When Jesus observed similar jockeying for position at a dinner table, He responded by telling a parable that undoubtedly surprised His fellow guests. Using a story about a wedding feast, He instructed them to “not take the place of honor” but instead “take the lowest place” (Luke 14:8–10). Christ confounded their social norms by saying that “those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted” (v. 11).

This kingdom principle can be a difficult one to adapt, especially because our human temptation will be to still focus on “winning” somehow—choosing the last position now so we’ll be first later. But Jesus urges us to follow His example and look to Him for help in reorienting our thinking to see being humble, last, and lowly as truly being in the place of honor.

In 2014, residents of a village in Norway erected a traffic sign that encouraged people crossing the street to do so in a silly manner. The intent was to bring a few moments of humor—for “silly walkers” and onlookers alike—to brighten one another’s days. These brief glimpses of silliness were a momentary encouragement to downcast spirits.

The Bible acknowledges that we’ll have seasons of difficulty and hardship, causing us to feel demoralized and sad. The book of Lamentations and many Psalms give voice to such pain. Yet the Scriptures also point us to what can bring us lasting joy in all circumstances: the presence of the Lord. David penned the words of Psalm 16 with an eye to an eternal future with God. Those of us alive today—after the death and resurrection of Jesus—know God’s presence even now through the Holy Spirit.

Though they may only last a short time, humor and levity can lift our spirits in times of difficulty. However, to experience the lasting joy that sustains us through the most painful seasons of our lives, we must “take refuge” in God who counsels and instructs us (vv. 1, 7). He’ll never abandon us; instead He’ll “make known to [us] the path of life” and “fill [us] with joy” (vv. 10–11). 

Rose Turner, a fashion psychologist at the London College of Fashion, studies the impact clothing has on how people think, how they behave, and even how clothes affect their mood. As the closest thing to our bodies, clothing forms a type of “second skin” and girds us for whatever the day might hold. For example, donning professional attire can “help with motivation and concentration” at work, and wearing vintage pieces with sentimental value can bring comfort during stressful situations.

This psychological phenomenon offers an insight into Isaiah’s prophetic words about Jesus’ sacrificial act. He records the future deliverance of the Jews from their captivity in Babylon, assuring them they would one day “rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated” in their absence (Isaiah 61:4). In that day, they would wear “a robe of his righteousness” (v. 10).

Isaiah’s prophecy was fulfilled first in the nation’s return to Jerusalem and then fully when “God made [Jesus] . . . sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). Righteousness describes our right relationship with God when we trust in Christ’s sacrifice. God doesn’t see someone outfitted in shame or disgrace because of our sin; instead, He sees us clothed in Jesus’ enduring righteousness—a “second skin” that girds us with joy today and for eternity.

Running coach Jeff Galloway, a former Olympian, teaches a marathon training protocol that has a counterintuitive component to it. New and experienced marathoners are often surprised to learn that he advocates a “run/walk” strategy: alternating running for a set number of minutes with short periods of walking. The premise behind his approach is that the brief interludes of walking enable the body to recuperate briefly, equipping runners to finish their races faster than if they had run all 26.2 miles straight through.

The importance of intervals of rest isn’t limited to running. Rest helps us sustain the lengthy effort life requires. It’s something God addresses throughout the Bible, starting in the book of Exodus. In the Old Testament, the rhythms of rest were modeled after God’s work at the time of creation: to labor for six days and then keep “the seventh day [as] a sabbath to the Lord your God” (Exodus 20:10) because God “made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day” (v. 11).

As believers in Jesus, there’s no definitive prescription for how often we’re to rest (Romans 14:5–6; Colossians 2:16–17). Rest—whenever and however we enjoy it—is meant to be restorative. Choosing to rest is also an expression of trust in God who’s faithful to supply our needs; we needn’t (and can’t) run forever.

Patty spent the afternoon on the banks of a local river, using her fishing pole to cast bait into the water. Having only recently moved to the area, she wasn’t hoping to land fish; she was angling for some new friends. Her line wasn’t baited with worms or any other traditional lure. Instead, she used her heavy-duty sturgeon rod to extend packets of cookies to people who were floating down the river in rafts on a hot summer day. She used this creative way to meet her new neighbors, who all seemed to enjoy the sweet treat!

Patty went “fishing for friends” in a much more literal way than Jesus intended when He invited Peter and Andrew to walk with Him through life. The two brothers were hardworking fishermen, casting their nets into the Sea of Galilee. Jesus interrupted their labors with a call to follow Him, saying He would send them out to “fish for people” instead of fish (Matthew 4:19). He made the same invitation to two other fishermen, James and John, shortly thereafter. They all left their nets and boats immediately to journey with Jesus.

Like the fishermen who became His first disciples, Jesus invites us to follow Him and focus our attention on eternal matters: the spiritual lives of those with whom we interact. We can offer those around us what really satisfies—the enduring hope of life with Jesus (John 4:13–14).