1) On average, authors will write up to ten drafts before they are ready to publish a finished novel. Each time life has thrown you something of a plot twist, have you found yourself reaching for a pen, furiously rewriting what the next chapter of your life should look like, desperate to get it right this time? Well, I have a secret to share with you. Just as He was the author of Esther’s story, Yahweh is the Author of yours, too, so you can put down your pen and take a deep breath. And unlike the literary greats of our time, it only took God one draft to get it right. We can trust God with our own stories because His good works are all around us. His characters illustrate imperfection, gumption, disobedience, obedience, pride, humility, fear, courage, doubt, and faith. That is to say, His characters are perfectly human. And the best part of all of His stories? Each one ends with redemption. So the next time you find yourself reeling from one of life’s great heartaches, turn to your favorite story in the Bible and remind yourself who is writing your story.

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2) It is easy in our world, today, to forget that we are lacking. Self-fulfillment is the message preached in every corner, but we have limitations, weaknesses, struggles. We are insufficient. God is what connects us from where we are to where we are meant to be. The thing is, God also values free will. This means every day from the moment we wake up, we are faced with the choice: do I act in God’s name, or do I act according to my flesh (the world)? Daniel shows us what it’s like to face the majority culture and say no for God’s sake. He abstains from the easy meat and wine of the king (Daniel 1:8-16); he calls out the incapable Babylonian priests and magicians, pointing to God for wisdom (Daniel 2:27-30); he worships God despite the fatal repercussions of breaking the king’s new decree (Daniel 6:7;10-13). These choices don’t make Daniel’s life easy, nor does God promise to make our lives easy, but rather He promises to never leave us (Deuteronomy 31:8); He promises to make us fruitful (Jeremiah 17:7-8); He promises us eternal life with Him through His Son, Jesus Christ (John 3:16). Which choice will you make today?

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3) Just as Daniel showed us that each day we are offered a choice to follow God, king David shows us repentance will also be a daily battle. David gets quite the rap as far as Godly men are concerned, but make no mistake, he was just as broken and sinful as we are. What David does so well, though, is honest repentance. Let’s visit Psalm 51 to get a closer look at how he does this. At the time of writing this psalm, David has just coveted a loyal soldier’s wife, knocked her up, and had the soldier killed so he can marry the woman and hide the unlawful pregnancy (2 Samuel 11). Yikes. How does David even start to address this mess? Well, he starts with asking for forgiveness from God, relying wholly on God’s mercy and compassion. Then he admits his sin without trying to hide any of it from God. David recognizes that of all the people he hurt when he sinned, his relationship with God suffered the most. David continues by asking God to renew his heart and recognizes that God wants our broken spirits and hearts more than He desires physical sacrifices. The next time you find yourself in need of repentance, look at Psalm 51 as a reminder of how to ask God for forgiveness. Remember that your words matter less than your humility, honesty, and a willing spirit to turn from sin and back to God.

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