The Power of Love

Posted on September 10, 2026 by Don Merritt

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes…”

Romans 1:16

There are verses that stand tall like mountains, and Romans 1:16 is one of them. It rises with a kind of holy boldness, a declaration that does not whisper but sings. Yet beneath its strength lies something tender—something filled with wonder.

Paul speaks of the gospel as power, but not the kind that intimidates or overwhelms. It is the power that awakens the soul, the power that lifts the fallen, the power that breathes life into places long silent. It is the power of God’s love breaking into the world with a brilliance that still leaves us astonished.

To be “not ashamed” is not merely to be courageous; it is to be captivated. It is to stand in awe of a story so beautiful, so unexpected, so overflowing with grace that silence becomes impossible. The gospel is not a burden we carry—it is a wonder we behold.

Think of it: the God who shaped galaxies stepped into human history, wrapped Himself in flesh, and walked roads dusty with our brokenness. He spoke words that healed. He touched wounds others avoided. He carried a cross that was not His. And He rose, not with vengeance, but with victory—gentle, triumphant, and full of mercy.

How could we not marvel?

The gospel is wonder because it reveals a God who does not stay distant. A God who does not wait for us to climb toward Him. A God who comes close—closer than our shame, closer than our fear, closer than our deepest failures. The power of salvation is not a force; it is a Person. And He knows your name.

To live unashamed is to live awake. Awake to grace that meets you in the morning. Awake to mercy that follows you through the day. Awake to love that refuses to let go. It is to walk through ordinary moments with the quiet awareness that heaven has touched earth—and continues to touch your life.

There is wonder in knowing that the gospel is for everyone who believes. No exclusions. No fine print. No secret qualifications. The same power that rescued Paul rescues us. The same love that transformed early believers transforms hearts today. The same grace that opened prison doors still opens the locked places within us.

Perhaps today you need to remember the wonder. Not the arguments, not the explanations, not the defenses—but the awe. The simple, breathtaking truth that God has saved you, is shaping you, and will carry you all the way home.

Let this be a fresh invitation: Lift your eyes. Let your heart stir. Let the gospel amaze you again.

For the power of God is not a distant thunder. It is the steady, loving heartbeat of grace— and it is yours.

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Faithfulness in the Small Things

Posted on September 9, 2026 by Don Merritt

When we think of living a “faithful” Christian life, our minds often jump to grand gestures—traveling overseas as a missionary, preaching to thousands, or enduring extreme sacrifices. Because our everyday lives are filled with ordinary chores like paying the utility bill, running errands, or washing dishes, we might quietly conclude that our faith isn’t making much of a dent for God’s Kingdom.

Yet the Kingdom of God rarely operates by the flashy standards of this world.

Jesus gave us a simple principle that flips the world’s ladder upside down:

“Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.”

Luke 16:10

Faithfulness isn’t defined by the size of the stage you stand on; it’s defined by the integrity of your heart right where you are planted.

Faithfulness is choosing to be honest when nobody else is looking. It’s offering a word of encouragement to a tired grocery clerk. It’s staying patient with your spouse or kids after a long, exhausting day. It’s quietly praying for a neighbor and being a person whose word can always be trusted.

The world applauds the loud and the self-promoters, but the Lord values quiet fidelity. In the end, the praise that matters most won’t come with a shiny trophy or an applause meter; it will be hearing the Master say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

What is one “small thing” in your routine today where you can show steady, Christ-like faithfulness?

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God cares for His people

Posted on September 8, 2026 by Don Merritt

Psalm 32:8 is one of those verses that feels like a warm hand on your shoulder—steady, gentle, and full of promise:

“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;

 I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.”

It is a sentence soaked in God’s loving kindness, and when we sit with it slowly, it becomes a reminder of how personally and patiently God cares for His people.

God’s loving kindness is not abstract or distant. It is not a theological concept floating somewhere above our daily lives. It is intimate and attentive. It is the kind of kindness that watches over us with affection, not scrutiny. When God says He keeps His “loving eye” on us, He is describing a relationship marked by tenderness—like a father watching a child take their first steps, or a shepherd keeping careful watch over a lamb that tends to wander.

There is a quiet reassurance in knowing that God does not simply point toward a path and leave us to figure out the rest. He instructs, He teaches; He counsels. These are relational words. They imply presence, patience, and ongoing care. God’s loving kindness is expressed not only in where He leads us, but in how He leads us—step by step, moment by moment, with an eye that never looks away.

Sometimes we imagine God’s guidance as something we must earn—by being good enough, disciplined enough, spiritual enough. But Psalm 32:8 reminds us that His guidance flows from His kindness, not our performance. He teaches us because He loves us. He counsels us because He delights in us. His eye is on us because His heart is for us.

And His loving kindness is especially precious in the seasons when we feel uncertain or overwhelmed. When the way forward is unclear, God does not scold us for not knowing what to do. He does not shame us for hesitating. Instead, He draws near. He speaks gently. He reminds us that He sees what we cannot see. His loving eye is not anxious or demanding—it is steady, protective, and full of compassion.

There is also a beautiful humility in receiving God’s loving guidance. It means acknowledging that we do not always know the way. It means trusting that His wisdom is better than our instincts. It means letting His kindness soften the places where fear has made us rigid or self-reliant. God’s loving kindness invites us to rest—not in our ability to navigate life, but in His ability to lead us well.

Today, let this verse be a reminder that you are not wandering alone. God’s loving eye is on you—not to catch you in failure, but to keep you in grace. He knows the way you should go, and He is committed to walking it with you. His instruction is kind. His counsel is gentle. His presence is constant.

And His loving kindness is the quiet, steady promise that wherever He leads, it will be good.

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Keeping the Covenant

Posted on September 7, 2026 by Don Merritt

We live in a world where keeping your word has become somewhat optional. Contracts are pages and pages of fine print designed to find an exit ramp, and loyalty often lasts only as long as it remains convenient or profitable.

Because we see so much broken trust among people, we often project that same unreliability onto God. We wonder if our mistakes, our bad days, or our spiritual dry spells will cause Him to tear up the agreement and walk away.

The Scriptures use a very specific word to describe God’s steadfast love: Hesed—covenant-keeping faithfulness.

“If we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot disown himself.”

2 Timothy 2:13

Notice what Paul is saying here. God’s faithfulness is not a reaction to our good behavior; it is an expression of His unchanging nature. He keeps His promises because He cannot be anything less than who He is.

Under the New Covenant sealed by the blood of Jesus, God didn’t sign a conditional contract based on our flawless performance. He made a permanent promise of grace. When we slip, stumble, or fail, He doesn’t look for an excuse to discard us. He offers His hand, forgives our sins, and leads us forward.

Our God has a perfect record when it comes to keeping His promises. He will never turn His back on you.

How does knowing that God’s faithfulness is tied to His character—not your performance—give you peace today?

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The Scarred Oak

Posted on September 6, 2026 by Don Merritt

Some time back, I came across an old oak tree standing tall along a country lane. What caught my eye wasn’t just its size, but a massive scar running right down the trunk. It looked like it had taken a direct hit from a bolt of lightning years ago.

Yet despite the deep wound, the tree was thriving. The bark had healed over the edges, new branches had spread out wide, and its canopy was full of green leaves. It had weathered the storm and kept right on growing.

We all face storms in this life. Some of them are natural trials—illness, loss, or economic stress. Others are self-inflicted wounds from poor choices we’ve made. When those lightning strikes hit, human nature tempts us to think we’re permanently broken or that God has looked away.

David, a man who survived more than his share of betrayal and storms, wrote these words:

“Surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me.”

Psalm 54:4

David didn’t always know when God was going to resolve his problems, or why the trial was allowed to last so long. But he knew one thing with absolute certainty: God had his back.

When the storms of life crack across our bow, we have a choice. We can sit in the rubble and dwell on the pain, or we can lean into the One whose strength is made perfect in our weakness. God’s faithfulness doesn’t promise that a branch will never snap; it promises that He will sustain our roots so we are never uprooted.

Is there an old scar or a current storm you need to stop carrying alone and place into the hands of the One who sustains you?

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Praying Without Ceasing: BONUS POST

Posted on September 5, 2026 by Don Merritt

Yesterday I posted about praying continually. I wrote the post in general terms that can be applied to any situation, which is the way to present the idea to a general audience like we have here. Yet the danger of keeping the conversation general is that some, maybe many, will have a hard time fitting this concept of praying continually into something that is practical for normal living.

We certainly can’t just leave people hanging, can we?

A little Bonus Post seems in order…

There is a short little book that I’ve mentioned here before, called The Practice of the Presence of God. It was written by a French monk named Brother Lawrence, but he didn’t write it as a book. Instead, the book we have today is a compilation of letters he wrote in the 1660’s and 1670’s to various friends and acquaintances. For more than a century now, this book has been required reading in Bible Colleges and Seminaries around the world for nearly every denomination.

I am recommending it to you now.

Brother Lawrence was a French Monk who wasn’t happy in his Monastery with the rigid structure he was required to live by. There was a set time for prayer, and for Bible reading, and for contemplation, and for meditation, and to top it off, He was assigned the role of a cook, which was a job that he loathed.

How would he deal with his anguish? He prayed without ceasing. The part that is so important for us to understand is that he had a specific rationale to his praying, and it wasn’t just for God to get him through the day without strangling somebody, it was for God to fill him with His love. Here’s how it goes:

  1. God loved me.
  2. God loved me so much that He sent His Son Jesus to die for me.
  3. In response, I love God.
  4. God loves all of the people around me.
  5. Therefore, I also love all of the people around me.
  6. Everything I do in my daily life is to serve God by serving all of the people around me because I love God and all of those He loves.
  7. Therefore: I will thank God every minute for the opportunity to serve Him by serving those around me in my work, and in all of my daily activities. I will pray for all of those I am serving, and I will constantly thank God for them and for my work.

If you think carefully, this is the whole Gospel in 7 statements: It is the power of God at work in one man for the building of the Body of Christ, and it is the reason that Brother Lawrence came to love his job, and everything else in his life, and it will work the same way for any one of us who really tries it.

Yes, dear reader, I recommend The Practice of the Presence of God. This link is to a free pdf version, but you can also find it on Amazon or Google Books for free, and for pay on any number of sites.

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The Changing Seasons

Posted on September 5, 2026 by Don Merritt

Good morning from the Heartland.

If you step outside early in the morning and look across the fields, you’re reminded of something that never fails: the cycle of the seasons. No matter what kind of craziness we humans manage to get up to—no matter how loud the headlines shout, how bitter the political arguments become, or how chaotic the world seems—the sun still comes up, the crops still grow, and the seasons still turn right on schedule.

The land that looked desolate and frozen in the dead of winter wakes up to green fields and new life. People can behave badly, but God behaves faithfully.

Jeremiah captured this exact truth in the middle of a national catastrophe:

“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”

Lamentations 3:22-23

Think about the setting when those famous words were penned. The city of Jerusalem was in ruins, the people were broken, and earthly hope seemed completely gone. Yet Jeremiah looked up and remembered: God’s compassions don’t run dry. They aren’t rationed out based on how well the world is behaving. They greet us brand-new with every sunrise.

In our daily routines, it’s so easy to let passing controversies and stressful circumstances cloud our view, but creation itself stands as a daily, quiet sermon reminding us that God is running things, not man.

If God can be trusted to manage the seasons and hold the universe together, He can certainly be trusted to handle the details of your life today.

Where can you look at God’s quiet faithfulness in creation today and let it calm your worries about tomorrow?

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Praying Without Ceasing

Posted on September 4, 2026 by Don Merritt

When people read the phrase “pray continually” in the New Testament, they sometimes picture a monk hidden away in a monastery, chanting prayers 24 hours a day. Most of us have jobs to do, errands to run, meals to cook, and families to care for—so how on earth are we supposed to pray all the time?

Paul’s advice to the Thessalonians was meant to be practical, not impossible:

“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Praying continually doesn’t mean staying on your knees all day long. It simply means keeping an open line of communication with God as you walk through your normal daily routine.

It’s whispering a quick “Lord, give me patience” when traffic gets backed up or a coworker tests your good humor. It’s offering a quiet “Thank You, Lord” when you catch a glimpse of the sunrise across the fields. It’s asking for His guidance as you walk into a difficult phone call or make a family decision.

When prayer becomes an ongoing conversation rather than an isolated chore, you realize you never have to walk through any part of this life alone. He is right there beside you through the whole day.

How can you turn your routine tasks today into an ongoing, open conversation with the Lord?

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A New Study on its Way

Posted on September 3, 2026 by Don Merritt

Recently I was speaking with a friend who was asking me questions about our study on the Nephilim. As the conversation continued, he asked me whether Christians are really expected to forgive people who have caused us pain, which is a very common question.

The funny thing is, I was working on our next in-depth Bible study to follow the Nephilim, which just happens to be a study called

What the Bible Says About Forgiveness.

His response to that was more urgent: Well, do we really have to forgive everyone?

I answered him, and guess what he said…

Where does the Bible say that?

Our new Study begins on September 15. When we’re through, everybody will know the answers to my friend’s questions, and a whole lot more!

See you on the 15th!

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A Season of Forgiving

Posted on September 3, 2026 by Don Merritt

Forgiveness has a way of arriving in our lives like a change of season—quietly, gradually, sometimes unexpectedly. Ecclesiastes 3:1 opens with a simple but profound reminder:

There is a time for everything,
    and a season for every activity under the heavens:

It’s a verse we often apply to life transitions, but it also speaks deeply into the spiritual work of forgiveness.

Forgiveness has its own season.

There are moments when the hurt is too fresh, when the wound still bleeds, and forgiveness feels impossible. God does not rush us in those moments. He does not demand that we leap instantly from pain to peace. Instead, He gently reminds us that healing has a rhythm, and forgiveness grows within that rhythm. Just as winter cannot be forced into spring, forgiveness cannot be forced into a heart still learning how to breathe again.

But there comes a time—a God-appointed time—when the heart begins to soften. When the anger that once felt protective begins to feel heavy. When the bitterness that once felt justified begins to feel exhausting. When the memory of the hurt no longer burns with the same intensity. These are the early signs of a new season.

Forgiveness begins here.

It doesn’t begin with a grand declaration. It begins with a quiet willingness. A small prayer. A whispered surrender. It begins when we say, “Lord, I’m ready for You to work in this.” And God, who is patient with our seasons, meets us in that moment.

Ecclesiastes reminds us that life is not static. Nothing stays frozen forever. God moves us through seasons not to rush us, but to grow us. And forgiveness is one of the ways He grows us most deeply. It stretches our understanding of grace. It expands our capacity for compassion. It teaches us how to release what we were never meant to carry.

Forgiveness does not erase the past. It does not pretend the hurt never happened. It does not require immediate reconciliation or restored trust. What it does is free us. It loosens the grip of resentment. It lifts the weight of vengeance. It allows us to step into a new season where peace can breathe again.

And just as every season has its purpose, forgiveness has its fruit. It brings clarity. It brings rest. It brings a quiet strength that comes only from God’s Spirit working within us. It opens space for joy to return. It allows us to live unburdened by what once held us captive.

If you find yourself in a season where forgiveness feels distant, take heart. God is not impatient with you. He knows the timing, and He knows the process. He knows how to lead you gently toward freedom.

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