Photo by...Photo by Rémi Walle on Unsplash
Paul’s in prison when he writes to Timothy, his young friend and co-worker. Acts 28 tells us Paul was in Rome at the time, under house-arrest guarded by a soldier. It wasn’t two weeks of quarantine in a hotel to wait for any signs of a virus but two years under house arrest.
During this time and close to the end of his life, Paul writes and describes some disappointment in those he considered friends.
16 When I was first put on trial, no one helped me. In fact, everyone deserted me. I hope it won’t be held against them. 17 But the Lord stood beside me. He gave me the strength to tell his full message, so that all Gentiles would hear it. And I was kept safe from hungry lions. 18 The Lord will always keep me from being harmed by evil, and he will bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. Praise him forever and ever! Amen. 2 Timothy 4:16-18
I’ve highlighted the beautiful words of good news for Paul and for us. Jesus stood beside him.
Jesus’ disciples had a very interesting experience of the Lord standing beside them on the first Easter day. Jesus surprised them. Jesus came to bring peace and comfort to them in their fear.
But Thomas was missing and when they told him he wouldn’t believe it. Perhaps he thought it was too good to be true.
Many a sermon has been preached about Thomas and his doubting - with strong encouragement not to doubt like him. I wonder how many sceptic’s lives have been changed by those sermons.
It hit me this year (maybe it’s the isolation), Thomas isn’t the main character in this story, Jesus is. It’s about Jesus and his unending desire and determination to come alongside and help. He came and stood beside the group of disciples and they got it, he was alive. He came again, just for Thomas, and he got it.. Jesus didn’t want Thomas to be left in the dark of uncertainty. Jesus loved Thomas and wanted him to know the good news of his resurrection.
Jesus comes and stands beside us. He’s not satisfied till he knows that we know he’s alive, and that he loves us and is with us.
This is the good news of Easter!
God is at work in waiting
by Josh Hauser
Click here to download your printable verse to carry with you today.
Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you (Isaiah 30:18a).
Read Isaiah 30:18–26
Nobody likes waiting. Tell a young child to wait, and they may scream, shout and throw themselves on the floor. If we are honest with ourselves, we still do this as adults, just in more subtle ways. We live in a world where everything is becoming instant and on demand. Instant messages. Instant answers. Instant gratification.
When I order something online, I find myself checking the tracking nonstop. If I message my wife a question, I notice myself becoming unnecessarily impatient if it takes longer than a minute or two for an answer.
This kind of impatience is not new.
Just before our passage for today, the people of Israel were doing something very similar. Facing a crushing enemy, they did not want to wait for God’s promised rescue. Instead, they ran off to Egypt, striking a quick political deal for security. They were looking for their own instant answers.
Yet in verse 18, we hear the Lord’s response: ‘Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you; therefore, he will rise up to show mercy to you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him.’
Pause on that for a moment. God longs to bless his people because he is a gracious God, yet he waits. In Isaiah 30, the people are waiting because their own plans have failed. God is waiting for a different reason. God waits because he is gracious. The people have trusted the wrong powers and ignored God’s word, yet the Lord still promises to act.
Verse 19 assures the people that their crying will be heard. Verses 20 and 21 promise that even in hardship, God will teach and guide them. Verse 22 speaks of turning away from false trusts. Verses 23 to 26 describe healing, provision and restored joy. What follows their impatience should be punishment; instead, they find renewal.
God is at work in the waiting.
While we are throwing tantrums, God is at work. While we think we are wasting time, God is at work. While we are ‘doomscrolling’ on social media, God is at work. God’s waiting is purposeful.
And this begs the question, what are you waiting for right now? A breakthrough? A healing? A change? An answer? If you are, remember that in the waiting, God is at work. Right now.
Isaiah speaks of a God who hears the cries of his people, who teaches them the way to walk and who remains their healer and provider. These promises are spoken while the people are still waiting.
So, when waiting begins, it becomes a moment to turn toward God. To pray. To listen. To trust that he is near.
God is at work in the waiting.
Dear God, help us trust in the waiting. Help us believe that you’re working even when we can’t see it. Give us patience and peace while we wait. Thank you for being gracious, for meeting us in the hard seasons, for never forgetting us. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
Josh lives in the western suburbs of Melbourne with his wife, Alice, and their two children. Josh enjoys time with his family, the beach and sports of any kind. Josh works at a school, where he feels it is a privilege to share the gospel with the next generation.
Where God is at work
by Josh Hauser
Click here to download your printable verse to carry with you today.
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth (Matthew 5:5).
Read Matthew 5:1–12
With so much going on in the world, it is easy to start questioning, ‘Where is God working?’ This week, that is the question we want to start answering.
In the Bible reading for today, Jesus says in verse five, ‘Blessed are the meek.’
While scrolling social media recently, I came across a post about the word used to describe meekness. It talked about the word used in Scripture for meek, which is praus. It claimed that we are using the word all wrong. According to the post, praus was used to describe a trained warhorse, powerful but under control. This then changed the meaning of the verse to suggest that ‘Blessed are the meek’ really means blessed are those who control their power and submit it to God.
Isn’t this a demonstration of the human condition?
We discuss how much shackled power we have, rather than focusing on the Creator who gives strength. When we hear the word ‘meek’, we do not want to appear meek. We see it as a negative. So, people look at the word praus and try everything they can to avoid the reality of what Jesus is actually saying.
Unsurprisingly, in this famous passage known as the Beatitudes, Jesus is not saying that we have all the power and then graciously put it aside to follow God. Jesus is saying that the people who are meek, poor, mournful and persecuted are valued and looked after by God with his unending grace. This is where God is found. This is where God is at work.
God is found with those in need and those who are struggling. So, what does this mean for us?
Simply this: This is where we need to be found, too. With those who are struggling and needing care and support. Because, at some point in life, everyone feels meek, poor, sad, persecuted and in need of help.
Dear God, thank you for seeing us when the world overlooks us. Thank you for calling us blessed because we are yours. Help us to see others the way you do, so that we can be your hands and feet in this world. In your name, we pray. Amen.
Josh lives in the western suburbs of Melbourne with his wife, Alice, and their two children. Josh enjoys time with his family, the beach and sports of any kind. Josh works at a school, where he feels it is a privilege to share the gospel with the next generation.
Who may dwell with you?
by Anastasia Kim
Click here to download your printable verse to carry with you today.
Whoever does these things shall never be shaken (Psalm 15:5b).
Read Psalm 15
Psalm 15 asks a question that unsettles anyone who takes faith seriously: ‘Who may dwell in the Lord’s tent? Who may live on God’s holy hill?’
The answer given is searching and demanding. The one who may stand in God’s presence is described as blameless, truthful, careful with words, faithful to promises, unwilling to harm others and resistant to corruption. This is not a casual portrait of goodness. It is weighty. It presses close.
When I hear these words, I do not feel immediately reassured. I feel exposed. To live without causing harm, to speak truth from the heart, to keep an oath even when it hurts. These are not small virtues. They touch daily life, relationships, habits of speech and hidden motives. If dwelling in God’s presence depends on meeting these standards, the door seems firmly closed.
This is why the movement of Scripture matters. What Psalm 15 describes as a privilege once limited to priests – and only briefly – is now opened through Christ. Access to the Holy Place, and even the Holy of Holies, was once guarded by veils and sacrifice. In Jesus, that veil is torn. The Word becomes flesh and pitches his tent among us. God’s dwelling is no longer distant – it is given.
Grace does not make the psalm weightless. Being welcomed into God’s presence through Christ does not turn integrity into an optional extra. The cross does not trivialise our words, our promises, or the ways we harm one another. It takes it seriously enough to bear their cost.
Psalm 15 ends with a promise: the one who lives this way will not be shaken. Not because life is calm, but because life is anchored. Winds still blow. Storms still come. A life shaped by truth, faithfulness and love for the neighbour stands on solid ground.
I live in God’s presence because of Christ alone. I am still called to walk there with care, reverence and honesty, not lightly, not carelessly, but gratefully.
Gracious God, you welcome us into your presence through Jesus Christ alone. Teach us to live there with integrity, humility and love, held firm by your grace. Amen.
Anastasia Kim lives in Brisbane and serves as an aged-care chaplain. She holds a Bachelor of Theology from the University of Divinity and is currently undertaking a Master of Theology at Australian Lutheran College. Her ministry and studies are shaped by a commitment to pastoral care.