As the young church in Jerusalem quickly grew to over 5,000 members, Peter and John healed a lame beggar in the temple gate. This miracle, along with their preaching, earned the ire of the religious establishment. The rulers seized John and Peter, threw them in jail and called them forward the next day to explain their actions.

If a night in jail was meant to intimidate these fired-up preachers, that plan failed. Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, trumpeted the name of Jesus and spelled out to the assembled leaders:

Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.

The courage and response of these disciples astonished the council, along with the presence of a formerly lame beggar now bouncing around the room. The judges blustered, threatened and cajoled, to which Peter replied:

Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges! As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.

Indeed, Peter and John never did stop speaking about Jesus. They promoted the truth that salvation is found in no one else to their last breath. Those early church members spread around the ancient world, yielding generation after generation of believers from their witness.

Slowing down Peter and John was like trying to slow down a freight train barreling down the tracks. It ain’t gonna happen anytime soon. Fortunately for us, that train’s still running, and we get to climb aboard.

Acts 4 in Through the Bible in 2024

Photo by Laurent Jollet

Shopping for shoes a couple of weeks ago, I strolled around a store in Boulder. Along with hiking boots and trail runners, I looked over a wall of climbing shoes. These are small, tight, slip-on shoes with sticky rubber soles. They’re designed to give maximum grip as the climber ascends a rock face. Fun to look at, but I left with a pair of shoes made for level ground—no cliffs for me.

Climbers cannot afford slippery footwear. In a similar way, we all hope to avoid disastrous falls in life. David wrote of those who steer clear of calamity:

The mouths of the righteous utter wisdom, and their tongues speak what is just. The law of their God is in their hearts; their feet do not slip.

The law of God—the Bible—acts like a pair of climbing shoes for those who read and study the text. Whether barely hanging on, or striding confidently down the sidewalk, the Scriptures bring stability. Wisdom and justice flow for those who know and apply God’s word.

If you’re a climber, a good pair of shoes is worth the investment. If you’re a human, spending time in the Good Book is worth the investment as well.

Psalm 37:30-31 in Through the Bible in 2024

Photo by lena Enz

Reliable people shine during difficult times. Interior qualities rest untested until hardship or crisis pull them to the surface.

The story of Ruth is a wonderful example. At a crossroads in life, Ruth chose to move to a foreign land in support of her mother-in-law. This after the deaths of Ruth’s husband and father-in-law. Two women, all alone, journeying into an uncertain future.

At first Ruth’s mother-in-law insisted that Ruth return to her parents. Ruth replied, Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people, and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried.

A beautiful statement of commitment, one I always love hearing at wedding ceremonies. Brides and grooms repeat these words on days of celebration, with the trials of life over the horizon. But Ruth spoke them in a grim situation. She knew every step forward would be difficult, yet she chose her path.

Of course, the story ends with a happily ever after moment. Years later Ruth’s great-grandson is crowned David the king. But Ruth guessed none of this when she pledged to follow her mother-in-law into an unknown and scary place.

I pray for the Lord to develop Ruth-like qualities in myself. When I find Ruth-like people in my life, I try to keep them close, because you can never have too many reliable people around you.

Ruth 1 in Through the Bible in 2024

Photo by Miltiadis Fragkidis

At times everything looks bleak. I appreciate the words written by David as he shared his raw frustrations when the world went dark. Here’s an example:

Help, Lord, for no one is faithful anymore; those who are loyal have vanished from the human race. Everyone lies to their neighbor; they flatter with their lips but harbor deception in their hearts.

David endured empty flattery, endless boasting and wicked sharp tongues in those around him, with no end in sight. Proximity to power draws out the worst as people vie for a piece of the action. David watched this play out before him and grew despondent.

In his exasperation, David turned to the Lord. He contrasted the speech of the vile with the words of God:

The words of the Lord are flawless, like silver purified in a crucible, like gold refined seven times.

Trapped in a circus of posturing and arguing, the cacophony of jealous advisors and untiring critics, David pulled out his scrolls and allowed the solid, enduring words of scripture to calm his heart and ease his mind.

Flawless. David returned again and again to God’s word. Remarkably, the same words on David’s scrolls fill the Bible on my desk. Plus more wisdom from David himself and the Lord Jesus Christ.

When the world goes dark, it’s good to know where to find a source of light.

Psalm 12 in Through the Bible in 2024

Photo by Viktor Talashuk