January 2, 2026

For those who know God, believing in His Son Jesus is easy. For those who do not know and do not trust God, refusing to believe in Jesus is also easy. There is a goodness of life, a peace, and a sheer joy that comes from accepting the Son of God and following Him as closely as we can. Once you know His peace, His love, and His tireless care and protection, life without Jesus feels like hell must feel.

I lived through my season of doubts. I can remember an idea for a book I wanted to write, dealing with people who left the church because of the wounds they suffered at the hands of people. I wrote a personal ad to the Fort Worth Star Telegram, inviting people to share their negative stories. Fortunately for me, they refused to print the ad. I am convinced they would not only print it today but might encourage people to participate. There will never be a shortage of broken hearts and lives in this world. People are willing to blame almost everything on churches and the folks who attend them—even God. I remember sitting in bed on Sunday mornings, reading the paper and laughing at energetic evangelists on TV. All the while, my marriage was falling apart around me and my family was imploding. God remembered my eighteen-year-old heart and eventually He caused me to come running back to Him.

Prayer
I thank You, God, for Your tender mercy, for holding each of Your children close to Your heart. Thank You for second chances. For third and fourth chances. As You have asked us to forgive each other seventy times seven times, You demonstrate Your own generous forgiveness so we can see and learn. Unconditional love is a rare gift, and we could never deserve all You do. May we always stay attuned to the things You show and teach us, so close to You we understand it is Your desire we forgive others as we have been forgiven.

“One day Jesus said to His disciples, ‘There will always be temptations to sin, but what sorrow awaits the person who does the tempting!’” —Luke 17:1 NLT