TOKONAKI SIULAI 11, 2026

PALOVEPI 14-15; SAAME 111:1-10

Only one fear gives us life, hope, and courage: the fear of the Lord.

Ko e manavahē pe taha ‘oku ne foaki kiate kitautolu ‘a e mo’ui, ‘amanaki mo e loto to’a: ko e manavahē ki he ‘Otua.

I stood transfixed before what may be Barnett Newman's greatest painting, Vir Heroicus Sublimis (Man, Heroic and Sublime). Newman applied layers and layers of thin red paint, creating a hundred square feet of red. When you stand before the painting, you feel as though you could walk into this sea of red. If you stand there for long, it feels as though the painting is absorbing you. It is magnificent and awe-inspiring, and there is nothing else like it. But, though this work of art momentarily captures your awe, it cannot change the character or content of your heart, and it surely has no power whatsoever to bring you from death to life. Vir Heroicus Sublimis is a lifeless glory hanging on the wall of a museum, and nothing more.

The world around us is filled with created glories: a sunset painted across the early evening sky; the undulating dance of poppies in the wind; the glistening white purity of new-fallen snow; the melody of a multihued songbird; the thrill of standing on top of a mountain you have just climbed; or the rush of accomplishment as a diploma is placed in your hands. Each of these things captures our awe for a moment, but does little more than that. The world God made is wonderful and inspiring, but it has no power to address and meet our deepest longings and needs. Earth will never be our savior.

That's why the words of Proverbs 14:26-27 should not be glossed over:

In the fear of the LORD one has strong confidence,

and his children will have a refuge

The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life,

that one may turn away from the snares of death.

God has hardwired us to fear. No, I don't mean he intends us to live in terror. Here's what this fear is about. Our hearts are awe centers. This means that something always captures the awe of our hearts, and what captures the awe of our hearts will then control the way we live. Fear of God-life-shaping, worship-producing, and obedience-motivating awe of God-is the only thing that can capture our heart and has the capacity to give us life. Fear of God produces confidence, because it has the power to disarm all the other things we may be afraid of in this life. Fear of God is a fountain of life, renewing our lives day after day.

Do you fear the Lord? Has awe of him protected you from awe of other things that have no ability to give you what only God can? What shapes the way you live? What gives you the confidence to get up in the morning to face another day? May we fear the Lord.

 FALAITE SIULAI 10, 2026

PALOVEPI 12-13; FAKAHA 3:14-22

It takes rescuing and empowering grace to love reproof and to understand that, on this side of eternity, we regularly need it.

Ko e kelesi fakahaofi pe mo fakaivia te ke mahino’i ai, ‘i he kauvai ‘itaniti ko eni, ‘oku kei fiema’u pe ke akonaki’i tautea’i kitautolu.

When my good friend and I sat down to talk, I didn't know that he planned to confront me about something I had said and the attitudes behind my words. As I got a sense of where he was going. I felt my chest tighten and my ears grow warm. As he was talking, I thought of all the ways I could defend myself and show him that he was wrong. I didn't like being in that moment, and I didn't like what he was saying to me about me. But something else was going on in my mind. I knew then, as I know now, that I am not perfect. I knew that the things I had said had been fueled by anger. He had made me mad, and my anger had shaped my words. As much as I hated being in that moment, I knew my friend was right and what he was saying to me about me was true. By grace, I resisted my self-justifying internal arguments, listened to his words, and asked for his

Forgiveness.

I know I need to read the following words again and again. What about you? 

Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid.

A good man obtains favor from the LORD,

but a man of evil devices he condemns.

No one is established by wickedness,

but the root of the righteous will never be moved. (Prov. 12:1-3)

If I called you up on a Friday night and told you that I wanted to come over to rebuke you, how would you respond? When we think of reproof or rebuke, we often think of pointed fingers, a loud voice, and inflammatory accusations. But this is not what Proverbs has in mind at all. Reproof in Proverbs is such a good and necessary thing that you would have to be stupid not to want it in your life. Why? Scripture teaches that sin blinds us, and, because it does, we often don't see or hear ourselves with accuracy. The doctrine of the deceitfulness of sin teaches us that we do not know ourselves well. So I need help, and since God is the helper of helpers and is unwilling to leave me to my blindness, he sends helpers my way. He puts people in my life who love me enough to step into hard moments with me, helping me see what God wants me to see. When I am properly rebuked, I am not experiencing human disrespect. No, I am experiencing divine rescue, a rescue I will need repeatedly until sin is no more. Jesus came to give sight to blind eyes, and he sends people into our lives as his instruments of seeing. 

 TU’APULELULU SIULAI 9, 2026

PALOVEPI 10-11; SEMISI 3:1-12

You can't read the Bible without coming to the convicting and motivating conclusion that words matter.

‘I ho’o lau ‘a e Tohitapu, te ke a’usia ‘a e mo’oni ko eni; ko e lea ‘oku tau ngaue’aki, ‘oku ‘i ai hono mahu’inga mo hono ivi. 

Words have fierce power. Read and meditate on what Proverbs says about the power of our words:

Whoever walks in integrity walks securely,

but he who makes his ways crooked will be found out.

Whoever winks the eye causes trouble,

and a babbling fool will come to ruin.

The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life,

but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.

Hatred stirs up strife,

but love covers all offenses.

On the lips of him who has understanding, wisdom is found,

but a rod is for the back of him who lacks sense.

The wise lay up knowledge,

but the mouth of a fool brings ruin near.

A rich man's wealth is his strong city;

the poverty of the poor is their ruin.

The wage of the righteous leads to life,

the gain of the wicked to sin.

Whoever heeds instruction is on the path to life,

but he who rejects reproof leads others astray.

The one who conceals hatred has lying lips,

and whoever utters slander is a fool.

When words are many, transgression is not lacking,

but whoever restrains his lips is prudent.

The tongue of the righteous is choice silver;

the heart of the wicked is of little worth.

The lips of the righteous feed many,

but fools die for lack of sense. (Prov. 10:9-21)

Our words matter. They produce either a good or a bad harvest. You can give a person joy with words. You can crush a person's spirit with words. With words you can help others see God and understand their need of him. With words you can create division or restore unity. You can use words to let people know you love them, or to tell them they are deeply hated. With words you can give people a vision and expand their imagination. Your words can impart wisdom or can drag a person down into your foolishness. With words you can lovingly rebuke or hatefully condemn. Words are the way we communicate the most beautiful truths, and also how we deceive with the ugliest lies.

We cannot let ourselves minimize the power of the words we speak. Our problem is that most of our words aren't spoken in dramatic or important moments. We let words fly in many mundane moments, without thinking that our words matter and always leave behind some kind of effect. Scripture reminds us that no one is able to tame the tongue (see James 3). With humble hearts, we need to ask our Lord to meet us with his powerful grace, so that the words we speak would be like choice silver. May God help us to remember that words matter, and may he help us to speak words that produce a harvest of righteousness.

 PULELULU SIULAI 8, 2026

PALOVEPI 5-9; 2 TESALONAIKA 3:6-12

God created us to work, and he gives us his presence, promises,  and grace so we can work diligently and faithfully.

Na’e ngaohi ‘e he ‘Otuaa kitautolu ke tau ngaue, pea ne foaki mai ‘a Hono finangalo, palomesi mo e kelesi ke tau ngaue malohi mo tonunga.

I was sixteen years old, and it was the night of the last day of school. My father called me into the living room and said, "Sit down. I want to talk to you." He proceeded to tell me that the next day I was to get up, put on a suit coat and tie, and go out and look for a job. He told me that if I didn't get a job the first day, I would have to do the same thing day after day until I found a job. I look back on that conversation with gratitude. I learned the value of work at a young age, and it has served me well throughout my life.

From the beginning, God designed us for and called us to work. Labor is not the result of the fall. Adam and Eve were called to certain work in the garden of Eden. Sin's effect on the physical creation makes work hard, but work was always God's plan for us. Work is part of our identity as human beings. And people who work hard are blessed by the fruit of their labors. One of the ways God cares for, maintains, and develops his creation is by the work of those made in his image. Consider Proverbs 6, where God points us to the industrious discipline of the ant:

Go to the ant, O sluggard;

consider her ways, and be wise.

Without having any chief,

officer, or ruler,

she prepares her bread in summer

and gathers her food in harvest.

How long will you lie there. O sluggard?

When will you arise from your sleep?

A little sleep, a little slumber,

a little folding of the hands to rest,

and poverty will come upon you like a robber,

and want like an armed man. (Prov. 6:6-11)

Why does God call the ant wise? The ant works without a boss forcing him to work, and he knows the value of planning; therefore, the ant never pays the price for being lazy. It's humbling to have your attitude toward work compared to an ant's, but maybe that's the point. If an ant works faithfully, without needing to be prodded, how much more should we, who have been called to care for what God has made? It's not natural for sinners to love work; we are inclined to do little while hoping for much. So, if we're going to love work and live a disciplined and faithful life of work, God must meet us with his grace. Divine grace has the power to turn sluggards into people who work with joy as unto the Lord. Reach out for that grace today.

 TUSITE SIULAI 7, 2026

PALOVEPI 1-4; SEMISI 3:13-18

It's impossible to be independently wise, because true wisdom always begins with the fear of the Lord.

‘Oku ‘ikai malava ha taha ke poto ‘iate ia pe, he ko e poto mo’oni ‘oku kamata pe ia ‘i he ‘apasia ki he ‘Otua.

When you ask people whether they think they are wise, many will answer, "Of course!" Few answer, "No, I'm a fool. I've been foolish all my life. I have made foolish decisions and have lived foolishly. No one would look at my life and think that I am wise." Yet, true wisdom is an elusive treasure that can be found in only one place. Scripture tells us that since all of us are born in sin, we are born fools. That's why "folly is bound up in the heart of a child" (Prov. 22:15). This means that wisdom is not natural for us-foolishness is. We are born fools who desperately need to acquire wisdom. But the Bible tells us more. Pay attention to the words of Proverbs 1:2-7:

To know wisdom and instruction,

to understand words of insight,

to receive instruction in wise dealing,

in righteousness, justice, and equity;

to give prudence to the simple, wise

knowledge and discretion to the youth-

Let the wise hear and increase in learning,

and the one who understands obtain guidance,

to understand a proverb and a saying,

the words of the wise and their riddles.

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge;

fools despise wisdom and instruction.

You can't buy wisdom or earn a wisdom degree. You can't take a wisdom pilgrimage. You can't independently make yourself wise. Wisdom is found only in fearing the Lord. This fear is not terror, which would drive you from the Lord, but rather awe that causes you to listen to his words and offer your life to him in willing sacrifice and service. The reason a fool is a fool is because he does not fear the Lord: "The fool says in his heart, "There is no God" (Ps. 14:1).

Therefore, true wisdom is always the result of the grace of divine rescue. The fool needs to be rescued from himself. We have no capacity for wisdom unless God radically transforms the character and content of our hearts. Do you want insight, righteousness, and justice in your life? Do you want knowledge and discretion? Do you want to obtain guidance and increase in learning? Do you want to understand the deep riddles and questions of life? All of these things are the fruit of true wisdom, and they are yours for the taking. God welcomes you to come to him, confessing your foolishness and crying out for the wisdom he alone can give. Let go of your awe of your own wisdom and bow in awe and wonder before him. He generously gives wisdom to those who seek it, because he is tenderhearted, generous, and kind. Why live foolishly, when God graciously offers you the treasures of his wisdom?

 MONITE SIULAI 6, 2026

SAAME 146-150; SENESI 3:1-6

You always put your trust in someone or something. Whoever or whatever holds your trust also controls the way you live.

Kuopau ke tuku ho’o falalaa ‘i ha tokotaha pe ko ha me’a. Ko e tokotaha ko iaa pe ko e me’a ko iaa te ne pule’i anga ho’o mo’ui.

Psalm 146 is about trust. God created us to be trusting beings. This means that we continually entrust ourselves to someone or something. When we trust someone or something, we ask that person or thing to deliver what we think we want or need. Even the most fearful or cynical people trust something. Our capacity to trust was woven into us by God. It is supposed to drive us to him; we are to give our hearts to him and believe that what he says is true. The first horrible moment of sin and rebellion in the garden of Eden was a drama of trust. Would Adam and Eve continue to trust God and live as he commanded, or would they trust the serpent and step over God's boundaries?

Adam and Eve made a terrible trust decision, and we continue to deal with the results today.

Read the psalm carefully:

Praise the LORD!

Praise the LORD, O my soul!

I will praise the LORD as long as I live;

I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.

Put not your trust in princes,

in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation.

When his breath departs, he returns to the earth;

on that very day his plans perish.

Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,

whose hope is in the LORD his God,

who made heaven and earth,

the sea, and all that is in them,

who keeps faith forever;

who executes justice for the oppressed,

who gives food to the hungry.

The LORD sets the prisoners free;

the LORD opens the eyes of the blind.

The LORD lifts up those who are bowed down;

the LORD loves the righteous.

The LORD watches over the sojourners;

he upholds the widow and the fatherless,

but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.

The LORD will reign forever,

your God, O Zion, to all generations.

Praise the LORD!

Why trust a powerful prince, whose life fades away quickly and who cannot offer you salvation? Why trust any created thing? Compare the trustworthiness of created things with the psalmist's description of the Lord, what he has done, what he continues to do, and what he offers those who put their trust in him. The attributes and works the psalmist assigns to God are awesome and glorious and true of no one or nothing else. God alone knows what we need. He alone provides. In the majesty of his character and work, he alone is worthy of our trust. If we put our trust in him, we have hope that will never fail us or fade away. Why would we entrust our lives to anyone or anything else?

 SAPATE SIULAI 5, 2026

SAAME 140-145 ; ‘AISEA 40:6-8

We are little specks on a tiny planet in a vast universe, but God cares for us and unleashes his sovereign power for our good.

Ko e fanga ki’i efu pe kitautolu ‘i he fu’u ‘univeesi lahi faufaua, ka ‘oku ‘ofa’i kitautolu ‘e he ‘Otua mo tukuange mai hono mafai aoniu ma’a ‘etau lelei.

I cherished the moments when one of our children would ask a question about the most important things in life. "Why do we go to church every week?" "Why do we pray before we eat?" I wanted my children to know God and the stunning glory of his grace. I wanted them to know that following him was the best decision of their lives. I wanted them to develop an identity and view of life that had God in the center. So I wasn't irritated by their questions. They were doorways leading to the gospel.

Consider the important question King David asks in Psalm 144:

Blessed be the LORD, my rock,

who trains my hands for war,

and my fingers for battle;

he is my steadfast love and my fortress,

my stronghold and my deliverer,

my shield and he in whom I take refuge,

who subdues peoples under me.

O LORD, what is man that you regard him,

or the son of man that you think of him?

Man is like a breath;

his days are like a passing shadow. (Ps. 144:1-4)

David calls upon God to bless his reign and those of his sons who will come after him. And then he asks the key question: "O LORD, what is man that you regard him, or the son of man that you think of him? Man is like a breath; his days are like a passing shadow." This question fills you with wonder and can change the way you think about your life.

Think of how little and insignificant we are. We are tiny dots, living somewhere on a tiny little planet that is spinning around in the vastness of the universe. In light of the enormity of time and eternity, our lives are the definition of brevity. Each of us is just one of a billion little dots that shines for a moment, but then quickly burns out. Yet God regards each one of us. Stop and take it in. The King of kings, the great Creator who set everything in motion, the sovereign Lord who sits on the throne of the universe cares about us.

The essence of human significance is rooted in the fact that God thinks we are worth caring for. Not only does he think about us, but he meets us in our lostness with his rescuing, forgiving, and transforming grace. If you matter this much to God, then you matter. You are more than a dot in the universe; you have worth in the mind of the Lord. That is enough to get you up in the morning. No matter what you're facing, you can live as God intended because you matter to him.