I’m reminded in the quiet this morning that when life hands me a bitter defeat, when seemingly everything has gone wrong — it is never hopeless. A chapter-a-day podcast from 1 Samuel 4. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com.

Along my life journey, I’ve observed that it is easy for me to miss the simple spiritual lessons that God wove into creation itself. A chapter-a-day podcast from 1 Samuel 3. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com.

As I meditated on today’s chapter, I found it to have a bit of epic feel to it. It’s not just narrating facts, there’s a spiritual heartbeat thumping underneath the text. A chapter-a-day podcast from 1 Samuel 2. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com.

Sometimes life requires a more intense prayer offering. A chapter-a-day podcast from 1 Samuel 1. The text version can always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com.

If I allowed my desires and expectations to determine my decisions, you wouldn’t be listening to this podcast. A chapter-a-day podcast from Haggai 2. The text version is always available to read and share at tomvanderwell.com.

I am very capable of building a beautiful life… while quietly neglecting the very thing that gives it meaning. A chapter-a-day podcast from Haggai 1. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com.

It's often how God works. Not with coercion. Not by breaking down the door. But by invitation. A chapter-a-day podcast from Luke 24. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com.

The two thieves crucified with Jesus reminded me this morning of an unexpected call I once received from the hospital. A chapter-a-day podcast from Luke 23. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com.

For most of my life, I’ve stood in Peter’s sandals and felt what he felt. In the quiet this morning I saw something different. A chapter-a-day podcast from Luke 22. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com.

Whenever something comes along with the transformative power to change “normal” life as we know it, it stirs within human minds doubts, fears, and anxieties. A chapter-a-day podcast from Luke 21. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com.