My middle child loves archery. As he’s spent hours in the backyard and started to compete, I’ve been learning a lot about the sport. 

I’ve learned the point values for the different rings on the target, why the tops of his tennis shoes keep wearing out (“bows on toes!”), and the surprising number of factors that need to be just right to get the arrow to the bullseye. When my son lines up his bow, pulls his arm back, and sends the arrow toward the target, he’s counting on the target staying in place. If he took his bow and arrow out hunting, he would find that shooting at a moving target is a completely different skill! 

In Psalm 71, we see that God is more like the target in my backyard than the deer running in the forest. He’s an unchanging Rock. We don’t have to wonder if He will be with us in times of trial. We don’t have to question if He will be faithful to us this week. We don’t have to cross our fingers and hope we haven’t sinned beyond His willingness to forgive us. His character never changes, so He is a safe refuge and a sure anchor for our faith. 

“Be to me a rock of refuge, to which I may continually come; you have given the command to save me, for you are my rock and fortress” (Psalm 71:3)

Because God is our rock of refuge, we can continually run to Him and know that He will be the same refuge we’ve known in the past. Because God has saved us through the finished work of Christ, we don’t have to wonder if He will forgive us again this time. Because God is as solid as a fortress, we can trust Him to keep His unchanging promises despite our changing circumstances. 

No matter what you face this week, God is your rock of refuge.

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When my daughter was two and a half years old, she experienced the best day she’d ever had. 

She didn’t understand why I dressed her in butterfly wings and a bright, fluffy tutu. But her older brothers were wearing weird stuff, too, so she didn’t complain. I handed her a bucket and told her to walk up to our neighbors’ house and ring the doorbell. She timidly followed her brothers to the door. 

And then the craziest thing happened. A woman opened the door and gave her candy for no reason at all! 

A couple hours later, my little girl sat at our kitchen table with her candy collection spread in front of her. She was enjoying a lollipop and eyeing the rest of her stash when I told her it was time for bed. She looked at me, looked at the abundance before her, and replied, “I need to finish my snack.” 

My daughter still loves candy, and Halloween is one of her favorite holidays. But I don’t want her to find her greatest joy in the treats of this world. I want her to know the One who gives life, joy, and pleasures that will never fade or run out. My prayer for her is that she always will wholeheartedly declare with the psalmist: 

“You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” (Psalm 16:11)

The Lord has shown you the path of life: His Son, Jesus Christ. Only in His presence will you find true joy that satisfies your weary soul. And one day those who have been redeemed will see Him face-to-face and enjoy pleasures forevermore with Him. 

Are you chasing after pleasures that don’t satisfy you? Are you struggling to find joy in difficult or stressful circumstances? Is this life disappointing you with its hardship and heartache? We don’t have to settle for the hollow promises and fleeting pleasures of this world. Instead, we can stand on the better promises of our Savior. 

No matter what you face this week, Jesus promises you life, joy, and pleasures forevermore. 

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If you’ve ever been a part of a bridal party, girls’ weekend, or a family with lots of girls, you probably know that too many hair dryers and curling irons at work in one bathroom is going to blow the fuse. I’m not an electrician, but I understand that the electrical wiring in my home can only handle so much. When the demand for power grows beyond what the circuit can supply, it shuts down. 

Maybe you feel like a blown fuse today. The demands of your week are too much, and you’re ready to shut down. There’s hope and encouragement in the words of Ephesians 1. In this passage, Paul is sharing his prayer for the church in Ephesus and a list of things he wants them to know with confidence. One of his prayers for them is that they know the immeasurable power of God: 

“ . . . That you may know . . . what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 1:18-20).

God’s power isn’t just great—it’s immeasurably great. His power has no limits, no restrictions, and no end. There’s nothing His power can’t handle. 

God put this great power on display when He raised His Son from the dead. Not even death can stop His power. Nothing in all creation is more powerful than our great God.  

And Paul says this same resurrection power that raised Jesus from the dead is “toward us who believe.” In our heavenly Father, we have a power source that surpasses all we could ever need. 

If you feel weak, weary, or worn out today, remember this: no matter what you face this week, God’s great power is at work in you. 

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The Israelites were in an impossible situation again. They’d barely finished eating their unleavened Passover bread when Pharaoh changed his mind and decided to reclaim his slaves. A wandering throng of men, women, children, and livestock were now being chased down by the world’s most powerful army.

We know the end of the story: the walls of water let the Israelites escape before crashing down on Pharaoh’s chariots. But before the triumphant ending, I wonder how the Israelites felt. 

Exodus 14:19-20 tells us that the pillar that accompanied them on their journey out of Egypt moved between the Israelites and the approaching Egyptians as night fell: 

“Then the angel of God who was going before the host of Israel moved and went behind them, and the pillar of cloud moved from before them and stood behind them, coming between the host of Egypt and the host of Israel. And there was the cloud and the darkness. And it lit up the night without one coming near the other all night.” (Exodus 14:19-20)

The vast sea was ahead of them, but what did they see behind? Was there a giant dust cloud as 600 chariots charged through the desert? Could they hear the hooves of the horses and feel the ground shake under the weight of the giant army? Did they see the army chasing them or the water parting? Or did they spend a terrifying night clutching their children to their chests, crying out to the Lord for a deliverance that seemed impossible? 

Some of you know how those endless, dark nights feel. You cry out to the Lord, but you don’t see the waters parting yet. You’re still drowning in fear, grief, uncertainty, difficulty, or worry. Where is God? Why hasn’t He swooped in and saved the day? 

I don’t have an easy answer for you, but I know this: God is always at work. One day, the sun will rise, and we’ll see the parted waters of rescue, just as the Israelites saw in Exodus 14:21-22. He will not abandon you, His beloved child. 

No matter what you face this week, God is always at work. 

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