Week Nineteen, 2026

“And as her soul was departing (for she was dying), she called his name Ben-oni; but his father called him Benjamin.” (Genesis 35:18)

“Almost everyone has a soul injury,” says hospice nurse Deborah Grassman.

She defines the condition as: “a wound that separates a person from their real self, caused by un-mourned loss and hurt, unforgiven guilt and shame, and fear of helplessness or loss of control.” We repress those injuries, deny them, and hide them – even from ourselves.

If you want to live your best life, Grassman writes in her new book, Soul Injury, you have to stop lying to yourself. Examine your pain. Forgive yourself, she says. Her book has become the touchstone for discussion groups across the world.

Here are 10 questions Grassman says to ask yourself to start healing:

1. What suffering in your life has been in vain because you have not yet reckoned with it?
2. In what ways are you being unfaithful to yourself?
3. What feelings do you tend to numb?
4. If you died today, what would be left unsaid or undone?
5. Does it make sense to feel guilty if you had no control?
6. How might others describe you? How closely does that match your own self-description?
7. Do you tend to hide your light or your dark side?
8. How would your world be different if you chose to forgive?
9. Who have you wronged?
10. When was the last time you said, “I’m sorry”?

In the Bible, the “soul” refers to the whole person—a living, breathing, physical being—rather than a disembodied immortal essence. It signifies the center of life, emotions, and consciousness, encompassing both physical and spiritual dimensions that are created by God and integrated with the body. It is defined as the whole person—a combination of the physical body and the divine breath of life—rather than just an immaterial part. It represents a person’s life, consciousness, emotions, and eternal nature, which is created by God and continues to exist after the physical body dies, returning to Him.

Remember, the two things that never cease are the soul of the person and the Word of God. Have you gotten your soul in shape for eternity?

Sometimes True Stories

The legendary actor and comedian Dick Van Dyke recently became a centenarian. He explains his longevity simply: he keeps a positive outlook and never gets angry. Scientists agree with his theory.

In one study, people who were optimistic lived between 11 and 15 percent longer than their pessimistic counterparts. In another, those who were more optimistic were more likely to live into their nineties than pessimists.

Research shows that chronic stress and anger are linked to an increased risk of heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes—diseases that account for roughly 75 percent of early deaths. Stress is also linked to cellular aging. And researchers studying stroke survivors have found that optimism lowers chronic inflammation, leading to less severe strokes and less physical disability.

However, you and I didn’t need scientists to tell us what we innately understood: that happier people are typically healthier people. If only knowing and doing God’s will were so obvious and intuitive.

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COMMENTS FROM EDGAR APONTE: God is our friend through Jesus. It is a beautiful relationship. Friends choose one another. Human relationships without God are shallow. A friend will harm you as he helps you. A true friend confronts you. Make no friendship with one prone to anger. A friend points you to wisdom. A friend sticks closer than a brother. A true friend walks in when others walk out. Be a friend to others. A true friend stays when everyone else walks away. Jesus is a true friend. A true friend is God’s gift to help us grow in wisdom; be that friend to others. A True Friend Loves. A True Friend Confronts. A True Friend Sanctifies. A True Friend Stays.

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Anatoly is a slightly built weightlifter who goes into a gym disguised as a janitor. He asks to lift a heavy barbell while the huge, muscled men warn him not to, as he will hurt himself. Then, to their amazement, he deadlifts 800 pounds with ease. They thought he was weak, but he was strong.

Jesus doesn’t say that in trusting Him we can be physically strong like Anatoly. Jesus says we can be strong in other ways. For His sake, we are able to do the right thing in all situations. We are able to resist sin like never before. We are able to stand up for truth and share it wherever we go.

So, believer, use the Grace given to you by Jesus Himself and stand strong against the enemy. Be an Anatoly. — Rich Jensen

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WORDS ON WISDOM FROM EDGAR APONTE: Wisdom is knowing what is right and applying it. How you approach work reveals whether you are working in wisdom or folly. Whatever has been entrusted to us must be done in love and wisdom. Approach work with duty, discipline, and diligence. You can’t lead others if you cannot lead yourself. The good news is that Jesus has done the work for you. We come to Him for meaning and significance. We don’t have significance because we are Christians but because we have trusted Jesus.

Quotes You Can Use

The greatest cure for discouragement is to get busy doing God’s work.

Peace is the presence of God, not the absence of conflict.

Our walk with God should always be progressing.

Take rest; a field that has rested gives a bountiful crop.

All of God’s tests are OPEN BOOK! It’s called the Bible! — Dwight Short

If we have to choose between exercising humility and being right, exercise humility; we can always be right.

Half-hearted commitment will never result in total victory.

How different things look when our spiritual eyes are opened.

Heaven won’t be filled with good people. It will be filled with forgiven sinners who repented and trusted Jesus alone.

I want my house to be in order before the Lord calls me home.

People say I’m the luckiest guy… but luck had nothing to do with it; God had everything to do with it. — Chuck Norris

If you have a relationship with Jesus, God guarantees your future, no matter what.

The church does not determine what the Bible teaches. The Bible determines what the church must teach.

Worship is no longer worship when it reflects the culture around us more than the Christ within us.

No amount of evidence will ever persuade an idiot. — Mark Twain

If you can keep your head while all those around you are losing theirs, chances are you don’t understand the situation! — Wayne Short

If we truly believe and have faith in Christ, the solution is simple: pray and ask God to help us change. Nothing is impossible with God.

When we consider who God is and what He has done for us, how can we do less than offer Him our best?

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Your feedback is welcome and if you want to contribute your ideas and thoughts, address all items and comments to [email protected].

© Thoughts on Life Copyright 2026

10025 Orange Grove Drive

Tampa, FL 33618, USA

May 2, 2026

Do you know how many times giants are mentioned in the Bible? According to the New King James Version, there are eighteen occurrences, the first one found in Genesis 6:4, which reads, “There were giants on the earth in those days and also afterwards.” Now, truth be known, in none of the eighteen occurrences does the straightforward meaning of the Hebrew word give us “giant(s).” Here in Genesis 6:4, for example, the word is “the nephilim,” which might be formed from a root word that means “the fallen ones” or something to that effect, but little else is known. The meaning of the other two Hebrew words that are commonly translated as “giant(s),” rapha and raphah, is likewise uncertain. This may explain why some translations instead prefer to transliterate these Hebrew words into English as proper nouns, e.g., the Nephilim and the Rephaim.

So, do these words refer to a biblical race of giants or not? Let’s start with “the nephilim” in Genesis 6:4. There’s nothing in the context to suggest that they were gigantic. Admittedly, it does refer to them as “mighty men,” evidently strong and valiant men, but it does not necessarily state that they were men of great stature even though later Greek translations of the Old Testament sometimes translated the Hebrew as “gigantes” (from which you can clearly spot the origin of our English word for giants).

Those who interpret “the nephilim” in Gensis 6:4 as the offspring of fallen angels and human women may be more readily disposed to see “the nephilim” as a race of giants, and they may be right, for there is another piece to this puzzle that has convinced many that the Nephilim are in fact a race of giants. Do you remember the ten spies who told Moses that the children of Israel could not possibly conquer the land of Canaan? In Numbers 13:33 they lamented that “we were like grasshoppers in our own sight and so we were in their sight,” and the word they use in describing “the giants” inside Canaan is the word “nephilim.” Does that convince you that “the nephilim” were once a great race of giants or do you think the spies spoke in hyperbole?

-Daniel McCabe

Trivia

In Hebrew the word “tapuz” is formed by combining the first four letters of “tapuah” (apple) and the first letter of “zahav” (golden). What is a “golden apple” in Hebrew?

For Your Children: ACT Kids Children’s Music

A friend of mine recently launched a YouTube channel, ACT Kids, that features biblically-themed music for children. ACT stands for “All Created Things,” and thus far he has uploaded twenty-one videos in two volumes, ranging from the story of creation to the account of Jesus calming the storm.

It can be difficult finding good music for our kiddos, and what started out for my friend as a project to channel the hearts of his own children closer to the Lord has turned out to bless even me. And perhaps now you! You might enjoy the songs for homeschooling, Sunday school, family worship, bedtime routines or just anytime.

I’ve included a link to his first song, entitled “Who Made Everything?” It’s a short listen at only one minute and thirty-five seconds, and I’d love for you to let us know what you think.

-Daniel McCabe

Scripture Study:

Christology—the Hypostatic Union, part 5

Hypostasis is a Greek word, and it refers to the essential being that underlies someone. Therefore, when we talk about the hypostatic union of Christ, it refers to the unity of His divine and human nature. Thus, Jesus is fully divine and fully human in one person at the same time. He is so unique, a God-man, that we see this phenomenon in Him alone. Jesus has both a divine will and a human will, which helps us understand many of His statements in the Gospels that would otherwise cause us to scratch our heads and say, “If you’re God, then why would you say something like that?” Well, He is also fully human, and while He was on earth in His humiliated state, He did say some things that would make more sense if we were to remember that He’s human.

As believers in the year 2026, it’s easy for us to understand His divine nature, but I think we fail to really appreciate and remember that He’s also human. In His day, as He walked around with other people, they would have readily seen His human nature. They likely had to get over the hurdle that He was also God. It’s the reverse for us. We see Him first as God. It’s harder for us to remember His humanity, but we must realize both. Whereas His human nature is currently located in heaven at the right hand of the Father, His divine nature is omnipresent. For example, He said, “Where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them (Matthew 18:20), and “Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (28:20). His divine nature is omnipresent. He’s everywhere. His human nature was physically weak. He got tired and hungry. He felt pain. But His divine nature is omnipotent, able to do all things. His human nature, of course, died, but His divine nature has full control over life and death.

Here’s a statement from the Bible that might be hard for some people to grasp. His human nature had limited knowledge. Remember when He said that no one knows the time of the Son of Man’s return, not even the Son, but only the Father knows? That statement can be hard for us to understand if we don’t realize He’s fully human. That’s the human Jesus telling others that right now only the Father knows when He is going to send the Son of Man back.

Jesus’ humanity had limited knowledge. When Jesus was twelve years old, Mary and Joseph left Jerusalem without Him, heading back to Galilee in a large group. Eventually they discover that He is missing and return to find Him in the temple. I’m sure that they were worried sick about Him, so His mother asks, “Where were You?” And He replies, “Don’t you know? I was in My Father’s house.” He had been debating the rabbis who were amazed at His knowledge and wisdom. I think what’s going on there is also in His humanity. Jesus stayed back at the temple because He’s beginning to grow in wisdom and stature. He is coming to the point where He fully grasps who He is and what His mission is. He’s probably at the temple thinking, “Let’s get this started. Don’t you know that I must be about My Father’s business? This is what I need to do!” So in His humanity, He’s thinking, “This is what I should be doing.” But He, of course, although a perfect person, still comes under the authority of His parents, and they said, “No, You’re coming home with us.” But of course in God’s sovereign plan, He will begin His messianic ministry around the age of thirty. Even though His human nature had limited knowledge, His divine nature is omniscient. We see this in John 2:25; 16:30; 21:17. While He was on earth, He operated His ministry by the power of the Holy Spirit, which really floors me when I think about it—the miracles that the human Jesus does and the revelation that He gives, like any other prophet, were done by the power of the Holy Spirit. Moses didn’t turn the Nile into blood. God did. Moses didn’t turn his staff into a snake. God did. Moses didn’t know the future. God did. It’s the Holy Spirit who empowered Moses’ miracles, and it’s no different with Jesus’ ministry. The Holy Spirit came upon Him at His baptism, and all the miracles that He did and all the prophecies that He uttered were done by the power of the Holy Spirit. That’s why it was blasphemy against the Holy Spirit for His opponents to attribute His power to Beelzebub. I don’t think that for the first thirty years of His life, He went around performing miracles and giving prophecy. Instead, He lived a very human life, growing in wisdom and stature, and coming to a fuller understanding of who He was and what He was to do. Then, when the Holy Spirit came upon Him at His baptism, He was empowered to do these wonderful things. When He uttered things that no normal human could possibly know, it was the Holy Spirit giving Him that information and the power.

So that’s the hypostatic union. Jesus is both God and man.

-Adam Keim

Life in the Land—Lychees

Have you ever tried a lychee fruit, sometimes called an “alligator strawberry”? Did you even know that lychees were a thing? Helen, one of our September 2022 Israel trip members, encouraged us all to try one during an evening meal at our apartment in Jerusalem. Since the 1930s Israel has been growing lychees in orchards near the Mediterranean Sea and the Sea of Galilee, but I honestly didn’t know anything about them.

I think everyone tasted at least one of Helen’s lychees that night. The plump, white fruit separates easily from its bumpy, pink peel, making it easy for you to pop it into your mouth in one whole piece, but watch out for the large brown seed. For me the texture was a bit like a grape, but lychees have an entirely unique flavor. It’s hard to compare them to anything. They’re medium-sweet, almost floral, and I’m told that they are commonly used in fruit salads, smoothies, juices and desserts.

Have you ever tasted one? What did it taste like to you? Let’s hear your lychee stories if you have any.

-Daniel McCabe (From the Archives, October 21, 2022)

Answer to the Trivia

B. Orange

Week Eighteen, 2026

“To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1).

It sits on my office desk, a large hourglass. Sometimes I use it to joke with clients, but most of the time it just decorates my desk. When I look at it, I am reminded of God’s gift of time. It has a globe on each end, one empty and one filled with sand. I can flip it over and the sand passes from the filled globe to the empty one in an hour: nothing more and nothing less.

There are two things that last forever: the soul and the Word of God. Everything else runs out. There is a time for everything, including our worldly departure.

The hourglass, or sandglass, likely evolved from ancient water clocks (clepsydras) in Egypt and Babylon, with early glass versions appearing by the 3rd century BC. These were used in Rome for speeches and became common in Europe by the 14th century. They were documented in art and used on ships for navigation, timing sermons, and household tasks, eventually becoming a symbol of mortality and the passage of time.

What does the time of life mean in the Bible? God is the one that sets the times of our lives. There is an appointed time for everything, and there is a time for every event under heaven (Ecclesiastes 3:1). Note that Solomon says there is an appointed time for everything, dispelling the modern idea that everything that happens does so randomly.

Ecclesiastes 3 focuses on the sovereignty of God in orchestrating the timing of life’s events, famously noting there is a “time for everything” (a season for birth, death, joy, and sorrow). It highlights that God makes all things appropriate in their time, encourages finding contentment in daily work, and notes that eternity is placed in human hearts.

While human life has seasons of struggle, verse 3:11 indicates that God ultimately makes all things “beautiful” or appropriate in their appointed time.

God has given humans a desire for something beyond temporary, earthly existence. Instead of striving to control the uncontrollable, people should find joy in their work and accept their circumstances as gifts from God. This is meant to bring humility and encourage an appreciation for the present.

What time is it in your life?

Sometimes True Stories

COMMENTS FROM EDGAR APONTE: Evil will give you a little fun, but ultimately it will destroy you. Don’t use people to get what you want. Don’t join the wrong group. Sin is a great recruiter. We have an innate passion to belong to other groups. What is the bait? People play where they can belong. It is better to be alone with Jesus than in a crowd of sinners. Sin will always hook and destroy you. If you don’t fear God, you will fear everything. If you have listened to the world, Jesus died for you. Come to Jesus.

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“It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found.” – Luke 15:32

The prodigal son looked at the world and thought that it would bring him more joy than he felt at home. So, he took the opportunity to experience it, finding that it was temporary at best.

We may have a prodigal of our own, but we are also prodigals ourselves. We look at the world and think it will give us joy. So, we take an opportunity to indulge all of our personal, physical desires. But like the prodigal above, we ultimately run out of stuff, and what we thought was our answer deserts us.

The good news is that, just like the Biblical prodigal, we have a heavenly Father who will run to welcome us home. The prodigal repented and renewed a right relationship with his father. If we repent, we will also have our relationship renewed with our Father. There is no reason to stay in that pigpen and eat slop. Come home. – Rich Jensen

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The thief on the cross beside Jesus is in Luke 23:42. He said to him, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.” The man on the cross may have been a thief, but in his final minutes of life he was gracious in speech and purity of heart. Imagine the thief’s arrival in Heaven; his resume was horrible, and yet there he stood in paradise. He didn’t deserve to be there, but Jesus’s grace allowed him in, because “the man in the middle said he could come.” The thief’s works did not get him in, God’s grace did. Our King is our friend if we accept His grace.

Quotes You Can Use

The Father made a plan. The Son made the plan possible. The Holy Spirit makes the plan work: The Father elects us. The Son justifies. The Holy Spirit sanctifies us. — John MacArthur

Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for.

Just remember, whoever is trying to bring you down is already below you.

The only thing we should covet is a closer relationship with God.

If you don’t know to which port you’re sailing, no wind is favorable.

Music begins where the possibilities of language end.

Hypocrites and flatterers are first cousins. The hypocrite will say behind your back what he will not say to your face. The flatterer will say to your face what he won’t say behind your back. — Adrian Rogers

A true friend is the person who walks in when everybody else walks out. — Walter Winchell

God desires to give more than what we ask. Too often, people seek the eyes of God instead of the heart of God, but it is in the heart of God to bless us.

If you find that every time someone tries to share with you, you stop the conversation by topping them with your own experience that exceeds their experience, you are a “topper”… stop it! — Dwight Short

Your feedback is welcome and if you want to contribute your ideas and thoughts, address all items and comments to [email protected].

© Thoughts on Life Copyright 2026

10025 Orange Grove Drive

Tampa, FL 33618, USA

April 25, 2026

You probably didn’t know that the oldest man alive, living today in Brazil, turned 113 last October. But who was the oldest man who ever lived? By chance did you say that it was Methuselah who lived 969 years, according to Genesis 5:27?

What if I told you that, according to my research, it was actually Enmenluana from the city of Badtibira in the land of Sumer who lived 43,200 years? Don’t believe me? Well, I’m not sure that I believe me either, but I found his name and age in a list of kings (the one written on the Weld-Blundell Prism), which records the names, cities and ages of eight ancient Sumerian kings, before noting succinctly, “Then the flood swept over.”

Archaeologists have likewise found other lists of kings from the same region which show something quite interesting, namely, that the lifespan of kings began to shrink immediately and dramatically following the flood, first to hundreds, and then to decades, mirroring a similar biblical pattern of declining ages from that same period.

Most scholars don’t believe that any of the insanely large lifespans from pre-flood Sumerian king lists should be taken literally, arguing that they have been deliberately inflated (often by multiples of sixty, the base numerical system of the Sumerians) in order to glorify the “Golden Age” of Sumer or that they were likely intended as propaganda to emphasize the heavenly origin of their long-ago kings. In any event, what these lists may have quietly preserved, despite their gross exaggerations, is a credible pattern of longer pre-flood lifespans, thus supporting the biblical narrative.

Secular scholars, however, reject both the longer pre-flood lifespans recorded in the Suermian king lists and in the Bible as merely the product of a literary technique, insisting that there is no biological, demographic or additional textual evidence to support such long lifespans. They assume that biological processes and human aging were subject to the same global conditions then as today whereas many biblicists would argue that climatic conditions changed dramatically following the flood which could naturally explain any subsequent decline in lifespans.

-Daniel McCabe

Trivia

Christology—the Humanity of Jesus, part 4

Jesus is both the perfect human and the perfect example for every person. We see this in 2 Corinthians 3 and 1 John 2. He is the shining example of what we should be as believers in Christ, and we advance in our spiritual life to the degree that we pursue His likeness. Admittedly we will always wrestle with the flesh, but as long as we live, we are being further conformed into the image of Christ and should be looking more and more like Him. So if I’ve been saved for years and years, then I should be able to look back and say, “I know that I still fall. Unfortunately, I’m not perfect in this life. However, I can look back and see that God has given me growth. He has given me deliverance in this specific area of my life, and though I still struggle in other ways, I can still look back and see that God has been with me. He’s drawn me closer to Him. I love Him more. I serve Him more even though I wish that I obeyed Him more.”

So every believer, especially as time goes on, should be able to look back and realize that God has been working on him and bringing him into further conformity with the image of Christ. If he looks back to find that he is no different than on that day when he first heard the gospel, then this should be quite concerning to him. So in this way we can evaluate the fruit in others—not that we’re judging others as sinless or not, for only God is the ultimate judge, but we can rightly exercise discernment in our evaluation. In short, we should be able to see some fruit in the lives of others. If I’m looking at a believer and don’t see any fruit in him (when there should be at least some), then it should raise a reasonable concern in my hHeading 4eart about his relationship with Jesus even though I’m not anyone’s judge and can’t declare him either innocent or guilty of sin. Only God can do that, but I can fairly evaluate his fruit. This is essentially the point of 1 John. We don’t sit in judgment over anyone, but we can judge him in the sense of evaluating and discerning. Obviously only God and each person can know what’s truly in his heart, but believers should look more and more like Christ as they live this life of faith.

-Adam Keim

Scripture Study—Summary of Psalm 15

Here’s my summary of one of David’s psalms. It reminds me so much of the ending of Psalm 23, “… and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever” (v. 6).

“LORD, the one who may remain in your tabernacle is the one who does what’s right, speaks genuinely, disapproves of evil, honors those who revere the LORD, always tells the truth even at great personal cost, does not slander, harm or blame those around him, and does not charge interest or accept bribes to exploit the innocent; this person will never fall.”

You may be swaying from the pressures of life! It feels like you could break any day. You may be bruised by unfair criticism or you wonder why you try so hard to do the right thing when no one else seems to care. Well, God sees and cares, so stand tall. If you are a child of God, then no enemy can take you down. You may have lost a battle, but the war is won! Through Christ you are the Victor!

-Daniel McCabe

Answer to the Trivia

C. Usually the very same day

Week Seventeen, 2026

As the bus pulled into the roadside parking lot, I saw a multitude of pottery displays. When I exited the bus, I walked right by the displays and walked back to observe the potters making the pottery. That process started with a lump of wet clay as they began to use their hands to form whatever they were making.

One potter got my attention. He stopped his wheel and closely examined the pitcher he was making. Finding it to be a little out of form, he took the clay and returned it to a big lump, as he began all over again. As I watched the process unfold, I thought of the prophet Jeremiah’s description where God instructs the prophet to visit a potter’s house to learn a lesson about His sovereignty and relationship with Israel. Watching the potter rework a marred vessel, Jeremiah learns that God, as the Master Potter, has the authority to reshape, break, or mold His people (the clay).

The metaphor of the potter and clay also emphasizes God’s good purposes for His creation. A potter responds to defects in the clay (lack of moisture, a lump, or other issues) by further working the clay into a usable form. Likewise, God doesn’t throw away His creation but continues to work toward His good purposes.

God uses the metaphor of a potter and clay to illustrate His absolute sovereignty and desire to reshape Israel. As the potter reforms a marred vessel, God demonstrates that He is actively working on individuals and nations, with the power to mold, break, or remake them based on their response to Him.

God is the potter, and people are the clay, emphasizing that God has total control and authority to fashion life according to His will. When the vessel becomes spoiled, the potter does not throw it away, but reshapes it. This shows that if people repent of their “lumps” (sins, faults), God can reshape them into a useful, new vessel.

Responsibility of the Clay: While God is sovereign, the clay must remain “supple” and submissive to the potter’s hands to be molded. The process involves pressure and difficulty, but it is for the purpose of creating a functional, beautiful vessel. This lesson was given to show that God’s plans for nations are not fixed; if a nation turns from evil, God may refrain from the destruction He intended.

God never gives up: The potter keeps working with the clay until it is perfected. God is actively involved in the lives of His people, even in the midst of trials, to refine and shape them. While God is in control, people retain the ability to either submit to or resist the molding process.

Jeremiah learned at the potter’s wheel that the potter is always at work with the clay. Clay cannot make something beautiful by itself. He learned that the potter never gives up on a lump of clay, and God won’t give up on you.

Sometimes True Stories

Judas Iscariot was one of the twelve original apostles chosen by Jesus, and yet he betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. This is the very definition of a dishonest man who spread incredible strife and changed the course of history. Judas served for three years as acting treasurer for Jesus, but ultimately fell under the spell of Satan. If you are like me, we often look at the world today and think things are upside down; what seems right is chastised as wrong by those with different views. At times it may be difficult to determine truth, but that is an ungodly view and exactly how the devil hopes we will respond. “Without God it is impossible to determine truth; with God we become part of His master plan.” — Tony Ferguson

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So many times, the same frustrating thing happens when I try to pray. “Heavenly Father,” I say, but almost immediately I get interrupted by my own thoughts. I really hope I don’t have to work late tonight. I try to correct course and refocus on God, but another distraction comes to mind.

I wish I hadn’t yelled at the kids this afternoon. By that point, praying feels like a lost cause. I’m obviously more interested in worrying than spending time with God. Even so, I pull myself together and give it one more go – it’s hopeless. I’m distracted again.

Our mortgage is too high. I wonder if my wife could get a higher-paying job. When those distractions keep coming, I’m tempted to feel guilty, but then I remember this invaluable advice from Paul Miller, author of A Praying Life:

“Come [to prayer] overwhelmed with life. Come with your wandering mind. Come messy… The very things we try to get rid of – our weariness, our distractedness, our messiness – are what get us in the front door! That’s how the gospel works. That’s how prayer works.”

What a relief. When I find distracting thoughts interrupting my prayer time, I shouldn’t resent myself for them. Instead, I should pay attention to what those thoughts are and talk to God about them.

I often notice that my distracting thoughts are related to the deepest fears and anxieties that subconsciously pull me away from Jesus throughout the day. When I pray, He is letting them come to the surface so that I will give them to Him.

We don’t have to feel guilty about the thoughts that distract us during prayer – we should notice them, name them, and tell Jesus about them. He’s been waiting to hear about them all day. — Joshua Rogers

Quotes You Can Use

When you have a true encounter with God, you come away with the realization that God is for you.

If your job is to motivate people, living like you are injured and hurting will only inspire your physical therapist. — Dwight Short

While it is admirable to live a righteous life, we must not fall into the trap of thinking we can be good enough to earn our way into Heaven.

It doesn’t matter what we think about Scripture; the Bible is true whether we accept it or not. — Billy Graham

Trust the One who made you and saved you.

Listening wisely means welcoming godly correction and refusing ungodly influence. Correction is a gift, not a threat. Listen to godly correction. Who (and what) you listen to shapes who you become. Choose your voices wisely. — Edgar Aponte

Whatever it is you are living for, whatever passion rules your life, whatever it is that gets you out of bed in the morning and drives you – that is your god.

Love is demonstrated by our actions.

I attribute my success to this—I never gave or took any excuse. — Florence Nightingale

God knows that fear is born when we focus on the problem or on the power of the enemy.

A faulty view of Heaven destines us to a wasted life on Earth.

The secret of your strength lies in your commitment to Jesus Christ.

There is no shortage of voices talking about the news. Very few help Christians discern it biblically.

We should train ourselves to think wisely. — Tommy Campbell

When the world seems to be falling apart, our faith stands secure on the rock-solid promises of God.

God has provided a path for redemption when judgment day comes; don’t let the devil derail your path.

Don’t be discouraged when God delays the answers to your prayers.

Your feedback is welcome and if you want to contribute your ideas and thoughts, address all items and comments to [email protected].

Thoughts on Life Copyright 2026

10025 Orange Grove Drive

Tampa, FL 33618, USA

April 20,2026

Deeply grateful and humbled—that’s how I feel after being elected as the second President of Northeastern Baptist College. Carmen and I recognize that this calling is far bigger than us. We continue the vision that God placed in the heart of Dr. Ballard 13 years ago: To establish a college in New England grounded in biblical truth, driven by evangelistic zeal, and dedicated to educating a generation of young leaders who will impact the world for Christ.

Looking back over the events of this past month, I find myself reflecting on the providence of God. I was raised in rural Pennsylvania as a lost kid, unaware of not only who Jesus was, but also of His power to change hearts. But God, in His mercy, intervened. He saved me, called me, and has now brought me full circle back to the Northeast. The only explanation is the goodness and sovereignty of God. John the Baptist’s words in John 3:27 hit home: “A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven.” This role and this opportunity are from Him and for Him.

Carmen and I are also profoundly grateful for the family God has given us. Our youngest daughter Rebekah lives in Little Rock, Arkansas, where she serves in Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ office. Our oldest daughter, Abigail, and her husband, Aaron Ricks, live in Melissa, Texas, where they are raising three amazing children: JJ, Lizzie Joy, and a precious six-week-old baby girl they are currently fostering. And, of course, our tail-wagging chocolate Labrador, Obadiah, continues to go wherever we go.

So why NEBC, and why now? During my time serving as Interim Academic Dean, I was deeply encouraged by what I experienced. I was inspired not only by the faculty’s commitment to academic excellence but by their genuine love for their students and their heart for New England. I spent time with students whose hunger to know God’s Word and faithfully proclaim it was unmistakable. Over those months, it became clear to me that NEBC is more than a college. It is a strategic mission center in a region where the gospel is largely absent and unknown. The more I reflected on this, the more convinced I became that God is doing something special in Bennington.

Our lives are meant to be invested in what will last. That conviction is what led me to launch The E2 Initiative, and it is what now brings us to Northeastern Baptist College. Together, we have a unique opportunity to invest in the next generation of leaders who will continue to turn the world upside down for Christ.

I am grateful to lead NEBC in continuing this mission. This is a stewardship, and I intend to give it everything I have. But I can’t do it alone. Will you continue to stand with us? And will you prayerfully consider making a significant investment in NEBC at this critical moment? We look forward to continuing the mission together while God writes an exciting new chapter.

Because of Jesus,

Dr. Mark A. Howell

Copyright (C) 2023 Northeastern Baptist College. All rights reserved.

Our mailing address is:

PO Box 4600, Bennington, VT 05201

Week Sixteen, 2026

“Sin is not ended by multiplying words, but the prudent hold their tongues.” – Proverbs 10:19

Wisdom tells us when to speak and when to remain silent. It’s better to bite your tongue than to bite your brother. The mouth of the wicked pours out bad thoughts. The timing of your speech is important. Even a fool who stays quiet is considered wise.

Watch what you say. Speaking the right way is pleasing to the Lord. Don’t throw gasoline on the fire. It’s important to say what is right, but it also matters how you say it. Your words should be graceful. Your content and your delivery should reflect the God we serve.

We need to watch the fruit of our speech. Every word is like a seed that can bring life or death. Before we speak, we should ask ourselves what those words will do. Words can change lives. Be gracious and kind. Words don’t just communicate; they shape things. Be pure in your speech and your delivery. Jesus cleared our hearts by becoming flesh and coming to rescue us. Ask yourself: whose voice does my voice sound like most this week? Is it God’s or the devil’s?

Our hearts are like a spring with two reservoirs. One stores wisdom from “above,” and the other stores wisdom from the “earth.” When we don’t think before we speak, and when we aren’t slow to speak and quick to listen, the floodgates of earthly wisdom burst open. Then, evil thoughts gush out through the tongue and burn everything in their path.

When a person is the master of his tongue, his heart doesn’t harbor evil. Instead, it stores wisdom from above. That is how the tongue can be tamed! – Stephen Bernard

The tongue just reproduces what it’s told. It is only an agent, like a robot. Just as a horse moves with a bridle or a ship with a rudder, a person’s thoughts drive the tongue for good or for evil.

Sometimes True Stories

Loneliness is everywhere. According to a 2023 Surgeon General report, it impacts more than 50% of all U.S. adults. People feel cut off and alienated, and they often lash out for small reasons. Being in a crowd just makes people more aware of their isolation. We all need friends who’ll stick close, listen carefully, and offer help when it’s needed. If we’re lucky enough to find a few good friends as we pass through life, we’re blessed. Matthew 7:12 says, “Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets.” Life is a challenge, and it’s important to treat others as you want to be treated. Seek godly people because they’ll be with you in good times and bad. — Tony Ferguson

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A Gallup poll showed that U.S. adults are rating their mental health at the lowest point in over 20 years. Less than one-third consider themselves to be in excellent mental health, and almost one-quarter are seeking professional help.

So, where do we go for help? Since even mental health professionals fall within those statistics, they might need help too. Can the blind really lead the blind?

Why not go to the One who we know is always anxiety-free? He’s always available and always willing. You know who I’m getting at. God created us. God can fix us. He even gave us a guidebook for fixing things. Go to Him through His Word. — Rich Jensen

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We can avoid tragic mistakes by doing two things:

Quotes You Can Use

Faith—not the faith in seeking after we want, but the faith in God as we seek after what He desires for us. No matter what we face or go through, that faith in the never-changing character of God always leads us to say, “It is Well with My Soul.” — Scott Whitaker

The future is always brighter when you know you have hope and there is no brighter hope in the universe than the light of God.

No matter what tomorrow brings, God is ready to hold and protect us.

One of the advantages of being disorderly is that one is constantly making exciting discoveries.

If you want a powerful spiritual experience, go to the beach and pick up a handful of sand. Every grain of sand represents God’s thoughts concerning you.

While sports fans can cite their favorite teams’ comebacks, no one in history has ever made a more shocking comeback than when Jesus got up out of that grave! — Dwight Short

God’s plan for your situation may seem peculiar. And you may even be reluctant to try it. Obey the impressions of God upon your heart. — Dan Shock

A lot of problems in life can be avoided by not giving in to those who would draw us into wrongdoing. So often those who have decided to do something sinful want to draw others into their sinful actions so they will make themselves feel better. — Tony Ferguson

God expects us to do our best and then commit the rest.

God isn’t interested in mere lip service, though that’s what most people offer to Him.

We often get upset because we think someone is getting away with evil deeds. But sooner or later, their sins will catch up with them. — Dan Shock

Your feedback is welcome and if you want to contribute your ideas and thoughts, address all items and comments to [email protected].

© Thoughts on Life Copyright 2026

10025 Orange Grove Drive

Tampa, FL 33618, USA

This post was first released on January 12, 2025. It is reposted here with only minor edits as part of this series on ancient flood accounts.

How old is coal? Evolutionists usually suggest around 300 million years old.

How old is man? Evolutionists usually suggest around 6-7 million years.

How old is the discovery of iron? Historians suggest around 4-5 thousand years.

So, what if a man claimed to find an iron pot inside a large lump of coal?

Possible answers:

Have you ever heard the story of Frank J. Kennard? In 1912 Frank found an iron pot inside a large lump of coal. Ever since it’s been a point of contention between evolutionists and folks like myself (whom evolutionists love to label as “pseudo-scientists”) who point to Frank’s find as at least anecdotal evidence that coal does not require millions of years to form and that the catastrophic deposition of sedimentary layers during a global flood could explain the discovery of that pot inside that lump of coal.

But let’s hear directly from Frank himself in his notarized statement about the find,

“While I was working in the Municipal Electric Plant in Thomas, Oklahoma in 1912, I came upon a solid chunk of coal which was too large to use. I broke it with a sledge hammer. This iron pot fell from the center, leaving the impression, or mould of the pot in a piece of the coal. Jim Stull (an employee of the company) witnessed the breaking of the coal, and saw the pot fall out. I traced the source of the coal, and found that it came from the Wilburton, Oklahoma Mines.

What might we conclude after reading this document, assuming no theoretical contamination of Frank’s coal?

Google confirms that man-made objects (in addition to Frank’s pot) have been found inside lumps of coal, so this story is not a one and done.

God confirms in the Bible that a worldwide Flood destroyed the earth during the time of Noah, which buried massive amounts of material (both inorganic and organic) and created the necessary conditions for a much more recent formation of coal. Did Frank actually find that pot inside that lump of coal? If not, then we can move on to substantial arguments for a global flood. But if so, it brings us to a stark conclusion. Men lived before coal.

-Daniel McCabe

Trivia

Which biblical feast is connected with Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year?

Life in the Land: Oriel’s Rock-throwing Ritual

A thirty-something, single, Jewish woman who believes in Yeshua, a rock, and a quiet desert east of Jerusalem. That’s how this story begins.

Oriel loves the desert behind her home and often vlogs from there. Beautiful sunsets, a warm breeze on her cheek, an occasional “rock bunny” sighting and of course her favorite place to sit and pray—these are the memories that draw her back to it again and again. She is particularly at home in the desert where she has so often found healing from past and present wounds. How we all need a place like that!

Which brings me back to the rock, for Oriel has an unusual, but wonderful way that she finds solace in the desert. When she’s haunted by a hurtful memory or can’t find hope in her circumstances, she walks to a high point, picks up a rock, associates that rock with her hurt and then hurls it down to the desert’s bottom. In that action, accompanied by worship, she finds renewal and joy.

I don’t live in a rocky desert, and Oriel’s hurt may not always match my own, but whether your favorite spot is a desert, a dock or a deer stand, consider creating your own version of her rock-throwing ritual. But don’t forget to worship from your special spot. “Cast all your anxieties on him, for he cares about you” (1 Peter 5:7, RSV).

-Daniel McCabe

Christology—the Humanity of Jesus, part 3

To be freed from the bondage of sin means that sin is no longer our master. As Christians we don’t have to sin. We can always choose obedience, for God provides a way out of every temptation. The Holy Spirit helps us and strives with us, and that’s why we should always honor Him and not grieve Him by choosing sin and falling into temptation. As long as we live in this physical body of ours, even as believers, we will sin, for it is a constant wrestling match with the flesh. In Romans 7, for example, Paul talks about how he does what he doesn’t want to do and he doesn’t do what he wants to do. He was very honest about his wrestling with the flesh, a struggle with which we can all relate.

But Jesus is our perfect example, the perfect human who always chose righteousness and never sinned. Being the second Adam, being man’s substitutionary sacrifice for sin and being the mediator between God and man, His human nature was necessary for the salvation of mankind. In other words, Jesus had to be both God and man.

Being God, Jesus’ sacrifice was of an eternal quality. When we sin, we offend an eternal God. Therefore the quality of our punishment, our separation from God in hell, must likewise be eternal. Thus, only Jesus’ sacrifice was capable of securing forgiveness for the sins of all mankind. The blood of bulls and goats could never truly take away man’s sin, for they are just animals. Only the sacrifice of Jesus could truly represent us on the cross. Bulls and goats are insufficient sacrifices for my sin because they are unlike me. They’re not human. Humanity sinned, therefore, the redemption of humanity required a human representative—Jesus. In His full humanity He was able to take on my sin, for He is one of us. He was the perfect representative for mankind and the perfect substitutionary sacrifice for my sin.

-Adam Keim

Life in the Land—the Black Hebrews

Bethlehem we know. Mary gave birth to baby Jesus there. Jerusalem too we know. Our Savior died there and came to life. Then there’s Nazareth, Jericho and Capernaum. All are well-known cities in Israel. But have you ever heard of Dimona, a town of 35,000, twenty miles southeast of Beersheba in the dry, hot desert of Israel? Dimona is home to a group of five thousand African-Americans, many originally from the Chicago area, who maintain that they are the descendants of the ancient Israelites. They have a complicated, but fascinating story.

Known loosely as the Black Hebrews, but more specifically as the African Hebrew Israelite Nation of Jerusalem, they believe that long ago when their Israelite ancestors were expelled from Israel by the Romans, they migrated to western Africa. From there in the modern era they were taken by slave ships to America. In the late 1960s a former metallurgist named Ben Carter, who had been raised in a Baptist home, announced that he had been visited by the angel Gabriel and told to return to Israel with the African-American children of Israel to establish the kingdom of God. Taking on a new name, Ben Ammi Ben-Israel, and adopting the title of Messiah, Carter and four hundred others sold their cars, homes and businesses. Passionately convinced of their new purpose, they first moved to Liberia for a two-year period of purification and then on to Israel.

The Black Hebrews practice polygamy, veganism and communal living. They enjoy tofu, hip hop music and rigorous physical exercise. They make their own natural wines and clothing, abstain from drugs, and grow most of their own food. Some members of the community serve in the Israel Defense Forces, but they reject traditional forms of both Judaism and Christianity, have no doctrine of the afterlife, and see Jesus as only one in a long line of messiahs sent by God to keep his children on the right path.

-Daniel McCabe

Answer to the Trivia

C. Trumpets

Flood Stories—Polystrate Fossils

Let me first admit that I spent waaaaay too much time reading about this topic over the last several weeks for the amount of time that I’m giving it in this post. Perhaps there are others here (let me see a show of hands) who like me have gotten lost in a topic and you just couldn’t seem to find your way out of it. Well ….

Many Bible-believing scientists insist that polystrate fossils provide strong evidence, perhaps even irrefutable proof, for a global flood while evolutionary scientists brush aside their conclusions as myopic at best and junk science at worst. So what’s all the fuss?

Coined by proponents of a global flood, the term, polystrate fossils, has been summarily dismissed by evolutionists as both technically inaccurate and highly prejudicial though it hardly strikes me as an unreasonable description of fossils that penetrate more (poly-) than one strata (-strate) of sedimentary rock. A young earth is fatal to the theory of evolution, so any proposed evidence that challenges the necessity of millions of years to explain the formation of rock layers can quickly bring out the knives.

If one found a fossilized tree traversing multiple layers of strata, it might reasonably suggest that the layers were laid down quickly, thus potentially challenging evolutionary theory and even pointing perhaps to a catastrophic event as the cause, such as a global flood—which is why Bible-believing scientists find polystrate fossils so compelling—but evolutionists counter that perhaps it merely points to recurring local flood events that took place over a few decades and which progressively buried and fossilized the tree—or perhaps or perhaps or perhaps.

Sometimes the simplest explanations are the best, and given my admitted bias in favor of a global flood, I don’t find it difficult to see the reasoning behind an explanation for polystrate fossils that posits a global flood. So if you’re looking for something to read tonight before bed, take a look at this debate and weigh the evidence for yourself. You’ll find that the experts can explain it much better than I, and you might just find yourself getting lost in the debate.

-Daniel McCabe

Trivia (Answer below)

What is the name of the pilgrim in Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales who is said to have visited Jerusalem three times?

Scripture Study: The Seed Plot of the Bible

I first learned about Genesis 3:15 in Dr. McKinley’s Old Testament Survey class in the Fall of my freshman year at LeTourneau College while pursuing a degree in mechanical engineering. Does this verse sound familiar to you? Speaking to the serpent, God declared, “And I will put enmity between you and the woman and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head and you shall bruise His heel.”

On p. 5 of “Doc” McKinley’s book, “Scanning the Plan,” he included a paragraph entitled, “The Seed Plot,” referencing this verse and noting that it’s in this verse that we read for the very first time about the gospel in prophetic form, for in Genesis 3:15 we learn of God’s plan of deliverance for Adam and Eve after their fall into sin and in particular of God’s promise of a coming Deliverer who would make all things right again.

Here are Dr. McKinley’s “seven basic facts” that flow from this verse.

1. The future birth of a child—God tells Satan that there will be enmity between Satan’s seed and “her [meaning Eve’s] Seed.” Notice that Seed here is capitalized. Admittedly the Hebrew doesn’t use capital letters, but the editors of your Bible and mine want to emphasize that this birth will not be a normal one, for in hindsight we know that the child will be Jesus, God in human form. Dr. McKinley believes that this verse points to Jesus’ virgin birth because “it is man who bears the seed of procreation … not the woman,” yet the child is described as the seed of the woman alone. In any event, a child will be born who will deliver Adam and Eve from their sin.

2. The humanity of the child—the fallen couple should look for a human being, the offspring of the woman.

3. Open war between Satan and the child—my translation calls it enmity, but one should expect to see Satan’s intense attack on anyone associated with bringing this child into the world.

4. The child’s death—the verse reads, “…you shall bruise His heel.” The soldiers literally bruised the heel of Jesus when they nailed him to the cross, thus his bruised heel pictures his crucifixion and death.

5. The doom of Satan—though the heel of Jesus is bruised, it’s the head of Satan that will be bruised, suggesting that Jesus will overthrow Satan’s kingdom and thwart any plans Satan had to defeat him.

6. Personal conflict—two seeds or offsprings are contrasted, suggesting conflict between two parties, particularly Jesus Christ and the Antichrist.

7. Restoration—the bruising of Satan implies that the Seed of the woman will restore man to his original position before the fall.

What a beautiful gospel story told in just one verse!

-Daniel McCabe

Photography from Israel:

Psalm 23, “Surely Goodness and Mercy”

Here are some images that depict ancient and modern blessings.

1. A relief showing two servants bearing food and drink to their king, found at Persepolis in ancient Persia, dated to 358–338 B.C.

2. A depiction on ivory of a train of tribute-bearers from Nimrud in ancient Assyria, dated to 850–610 B.C.

3. A beautiful pool with date palms at Neot Kedumim in central Israel

4. A photograph of shepherds caring for their sheep in Israel, dated to 1900-1920

5. Another colorized photograph of the same date

6. Hikers in Nahal Perat, also known as Wadi Qilt, a dry riverbed east of Jerusalem

-Daniel McCabe

Christology—the Humanity of Jesus, part 2

et’s continue our study of the humanity of Jesus Christ by examining a couple of important theological terms, which demonstrate the importance of word order and specificity in the terms that we use. We know that Jesus was tempted in every way, yet without sin. In His humanity, in His human nature, Jesus is posse non peccare, which means “able to not sin.” In His divinity, He’s non posse peccare, which means “not able to sin.” Do you see the difference?

In His humanity He’s “able to not sin.” He has the capability to decide not to sin. Of course, theoretically He had the capacity to sin. The human Jesus could have conceivably committed a sin, but He never did and was never going to because He had the ability to always choose righteousness. In His divinity He’s “not able to sin.” He doesn’t even have the ability to sin because God cannot sin. God cannot possibly sin because sin by definition is anything that’s contrary to God’s character and will, and God is never contrary to His character and will. So the divine person doesn’t even have the capacity to sin.

Logically the temptations of Jesus had to be real temptations or else they wouldn’t be temptations. Jesus was tempted in every way to sin. So when He’s in the wilderness for forty days without having eaten, and the devil says, “Hey, turn these stones into bread,” the human Jesus really wanted to eat. But He had the ability to not sin, and He never fell into temptation.

Now here’s where we can connect our own experience to this. In our pre-saved state, in our fallen humanity, before we have heard the gospel, we are not able to not sin. Being slaves to sin, we’re bound to sin. We have to sin. We will sin. Yet, it’s still our fault. We can’t stand before God and insist, “It wasn’t really my fault!” Being slaves to sin, we sinned constantly, for it was our nature. Sin was our master. That, of course, doesn’t mean we sinned constantly, every second of every day. We could give to a charity. We could help old ladies across the street. We could think kind thoughts about other people. However, our lives were characterized by sin. We sinned all the time, for we were slaves to it.

On the other hand, as believers we are free from the bondage of sin. We have a new master. We now become able to not sin. We can always choose the righteous path. We have the ability to resist temptation and not fall into sin. In reality we still wrestle with the flesh. We still fall into temptation from time to time, but hopefully we sin less and less over time as we grow in our sanctification. Hopefully we choose righteousness and obedience to our Master Jesus more and more often. So pre-salvation we were not able to not sin. Post-salvation we are able to not sin, just like Jesus in His humanity was able to not sin, and though Jesus as the perfect Man never did, sadly we do. So, as you can see, depending on the order in which you put them, the words “able,” “not” and “sin” mean very different things.

-Adam Keim

Archaeology—the Pilate Stone

You know him best as the man who allowed the execution of Jesus to proceed even though he famously said of him, “I find no guilt in this man” (Luke 23:4). In his position as the Roman governor of Judea, Pontius Pilate had the authority to spare the life of Jesus, but even after his wife had a dream about Jesus’ innocence and his own interview of Jesus reinforced her conviction, Pilate “delivered Him to be crucified” (Matt. 27:26). The Ethiopian Orthodox Church believes that Pilate’s words about Jesus and his reluctance to fast track Jesus’ execution lead to only one conclusion—that Pilate became a Christian. They even venerate Pilate as both a martyr and a saint in contrast to the more common take that he spoke and acted solely out of political expedience.

In any event whether his role in the trial of Jesus is that of a saint or a savvy politician, there is no meaningful disagreement regarding Pilate’s historicity and proper governmental title following a monumental find in 1961, known popularly as the Pilate Stone. Discovered in Israel in the port city of Caesarea on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, this broken, carved block of limestone, measuring just over 2 feet tall and 2½ feet wide, bears the name of “[Ponti]us Pilatus, [Praef]ectus Juda[ea]e,” the Latin spelling which translates into English as “Pontius Pilate, Prefect of Judea.” In Latin prefect is a title that means roughly, “put in charge,” and the Bible rightly describes him as the “governor” of Judea (Matt. 27:2; Luke 3:1).

Evidently carved to dedicate a Roman building in Caesarea, perhaps even a temple in honor of Tiberius Caesar, the Pilate Stone dates to the time of Jesus in the first century. Yet again, the accuracy of the Bible has been corroborated—this time by a broken stone that points our attention back to the bitter-sweet account of our Savior, who on the night before his crucifixion broke bread with these wonderful words, “This is My body which is broken for you” (1 Cor. 11:24).

-Daniel McCabe

Answer to the Trivia

D. The Lady of Bath

Week Fifteen, 2026

“He guards the paths of justice and preserves the way of His saints: (Proverbs 2:8).

The word “wisdom” appears in the Bible over 200 times. Depending on the translation, that count ranges from 213 to 234 (for example, 234 times in the KJV and 213 in the ESV). It is featured heavily in the Old Testament, especially in the Book of Proverbs, and it shows up 53 times in the New Testament. It is indeed important.

I wish I had paid more attention earlier. I learned a lot about wisdom by making some stupid decisions and paying the price for them. As I climbed the education ladder, I focused on gathering knowledge. But well-educated people are not always “smart” people.

Wisdom is like driving. What matters most is the speed and appropriateness of your reactions, and the soundness of your judgment regarding the situation you’re in. You simply try to see and do the right thing in the actual moment that presents itself.

The effect of divine wisdom is to enable us to do just that in the actual situations of everyday life. Wisdom is about reality. It’s about real-life decision-making in real-life situations.

Godly wisdom is so clearly laid out in the Bible, especially in the Book of Proverbs—a book I recently read from beginning to end. I only wish I had done it sooner. True wisdom is found only in a right relationship with God, and that is only possible through Jesus Christ, the Wisdom of God.

The path you choose today shapes who you become tomorrow. Walk in wisdom and avoid the path of the wicked. It will guide, guard, and deliver us. When we walk with Jesus, He teaches us how important guardrails are. They are there to protect us, not to restrict us!

There is a path of righteousness and a path of the wicked. True wisdom is found only in a right relationship with God. Doing wrong not only brings bad outcomes, but more importantly, it shows we are drifting away from Jesus.

When we walk away from Jesus, we drift toward destruction. Wisdom will guard you. It is a guardrail to protect us from falling into the pit of sin. The world mocks wisdom, but wisdom will guide you and show you what to do and what to avoid. Walk with others who walk in wisdom. Flee from temptation; don’t be drawn to it. Avoid it! Proverbs 14:2 warns us not to drift into sin. Wisdom will deliver you from destruction. True wisdom is not just advice. It is Jesus, who on the cross took on and forgave every sin we’ve ever committed. Just follow Him. There is more justice in Jesus than there is sin in us. If you have drifted, come back to Jesus.

Sometimes True Stories

Evil will give you a little fun, but ultimately it will destroy you. Don’t use people to get what you want. Don’t join the wrong group. Sin is a great recruiter. We all have a deep need to belong. What is the bait? People go where they feel they belong. It is better to be alone with Jesus than in a crowd of sinners. Sin always has a hook, but Jesus died for you. Come to Jesus. — Edgar Aponte

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Salvation is about letting God heal our hearts. When we reject God, we open the door and let sin run rampant. God gave us a conscience and free will. He’s the guide who helps us navigate the rose gardens of life. When we get stuck by the thorns, God will be there with His healing grace. — Tony Ferguson

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No matter where we are in life, no matter what storms we face or find ourselves in the middle of—no matter the storms, losses, challenges, valleys, obstacles, heartaches we suffer, or uncertainties we see looming ominously in front of us—God is there.

He is there, calling to us, assuring us, convicting us to press on with Him into all He promises He has for us, here, and hereafter with Him in eternity.

Because we can always have—faith in God. — Scott Whitaker

Quotes You Can Use

Thinking more of ourselves than we should, practically guarantees a sinful and difficult life. Numerous scriptures say that God resists the proud, and that pride goes before the fall. We can secure a better life by humbling ourselves and end up with a more realistic view of the important things in life.

Worry and anxiety rob our productive ability and make us fail in our life. — Stephen Bernard

To God, the prayers of His people are a pleasant aroma. — Dan Shock

Good intentions and morality may keep us out of jail, but only God can keep us out of hell. — Tony Ferguson

We know the truth not only through our reason, but also through our hearts.

Why would God send His Son into the world to be born in a stable when we often refuse to even think about staying in anything but a first-class hotel? If you don’t know the answer to this, you probably have not read John 3:17! — Dwight Short

Attacks against our flesh always come in the most vulnerable areas.

Those who serve Satan are at home in this world. They are comfortable because they blend right in. But the end result of serving him is death.

The Lord loves to direct the willing heart and has promised wisdom to those who are willing to seek His guidance. — Tony Ferguson

We don’t always know why certain things happen to us, but God does.

Help others without any reason and give without the expecting of receiving anything in return.

May your walls hold joy, may every room hold laughter, and may every window open to great possibilities.

Your feedback is welcome and if you want to contribute your ideas and thoughts, address all items and comments to [email protected].

© Thoughts on Life Copyright 2026

10025 Orange Grove Drive

Tampa, FL 33618, USA