Have you ever paused to wonder why Jesus told the story of the Prodigal Son? Was it simply to highlight the joy of a sinner returning home? Or is there a deeper message—one about the heart of the Father that we, like both sons, often fail to see?

Have you ever paused to consider just how much God has already given you in Christ? I mean, really stopped to reflect on it? Sometimes, I think we approach God as if we’re still empty-handed, as though we need to beg Him for blessings or plead for His help. But Scripture paints a very different picture—one of a loving Father who has already lavished every spiritual blessing on us through His Son, Jesus Christ.

Have you ever tried to wrap your mind around the concept of the Trinity? If you’re anything like me, you may have found yourself both awestruck and overwhelmed. To me, it feels like staring into the vast night sky, trying to comprehend the infinite universe—it’s awe-inspiring yet utterly beyond my grasp. The truth that God is one being yet three Persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—challenges everything we know about existence. And yet, this wonderful truth isn’t meant to be fully understood; it’s meant to draw us into worship. For me, it certainly does.

Eddie Vedder’s powerful performance of Alive during MTV Unplugged has captivated listeners for years. The raw vulnerability in his lyrics speaks to deep human struggles—identity, rejection, pain, and survival. For me, this song held particular meaning during a season of deep depression. Listening to it, I found a strange kind of solace in hearing someone articulate hurt and inner pain. While my experiences didn’t mirror his exactly, the heartfelt performance resonated deeply. It reminded me that I wasn’t alone in my struggles and that others were wrestling with their own weighty questions of existence and purpose.

During my time in active duty with the Army, I had the privilege of serving in an airborne unit that provided health care support to some of the most elite special forces soldiers in our country. These weren’t just soldiers—they were brothers and sisters in arms, a tightly-knit family committed to each other with a selflessness and devotion that few outside the military ever experience. Their singular focus was on being ready at all times, not just for their own sake, but for the sake of their team, their mission, and their country.

Have you ever been captivated by the allure of a mystery? The kind that stirs your curiosity, demanding answers yet never fully revealing its secrets? As believers, we often find ourselves drawn to the enigmatic corners of Scripture—the Nephilim, the hidden patterns of prophecy, the awe-inspiring imagery of Revelation. These themes ignite our imagination and fuel endless discussions.

But in the quiet of my soul, I’ve come to wonder: do we sometimes cling to these mysteries to avoid the deeper, often more challenging, work God longs to do in us?

Parenting can be one of the most fulfilling yet challenging roles in life. As parents, we often find ourselves striving to guide our children with wisdom, love, and good intentions, yet we can also experience moments of frustration, especially when our efforts seem to fall short. Perhaps your child refuses to listen, or their choices bring heartache. These moments are an invitation to pause and reflect—not on our inadequacy but on the sufficiency of Christ working in and through us.

In Chapter 3 of The Knowledge of the Holy, A.W. Tozer takes us on a journey into the attributes of God—truths about who He is. These aren’t mere facts or traits as we might think about human characteristics. Instead, they reveal how God is. They are glimpses into His nature, made known to us so we might worship and know Him more deeply.

The apostle Paul’s life and ministry are a stunning testament to the power of God’s grace. His service was not only shaped by grace but also entirely sustained by it. In today's Day by Day by Grace devotional, we are reminded of how Paul’s courageous and selfless ministry reflected the transformative work of grace in his life.

Have you ever lain awake at night, haunted by the fear of death? I have. For years, I’d go to bed with a gnawing dread of the unknown, a weighty question looming over me: What happens when I die? The thought of nothingness, as some atheists claim, didn’t bring me any peace. If anything, it terrified me. How could I comprehend ceasing to exist? The idea of eternal oblivion left me shaken, despite being a Christian who had sung countless hymns about heaven and eternal life.

The truth is, I was struggling to take God at His word. I believed in Him intellectually, but I hadn’t allowed His promises to transform my heart and calm my fears. Then, everything changed.

In Chapter 2 of The Knowledge of the Holy, A.W. Tozer delves into a truth that both challenges and comforts us: God is incomprehensible. This is not a limitation on God but a declaration of His infinite greatness. If we could fully grasp Him, He would cease to be God.

"Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth" (Colossians 3:2).

What does it truly mean to set our minds on things above? This phrase is not just a call to lofty thoughts; it’s an invitation to live from a position of victory, security, and love in Christ. As believers, we are already seated with Him in the heavenly realms (Ephesians 2:6). From this heavenly vantage point, we gain a clearer perspective of our lives, rooted in His truth and the assurance of His promises.

In his devotional today, Oswald Chambers examines a deeply insightful truth about our walk with Christ: the relationship between the natural and the spiritual. Drawing from Galatians 4:22, he highlights the story of Abraham’s two sons—Ishmael, born of the bondwoman, and Isaac, born of the freewoman—as a picture of the tension between what we produce in our own strength and what God accomplishes through His Spirit.

Chambers reminds us that this isn’t about dealing with sin but understanding how the natural aspects of our lives must be surrendered and transformed to align with God’s purposes.

Have you ever paused to marvel at the sheer generosity of God’s heart? It’s a question worth asking. Today’s Day by Day by Grace devotional invites us to reflect on this truth: God’s entire relationship with us is marked by one transformative word: give. His grace—His unearned favor, His empowering presence, His abundant provision—flows freely from a heart that delights not in taking but in giving. Abundantly. Extravagantly.

The apostle Paul captures this beautifully, writing, “I have written more boldly to you on some points…because of the grace given to me by God” (Romans 15:15). Grace is not something we achieve; it’s a gift we receive. It’s the very language of God’s heart, the foundation of how He relates to us.

Have you ever felt like something is holding you back in your spiritual journey, but you can’t quite pinpoint what it is? You want to live in the fullness of the life Christ offers, but it seems as though an invisible barrier is preventing you from stepping into that abundant life. Often, hidden obstacles lie at the root of these struggles, hindering us from experiencing the joy and freedom that Christ has already provided.

In his preface to The Knowledge of the Holy penned in 1961, A.W. Tozer lays out a sobering truth: the modern Church has largely lost its sense of God's majesty. He describes this loss not as a deliberate rebellion, but as a subtle drift—a gradual diminishing of our concept of who God truly is.

This drift has had tragic consequences. Tozer rightfully notes that without a proper understanding of God’s greatness, we lose our sense of awe, our spirit of worship, and even our ability to experience life in the Spirit.

“Service does not come first; neither does life!” At first, that might sound odd, right? It certainly would have to me just a few years ago. But as I’ve searched the Scriptures, a profound truth has emerged: for the believer, the proper sequence is death to the old, from which springs forth newness of life—and then fruitful service (John 12:24; Colossians 1:9-10).

Life arises from death. As Jesus taught, “Unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds” (John 12:24). For us, too, life and fruitfulness in Christ follow this divine order.

As I was reading today's Abide Above devotional by Miles Stanford, I was reminded of the days when I would ask the Lord, What does it mean to truly rest in You? For some of my Christian friends, the idea of resting in Christ conjured images of passivity: Kick back, lay your problems at the foot of the cross, and let Jesus handle it. But I’ve learned through Scripture that nothing could be further from the truth. Resting in Christ is one of the most active, intentional acts of faith we can practice. It’s not idleness; it’s complete and utter reliance—a confident trust in the One who works all things for our good and His glory (Romans 8:28).

I’ve shared before about my Jordan River moment—the night I trusted God in a way I never had before. It was the first step into the abundant life, believing that His promises were true and living as though they applied to me. That step changed everything. Yet, looking back, I realize how much easier it would have been to trust Him if I had truly known Him—not just facts about Him, but the infinite depths of His character.

The question of why an all-knowing, omniscient God would create a world filled with suffering is among the most profound challenges to faith. It touches the heart of human existence and the nature of God Himself. For believers and skeptics alike, this question demands thoughtful reflection and a compassionate, Scripture-informed response. Let’s explore this question, seeking to understand God’s purposes and character as revealed in His Word.