13 Apr 2026
The temple of the Lord was destroyed when His children were taken captive. God later commissioned Ezra and Zerubbabel to lead the efforts to rebuild it. These Israelites were surrounded by people who discouraged them. Zachariah 4:6-10.
Deep Roots
What kind of legacy are we leaving for those around us? Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper (Psalms 1:1-3 KJV). Another tree fell at our church this week. Her name was Mrs. Virginia Beasley, known to her church family as Miss Beasley. For the past 15 years or so, I have sat behind Miss Beasley every Sunday at church. Her white hair has been the focal point of our side of the church. To me, her hair looked like soft, white cotton candy. I don’t know how she felt about it, but I thought it was beautiful. Miss Beasely was known as the candy and gum lady at church. She brought a baggie full of goodies every Sunday and passed it out to the children who sat around her little ones and very big ones. They loved her for it and I know they will miss her just like I will. What We Sometimes Forget I’m sure you probably have a Miss Beasley at your church, too. Someone who sits in the same spot every Sunday. Never misses a service. Loves people and children and sharing what they have with others. What we sometimes forget about these church members is that growing deep roots in our faith doesn’t guarantee an easy life and Miss Beasley didn’t have one. In 1996, Miss Beasley’s daughter, Jo, was taken from her home by someone she knew, driven to a barn and brutally murdered. It was the day before Jo’s birthday. As I sat behind Miss Beasley in church I often wondered how she got past that horrific event. I suspect that like most traumatic events in our lives she didn’t get past it, she just learned to live with it, but it had to have been incredibly hard. Miss Beasley had a necklace with her daughter’s picture on it that she wore frequently. One Sunday, I commented about what a good picture it was of Jo. Her eyes teared up, “Why don’t people ever talk about Jo?” She asked. “It’s like they don’t remember her.” That broke my heart. Of course we remember, but we were trying to spare Miss Beasley more pain, which seems foolish because a mother’s heart can’t know more pain than the death of a child. Even though others may never have mentioned Jo’s death, I know she never stopped thinking about it. In fact, the night Miss Beasley died was 2 days before the anniversary of Jo’s death. I’m sure she went to sleep thinking about her daughter. She died peacefully in her sleep, thus being spared reliving one more time the anniversary of her daughter’s death. The Difference One day last week, my son and I took his 8 year old daughter for a walk on our farm. We stopped to show my granddaughter one of the largest trees I have ever seen. It’s a huge old oak tree. This tree is so big that our arms won’t reach around it. Abby, my granddaughter, was fascinated with this old tree, so I snapped a picture of her hugging it. Now when I look at that picture, I am reminded of Miss Beasley and others like her. These great old souls didn’t waver when the storms of life came. The shadow the oak tree casts is huge. The sphere of influence that a strong Christian shares when they stay firmly rooted in their faith is even bigger and more influential. The hard thing about a large tree with deep roots is that when it falls, it leaves such an empty, vacant space. And every time we see that spot, we ache for the tree that was there. That’s how I feel with the empty spot where Miss Beasley used to sit. I ache for her presence and miss her. Yet the empty spot on the pew in front of me also serves as a reminder of two important realities: I need to continue growing deeper roots to be an influence for good and for God! God wants me to stay busy planting more trees and nurturing them to grow deep roots! I want to be able to proclaim like the old African American spiritual, “I Shall Not Be Moved!” Glory hallelujah, I shall not be moved,Anchored in Jehovah, I shall not be moved;Just like a tree that’s planted by the waters,I shall not be moved! In His love abiding, I shall not be moved,And in Him confiding, I shall not be moved;Just like the tree that’s planted by the water,I shall not be moved! I shall not be, I shall not be moved,I shall not be, I shall not be moved;Just like a tree that’s planted by the waterI shall not be moved! Follow these links for full lyrics or Johnny Cash YouTube video. About the author: Teresa is an accomplished author, speaker, mother, and grandmother. Teresa has been married to Bill for a lifetime of family, faith, and love. They are members of Pleasant Hill Church of Christ in Kentucky. They have 5 children and 4 grandchildren. Teresa is also the author of the popular women’s blog called “NanaHood”!
Jury Duty
When can a conviction lead to an acquittal? I had jury duty this week and was very happy that I was “excused and thanked” after one day of service. The case, on which I almost served, sounded like it would have been a frustrating and boring experience for me. We had all been questioned for a particular criminal trial and I was relieved when the jury was sworn in. Then, they decided that they needed to pick four alternate jurors. When I was seated in the box, I was hastily dismissed by the defense attorney. Believe me, I didn’t take it personally. I guess it was something that I said during my interviewing process. I certainly empathized with the attorneys in their effort to seek jurors who would perhaps be lenient toward their client. This experience reminded me of growing up with an attorney in the house – my father. Daddy, now age ninety-eight, finally retired from his law practice at age ninety-three, or thereabouts. He had been an attorney in private practice during the early part of his career. He was then appointed to the office of County Attorney of Grayson County, Texas. He was subsequently elected twice after that – serving for approximately twelve years. After his time in public office, my father returned to being a defense attorney. He has always joked that he was a “country lawyer,” but don’t let his modesty fool you. He has handled many cases in his long career – wills, estates, probates, taxes, divorces, and even a murder trial or two. He also used to joke about the first case that he ever handled – a divorce. He successfully got the divorce for his client, and right after that, they remarried each other again. My father served as an elder at church for thirty-nine years. It was remarkable that he not only handled that responsibility very well, but also his coinciding duties as County Attorney. My father had the reputation of being such a good attorney – defense or prosecution – that he could take either side of a case and still win. However, Daddy faced a difficult situation when he had to try a murder case. Without getting into a “hot button” issue, I’ll just tell you what he did because of his own moral, Christian convictions. My father’s job – as an elected official – was to convict the man accused of murder. However, because of his moral and religious feelings about this particular case, he didn’t believe in the death penalty. What was he to do? My father did his duty as a paid official and won the case – convicting the man of murder. He felt badly about it, called a local minister who then studied the Bible with the prisoner. The prisoner was then baptized into Christ. My father helped facilitate a conversion out of a conviction! It was a long time ago, and I don’t know whatever happened to the man after that. However, it’s a true story of a man who was not only convicted of murder, but also of his sins – a lesson that I’ll never forget for the rest of my life! I guess you could say that he had to face one jury that helped him avoid the ultimate jury. Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life. (John 5:24 NAS) Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brethren, what shall we do?” Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself.” And with many other words he solemnly testified and kept on exhorting them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation!” So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls. (Acts 2:37-41) About the author: Katha’s small town upbringing in Sherman, Texas was slow paced, with loving parents, lots of down home cooking, and church attendance. Katha graduated from San Diego State University with a degree in English and continued graduate studies in English at Abilene Christian University. Katha was an editor at a publishing company and has done freelance for businesses as well as writing devotional articles for Power for Today. She and her husband have two grown children and a granddaughter. Katha enjoys reading, crocheting, yoga, and singing in groups and as a soloist.
Reclaiming Our Lost Identity
What does God do with those times in our lives we’d like to forget? V.R. Roskam of Wheaton, Illinois, visited Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, three years ago. He and his wife, Martha, were browsing at a souvenir stand. They spotted a wicker basket with a number of items – 37 as it turned out – that looked familiar. They were dog tags lost by U.S. soldiers during the 1960s and ’70s. Roskam, a 75-year-old Korean War veteran, knew immediately what he had to do. He bought them all. For the past three years now, he has been returning them to their rightful owners. So far he has tracked down nine, and he has personally gone to each one to present him his tags. As you might expect, this mission of respect has triggered powerful emotions in all the parties involved. Some people who served in Vietnam have spent decades now putting that chapter of life behind them. Others have been stuck in them and unable to move on. Many bear scars from that time – not only on their bodies but especially in their psyches. Denzil Messman lost his tag when he jumped from a helicopter into a firefight. He was still a teenager when it happened. The Roskams went to Jefferson, Texas, to return his small, thin piece of metal designed to tell a medic a wounded soldier’s blood type or, if he didn’t make it, a chaplain his faith. “This big burly guy just wept when he held it,” Martha Roskam said. “It’s kind of hard to explain,” said Messman, retired at 55 from the postal service. “Them dog tags is a piece of your person. They become you.” Another veteran who received his dog tag from the Roskams wrote them a touching note. “It has been 30-plus years since my return from South Vietnam,” said Regiland Gay, “and no one has said thank you!” Bad memories, good memories, things appreciated, things not, things you barely remember, things you’d give anything to forget – all are part of your life story. Some are whole chapters. Some short paragraphs. Some mere footnotes. One way to think of redemption is in terms of authentic human identity. God doesn’t want to sell you “fire insurance,” but to help you make sense of every step along the path we call life. So he celebrates triumphs, forgives failures, and gives hope for the future. He calls us into community for the sake of learning to treat one another as we would all like to be treated. And his kingdom is among us. You can’t change the past. You can’t un-ring a bell. You can’t recapture lost time. But you can trust God to work everything to the good of those who love him. We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28) About the author: Rubel Shelly preached for decades and served as a professor of medical ethics, Bible, and philosophy at multiple universities. He was a former president of Rochester College and Professor of Philosophy and Religion at Lipscomb University. He was the author of more than 30 books and hundreds of inspirational articles. His commitment to a non-sectarian presentation of the gospel touched countless lives.
Today’s Verse – Luke 9:23-24
Jesus said to them all: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it.” —Luke 9:23-24 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… “I’ve just got to get away and find myself.” If that is our goal, we must know it won’t ever happen. We do not “find ourselves” or “find our life” by pursuing it (Matthew 10:39). We find life, true and lasting life, by losing it for something and someone greater than ourselves. We find our lives by losing them to Jesus, to the work of his Kingdom, and to the grace of blessing others and bringing them to Jesus (Matthew 16:25). My Prayer… Master and Maker of all that lives and breathes, take my life and make it yours. Use my every breath for your glory. Holy Spirit, I trust your transforming work to make me more like Jesus, more JESUShaped. LORD Jesus, I pray that my words and actions are pleasing to you and consistent with the way you lived while on earth. In the words of your servant, David, I pray: May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. (Psalm 19:14) Through the mighty intercession and authority of Jesus, we offer you this prayer and our praise, O God. Amen.All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.
Today’s Verse – 1 Peter 2:24
He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. —1 Peter 2:24 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… Jesus bore our sins. He didn’t just carry them to the cross; he also suffered the penalty we deserved for those sins. His anguish was our healing. His suffering was our righteousness. How can we ever think of going back to sin after he suffered so much to bear its penalty? So, let’s begin each day declaring, “Today, O God, with the help of the Holy Spirit, I die to my sins and live for righteousness! Please help me live up to my commitment by the transforming power of the Spirit to make me more like Jesus, more JESUShaped each day” (2 Corinthians 3:18; Colossians 1:28-29). My Prayer… Holy God, how you could stand to see your precious Son under the weight of my sin, along with all the sin of human history, I will never understand. Thank you for such great love and for being such a gracious God. None, not in heaven, not on earth, not in the spiritual realms, is comparable to you, O God. Your greatness is beyond imagining, and your love beyond my dreams. I choose, and commit, to live today to your glory because of Jesus, who bore my sin so I could be your righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21; Colossians 1:21). In the precious name of your Son, I pray. Amen. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.
There’s More to Come
It’s Friday, so how do you really feel about things? In the year 1815, Napoleon gathered his French forces at Waterloo to battle against the Duke of Wellington. Of course, history informs us that Napoleon was defeated at Waterloo, but how did the people living in 1815 learn of the news? To carry the news of the Battle of Waterloo to England, an English ship signaled to a man on shore, who then relayed the word to a man on another hill, and so on across England. The first word that was signaled was “Wellington.” The next word that was signaled was “defeated.” Then a fog rolled in, and the message stopped. As you can image, all across England people wept and were disheartened by the two word message, “Wellington defeated.” But when the fog lifted, the message continued with two additional words, “the enemy.” Hope arose out of despair! Now here’s my point. What do you think the world and even the disciples of Jesus thought when they saw the events that transpired on the Friday of the crucifixion? But, Friday contained only a portion of the message. The rest of the message was shared on Sunday through an empty tomb. Hope arose out of despair! [Jesus] said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered over to human hands. He will be killed, and after three days he will rise.” But they did not understand what he meant and were afraid to ask him about it (Mark 9:31-32 TNIV). About the author: Steve Higginbotham is a native of West Virginia. His father also preached. Steve serves the Karns Church of Christ in Knoxville, TN and is an instructor in the Southeast Institute of Biblical Studies and an editor for Think Magazine. Steve & Kim have four children, Kelli, Michael, Matthew, and Anne Marie.
Today’s Verse – Romans 5:6-8
At just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. —Romans 5:6-8 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… Jesus did not die for us because he had some high hopes for who we are. He certainly didn’t die for us because of what we had done in the past that merited his sacrifice. No, he died for us because he knew exactly who we are and where we would be without him. Praise be to God; we are now God’s righteousness because Jesus took our sin upon himself and gave us God’s grace and righteousness in place of our sin (2 Corinthians 5:17-21). While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. He now chooses to call us his friends and his family (John 15:15; Hebrews 2:10-14). Video Commentary… ToGather Worship Guide | More ToGather Videos My Prayer… Holy God, thank you for Jesus, my Savior. No words are adequate to express my love and devotion to you for such an incredible and gracious gift! Through him, I give and live all my thanks to you. Amen. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.
There You Will See Him!
Can I really meet Jesus? Distant … faint … soft echoes … like the incessant drip of a faucet, barely audible, but maddening in the pre-twilight of sleeplessness. You want to ignore it … and can for a moment or two … but then it returns … relentlessly … nagging at something in your soul … making sleep impossible. And in grief, this incessant dripping is torturous … agonizing … and mocking. No one knew this better than the women. “And after three days … after three days … after three days …” Now what was it that he said? “After three days … … I will rise again?” No way. Just wishful thinking. Just the disconnection with reality deep grief brings. But, “after three days …” That’s what he had said, wasn’t it? Or did I imagine it? I think he said it when he talked about being rejected and slaughtered like a sheep at their hands. But, I didn’t really get that. But he did say something about “after three days,” didn’t he? Slowly, tortuously, the women made their way to the tomb while the men slept. They wouldn’t wake them because sleep had been hard to come by in their shock and grief and shame. But, who would roll back the stone for them? Moving into place was a one person job, but getting it out of the mouth of the tomb was a chore for three strong men. How could a small band of women perform this? Maybe the soldiers would be accommodating? Or maybe someone else would help, like the caretaker of the tombs? Slowly, tortuously, incessantly, they moved toward the tomb. The faint streaks of sunrise filtered through the clouds making a glowing edge on some of the clouds hanging low in the spring sky. Golds, oranges, reds, and browns blazed against the fading indigo of the moonless night sky. They couldn’t help but be struck by the strange parallel as they brought their oil and spices to anoint his body this last time. Some remembered the anointing just a few days before and remembered Jesus’ sweet words, “She has done a beautiful thing.” This would be the last beautiful thing they would do for him. This one, however, was much harder and bitterer, for by now, the body that had blessed others would carry the pungent odor of death and the awful bruises and spatters of the beating, the gouges from the scourging, the place where flesh had been penetrated and ripped by nails, and the rip in his side from the spear. They came to offer him their love one last time as the sun streaked its first rays over the distant horizon. But still, in the background noise of their hearts, the women heard a distant dripping … an incessant soft echo in their souls. Hadn’t he said something … promised something … something impossible, inconceivable, something … they could not quite recall. The next evening, when the Sabbath ended, Mary Magdalene and Salome and Mary the mother of James went out and purchased burial spices to put on Jesus’ body. Very early on Sunday morning, just at sunrise, they came to the tomb. On the way they were discussing who would roll the stone away from the entrance to the tomb. But when they arrived, they looked up and saw that the stone – a very large one – had already been rolled aside. So they entered the tomb, and there on the right sat a young man clothed in a white robe. The women were startled, but the angel said, “Do not be so surprised. You are looking for Jesus, the Nazarene, who was crucified. He isn’t here! He has been raised from the dead! Look, this is where they laid his body. Now go and give this message to his disciples, including Peter: Jesus is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there, just as he told you before he died!” (Mark 16:1-7 NLT) Astonishment, fear, and awe. That’s their reaction. While we know the rest of the story from the other gospels, Mark wants us to linger with them here in this moment of fearful and astonished awe. He wants us to pause for this awesome moment and hear the words of God’s messenger. Don’t be surprised – literally, “Don’t be afraid!”The Crucified One is not here, he has risen.He will meet you in Galilee! Those are the three words we also need to hear in our day. Don’t be afraid!Life is more than you can master. Life is fragile and will be crushed. You can’t hold it or preserve it or protect it. But don’t be afraid. But how? How can we not be afraid? He is not here, the Crucified One is risen.Jesus, who shared with us our every human struggle and bore with us every human strain and endured with us every human suffering, also suffered with us our very human death … at our own hands. He is the crucified one. There is no escaping that. But, look, the tomb is empty. Death couldn’t hold him. Satan couldn’t have him. The tomb couldn’t contain him. His enemies couldn’t crush him. He is risen. He is alive. He is … and was … is to come. Everything, everything, has changed … for us. He has gone ahead of you to Galilee and you will see him, just as he said.He said he would be rejected. He said he would be killed. And he said he would be … resurrected. Yes, he did say those things. Again and again he said those things. And they are true. They have happened, just as he said. So if what he said about those things is true, then the Galilee thing must be true, too. But why Galilee? Why not Jerusalem? Why not Mt. Sinai? Simple. Galilee is home. They will see him at home. He will be with them … at home! And
Today’s Verse – Hebrews 1:3
The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. —Hebrews 1:3 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… Jesus was Immanuel, God with us (Matthew 1:23). He was no imitation, no knock off, and no clone; he was God with us, God in human flesh (John 1:1-3, 14-18). To this day, he sustains all creation with his word – so much for “Mother Nature,” it is brother Jesus, who sustains all things by his powerful word. And now, God-with-us has paid for our sins and is not just God-with-us, but he is also God-for-us, and is constantly at the Father’s side to help us. My Prayer… Precious LORD, as you have so many times in the past, please take these humble human words and bring them to the Father as my friend and brother (John 15:15, 21:5; Hebrews 2:10-14). Thank you for your sacrifice for my sins. Thank you for your sustaining presence in our universe. Thank you for your daily intercession for me and my needs, and my brothers and sisters’ needs. Thank you for being God-for-me at the Father’s side. To the glorious, majestic, and holy God, who sent you, our Savior Jesus, be glory, honor, and adoration forever and ever. Amen. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.