PULELULU ME 27, 2026

SIOPE 4-7; SAAME 1:1-6

Not all counsel is wise counsel. Be careful of whose "wisdom" you open your heart and mind to.

‘Oku ‘ikai ko e fale’i kotoa pe ko e fale’i fakapotopoto. Tokanga ki he “poto” ‘oku ke faka’atā ho loto mo ho ‘atamai ki ai.

I've worked with countless people whose troubles have been magnified by unwise and unbiblical counsel. Most foolish advice is dispensed by caring and well-meaning friends. And the people receiving the unwise counsel aren't aware that they are being counseled because they receive the advice in a casual setting, not in a therapist's office. We all need to be aware that friendships are counseling relationships. In a friendship you share yourself and your life, and your friends are always interacting with your story, giving their perspective on how you're feeling and doing. You can't have a close friendship without the giving and taking of advice. This is why it is important to realize that not all counsel is good counsel. A well-meaning friend may not be offering you wise advice.

When Job went from having everything to having nothing, his friends gathered around him to comfort him and to sit with him in mourning. Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite had good intentions. They did what true friends do. And as good friends do, they had a lot to say about Job and what he was going through. Their counsel was based on a significant question: Is Job right with God? The friends answered this question inaccurately, which meant their counsel was unwise and unbiblical and therefore terribly unhelpful for Job in his time of severe suffering.

The counsel of these three friends is summarized by Eliphaz in Job 4:8-9:

As I have seen, those who plow iniquity

and sow trouble reap the same.

By the breath of God they perish,

and by the blast of his anger they are consumed.

Eliphaz is saying to Job, "You do right - you get blessed. You do wrong, you get cursed. Since you have been cursed, you must have committed iniquity before God." There are two problems with this counsel. First, we know from the first chapters of Job that this trial was brought upon Job because he was a righteous man. The question of the trial was, Will a righteous man continue to follow God if he loses everything? Second, this counsel does not come from a valid understanding of the character and purposes of God. It is based on a legalistic worldview that is absolutely devoid of grace, one that believes we must earn God's favor by living a righteous life. It's about performing one's way out of judgment.

If it were possible to gain God's favor by independent righteousness, then the whole redemptive narrative in the Bible, culminating with the death and resurrection of Jesus, would not have been necessary. If sinners are always cursed and never the recipients of God's grace, then there is no hope for any of us. Jesus came to bear our curse, so that we would bear it no more.

May the counsel you receive into your heart and mind be in tune with God's character and his glorious narrative of grace for sinners. That grace is our only hope, just as it was Job's ultimate hope.

 TUSITE ME 26, 2026

SIOPE 1-3; SENESI 22:1-14

There is but one God, who is without an equal and rules over all.

‘Oku taha mātē pe ‘a e ‘Otua, ‘oku ‘ikai ha no tatau pea ‘oku ne pule fakaleveleva.

My friend had endured a tough life. From childhood her life had been marked by disappointment, difficulty, and suffering. Her closest loved ones had failed her, and she was a disappointment to herself. Her marriage was marred by hurt and distrust. When I sat with her and her husband, I observed little warmth between them; in fact, it seemed as though they really didn't like each other very much. Their marriage was more of an attempt at civility than a story of love. She wanted to talk to me because she was severely depressed, to the point of being almost paralyzed spiritually, emotionally, and relationally. Her depression was not just the result of the physical and relational woes she had suffered. No, she was haunted by something much deeper, which made her world seem inescapably dark and dangerous. She was haunted by a particular question: Can the one who sits on the throne of the universe be trusted? You could argue that no question is more theologically profound or morally practical than this. Where the rubber meets the road in daily life, can I trust God? My friend's answer was, "I just don't know."

As I talked with her week after week, I realized she couldn't answer the question with a hardy yes because her theology was defective. She described the world as being inhabited by two awesome and powerful deities (although she never used that word). The good deity is named Jehovah and the bad deity is named Satan, and they battle for control of the universe. If this were true, then of course you couldn't be sure that God could deliver what he planned and promised. But in the very beginning of the book of Job, God rescues us from this false view of the power and authority of Satan.

Job was a rich and God-fearing man. So Satan came to God and essentially said, "Look, the only reason this guy fears and serves you is because he has everything. But if you allow me to remove it all from him, he will forsake you." It is incredible that we are invited to eavesdrop on this conversation. And one of the reasons it has been recorded and preserved for us is so that we can be sure that Satan is not, and never has been, God's equal. In order to trouble Job, Satan has to go to God for permission, because God alone is the ruler of the universe (see Job 1:6-12).

Even in this fallen world, we can rest assured that God can be trusted, because he rules with absolute authority over every situation, location, and relationship in order to execute his plan and deliver on his promises. He has no equal. The throne is his, unchallenged. And for every believer everywhere, that is the best news.

 MONITE ME 25, 2026

‘ESETA 6-10; ‘AISEA 64:1-5

The Bible never presents the sovereignty of God in a way that erases human responsibility.

‘Oku ‘ikai ke tau ma’u ‘i he Folofola ha fakamatala ki he tu’unga pule aoniu ‘o e ‘Otua, pea to’o ai ‘a e fatongia kuo tuku ki he fa’ahinga ‘o e tangata.

If someone told you, "I am just trusting God to reconcile my broken relationship with my brother," how would you respond? The person's statement reveals flawed and unbiblical thinking. God's absolute sovereignty over everything and everyone all of the time never excuses me from doing the things he has called me to do. If I am in an unreconciled relationship with my brother, I am to go to him with the hope of reconciliation. The Bible presents the truth of the interrelationship between the sovereignty of God and his people's responsibility. God often exercises his sovereign will through the means of the true validity of the choices and actions of secondary agents (people). Our actions and choices are means by which God works out his sovereignty. He is in control not only of the final end of things, but also of the means to the end. This means that our choices and actions matter. God's absolute rule in every situation and location never lets us off the hook. He is sovereign and we are responsible; these truths work in cooperation and never in opposition.

The crucial importance of human responsibility is the second great theme of the book of Esther. In the last devotional I wrote that Esther presents to us a God who works not only in the light but also in the shadows. He always works to ensure that what he has ordained - for his glory and the good of his people - will come to pass. He is never distant or uninvolved. He never takes a vacation or sleeps on the job. The hope of the universe rests in the fact that God's rule is universal and unstoppable.

But Esther presents us with another theme. The way God often works his will, assuring that what he has ordained actually comes to fruition, is through the choices and actions of real people, who have actual power to choose, decide, and act. This is illustrated clearly and powerfully in the faith, courage, and actions of Mordecai and Esther. Through their brave and wise choices, God's plan - to preserve his people so that out of them would come the Savior of the world - continues undeterred. God's people are preserved and God's plan marches on. This is exactly what God has ordained, but everything comes to pass because of the crucial decisions and actions of Mordecai and Esther.

So today you can rest in the fact that God's will will be done. His perfect plan will march on to completion. But you must also understand that resting in his rule is not an excuse to be passive or inactive. The one who rules everything calls you to believe, obey, fight, proclaim, repent, love, and follow. He works his rule through your work. So rest and work; this is the lifestyle of the redeemed. 

 SAPATE ME 24, 2026

‘ESETA 1-5; ‘EKISOTO 3:7-9

The God who works in the light also works in the shadows. If you do not see his hand, don't conclude that he isn't working.

Ko e ‘Otua ‘oku ngaue ‘i he maamaa, ‘oku ne toe ngaue pe ‘i he malumaluu. Kapau ‘oku ‘ikai te ke sio ki hono nimaa, ‘oua te ke pehee ‘oku ‘ikai te ne ngaue.

When I counseled people, they would tell me their stories. Often they would recount their lives and express no sense of God's presence or influence. I found this jarring. So I would act as a tour guide, walking them back through their stories and pointing out evidence of God's presence, care, provision, and grace. Sometimes God works in the bright light. His hand is obvious, and his care is clear. But sometimes it is hard to "see" God. In these moments, it's tempting to wonder whether he is near and whether he is doing anything. So it is important to understand that the God who works in the light also works in the shadows. His sovereign power and redeeming care are not always clear, but we ought not think he is absent, distant, inactive, or uncaring. God never forsakes his own, and he never fails to deliver what he has promised. The assumption that we can't see evidence of his presence or care does not mean he is not present and at work.

I think one of the reasons the book of Esther is in the Bible is to teach us this lesson. Esther is one book of the Bible that does not mention God's name. This has troubled many people, but it shouldn't because there are evidences of God's power, presence, and care for his people throughout this little Old Testament book. God works in the shadows to cause Esther to rise to prominence in order to preserve his people. In so doing, God gives hope to the world, because out of those people the Savior would come and ultimately make new again everything broken by sin. Without Esther, the Jewish people would have been destroyed, and there would have been no birth of the Messiah in Bethlehem, no righteous life of Jesus, no substitutionary death, no victorious resurrection, and no ascension to the Father to intercede for his own. The world would have been trapped in sin and doomed with no hope.

The amazing outcome of the story of Esther cannot and should not be attributed to human initiative, wisdom, and ingenuity alone. Behind everything, God is controlling circumstances, working in people's hearts, and determining outcomes. We should be thankful for Mordecai and Esther, but God is the ultimate hero of this portion of Scripture. His providential care guarantees that his people and his work of redemption will have an eternal and glorious Future.

You may not always see God's hand, but you can rest assured that your Lord never ceases working for your good and his glory. Remember that the God who is active in the light is just as active in the shadows. Even though his name might not appear to be plastered all over your story, he is with you, in you, and for you - and that is reason to rest in his care and give yourself to his work.

 TOKONAKI ME 23, 2026

NEHEMAIA 12-13; MATIU 6:31-33

A life well lived is a life lived for the glory and the kingdom of God. Will that be your legacy?

Ko e mo’ui ‘oku fai ki ai ‘a e lauu, ko e tokotaha ‘oku mo’ui ki he langilangi mo e pule’anga ‘o e ‘Otua. Ko e me’a eni ‘e manatu’i ai koe?

My new acquaintance was very successful according to the world's standards. He was admired. He had wealth and acclaim. He had power and position. From a distance it appeared he had done everything right. But he had lived for himself. He was obsessed with the accoutrements of success. He was preoccupied with image and control. He made sure that no matter the occasion or endeavor, he was in the center and in charge. But in his selfishness he lost his way. He lost all that he had worked for, and eventually he even abandoned his faith. He had gotten it all wrong. Life wasn't designed to be about us. We were created to live for something vastly bigger than us. My friend claimed to be a believer, but functionally God wasn't his focus. The only glory he lived for was his own, and the only kingdom he sought to build was his kingdom of one. What looked like success was actually massive personal, moral, relational, and spiritual failure.

What, right now, are you living for? What gives you your highest joy and has the power to produce your deepest sadness? How do you define personal success? What gets you up in the morning and motivates you throughout the day? What is the grand vision behind the choices and decisions you make? Do God's glory, purpose, and kingdom shape the way you live, work, relate to others, and invest your time, energy, and resources? Is your life an expression of the two Great Commandments? What really do you live for?

Nehemiah's final prayer reflects the zeal he had for the Lord throughout his life: "I cleansed them from everything foreign, and I established the duties of the priests and Levites, each in his work; and I provided for the wood offering at appointed times, and for the firstfruits. Remember me, O my God, for good" (Neh. 13:30-31).

Nehemiah had dedicated his life to one central thing: the worship of God. God's children had abandoned this very thing, and that abandonment had led to their demise. They had pursued the gods of the surrounding nations, to their shame and destruction. But, after disciplining them, God, in mercy, had restored them to their home, where they rebuilt the temple. Nehemiah had focused on removing all the foreign spiritual influences, reestablishing the priesthood, and providing everything needed for the worship of God to continue. Nehemiah's labor of love had been not just for his people but, more importantly, for his Lord. And he had one final request: that God would remember.

At the end of your life will you ask God to remember all that you have done in his name, or will you hope he forgets the life you have lived? A life well lived is a life lived for the glory and kingdom of God. Is that what you're living for?

 FALAITE ME 22, 2026

NEHEMAIA 8-11; PALOVEPI 3:11-12

God responds to the sin of his children with the discipline of a Father and the restorative mercy of a Savior.

‘Oku ngaue mai ‘a e ‘Otua ki he angahala ‘a ‘ene fanau ‘aki ‘a e tautea kinisi ‘a e Tamai pea ‘oku ne fakafoki mo fakafo’ou ‘aki ‘a e meesi ‘a e Fakamo’ui.

The summary of God's love for his children, their sin and rebellion, and his discipline and mercy that is recorded for us in Nehemiah 9 is both convicting and encouraging:

And you gave them kingdoms and peoples and allotted to them every corner. So they took possession of the land of Sihon king of Heshbon and the land of Og king of Bashan. You multiplied their children as the stars of heaven, and you brought them into the land that you had told their fathers to enter and possess. So the descendants went in and possessed the land, subdued before them the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, and you and gave them into their hand, with their kings and the peoples of the land, that they might do with them as they would....

Nevertheless, they were disobedient and rebelled against you and cast your law behind their back and killed your prophets, who had warned them in order to turn them back to you, and they committed great blasphemies. Therefore you gave them into the hand of their enemies, who made them suffer. And in the time of their suffering they cried out to you and you heard them from heaven, and according to your great mercies you gave them saviors who saved them from the hand of their enemies.... And you warned them in order to turn them back to your law. Yet they acted presumptuously and did not obey your commandments, but sinned against your rules, which if a person does them, he shall live by them, and they turned a stubborn shoulder and stiffened their neck and would not obey. Many years you bore with them and warned them by your Spirit through your prophets. Yet they would not give ear. Therefore you gave them into the hand of the peoples of the lands. Nevertheless, in your great mercies you did not make an end of them or forsake them, for you are a gracious and merciful God. (Neh. 9:22-24, 26-27, 29-31)

God was faithful in his defense of and provision for his people. Yet they consistently rebelled against him and gave their hearts to other gods. Even in the face of his people's repeated betrayal, God was astoundingly patient, sending prophet after prophet to give warning. But because the people did not heed God's warnings, he responded by exiling them from their land. Their suffering and captivity were not God's final condemnation, but rather the grace of a Father's disciplinary hand. God was not done with his people, so after his discipline, in mercy he restored them again.

God's discipline and his mercy do not oppose one another. They are both tools of grace in the hands of a Redeemer, to draw his children close and keep them near.

Confess today that you too have a wandering heart and, because you do, that you too need both God's discipline and his mercy. Be thankful for both his uncomfortable grace and the tender mercies that follow. He is willing and able to do what you can't do for yourself.

 TU’APULELULU ME 21, 2026

NEHEMAIA 4-7; ‘EFESO 6:10-20

When you're doing the Lord's work, the best defense against opposition is prayer.

‘I ho’o fai ‘a e ngaue ‘a e ‘Otua, ko ho malu’i lelei taha mei he filii ko e lotu.

They were exciting days. God had returned his people to Jerusalem and restored them to himself; they were rebuilding the city wall. It was a powerful victory for God and an enormous fresh start for his people. But whenever God works in these ways, evil opposition rears its ugly head. Sanballat and Tobiah the Ammonite mocked and taunted God's people as they worked on the wall. When you are ridiculed for your faith, mocked for doing what is right, or taunted because of a moral stand that you have taken, how do you respond? Do you wallow in discouragement? Do you abandon your calling? Do you lash out in anger? Or do you run to God in prayer? There is no better defense against opposition to the work of God than prayer. Nehemiah's response is prayer: "Hear, O our God, for we are despised. Turn back their taunt on their own heads and give them up to be plundered in a land where they are captives" (Neh. 4:4).

May these words be your prayer:

Lord, when I am about your work, giving my heart and hands to your calling, when your way is more important than my way and when opposition comes, please give me the grace to resist fear, to not return evil for evil, to fight discouragement's darkness, to not forsake your work, but to run to you in confidence and hope. You are my refuge. You are my defender. You are my confidence. You defeat what I cannot. You give power when I am weak. You quiet my fears. You comfort and encourage. I never do your work alone. You are always with me in power, with grace, fulfilling your promises. Help me to remember that though the opposition is great, in the glory of your glory you are infinitely greater. I run once more to you, my Lord and defender, asking you to do in me and for me what I cannot do for myself, and to do to my opposers what you in your holiness know is right to do.