SAPATE ME 31, 2026

SIOPE 17-20; SAAME 121:1-8

Amid all the questions, stresses, disappointments, and hardships of life, it is heartening to be able to say, "I know that my Redeemer lives."

‘I he uhouhonga ‘o e ngaahi fehu’i, mafasia, mamahi mo e ha’aha’a ‘o e hala fononga, ‘oku fakalotolahi ke te lava ‘o lea’aki, “Oku ou ‘ilo ‘oku mo’ui ‘a hoku Koeli.”

Everybody has it, even people who consider themselves to be completely irreligious. It gets you up in the morning and motivates you throughout the day. It comforts you when you are sad. It gives you hope when your dreams have been dashed. It causes you to endure when suffering enters your door. You use it to encourage others. What am I talking about? Faith. Everyone looks to someone or something for security. Everyone has some kind of rock of hope. Everyone hooks his life to something he thinks is secure and will always be there. Everyone has faith in something. What makes Christians different is not that we live by faith. No, what makes us different is the object of our faith.

The things that most people have faith in ultimately will fail them. Only one source provides unshakable security and hope in this fallen world. If you want sturdy peace of heart and mind, quit looking horizontally and lift up the eyes of your heart. God is the only reliable, unfailing, never-changing, and always-faithful rock of security and hope. You can put your hope in him-not just because he has awesome power and makes wonderful promises, but because he rules over every situation and relationship you will ever have in your life. This is where Job's heart goes in the middle of horrible suffering and loss, the faulty counsel of friends, and confusion about what God is doing. The words he speaks in the midst of his hardships have given strength and courage to generation after generation of believers. Job might not know and understand much at

this point in his life, but one transformative thing he knows for sure:

I know that my Redeemer lives,

and at the last he will stand upon the earth.

And after my skin has been thus destroyed,

yet in my flesh I shall see God. (Job 19:25-26)

Speaking as a prophet, uttering words that have meaning beyond his understanding, Job reminds himself where unshakable hope and help can be found. What gives Job hope? God is alive and will never go away. After everything else has passed away, God will still stand. But there is more. Job knows that even though he is suffering, even though God has confused him, and even though God seems distant, God has not forsaken him and there will be a day when Job will see God.

Even if you're not facing hardship now, you will someday. In your tears and loss, may you look up with confidence and hope and say, "I am unsure of many things right now, but this I know for certain: I know that my Redeemer lives!"

 TOKONAKI ME 30, 2026

SIOPE 14-16; PALOVEPI 3:5-6

It is spiritually healthy to always remember that God, in his infinite wisdom, has set limits for us.

‘Oku kau lelei ki he’etau mo’ui fakalaumalie, ke tau manatu’i, ko e ‘Otuaa, ‘i he taumama’o ‘o ‘ene poto, ‘oku ne fokotu’u ha ngaahi fakangatangata ki he tangataa.

Working beyond God-ordained limits is always spiritually debilitating and destructive. We will never be able to go two weeks without sleep. We will never be able to work eighty hours a week and not see a negative impact on our family. We will never have so much wisdom that we will be free of God's. We will never be so righteous that we will no longer need God's grace. We will never grow so strong that we will no longer require God's power. We will never have so much control that we will no longer need to rest in God's sovereignty. If you deny the limits God has set for you, you then begin to live with a self-sufficiency and independence that never go anywhere good.

Job in his suffering-over which he has no voice or control-is powerfully confronted with his limits. Note Job's words:

Since his days are determined,

and the number of his months is with you,

and you have appointed his limits that he cannot pass... (Job 14:5)

Job is faced with the reality that not only does he have limits and not only do those limits set boundaries for him that he cannot pass, but those limits have been preordained and predetermined by God. If you think back to Genesis 1 and 2, you realize that the only being in the entire creation account that is without limits is God himself.

The limits God has set for us are not unloving or unkind. He does not intend them to handicap or incapacitate us. God's boundaries are not meant to stifle us, to make life hard and frustrating. No, the wise God who made us knew what was best for us. He specially designed us, knowing exactly what we needed. In his wisdom, he did not create us to be limitless, self-sufficient, independent beings. The limits he set for us drive us, in humility, to surrender to and depend on him and to find in him our wisdom, strength, righteousness, and power. We push against our limits when we forget the meaning and purpose for which we were created: to know God and to rest in and enjoy him forever.

Nothing confronts us with our limits more than the cross of Jesus Christ. We cannot bridge the gap between ourselves and God on our own. Because of our limits, we needed the Redeemer, Jesus, to come as our substitute, to do what we could never do, and by grace to unite us to God forever. The limitless one took on limits, so that we would someday know the glory of a limitless eternity with God. Accept your limits and rest in the wisdom and grace of the one who put those boundaries in place for his glory and your eternal good.

 FALAITE ME 29, 2026

SIOPE 11-13; SAAME 73:1-28

What do you do when it seems as though the bad guys are prospering and the good guys are suffering?

Ko e ha ho’o me’a ‘e fai ‘i he taimi ‘oku ke vakai ai ‘oku tu’umalie ‘a e kau fai kovi, kae mo’ui faingata’a’ia ‘a e kau fai lelei?

We look around, and it doesn't seem that justice and righteousness are prevailing. Often it looks as though the bad guys are winning and the good guys are losing. Evil seems to be on the rise and good seems to be waning. Those who stand for biblical morality are characterized as hateful and unloving, while those who pridefully blow through all of God's boundaries are looked upon with respect and esteem. In our discouragement, we can wonder what God is doing or whether he is in control. Why do the righteous suffer? Why do the unrighteous prosper? Why do bad things happen to good people? Why do bad people seem to be blessed? You can't live between the "already" and the "not yet" of this broken world without being haunted by these questions at some point. Job, a righteous man, feels the weight of these questions deeply:

I am a laughingstock to my friends;

I, who called to God and he answered me,

a just and blameless man, am a laughingstock.

In the thought of one who is at ease there is contempt for misfortune;

it is ready for those whose feet slip.

The tents of robbers are at peace,

and those who provoke God are secure,

who bring their god in their hand. (Job 12:4-6)

Job is saying, "I have trusted God, yet look at my life. I have lived a blameless life, but my suffering has turned me into a laughingstock. Robbers are better off than I am. Those who provoke God seem to be more secure than I am. Idolaters have more peace than I have." It is the age-old dilemma: Why does the world seem upside down? Why do the bad guys seem to have it so easy? 

Now, if there were no God and the world were on a mechanical moral scale, where right living would balance you toward a good life and bad living would balance you toward a bad life, these questions would make sense. But we do not live in a mechanical world. We live in a world ruled by one who is holy in every way, wise beyond our knowing, and faithful to every covenant promise he has ever made. He is ruling not for our comfort and ease, but for his glory and our eternal good. The one who rules over our suffering gave us his Son who, in his life, death, and resurrection, eternally connected us to God and assured an end to all suffering and to the questions that haunt us. God has not lost control. In those moments when it looks as though evil is winning, God is working his wise redemptive plan. Even in your confusion, you can still trust him, for he is worthy of your trust. And he gives you the grace to do so.

 TU’APULELULU ME 28, 2026

JOB 8-10; Isaiah 55:6-9

Few things are more spiritually dangerous than allowing yourself to think you're smarter than God, even for a moment.

‘Oku si’isi’i ke ‘i ai ha me’a ‘e fakatu’utamaki ange ka ko ho’o fakangofua ho’o fakakaukau ke ke pehee ‘oku ke poto ange ‘i he ‘Otua, neongo ko ha ki’i fo’i kemo pe.

It might be hard for you to admit, but sometimes you are tempted to think you are smarter than God. Anytime you step over God's moral boundaries, you are acting as though you're smarter than God. Anytime you question his revealed wisdom, you are telling yourself you're smarter than God. Anytime you get mad at him for what he has brought into your life, you are acting as though you know more and know better. Anytime you try to take your life into your own hands and do what pleases yourself rather than what he says is best, you are acting as though you have greater wisdom than he. It is important to always remember that God, in his infinite glory, is the ultimate source of everything that is wise, good, and true. He may confuse you, he may confound you, and he may disturb you, but he is never in error, and what he says and does is never wrong. God knows everything. It is the height of spiritual delusion to think that we could ever mount wise arguments against him and what he has done.

Job, dealing with the confounding nature of his suffering, understands these truths about God.

Truly I know that it is so:

But how can a man be in the right before God?

If one wished to contend with him, 

one could not answer him once in a thousand times.

He is wise in heart and mighty in strength

-who has hardened himself against him, and succeeded?-

he who removes mountains, and they know it not,

when he overturns them in his anger,

who shakes the earth out of its place,

and its pillars tremble;

who commands the sun, and it does not rise;

who seals up the stars;

who alone stretched out the heavens

and trampled the waves of the sea;

who made the Bear and Orion,

the Pleiades and the chambers of the south;

who does great things beyond searching out,

and marvelous things beyond number.

Behold, he passes by me, and I see him not;

he moves on, but I do not perceive him.

Behold, he snatches away; who can turn him back?

Who will say to him, "What are you doing?" (Job 9:2-12)

As Job stands before the glorious glory of the wisdom and power of God, he is deeply aware that, although his suffering is confusing and confounding, he cannot call God into question. Like Job, we all must rest in God's wisdom, goodness, and power, even though we can't always understand what God is doing or why he is doing it. It is wonderful that he is a God of wisdom and power as well as grace. When your understanding fails, cry out for grace not just to endure but to rest in God's rule, knowing that he is wise in ways you and I never will be.

 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.

 PULELULU ME 20, 2026

NEHEMAIA 1-3; MATIU 6:5-13 

It is important to know that the power of prayer is not in the beauty of the words you pray, but in the character of the one to whom you pray.

‘Oku mahu’inga ke tau mahino’i, ko e ivi ‘o e lotus, ‘oku ‘ikai ‘i he faka’ofo’ofa ‘o e ngaahi lea ‘oku tau ngaue’aki, ka ‘oku makatu’unga ‘i he ‘ulungaanga ‘o e Tokotaha ‘oku tau lotu ki ai.

You might think that the better your theology and phraseology in prayer, the better chance you have of getting a hearing. Prayer is not about proving yourself to God. It is not about establishing worthiness. Prayer is about what the Puritans called "importunity," that is, poverty of spirit. It is coming to God acknowledging that he has every right not to hear me, that my only hope is found in the bounty of his love and the extent of his mercy. The power of prayer is not in the beauty of my language or in my track record of righteousness, but in the character of the one to whom I pray. He hears me with ears of redeeming love-love that I could never earn, achieve, or deserve. We are not called to clean ourselves up so we can pray. No, we are called to pray, asking God to continue his work of cleaning us up.

Hear the words of Nehemiah's prayer in the face of the destruction of Jerusalem:

As soon as I heard these words I sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven. And I said, "O LORD God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, let your ear be attentive and your eyes open, to hear the prayer of your servant that I now pray before you day and night for the people of Israel your servants, confessing the sins of the people of Israel, which we have sinned against you. Even I and my father's house have sinned. We have acted very corruptly against you and have not kept the commandments, the statutes, and the rules that you commanded your servant Moses. Remember the word that you commanded your servant Moses, saying, 'If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples, but if you return to me and keep my commandments and do them, though your outcasts are in the uttermost parts of heaven, from there I will gather them and bring them to the place that I have chosen, to make my name dwell there. They are your servants and your people, whom you have redeemed by your great power and by your strong hand. O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant, and to the prayer of your servants who delight to fear your name, and give success to your servant today, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man." (Neh. 1:4-11)

Nehemiah knows he cannot commend God's people to God based on their righteousness, so he confesses sin on their behalf and appeals to God's character and covenant promises. When we pray, may we do the same, knowing that the power of prayer is found in the glory and grace of the one to whom we pray.

 TUSITE ME 19, 2026

‘ESELA 6-10; SIONE 21:15-17

Our God of unrelenting grace always offers us fresh starts and new beginnings.

Ko hotau ‘Otua mohu kelesi, ‘oku ne ‘omi ma’u pe ‘a e faingamalie ke toe kamata mei mu’a mo e kamata fo’ou.  

You get angry with a coworker; you need a fresh start and a new beginning. You are needlessly impatient with one of your children; you need a fresh start and a new beginning. You are unlovingly critical of your spouse; you need a fresh start and a new beginning. You view internet material that you never should have seen; you need a fresh start and a new beginning. Success has become your functional idol; you need a fresh start and a new beginning. You allow yourself to fight with your neighbor; you need a fresh start and a new beginning. You cheat on a university exam; you need a fresh start and a new beginning. You are wrongly dismissive of your pastor; you need a fresh start and a new beginning.

It is wonderful to know that, if you are God's child, no sin is spiritually fatal. God's grace is more powerful than any compelling sin. So, in the bounty of his mercy, God offers to each of his children the grace of fresh starts and new beginnings. This is the truth that gets me up in the morning. I am aware that I have never lived a perfect day. My actions are influenced by both my desire to please God and the presence of remaining sin. So it is precious to me that every morning I am greeted with new mercies, and with those new mercies comes the promise of fresh starts and new beginnings. I am not encased in the concrete of my sin, because I am in Christ and his grace lives with power in me.nl to med This theme of fresh starts and new beginnings runs throughout the biblical narrative. The Bible is a record of God's again and again picking up his failing followers, dusting them off, blessing them with forgiving grace, and granting them new beginnings. For every human failure there is plentiful restoring grace. The Bible is honest about the powerful tragedy of sin, but it doesn't leave you there. It consistently points you to restorative grace.

After all of Israel's sin, idolatry, and rebellion, God calls his children back from captivity to participate in the fresh start and new beginning of rebuilding and refurnishing the temple. I find the following words so encouraging: "The people of Israel, the priests and the Levites, and the rest of the returned exiles, celebrated the dedication of this house of God with joy. They offered at the dedication of this house of God 100 bulls, 200 rams, 400 lambs, and as a sin offering for all Israel 12 male goats" (Ezra 6:16-17). When you read of the burning of Jerusalem and the captivity of God's people, it seemed as though the end had come. But it was not the end, because of the loving mercy of the God of Israel. 

God offered his people a brand-new physical and spiritual start in Jerusalem, not because they earned it but because he is a God of grace.

God offers the same to you today. Come to him in confession and hope. He will dust you off with his grace and grant you a new day in which to love and serve him.

 MONITE ME 18, 2026

‘ESELA 1-5; FILIPAI 4:14-20

God promises to supply what you need-not necessarily what you want.

‘Oku palomesi mai ‘a e ‘Otua te ne tokonaki ho’o fiema’u - ‘o ‘ikai ko ho’o faka’amu.

Years ago my wife and I helped plant a little church. We were very poor, but it was a wonderful and encouraging time for us. We look back on those days not with bitter memories, but with fondness. Our poverty didn't leave a bad taste in our mouths, because the lack of riches made us fully conscious of God's faithful provision. We can't remember any situation where we lacked what we truly needed. Sure, there were lots of things we wanted and wished for that we could not afford, but our daily needs were met by a God who promises to provide for his people. We lived then--as we do now-with the awareness that our heavenly Father has a better sense of what we really need than we ever could. Because we believed this to be true during those hard years, we were able to rest in God's providing care. Don't get me wrong: living in poverty wasn't always easy for us, but God gave us the grace to trust his goodness, faithfulness, and love.

King Cyrus of Persia released God's people from captivity in Babylon and allowed them to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple, because God had stirred up his heart to do so. But there was a huge and looming problem. These former captives had nothing; they had lost everything when Jerusalem was ravaged and burned. Where would they get the materials to rebuild the temple and remake all the implements and furnishings that were needed to fill the temple, so that worship could once again commence? Here is where the history of Judah's return to Jerusalem shines a bright light on the character and promises of God. God is a generous giver of grace. He had not turned his back on his people, even in the face of their rebellion and sin. He was calling them to return, and he would provide what they needed in order to do what he was calling them to do. If God sends you, he goes with you, and, if he calls you to a task, he will provide what you need to do it.

God raised up King Cyrus to provide everything needed to rebuild and furnish the temple, even things that Nebuchadnezzar had stolen from the temple and placed in his home. Who would have thought that the temple would be rebuilt because of the generosity of a Persian king? I love Ezra's accounting of God's provision: "And this was the number of them: 30 basins of gold, 1,000 basins of silver, 29 censers, 30 bowls of gold, 410 bowls of silver, and 1,000 other vessels; all the vessels of gold and of silver were 5,400" (Ezra 1:9-11). How great was God's provision!

God is faithful and generous and will provide just what his people need. You can trust that he will do that for you. Cry out to him in need and then rest in his providing grace.

 SAPATE ME 17, 2026

2 KALONIKALI 35-36; 1 KOLINITO 1:18-31

God often uses unlikely and unusual instruments to advance his eternal mission of grace.

‘Oku lahi ‘a e taimi ‘oku ngaue’aki ai ‘e he ‘Otua ‘a e ngaahi me’angaue ta’e’amanekina mo makehe ke fakamafola‘aki ‘a e misiona ‘o ‘ene kelesi. 

I had a hard talk with my teenage son. It was late at night, and I think both of us just wanted to go to sleep. It had been hard going, but I thought the talk had ended on a good note. As I walked out of his room, I said, "I am so glad we talked." But I heard my son say, "I didn't" "You didn't what?" I asked. He said, "I didn't talk, because you didn't give me a chance." I walked back in his room, sat down on his bed, and said, "Talk to me now." He said, "When you came in this room, you had already made your judgment. We weren't having a conversation; you were just announcing my punishment. I didn't have an opportunity to explain why I did what I did because you weren't interested." His words pierced my heart. He was exactly right. He had made me angry, and I had judged him without any facts. I had gone into that room to enact discipline, but I had totally missed the opportunity to hear my son, to see into his heart, and to love him with fatherly and gospel love. In that moment there was a bit of a role reversal. God, in his faithful grace, raised up the son to parent the father. I am thankful that God is so unrelentingly committed to his redeeming work that, in his infinite wisdom, he uses whatever instrument at whatever time is best.

We should never be so proud that we reject whomever or whatever God intends to use to continue his work in us. Every tool God uses in our lives has been preappointed by him. There are no accidents. There are no divine last-minute decisions. There are no wrong choices. God always uses the right person or thing to take us where he has decided we will go.

For most of us, Cyrus, king of Persia, is an unlikely tool in God's hands to release God's people from captivity and secure the rebuilding of God's temple in Jerusalem. That is why the following words are so important:

Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and also put it in writing: "Thus says Cyrus, king of Persia, "The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever is among you of all his people, may the LORD his God be with him. Let him go up." (2 Chron. 36:22-23)

God, the owner and ruler of all things, uses whatever instrument he knows is best to do whatever is best for his children. That is called amazing grace.