‘The greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.’

These were the religious leaders of their day, but they couldn’t see the truth standing before them. Could it be that I sometimes miss something crucial, too?

Some remember long talks with their father. Other fathers were distant with few words. Scripture reminds fathers of their spiritual responsibility to their children.

As I think today about these questions in Matthew, I wonder if sometimes we read past some questions Jesus asked for the same reason the Pharisees did. We don’t want to think or act differently.

Find common ground, show love, be persistent. We see all of this in Paul; we need all of this today.

I’ve been in all kinds of storms, some of them more difficult than the first hurricane I experienced. Today’s story and psalm remind me how to get through them.

We don’t always want to hear what Jesus is saying. We don’t always want to go where he is leading. To make sure we’re really following, we must pursue a simple strategy.

If they weren’t ready to feed the hungry crowd, at least they should have anticipated how Jesus would do it. But he came through for them, in spite of their shortsightedness. Just as he does today.

The fountain of life in St. Augustine proved to be little more than a tourist trap. But the living water Jesus offers is real.

It will become clear what else we must do in this season of war, but for now I am confident we must pray.

To be great in the kingdom of Heaven requires less reaching for the top and much more serving at what we perceive to be the bottom.

Each new time I face an overwhelming challenge, I, like David, remember how God has rescued in the past.

A tiger won’t change its stripes, and some things won’t change about you, either, even after you submit to the Holy Spirit. Here’s some help in thinking about how to deal with this.

The enemy of God will always interrupt the things of God. But there—in the middle of the storm—God will prevail.

Jesus gave his harshest critics advice that can apply to each of his followers: Good trees produce good fruit; bad trees produce bad.

So what if some seed doesn’t sprout? So what if all our effort doesn’t produce the desired result? After all, this is exactly what Jesus predicted and Paul experienced!

We may have some success going it alone. But God’s eye on us can give impact to last for generations.

The prayer Jesus prayed at the cross was a psalm for us to pray, too. Just as it brought him some comfort and release in his time of trial, it can do the same for us.

“Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today. . . . The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.”

We can’t possibly know how the story will end. But the overarching love of God combined with both the promises of Scripture and the guidance of the Holy Spirit can allow us to know that God will not abandon or reject us. He will, in fact, accomplish his purpose in us for his glory.