MONITE SUNE 22, 2026

SAAME 78-79; TEUTALONOME 6:4-9

More important than children's education, socialization, or physical development is the nurture of their souls. May their hearts be captured by the things of God.

Mahu’inga ange ‘i he ako faka’atamai ‘a e fanau, mo honau tu’unga fakasosiale mo ‘enau fakalakalaka fakasino, ka ko e fafanga mo e tutupu honau laumalie. ‘Ofa ke puke ‘e honau loto ‘e he ngaahi me’a ‘a e ‘Otua. 

When our children were small, they asked probing questions based on their keen observations. Luella and I knew we were parenting thinkers. If you are a parent or caregiver of little ones, it is vital to understand that these little theologians, philosophers, and archeologists will dig through the mountain of their experiences in order to make some kind of sense out of life. Sometimes we accuse our children of not thinking, but, in truth, they never stop thinking. Our children are meaning makers. They will develop ways of thinking about their identity, about what is important in life, about what is right or

wrong, and about relationships. And the sense that they make out of life will then determine how they live. Every day our children are observing, learning, interpreting, connecting, concluding, associating, and developing a view of life that will guide every word they say, every action they take, and every decision they make.

Because this is true, it is important for parents to start early and work often to instill in their children a view of life that has God in the center and on the throne. It is important that your children begin to understand that everything comes from the Lord, exists through him, and was made for him and his glory (see Rom. 11:36). Parents, hear the instructions of Psalm 78:5-8:

[God] established a testimony in Jacob

and appointed a law in Israel,

which he commanded our fathers

to teach to their children,

that the next generation might know them,

the children yet unborn,

and arise and tell them to their children.

so that they should set their hope in God

and not forget the works of God.

but keep his commandments;

and that they should not be like their fathers,

a stubborn and rebellious generation.

a generation whose heart was not steadfast.

whose spirit was not faithful to God.

Don't miss the vision here. We are called to faithfully teach our children the things of the Lord so that their children, yet unborn, will set their hope on God, remember his commands, and not rebel against him.

You may be thinking, "It's all we can do to keep our kids under control and put three meals on the table." But remember this: every one of God's commands is accompanied by his grace. He will meet you in your weariness and weakness and help you to do what he's called you to do. Someone will answer your children's questions. Some system of thought will capture their hearts and minds. May God use you, parent, to lead them to the one who is wisdom, so that they follow him, and their children and their children's children do as well.

 SAPATE SUNE 21, 2026

SAAME 74-77; KOLOSE 3:16-17

May the gospel be the song that wakes us up in the morning, carries us through the day, and puts us to bed at night.

‘Ofa ke hoko ‘a e koosipelii ko e hiva ia te ne ofongi kitautolu ‘i he pongipongii, fataki kitautolu ‘i he lolotonga ‘o e ‘ahoo, pea fakamaloloo’i kitautolu ‘i he po’uli ‘a e ‘ahoo.

No matter who you are, where you are, how old you are, or what you believe, you will sing. And whether you are aware of it or not, the songs that dominate your personal playlist are a window into your soul. What. songs do you love to sing the most? What songs bring the greatest joy to your heart? What songs do you sing in times of sorrow? What songs do you sing in times of joy? What songs wake you up in the morning and put you to bed at night? What songs best express what you hold dear? What songs provide you with the most comfort? What songs capture your heart?

Most of the songs in the Psalms were for public worship; many were written to be sung as people were going up to the temple in Jerusalem. But I love these verses of Psalm 77, which take us into the private world of an Old Testament believer:

I cry aloud to God,

aloud to God, and he will hear me.

In the day of my trouble I seek the Lord;

In the night my hand is stretched out

without wearying;

my soul refuses to be comforted.

When I remember God, I moan;

when I meditate, my spirit faints.

Selah

You hold my eyelids open;

I am so troubled that I cannot speak.

I consider the days of old,

the years long ago.

I said, "Let me remember my song in the night;

let me meditate in my heart." (Ps. 77:1-6)

Notice that the psalmist composes these lines in a time of trouble. He is so distressed that he cannot speak. But rather than meditating on his troubles or complaining silently in his heart, he sings. Remembrance in song is a means of finding comfort in distress.

Do you complain your way to sleep? Do fearful thoughts drive your sleep away? Do the pressures of the next day capture your thoughts? Do disappointments haunt you as you attempt to rest? May God meet us in the night. May he remind us of his presence and care. And may he place a night song in our hearts, one that puts us to sleep with the comfort of the gospel of his goodness and grace. Tonight, remember your Lord, and sing yourself to sleep.

 TOKONAKI SUNE 20, 2026

SAAME 70-73; SEMISI 5:1-12

Life looks radically different when we view it from the perspective of eternity.

‘Oku kehe ‘aupito ‘a e mo’ui ko eni ‘i he taimi ‘oku tau sio’aki ‘a e vakai faka-’taniti. 

Sometimes life doesn't make sense. In these moments it's hard to understand what God is doing. It's difficult to see the blessings of his presence, promises, and grace. Sometimes trouble overwhelms us and solutions escape us. This is when we can be tempted to look around and conclude that those who do not acknowledge God and who rebel against his commands have comfortable and successful lives. In these moments life doesn't seem right or fair.

This was the experience of Asaph, who penned Psalm 73:

As for me, my feet had almost stumbled,

my steps had nearly slipped.

For I was envious of the arrogant

when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

For they have no pangs until death;

their bodies are fat and sleek.

They are not in trouble as others are;

they are not stricken like the rest of mankind..

Behold, these are the wicked;

always at ease, they increase in riches. (Ps. 73:2-5, 12)

Asaph essentially says, "God, I don't understand what is going on. Why do the wicked seem to have such easy and prosperous lives, while my life is hard?" Then Asaph says,

All in vain have I kept my heart clean and washed my hands in innocence. (73:13)

He essentially says, "God, I've believed in you and obeyed you-and this is what I get?" But Asaph makes a significant theological mistake that deepens his discouragement and weakens his trust in God. Asaph is in a state of functional eternity amnesia. When you forget eternity, your view of the present becomes distorted. Notice what causes Asaph's heart to change:

But when I thought how to understand this,

it seemed to me a wearisome task,

until I went into the sanctuary of God;

then I discerned their end....

Whom have I in heaven but you?

And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.

My flesh and my heart may fail,

but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

For behold, those who are far from you shall perish;

you put an end to everyone who is unfaithful to you.

But for me it is good to be near God;

I have made the Lord God my refuge,

that I may tell of all your works. (Ps. 73:16-17, 25-28)

Asaph comes to understand that, when viewed from the vantage point of eternity, God's moral scales are not imbalanced. The wicked may have pleasure now, but their ease is as impermanent as a dream that evaporates when you awake (see Ps. 73:20); their lives of prosperity will be followed by eternal doom. God's children may experience brief trouble now, but we are promised a never-ending eternity with our Lord in a place where peace and righteousness reign forever.

When life seems difficult, don't give way to eternity amnesia. This present moment is like an evaporating dream in comparison to the endless glory to come, which is yours because of the presence and power of God's eternal grace.

 FALAITE SUNE 19, 2026

SAAME 66-69; MATIU 5:13-16

Only God's grace keeps us from reducing our lives to a pursuit of our own comfort, pleasure, and glory.

Ko e kelesi pe ‘a e ‘Otua ‘oku ne pukepuke kitautolu mei he mo’ui siokita ‘o e kumi pe ‘ete lelei ‘a’ata mo hoto langilangi.

Most of my happiness and joy come from experiencing things that give me pleasure or comfort. I tend to grumble when things get in my way, when I have to wait, or when I feel weakness or pain. I love when people quickly agree with me, and I enjoy being in control. The battle for glory still rages in my heart, confronting me with difficult questions: Will I shrink life to the size of my own glory, or will I live for the expansive and eternal glory of God?

Psalm 67 confronts us with the grand purpose of God's grace:

May God be gracious to us and bless us

and make his face to shine upon us,

that your way may be known on earth,

your saving power among all nations.

Let the peoples praise you, O God;

let all the peoples praise you!

Let the nations be glad and sing for joy,

for you judge the peoples with equity

and guide the nations i upon earth.

Let the peoples praise you, O God;

let all the peoples praise you!

The earth has yielded its increase;

God, our God, shall bless us.

God shall bless us;

let all the ends of the earth fear him!

Selah

God pours his grace on us, both for the good of our redemption and so that, through us, his glory would be seen and known throughout the whole earth. The ultimate end of the gift of God's grace is his own glory. God's grace was never intended to stop with us. He desires that all people everywhere would see his glory and give him the praise that is his due: "May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, that your way may be known on earth" (67:1-2). Why does God bless us with his grace? So that his way might be known on earth. God's grace drafts us into an army of people who live, work, relate, and speak in order that the plan, purpose, and glory of the Lord  would be known around the entire earth. Embedded in the gift of God's grace is a call to live as his evangelists. His grace doesn't end with our justification and sanctification, because through us he wants his presence and glory to be seen everywhere.

And remember, God gives us all the grace we need to be ready and willing evangelists of the glory of his grace wherever we go.

 TU’APULELULU SUNE 18, 2026

SAAME 58-65; SELEMAIA 17:5-8

Between the "already" and the "not yet," life is one big and continuing battle of trust. Your actions serve what your heart trusts.

‘I he vaha’a taimi ‘o e “ ‘osi ma’u” mo e “te’eki ai”, ‘oku tau fononga’i ‘a e feinga tau ‘o e falalaa. ‘Oku tau fakahoko ‘a e me’a ‘oku falala ki ai hotau ngaahi loto.

It is inescapably true that you are always putting your trust in something. Your decisions might be shaped by your trust in a friend. Maybe you are fearful and anxious because you don't trust your boss. Marriages rise and fall according to the level of trust that spouses have in one another. Maybe you act in certain ways because you trust your feelings. Perhaps you have too much trust in your culture and, because you do, you allow it to counsel and guide you. You might struggle to trust what your church teaches or the worldview that your parents sought to instill in you. Maybe you're discouraged and depressed because you don't trust anyone or anything.

Because our lives (our thoughts, desires, choices, words, and actions) are shaped by whom or what we trust, life on this side of eternity is an unceasing war of trust. An army of God-replacements constantly battles for our trust. So we must ask ourselves, "Trust in what or whom will shape my actions, reactions, and responses today?" Every scripture was given for our conviction, instruction, and transformation.

Regarding trust, Psalm 62 is insightful and practical:

For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence,

for my hope is from him.

He only is my rock and my salvation,

my fortress; I shall not be shaken.

On God rests my salvation and my glory;

my mighty rock, my refuge is God.

Trust in him at all times, O people;

pour out your heart before him;

God is a refuge for us.

Selah

Those of low estate are but a breath;

those of high estate are a delusion;

in the balances they go up;

they are together lighter than a breath.

Put no trust in extortion;

set no vain hopes on robbery;

if riches increase, set not your heart on them.

Once God has spoken;

twice have I heard this:

that power belongs to God,

and that to you, O Lord, belongs steadfast love. (Ps. 62:5-12)

Do you have this kind of unbending trust in the Lord? Does God alone rule your heart? What causes you to question his goodness, thereby weakening your trust in him? Is your trust in the Lord built on the foundation of your experience or on his word? Psalm 62 calls us to "trust in him at all times." That includes the times when he seems distant and uninvolved as well as when he seems near. The "steadfast love" of the Lord is seen most clearly in the person and work of his Son. In Christ we have the grace we need to defeat our fears and to give our hearts to trusting God, no matter what. Today, look up and trust God.

 PULELULU SUNE 17, 2026

SAAME 51-57; 1 SIONE 1:5-2:2

One of the best things you can ask of God is a clean heart.

Ko e taha ‘o e ngaahi me’a lelei taha ke ke kole mei he ‘Otua, ko ha loto ‘oku ma’a.

Psalm 51 is beautiful prayer of confession and repentance:

Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;

wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Let me hear joy and gladness;

let the bones that you have broken rejoice.

Hide your face from my sins,

and blot out all my iniquities.

Create in me a clean heart, O God,

and renew a right spirit within me. (Ps. 51:7-10)

David wrote these words after his sins of adultery and murder. He makes no excuses in this psalm, he does not minimize what he has done or shift the blame elsewhere, and he does not argue for his own righteousness. In verses 1-6 David acknowledges his sin and even confesses that this sin was not just a technical breaking of God's law; it was an offense against God himself. This is what true confession looks like. But at verse 7, the psalm takes a turn.

David has come to understand that he doesn't have just a temptation problem or a behavior problem; he has a heart problem. His actions went where his heart had already gone. So David needs the sort of forgiveness that only God can give-the kind that cleanses the heart. His problem was not that Bathsheba was beautiful; no, his problem was he looked on her beauty with an unclean heart. So he prays for something he cannot create on his own, something that requires divine intervention: a clean heart.

But David asks for something else. He prays, "Let the bones that you have broken rejoice." David acknowledges that, in order to reclaim and purify our hearts, God often leads us through pain and hardship. He does what we can't do for ourselves-create in us a clean heart. David is talking here about God's hammer of grace. Grace is not always a cool drink or a soft pillow. God's grace often leads us into difficulty and pain, not because God is evil or lacking in love, but in order to recapture our hearts. So, in perfect redeeming love, God may break things in our lives that capture our hearts and our worship. The beauty of a clean heart before God is far more valuable than bones that have to be broken to cleanse and free us.

Like all of the psalms, Psalm 51 points us to Jesus. God was willing to bruise, break, and sacrifice his Son so that it would be possible for us, in Christ, to stand before him perfectly clean. Now he works so that we will be not just positionally clean before him, but actually clean. And he will not relent until every atom of sin is removed from every cell of every heart of each of his children. What grace!

 TUSITE SUNE 16, 2026

SAAME 46-50; 1 KALONIKALI 29:10-13

Your world is not spinning out of control, careening toward chaos, because we have a King who rules over all the earth.

‘Oku ‘ikai ke ta’emapule’i ‘a e fo’i mamani ko eni, pe sīfā ki he ta’e’iloaa, he ‘oku kei ‘i ai pe hotau Tu’i ‘oku ne pule ki he kolope.

Does it feel as though your life is out of control? Family drama, violence in the world, the rapid coarsening of the surrounding culture-chaos appears to be all around us. Perhaps you're dealing with a physical sickness that you can't seem to get on top of. Maybe you suddenly lost a job or a friendship, or experienced a life-altering accident. Perhaps your daily responsibilities are a burden too heavy to bear. The unexpected, unplanned, and unwanted confront us with how little power and control we actually have. They reveal our delusion of selfsovereignty. When you must face how few things you rule, you either spin off into depression, fear, or panic, or you remember that you can rest, knowing that though your life is out of your control, it is not actually out of control. We have a King who sits on his throne above the earth. He rules with wisdom, holiness, and grace. His rule is always right, his plan cannot be thwarted, and his will is done in heaven and on earth. Nothing escapes his rule. Everything he ordains, he accomplishes. He delivers on every promise he has made. He is King.

Psalm 47 calls us out of our fear and panic and welcomes us to peace and rest of heart:

Clap your hands, all peoples!

Shout to God with loud songs of joy!

For the LORD, the Most High, is to be feared,

a great king over all the earth.

He subdued peoples under us,

and nations under our feet.

He chose our heritage for us,

the pride of Jacob whom he loves.

Selah

God reigns over the nations;

God sits on his holy throne.

The princes of the peoples gather

as the people of the God of Abraham.

For the shields of the earth belong to God;

he is highly exalted! (Ps. 47:1-4, 8-9)

Psalm 47 tells you that you will never be in a situation, location, or relationship that is not ruled by your Lord. You will never wander outside of his rule. Not only does he rule, but he exercises his sovereign rule over all things for the sake of those whom he has chosen to be the objects of his love. Your world is ruled by one who loves you and exercises his infinite power for your eternal good. This does not mean that you will always understand what happens in your life, but, in the failure of your understanding, you can know that your life is in good hands.

Does your life seem out of control? Run again and again to Psalm 47. Remember, rest, and rejoice. The one who rules loves you and is exercising his kingship for your good and his glory.

 MONITE SUNE 15, 2026

SAAME 40-45; MATIU 5:1-12

Your body always moves toward what your heart has been longing for.

‘Oku nga’unu ma’u pe ho sino ki he me’a ‘oku hohoi ki ai ho loto.

If I could eavesdrop on the longings of your heart, what would I hear? Maybe you're single and long for the lifelong companionship of marriage. Maybe you have a job, but what you long for is a satisfying career. Perhaps in the midst of extended family chaos, you long for the sweetness of family peace. Maybe you're sick and long for physical health and strength. Perhaps you long for enough money to pay your bills or to afford a dependable car. You may be a student who longs for success in your upcoming exams. Our hearts are never free from longing and, as the Bible reveals, our bodies follow after the longings of our hearts.

Psalm 42 is about the beautiful and life-giving longing that God designed to rule our hearts and shape how we live. What is this longing? It is longing for God himself. Longing for God involves longing for his presence, his fellowship, his wise rule, his rescuing grace, and the gathering of others who long for him as well. But in order to long for God, grace must first inspire and empower that longing. At the center of what sin is and does is a longing to be God. This desire goes all the way back to the fall in the garden of Eden. And because we are born in sin, we are born with idolatrous longing. Rather than naturally longing for God, we long for his position, power, and rule. We all need grace to rescue us from idolatry of self, so that our hearts may reach up to the one who first reached down to us.

Psalm 42 is both convicting and encouraging:

As a deer pants for flowing streams,

so pants my soul for you,

My soul thirsts for God,

for the living God.

O God.

When shall I come and appear before God?

My tears have been my food

day and night.

while they say to me all the day long,

"Where is your God?"

These things I remember,

as I pour out my soul:

how I would go with the throng

and lead them in procession to the house of God

with glad shouts and songs of praise.

a multitude keeping festival. (Ps. 42:1-4)

Be honest today: Do you hunger after and long for God? Are you like a parched deer, panting for water? Does longing for God propel your devotional life, your relationships, and your participation in public worship? Longing for God will always produce love for the people of God and joyful participation in  the public worship of God.

If you lack that longing, remember that Jesus came to restore what sin robbed you of. Pray that God would place longing for him in your heart. God delights when his people long for him, so he delights in answering our prayers  for that longing.

 SAPATE SUNE 14, 2026

SAAME 36-39; KALETIA 6:6-10

Willing and humble patience is a significant aspect of faith in God.

Ko e loto ke fa’a tatali ‘i he angavaivai ko e konga lahi ia ‘o e tui ki he ‘Otua.

In his infinite wisdom, God faithfully delivers, in his own time, what he has ordained and promised. God's timing is never wrong. Not only does he give us what is best, but he gives it at the very best time. This means that if, by faith, we place our lives in God's hands, then we must be willing to wait. Waiting is an essential element of biblical faith. This is hard for me. For reasons I don't completely understand, I am very time-oriented. I hate being stuck in traffic. I don't like waiting in long lines. I dislike waiting for my name to be called in the waiting room of a doctor's office. I have a hard time being patient as I am waiting to go somewhere with my wife and she is not quite ready. I do understand that impatience is prideful. It puts my needs, wants, and schedule first. Impatience is frustrated self-sovereignty, a desire for greater control over people and situations than God designed us to have.

Because patience is such a significant function of biblical faith, and because it is a personal struggle for me, I have found Psalm 37 to be both convicting and motivating:

Fret not yourself because of evildoers;

be not envious of wrongdoers!

For they will soon fade like the grass

and wither like the green herb.

Trust in the LORD, and do good;

dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.

Delight yourself in the LORD,

and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Commit your way to the LORD;

trust in him, and he will act.

He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,

and your justice as the noonday.

Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him;

fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way,

over the man who carries out evil devices!

Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath!

Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.

For the evildoers shall be cut off,

but those who wait for the LORD shall inherit the land. (Ps. 37:1-9)

What does waiting look like? It looks like not giving in to fear even when it seems as though the bad guys are winning. It looks like not envying the prosperity of those who break God's rules. It looks like delighting in the Lord while you are waiting. It looks like willingly committing your life to the wise rule of the Lord. It looks like not giving way to anger and believing that God blesses those who are willing to wait. Now, none of these aspects of waiting is natural for us. So, in order to wait with joyful, fear-free patience, we need God to meet us and empower us with his grace. If waiting is an essential aspect of true faith, then it is also a fruit of divine grace.

So, we wait. Ultimately, we wait for the fulfillment of the promise that we will be with our Savior face-to-face.

 TOKONAKI SUNE 13, 2026

SAAME 32-35; SAAME 103:6-14

As a child of God, you receive the blessing of complete and final forgiveness.

‘I ho’o hoko ko e taha ‘o e fanau ‘a e ‘Otua, ‘oku ke ma’u ‘a e tapuaki ‘o e fakamolemole kakato mo aofangatuku ‘a e ‘Otua.

What is the biggest blessing in your life? I know that I have been blessed in many ways. I have been blessed with a long-term marriage to my hero, my counselor, and my best friend, Luella. I cannot imagine what my life would have been without her. I have been blessed with four children, now adults, and the relationships of love we share with them. I have been blessed with six wonderful grandchildren. I have been blessed with a ministry life that has been more motivating and exciting than I ever could have dreamed. I have been blessed to always have food to eat and homes in which to stay. I have been blessed to be in wonderful churches that are committed to the gospel. I have been blessed with many faithful friends. I could go on and on with the undeserved and unearned blessings in my life, but one blessing is so amazing and life-transforming that I will celebrate it for the rest of eternity. This blessing gets me up in the morning and gives me hope. It has captured my heart and set the direction for my personal life and my ministry life.

What is this amazing blessing that outshines every other on my list? Psalm 32 captures it well:

I acknowledged my sin to you,

and I did not cover my iniquity;

I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,"

and you forgave the iniquity of my sin.

Selah (Ps. 32:5)

We are all born in a condition so deep, dark, and destructive that it always leads to death. This darkness pervades every aspect of our personhood. We have no power whatsoever to escape it. It captures our heart and controls every thought and desire. It is the cause of every moral and relational human dysfunction. It makes life hard and sad. Sin is the worst thing that could have ever happened to us. Therefore, God's forgiveness is the best thing that could ever happen to us.

David uses three words to characterize this dark condition: sin, which is falling short of God's holy standard; transgression, which is the rebellion that causes us to step over God's boundaries; and iniquity, which is moral uncleanness. 

God's forgiveness covers each aspect of what sin is and what sin does. It's an amazing blessing that we don't have to work to clean ourselves up or try to make ourselves acceptable to God in order to earn his forgiveness. No, he meets us as we are, asking us to come to him with humble words of confession and trust his forgiving mercies. Minimizing, denying, or excusing our sin never defeats it. Arguing for our own righteousness has never made us righteous. Comparing ourselves to others never breaks the hold that sin has on us. Our only hope in the face of this terminal disease is divine forgiveness. Psalm 32 looks forward to how that forgiveness will be finally secured for us by Jesus.