Michael Sparks walked into a thrift store and bought a souvenir copy of the US Declaration of Independence for $2.48. Later, as he looked closely at his parchment copy, he felt there was something unusual about it. So he had it assessed by experts, who told him it was one of now thirty-six remaining copies of two hundred commissioned by John Quincy Adams in 1820. Sparks then sold his rare copy of the Declaration for $477,650!
While the acquisition of this treasure for such a small price is astounding, there’s a treasure that’s infinitely better. As a child, I found out about a priceless, matchless, and eternal treasure that didn’t cost me a cent. But I didn’t find it at a thrift store.
My parents revealed to me that a man named Jesus had purchased this gift by giving His life on the cross as a sacrifice for my sins. They then told me this gift was called salvation. It promised the treasure of an abundant “life to the full” on earth (John 10:10) and an “eternal life . . . life in [God’s] Son” with Jesus (1 John 5:11-12). I accepted that gift by faith.
It's amazing to find an earthly treasure at low cost, but that can’t compare with the eternal treasure Christ offers at no cost. This treasure offered to each person is received as we “believe in name of the Son of God”—Jesus (v. 13).
My friend confided that he hadn’t been sleeping well. His sleeplessness was related to a difficult family situation that had kept him up at night. It happened that this was the day I was prepared to discuss Psalm 3 in my adult Sunday school class.
In Psalm 3, King David also had a family problem, one that would lead most of us to sleeplessness. His son Absalom was undermining David’s rule over Israel as part of his plan to overthrow him and snatch the crown himself.
David was in despair. He fled Jerusalem after a messenger said, “the hearts of the people of Israel are with Absalom” (2 Samuel 15:13). In Psalm 3:1, David describes his situation: “
But notice how David found peace. He recalled that God was his shield of protection and that He “lifts [his] head” (v. 3). Then came the help we all need when we fret over our circumstances: David was able to “lie down and sleep.” He observed, “I wake again, because the
For my friend facing a tough time, this was great news. And for all of us who face hard circumstances and sleepless nights, our God protects us and gives us rest. When we place our total trust in Him, He helps us “lie down and sleep” (v. 5).
Most people know about the Wright Brothers—Orville and Wilbur—who invented, built, and flew the first successful airplane in the early 1900s. But few know the name Katherine Wright. Yet in her brothers’ story of creating their flying machine, Katherine was essential to their success. While her brothers concentrated on the myriad details and experiments that led to their invention, Katherine chose to quietly and lovingly help them. She kept their bicycle shop going (the brothers’ source of income), left her teaching job to nurse Orville back to health after a plane crash, and managed the endless details of her brothers’ growing fame.
The value of the support of others is seen in Scripture as well. One example is Phoebe, mentioned by Paul as a “benefactor of many people” (Romans 16:2). And Priscilla and Aquila, a helpful couple presented in Paul’s writing, hosted churches where Paul ministered and even “risked their lives” for him (v. 4). Additionally, the apostle complimented Mark, saying he was “helpful to me in my ministry” (2 Timothy 4:11).
We can be the right brothers and sisters in Christ by serving others. The ongoing work of God needs helpers like Phoebe—and us, guided by Him to serve this way: “In humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but . . . to the interests of the others” (Philippians 2:3-4).
How important is the Bible? It’s so vital that people in many countries risk their lives to translate it into their native languages. Often, these are ordinary believers in Jesus who face arrest for translating the words of Scripture into a heart language others can understand.
One female translator from a country hostile to believers in Jesus said, “I must complete this work. I want to see my beloved ones experience salvation in Christ.” And a man who organizes regular citizens to clandestinely translate Scripture explains that the Bible is essential to growing mature believers in local churches: “You can start a church, but . . . [without] the Bible in its heart language, it will typically only last one generation.”
Why are they doing this? Because there’s no other book like the Bible. Its preservation through the centuries is unique. Its authenticity and its representation of mankind’s heart is accurate. It’s “alive and active. . . . [and] judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12). And “all Scripture is God-breathed” (2 Timothy 3:16), inspired by Him. And most important, it reveals the source and reality of “salvation through faith in Christ Jesus” (v. 15).
Let’s read, cherish, and live by the Scriptures. And as God provides, let’s help those around the world receive it and understand it.
When my wife and I go biking, we like to know how many miles we’ve pedaled. So, I went to a bike shop to buy an odometer and came home with a mini-computer that I discovered was a bit too complicated to program.
I headed back to the bike shop, where the person who sold it to me had it working in no time. I realized it wasn’t as difficult to understand as I thought.
In life, new things and new ideas can seem complicated. Think about salvation, for instance. Some people might think becoming a child of God is complicated. They could imagine it’s about a religious system or a series of rituals or being good enough.
Yet, the Bible spells it out in simple terms: “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31). No hoops to jump through. No set of rules to follow. No mysteries to solve.
Here’s the simple truth: We’ve all sinned (Romans 3:23). Jesus came to earth to save us from the penalty of our sin—death and eternal separation from Him (Matthew 1:21; 1 Peter 2:24). He arose from the dead (Romans 10:9). And we’re saved from spiritual death to eternal life by trusting in what He did for us (John 3:16).
Consider what it will mean for you to simply trust and believe in Jesus. Let Him give you life—life “to the full” (John 10:10).
“We’re ready to board our flight to Montego Bay,” came the announcement. I was traveling as a speaker for and leader of a high school group on a missions trip to Jamaica. I reached into my backpack for my boarding pass and passport—and panic hit. My passport was gone!
Our group boarded the plane without me, and I faced four days of frantic efforts trying to get a new passport. After hundreds of phone calls, a fruitless trip to Washington DC, a long drive back to Grand Rapids, Michigan, two days in a nearby city, and the help of our local congresswoman’s office—I finally got a new passport and could join my group in Jamaica.
A passport. A simple little book—but my only guarantee to where I wanted to go. As hard as I worked to get that new document, its value pales in comparison to something that will determine our eternal destination: faith in Jesus, which is the only guarantee of receiving salvation from our sins and new life in Him.
Scripture says, “Now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2). Paul was describing the reality that the dawn of salvation arrived in Christ. By belief in Him, we can experience God’s love and His redemptive, restoring work in all creation. Today, let’s make sure that we truly know what it means to “be made right with God through Christ” (5:21
During his college days at Florida State University, Charlie Ward was a two-sport student-athlete. In 1993, the young quarterback won the Heisman Trophy as the country’s best college American football player, and he also starred on the basketball team.
During a pregame talk one day, his basketball coach used some foul language as he talked to his players. He noticed that Charlie “wasn’t comfortable,” and said, “Charlie, what’s up?” Ward said, “Coach, you know, Coach Bowden [the football coach] doesn’t use that kind of language, and he gets us to play awfully hard.”
Charlie’s Christlike character allowed him to gently speak to his basketball coach about this issue. In fact, the coach told a reporter: “It’s almost as if there was an angel looking at you” when he talked to Charlie.
A good reputation and a faithful witness for Christ are hard to maintain. But at the same time, believers in Jesus can grow to be more like Him as He helps and guides us. In Titus 2, younger men, and by extension all believers, are called to “be self-controlled” (v. 6) and to “show integrity, . . . and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned” (vv. 7-8).
When we live that way in Christ’s strength, we’ll not only honor Him but also build a good reputation. Then as God provides the wisdom we need, people will have reason to hear what we say.
Paul had gone to the temple for the Jewish purification ceremony (Acts 21:26). But some agitators who thought he had been teaching against the Law sought to take his life (v. 31). Roman soldiers quickly got involved and arrested Paul, bound him, and carried him from the temple area—with the mob shouting, “Get rid of him!” (v. 36).
How did the apostle react to this threat? He asked the troops’ commander if he could “speak to the people” (v. 39). When the Roman leader granted permission, Paul, bleeding and bruised, turned to the angry crowd and shared his faith in Jesus (22:1–16).
That was two thousand years ago—an old Bible story that we might find it hard to relate to. More recent, a man named Peter was arrested while visiting a jailed friend who believes in Jesus in a country where believers are regularly persecuted. Peter was tossed into a dark prison cell and blindfolded during interrogations. When the blindfold was removed, he saw four soldiers with guns pointed at him. Peter’s response? He saw it as “a perfect . . . opportunity to share his faith.”
Paul and this modern-day Peter point out a hard, vital truth. Even if God allows us to experience tough times—even persecution—our task remains: “Preach the gospel” (Mark 16:15). He will be with us and will give us the wisdom and power to share our faith.
When people think about the 100-meter dash, current world-record holder Usain Bolt might come to mind. But we can’t forget about Julia “Hurricane” Hawkins. In 2021, Julia crossed the finish line before all other runners to win the 100-meter dash in the Louisiana Senior Games. Her time was a bit slower than Bolt’s 9.58 seconds—just over sixty seconds. But she was also 105 years old!
There’s a lot to like about a woman who’s still running sprints at her age. And there’s a lot to like about believers in Jesus who never stop running the race with Him as their goal (Hebrews 12:1-2). The psalmist says this about the faithful in the later stages of life: “The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, . . . they will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green” (92:12–14).
Older believers who follow this kind of standard can find further instruction in Titus. Seasoned men are to be “sound in faith, in love and in endurance” (2:2), and senior women are “to teach what is good” (v. 3).
There’s no call for older believers to stop running the race. Maybe not the way Julia does on the track, but in ways that honor God as He provides the strength they need. Let’s all run the race to serve Him and others well.
