I go to the tap for a drink of water several times a day. I open the refrigerator looking for something to eat. Over and over I unconsciously pull in a breath of air. Every night I lay down for a period of rest. Regularly, without thought or compulsion, I seek out the sources of strength for my physical body.

It takes more intentionality to search for the source of strength for my soul. The psalmist tells us: You, God, are awesome in your sanctuary; the God of Israel gives power and strength to his people.

Years later Isaiah doubled down on the earlier promise:

The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak…those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

The verb hope in this passage suggests an exchange of strength. We exchange our frailty for the omnipotent power of God. As a result we can walk day after day after day in confidence and vigor.

God gave power and strength to ancient peoples, and the Lord holds power and strength for you and I as well. If we go to the source, we’ll discover the fortitude our souls crave.

Psalm 68 & Isaiah 40 in Through the Bible in 2024

Photo by Jacek Dylag

I believe we can learn a lot from different religions. Hopes for the divine emerge from the earliest recordings of humankind. But while various faith traditions reveal man’s search for the holy, only one truth emerges from the mists. As God revealed to Isaiah:

I, even I, am the Lord, and apart from me there is no savior. I have revealed and saved and proclaimed—I, and not some foreign god among you…from ancient days I am he. No one can deliver out of my hand. When I act, who can reverse it?

The religious impulses seen throughout history reveal a never-ending search for more than ourselves. We discover needs unable to be met by anyone in our lives. Political leaders, vast wealth and endless pleasures all run dry. Restless hearts only calm in the presence of the Lord.

God tells us, I, even I, am the Lord. In apprehensive days turn to him, for there is no other Savior.

Isaiah 43 in Through the Bible in 2024

Photo by Diana Vargas

The summer heat withers my grass, which dies out completely if I fail to water. Soon fall will bring overnight freezes, and my flowers will drop their petals. The work of the seasons brings life to my garden beds, and shuts them down as well.

With his eyes on the gardens of Jerusalem, Isaiah wrote: All people are like grass, and all their faithfulness is like the flowers of the field. The grass withers and the flowers fall, because the breath of the Lord blows on them. Surely the people are grass. The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.

My faithfulness to God may lush up at times, or wither away in dry heat. I live through days of plenty and spells of drought. But even as my dedication waxes and wanes, the Lord remains steady.

In the midst of challenges, of the fading I undergo, I can pick up the one encouragement always within reach—the word of our God. Unlike everything else in this world, my Bible doesn’t wither or fade. Its words endure. Which is good for me to remember when my shallow hopes lose their luster.

Isaiah 40 in Through the Bible in 2024

Photo by Danielle-Claude Bélanger

I went into an Apple store yesterday to get a new battery installed in my phone. The store intimidates me—lots of people hovering around the latest tech while workers type on phones and tablets. Then came questions about my device. Clueless, I handed my phone to the wizards. Deep magic exists of which I’m unaware.

With the conjuring in full swing, I became the chatty old guy. As we waited for my phone, I asked a young woman a question, who opened up about how she liked working at this store and how her boss at her old job treated her poorly. I didn’t ask specifically about her work history, but a simple show of interest led down that path. She then helped me above and beyond. I went into the store focused on me and my phone, and left with an appreciation for a young woman working her way up in the world.

It’s easy for me to slip into the mindset of pleasing only myself. Every bit of media advertises the advantages of a self-centered life. While I do need to take care of me, seeking what feels best for me doesn’t always serve those around me.

Paul worked with a church whose members struggled with balancing their right to do what they wanted and their responsibility to others. He wrote: “I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but not everything is constructive. No one should seek their own good, but the good of others. Paul spoke of his own example when he said, I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved.

Seeking the good of many might involve giving to worthy causes, or it might mean taking the time for a brief conversation with the person serving you. Either way, care and concern for others spreads the good news of Jesus.

I often overlook opportunities to seek good. But when I go through my day with open eyes, I find plenty of places to put Paul’s encouragement into practice.

1 Corinthians 10 in Through the Bible in 2024

Photo by Mihály Köles