On January 1, 2025, a tragic event shook Las Vegas: a Tesla Cybertruck explosion outside the Trump International Hotel injured seven people and claimed the life of its perpetrator, Matthew Livelsberger. His letters and manifesto revealed a man deeply burdened by guilt, despair, and a search for meaning. This tragedy invites reflection on the human condition and how lives burdened by brokenness can find peace and transformation through God’s grace.

In The Green Letters, Miles Stanford leads us through a vital truth: God's preparation in our lives is as essential as His purpose for us. Without preparation, there can be no fulfillment of His eternal plan to conform us to the image of His Son. Yet, preparation often involves uncomfortable and humbling experiences, designed to show us the insufficiency of self and the sufficiency of Christ.

God uses need—our awareness of inadequacy—to draw us into dependence upon Him. In this, we come to know that every failure, struggle, and season of waiting is part of His gracious process of forming Christ in us.

In The Knowledge of the Holy, A.W. Tozer presents a profound exploration of God’s love—a love that transcends human understanding yet manifests itself so intimately that it transforms the lives of those who receive it. God’s love is not merely an attribute or a passive force; it is active, infinite, and deeply personal. It is a love that seeks, draws, sacrifices, and sustains.

Once, in a bustling marketplace, there lived a master weaver renowned for his breathtaking tapestries. People marveled at his ability to turn seemingly worthless threads into magnificent works of art. One day, a young man brought him a tattered bundle of frayed, mismatched threads. "Can you make something of this?" he asked, his voice trembling. "There’s no pattern, no beauty, just scraps."

The weaver smiled gently. "These threads are more than enough," he replied.

Abraham’s life reveals what it means to be dependable in the hands of God. When the Lord declared, “I know him,” He affirmed Abraham’s steadfastness and trustworthiness. Abraham’s commitment to righteousness allowed God to fulfill His promises through him. In the same way, God calls us to be vessels capable of bearing His love, power, and promises.

Peter’s journey from eager disciple to a broken denier and finally to a Spirit-filled apostle mirrors the transformation every believer undergoes in truly following Jesus. Initially, Peter followed Christ with the excitement of new discovery and the confidence of his own strength. Yet, at the moment of greatest trial, he faltered, denying the very Lord he vowed to never forsake.

God’s directive to His people in Leviticus 19:1–4 is both simple and challenging: “You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy.” Holiness, rooted in the very nature of God, becomes the guiding standard for how we live and relate to Him and one another. His call to holiness is not arbitrary but flows from His own character—pure, righteous, and without blemish.

In Jeremiah 31:3, the Lord reminds us: “Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.” These words unveil a divine truth—God’s initiative in loving and drawing us to Himself is eternal and unchanging. From the very beginning, He has taken the first step. His love is not reactive but proactive, seeking us even before we knew we needed Him.

Miles J. Stanford’s Chapter 4, Purpose, unveils the incredible truth of God’s eternal plan for each believer: to conform us to the image of His Son, Jesus Christ. By understanding this purpose, we gain clarity, rest, and assurance in our walk with the Lord, as well as a deeper appreciation for His sovereignty in every circumstance.

In Chapter 3 of The Green Letters, Miles J. Stanford dives into one of the most foundational truths of the Christian faith: our acceptance by God in Christ. This chapter addresses two critical questions every believer must settle: Does God fully accept me? and On what basis does He do so? Stanford reminds us that our standing before God is rooted solely in the finished work of Christ, not in our performance, and that understanding this truth is vital for spiritual stability and growth.

In The Green Letters, Miles J. Stanford eloquently underscores a truth often overlooked in our fast-paced culture: God does not hurry. His work in our lives is deliberate, spanning time and eternity. Chapter 2, “Time,” invites us to rest in this divine process and embrace the gradual, profound transformation that marks true spiritual growth.

Faith, as Miles J. Stanford highlights in this opening chapter, is not a passive concept but an essential foundation for every believer's spiritual growth. It is both the starting point and the sustaining power of our walk with God. Rooted in Scripture, faith transcends mere emotional impressions or probabilities and anchors itself firmly on the immovable facts of God’s Word.

Revelation 19 brings us to the climactic celebration of God’s righteous judgment and the triumphant return of Christ as the King of kings. It transitions from the lamentations over Babylon’s fall to the jubilant worship of heaven and the ultimate victory of the Lamb. This chapter invites us to fix our eyes on the faithful and true King, who will establish His everlasting kingdom in righteousness and peace.

Matthew 19 takes us into some of the most challenging teachings of Jesus, revealing His heart for the permanence of marriage, the humility of childlike faith, and the cost of following Him. These teachings push against cultural norms and personal inclinations, calling us to surrender everything for the sake of the kingdom of heaven.

In Jeremiah 36, we encounter a vivid narrative of contrasts: faithfulness versus rebellion, reverence versus defiance, and restoration versus destruction. This chapter recounts how the prophet Jeremiah, through his scribe Baruch, delivers God’s words of warning and hope to a nation teetering on the brink of judgment. But how those words are received reveals the stark difference between hearts that tremble at God’s Word and those that dismiss it with contempt.

When I was contemplating purchasing a Rolls Royce Phantom, a car renowned not only for its opulent luxury but for the sheer artistry of its craftsmanship, my thoughts wandered toward the book of Ecclesiastes. This majestic automobile—handcrafted by artisans skilled in metal and leatherwork, a moving testament to human creativity—represents, in many ways, the pinnacle of automotive beauty. It is not necessarily the most advanced engineering feat but rather a rolling masterpiece, a celebration of excellence. And yet, the words of Ecclesiastes whispered in my mind, tempering the allure of such splendor with the truth that life is fleeting.

The book of Ecclesiastes, as described by the Grace and Truth Study Bible, is an invitation to grapple with the profound truths of our fleeting lives. This is not a book that shies away from the difficult realities of human existence—disappointment, futility, and the inevitability of being forgotten. Instead, Ecclesiastes gives us divine wisdom to navigate these truths, not in despair, but with humility and gratitude for God’s gifts along the way.

Today's reading from 1 Chronicles 21, based on insights from the Grace and Truth Study Bible, offers a profound look into the gravity of sin, the mercy of God, and the ultimate hope of redemption through Jesus Christ.

David Kuykendall, in Living in the Garden of Grace, offers profound insight into what it takes to have a fulfilling, Christ-centered marriage. He brings us to Ephesians 5:22-33, a passage that sets forth God’s design for marriage, grounded in submission, love, and grace.

When asked why Jesus came to earth, many would answer, “To die for our sins.” While this is gloriously true, it’s not the whole story. In Living in the Garden of Grace, David Kuykendall draws our attention to another essential reason for Jesus’ coming: to reveal the heart of the Father and to declare His goodness. This truth deepens our understanding of God and reminds us that His goodness flows through every aspect of His nature and His relationship with us.