such things. Philippians 4:8

Lap after lap, Katie Ledecky was in a familiar spot during the 1500-meter freestyle race at the 2024 Paris Olympics. For some fifteen minutes, she was far ahead of the rest of the swimmers and alone with her thoughts. What was Ledecky thinking about during the long race? In an interview conducted immediately following her gold-medal-winning performance in which she set a new Olympic record, Ledecky said she was thinking about her training partners and saying their names in her head.

Distance swimmers aren’t the only ones who need to focus their minds on the right things. We as believers in Jesus also need to guard our thoughts throughout our faith journey.

The apostle Paul encouraged the Philippian church to “rejoice in the Lord,” not be “anxious about anything, but pray about everything (Philippians 4:4, 6). The result? “The peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (v. 7). Jesus, the Prince of Peace, helps put our worries and troubles in perspective.

Paul also encouraged believers: “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” (v. 8).

As we go about our day, let’s be aware of our thoughts. When we see God’s hand in our life, we can count our blessings and worship Him.

After I took a genealogy test a few years ago, I became curious about my ancestors. I’m grateful I got to hear stories about a few relatives from my late father and from my mother. Hearing about my ancestors helps me feel connected to my family’s roots (all the way back to one great-great-grandfather) and helps me to learn from their experiences.

When it comes to our spiritual roots, what a gift that Jesus’ earthly genealogy is recorded in Matthew 1:1-17 and Luke 3:23-38. Jesus’ genealogy establishes that He is the Messiah and a direct descendant of Abraham.

As we read Jesus’ genealogy, we see God’s faithfulness in keeping His promise to Abraham to make him the father of many nations (Genesis 17:1-8). Two thousand years after that promise was fulfilled, the apostle Matthew wrote, “This is the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah the son of David, the son of Abraham” (Matthew 1:1).

As we study the stories in the Bible about Jesus’ ancestors, the genealogy list comes to life. We see the names of royalty such as King David and ordinary people such as a carpenter named Joseph. And Matthew includes five women: Tamar, Bathsheba (Uriah’s wife), Rahab, and Ruth (who some scholars believe were all gentiles) and Mary.

Whether or not we know much about our biological ancestors, we can—because we’re part of God’s family—learn about our spiritual ancestors throughout the Bible. We gain courage from seeing how faithful God was to them.

Over the years, I’ve encouraged and prayed for many battling loneliness for various reasons: nursing home residents whose family members don’t visit, the widow who spends her days outside so as not to be alone in her empty house, ministry leaders who don’t have anyone to confide in, and homeless people who feel ignored and alone.

Loneliness can strike anyone at any time. Isolating during the pandemic unfortunately, only compounded those feelings of loneliness for many. The US Surgeon General released an advisory in May 2023 alerting the public about the epidemic of loneliness. About half of U.S. adults say they’ve experienced loneliness, which can be as deadly as smoking a dozen cigarettes daily, according to the advisory.  

When Moses was getting ready to pass the torch to his successor Joshua, he wanted to make sure the Israelites knew they wouldn’t be facing any battles alone as they entered the promised land: “Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you” (Deuteronomy 31:6). He also reminded their new leader, Joshua, that “the Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you” (v. 8).

And he concluded with words that can encourage us today. “Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged” (v. 8).

When we’re facing loneliness, let’s take comfort in knowing that God will never leave or forsake us.

When the navigation app suggested a route that would cut almost an hour off their drive from Las Vegas to Los Angeles, Shelby Easler and her brother followed the alternate directions. However, the “short cut” led them along a dirt path for hours that left them stranded in California’s Mojave Desert during a dust storm. They were able to reverse course, but they eventually had to be towed because of all the damage to their car from the rough terrain. The app developer apologized to the numerous travelers who followed those wrong directions.

It’s important who we rely on for guidance. As believers in Jesus, we’ve been given the Holy Spirt to lead and direct us in matters of truth.

When Jesus knew that He’d soon die and be taken from His disciples, He assured them He wouldn’t leave them stranded. He urged His disciples to obey His commands and spoke of the promised Holy Spirit, or the Spirit of truth, who would be with them forever and live inside of them (John 14:15-17). “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you” (v. 26).

Let’s continue to follow the Holy Spirit’s prompting as we go throughout our day. We know He’ll never lead us astray.

On my walk to catch the train to work a few years ago, I saw a woman with a ferocious looking dog heading toward me. I grew up around pet dogs, so I’m usually not afraid of furry friends, but this one looked menacing. As the dog got closer, he barked at me. I tried to laugh it off. But then he lunged at me, so I screamed. Thankfully, the dog couldn’t harm me because he couldn’t reach me. His owner held on tightly to his leash.

That scary encounter reminded me that as believers in Jesus, Satan is also “on a leash” but waiting to attack if we give him the opportunity. In 1 Peter, the apostle Peter warns us, “Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (v. 8). He growls and snarls and lunges at us to try to scare and intimidate us and to paralyze us with fear, but we can stand firm in our faith and resist him (v. 9).

When you feel the enemy taunting or tempting you, remember this: he’s no match for Jesus. We can cry out to Him and He’ll help us. He “will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast” (v. 10).

When we’re under spiritual attack, we can choose faith over fear because Jesus is always with us.

About seven hundred emperor penguins in West Antarctica, only six months old, huddled together at the edge of a towering icy cliff fifty feet above the frigid water. Finally, one penguin leaned forward and took “a leap of faith,” diving into the icy water below and swimming away. Soon scores of penguins took the plunge.

Young penguins typically jump just a couple of feet into the water for their first swim. This group’s death-defying leap was the first to be caught on camera.

Some people would say that the blind leap into the unknown by those penguins is similar to what happens when a person trusts in Jesus for salvation. Putting faith in Him is just the opposite. The author of Hebrews said, “Faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see” (Hebrews 11:1).

Enoch’s faith pleased God: “Without faith it is impossible to please God” (v. 6). The world hadn’t seen anything like the great flood and yet Noah, “in holy fear built an ark to save his family” (v. 7) because he trusted in God. By faith Abraham followed God “even though he did not know where he was going” (v. 8).

When we first put our trust in Jesus it is by faith. As we continue following Him and our faith is tested, we can remember how God came through for these men. Even when we don’t know the whys and how’s we can trust God with the outcome.

On my free day in Paris during a visit a few years ago, I had some time to roam around the famed city by myself before meeting a friend by the Eiffel Tower for dinner. All was fine until my phone’s battery died. I didn’t have a map, so I wasn’t sure where I was going, but this city girl didn’t panic. I just continued to walk along the Seine River and kept my eyes on the towering Eiffel Tower. My plan worked until I got closer to the landmark that somehow disappeared behind the surrounding buildings.

I was astonished that such a large structure could be hidden in plain sight! I finally realized I needed help, so I asked for directions and found my friend.

Life can be so unpredictable. As we face obstacles and challenges in life, we can ask God for help and direction. That helps us not to get lost along our journey or be tempted to take detours or to quit. Even when things seem hard or seem confusing, we can turn to God for guidance.

In Proverbs 3:5-6, Solomon encourages his readers by telling them to “trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”

As we seek God’s wisdom through prayer and reading the Bible, He’ll guide us. Let’s continue to trust Him and follow His lead.

I stopped behind a car at a red light the other day and noticed a bright sticker on the rear window boldly stating: “New Driver. Please Be Patient.” Given all the road rage we hear about (or experience), what a great reminder to be patient with other drivers.

As I looked at the sticker, I wondered what would happen if people carried around signs that alerted us that they’re a “New Parent” or “New Christian.” If we knew what our neighbors or coworkers or others we encounter throughout our day were going through, would we be more patient and even help them deal with their struggles?

We may be rushing through our days trying to avoid being interrupted by others, but let’s consider how Jesus treated people. He wasn’t in a hurry. He had compassion on people and took the time to comfort and teach and show love to those He encountered.

As believers in Jesus, we’re called to “live a life worthy of the calling [we] have received” (Ephesians 4:1). The apostle Paul says that includes being “completely humble and gentle; [being] patient, bearing with one another in love” (v. 2) and making every effort to live in peace and unity with each other (v. 3).

We may not know what challenges people are facing, but we can be patient with them. Let’s be an expression of Jesus’ love to everyone we encounter on our daily path.

During a trip to Brazil with a short-term missions team, we helped construct a church building in the Amazon jungle. The foundation had already been laid. We needed to assemble the church like a giant LEGO set, which included putting in the supporting columns, sliding in the concrete walls and windows, raising the steel beams for the roof, placing all the tiles on the roof, and painting the walls.

Some people were concerned because we were traveling to such a remote area during the monsoon season. They wondered if we could build the church in time. But by God’s grace the intense rain didn’t fall while we worked. We felt His strength and our workforce increased when a few locals helped us build. Despite various obstacles, we got the job done in record time.

When Nehemiah and the Israelites rebuilt Jerusalem’s walls, they faced many obstacles. When their enemies found out they were repairing the wall, they were furious and insulted them (Nehemiah 4:1-3). But Nehemiah prayed and the people persevered together. “We rebuilt the wall till all of it reached half its height, for the people worked with all their heart” (v. 6). When their foes threatened to attack, the Israelites prayed and kept guard as they worked (vv. 7-23). They rebuilt the wall in fifty-two days.

Sometimes we’re faced with a daunting task. Obstacles appear in our way, and we and our brothers and sisters in Christ can lose hope. But times like this can be a triumphant moment, with the help of God. Trust Him to hold off the rainstorms and look to Him to overcome.

During a trip to Brazil with a short-term missions team, we helped construct a church building in the Amazon jungle. The foundation had already been laid. We needed to assemble the church like a giant LEGO set, which included putting in the supporting columns, sliding in the concrete walls and windows, raising the steel beams for the roof, placing all the tiles on the roof, and painting the walls.

Some people were concerned because we were traveling to such a remote area during the monsoon season. They wondered if we could build the church in time. But by God’s grace the intense rain didn’t fall while we worked. We felt His strength and our workforce increased when a few locals helped us build. Despite various obstacles, we got the job done in record time.

When Nehemiah and the Israelites rebuilt Jerusalem’s walls, they faced many obstacles. When their enemies found out they were repairing the wall, they were furious and insulted them (Nehemiah 4:1-3). But Nehemiah prayed and the people persevered together. “We rebuilt the wall till all of it reached half its height, for the people worked with all their heart” (v. 6). When their foes threatened to attack, the Israelites prayed and kept guard as they worked (vv. 7-23). They rebuilt the wall in fifty-two days.

Sometimes we’re faced with a daunting task. Obstacles appear in our way, and we and our brothers and sisters in Christ can lose hope. But times like this can be a triumphant moment, with the help of God. Trust Him to hold off the rainstorms and look to Him to overcome.