Into the Unknown
December 2, 2019 • Linda Washington • Genesis 12:1–9, Psalm 13:5
I grunted as I gazed at the viewport. Black space. Tiny white dots in the distance. Nothing new here. I side-eyed Dad. This was his fault. He acted like he knew where we were going. . Dad, a seasoned commander, looked up from the blinking lights of the console. “Still not speaking to me, Tai?” . I fingered one of my braids. He’d named me Tai—Swahili for eagle. I was born to fly, he always said. Born to explore the unknown. . Though I wanted to continue giving him the silent treatment, I caved. “I’m concentrating. You gave me the helm after all.” It was what I’d aced in flight class. “How do you expect me to calculate the entry if I don’t know where to go?” . Dad laughed like I’d said something hilarious. “I gave you the vector to the jump point. We’ll make planetfall then. Just follow the coordinates.” . He acted like this was no big deal. But we were in the middle of Nowhere Space. I wasn’t sure our tiny ship could make it to the planet he claimed was in Tau Quadrant. I’d left all my friends behind in Gamma Quadrant. All because Dad claimed God wanted us to find a planet that might have water—a precious commodity back home. Now there was no chance of me applying to Advanced Flight School when I turned eighteen! . I broke the silence again. “There are too many unknown variables. What if we overshoot wherever we’re going?” . “Do you trust me?” . I took in a breath. I knew what he meant. Did I trust him to know what was best for us? I slowly let out my held breath. He’d always been there for me. He’d never let me down before. . “Jump point ahead,” I said. It was now or never. “Throttle up.” . The ship shook as it made the jump. Seconds later, there it was in front of us: a small, blue planet. That meant water. Maybe this would be a good place after all. • Linda Washington . • Today’s story echoes the true story from today’s Bible passage. Abram heard from God: “Go... to the land that I will show you” (Genesis 12:1). That required trust: a belief that God was good and loving and that He would provide. Because of Jesus, why can we trust God no matter what (Romans 8:28; Philippians 4:12-13)? . I trust in your unfailing love. Psalm 13:5 (NLT)
Throne of God
November 30, 2019 • Melissa Yeagle • Psalm 32:1–7, Hebrews 4:14–16, 1 John 1:9
Kalie walked down a long, dark hall that seemed to be going uphill, carrying a load so heavy that it made her back ache. She was out of breath and thinking about giving up when she finally reached the end of the hall. There, she found a room bathed in warm, bright light. It was almost like someone took the sun and stuffed it in a room. . She looked at the far end of the room and saw the Source of the light. The Source was so bright that she could not look directly into it, but with squinted eyes, she could make out a giant throne there. She felt tiny and unimportant in the room. . “Welcome, Kalie. I have been waiting for you,” a Voice boomed from the throne. . “You know my name?” Kalie asked shyly. . “Of course I do. I also know you were born March 19, 2005 and you have 104,506 hairs on your head,” the Voice answered. . Kalie suddenly felt uncomfortable. If He knew all of that, He surely knew all the things she had done wrong. . “Yes, Kalie. I know what you are thinking, and I know what you have done wrong. I also know you have asked for forgiveness. I love you so much, and I forgive you of your sins,” the Voice declared. . When she heard that, the heavy load Kalie had been carrying on her back suddenly disappeared and tears of joy streamed down her face. • Melissa Yeagle . • How can sin be a burden that weighs us down? How can Jesus relieve us of that burden? . • How does Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection make it possible for us to be forgiven? (Learn more on our "Know Jesus" page) . • The throne of God seems intimidating, but through Jesus, we can approach it boldly. What do you need to bring before the throne in prayer today? . If we confess our sins, He [Jesus] is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9 (NKJV)