Being the Church

Bible devotions, christian living

Romans 16:1-16  I commend to you Phoebe our sister, who is a servant of the church in Cenchrea, that you may receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints, and assist her in whatever business she has nee of you; for indeed she has been a helper of many and of myself also.  Greet Priscilla and Aquilla, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, who risked their own necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles.  Likewise greet the church that is in their house. 

Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who is the firstfruits of Achaia to Christ.  Greet Mary, who labored much for us.  Greet Andronicus and Junia, my countrymen and my fellow prisoners, who are of note among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me.

Greet Amplias, my beloved in the Lord.  Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and Stachys, my beloved.  Greet Apelles, approved in Christ.  Greet those who are of the household of Aristobulus.  Greet Herodion, my countryman.  Greet those who are of the household of Narcissus who are in the Lord.

Greet Tryphena and Tryphosa, who have labored in the Lord.  Greet the beloved persis, who labored much in the Lord.  Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother and mine.  Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermas, Patrobas, Hermes, and the brethren who are with them.  Greet Philogus and Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them.   Greet one another with a holy kiss.  The churches of Christ greet you.

Sometimes in our culture, we can forget that the church is not a building, not a place nor activity.  It’s easy at times to forget that we are the church.  This is not a passage which is studied often or preached on a great deal but it’s one which I personally find very encouraging.  Throughout the passage, believers are mentioned by name and the emphasis is on unity in the faith and the individual members which make up the Church of Christ.  Each name listed stands as a challenge to us today to follow the Lord ever more closely and serve His people ever more diligently.

First there was Phoebe, a Christian sister who deserved to be welcomed and befriended.  There are several things we can learn from her example.  The name Phoebe is one of the names of the goddess Diana which leads many scholars to believe she was a convert from a pagan religion.  (Actually, when you get right down to it, aren’t we all?)   Paul calls her “our sister,” meaning a sister in the faith of Christ.  Phoebe was a servant (diakonon) of the church at Cenchrea.  This is the same word as deacon.  She apparently served in some official capacity in her local church.  Paul gives two reasons the believers should welcome Phoebe: first believers are to always welcome and befriend other believers in a manner worthy of the saints.  The church is not an exclusive club nor a society of cliques.  Secondly, Phoebe had been a helper (prostasis) of many.   This word implies that she helped, protected, looked after, and provided for many people.  Our example from Phoebe?  We are to be servants of the church, constantly ministering to all who are in need.

Next there is Priscilla and Aquilla, a hospitable couple who opened their homes even as they risked death.  They were close companions of Paul and were originally residents of Rome.  In AD 52, the Roman emperor, Claudius, banished the Jews from Rom and this couple moved to Corinth.  They were tentmakers and went into business for a while with Paul.  Later, they traveled with Paul to Ephesus where they eventually settled.  Throughout their moves, their chief characteristics were an open home and open hearts.  They received the young preacher, Apollos, into their home to instruct him in the faith.  They opened their Ephesian and Roman homes to church meetings.  Paul mentioned that they saved his life, risking their own necks for him.   What can we learn from them?  Hospitality, helping fellow believers in ministry, and a willingness to sacrifice ourselves for the sake of other believers.

Next in the list is Epaenetus, a courageous new convert.  He was probably a member of the household of Stephanas whose house is said to have been the first fruits of Achaia (1 Cor. 16:15).  Imagine the real courage it would have taken to become the first convert to Christ in the middle of a pagan culture!  Think about the changed life and the surrendering of himself to Jesus.  Imagine the attitudes and reactions of his loved ones, friends, and neighbors – ridicule, misunderstandings, questioning, mocking, withdrawal, isolation.  From Epaenetus we can learn true courage.

Then there was Mary, a lady who labored much.  Notice that Mary was a member of the Roman church and Paul had yet to go to Rome at the time of this letter writing.  Therefore, Mary must have ministered to him elsewhere.  In fact she labored so much for Paul and his fellow workers that he commends here for this service.  We have no idea exactly how she served, but we can learn the value of diligent service from Mary.

Andronicus and Junia were early converts who were imprisoned with Paul.  They were perhaps man and wife as Junia is a woman’s name.  The things we know about them are interesting.  We know that they were related to Paul in some way and were imprisoned with him at some point in his ministry.  They were known and highly esteemed by the apostles of Christ and they were believers before Paul, becoming believers before Stephen’s martyrdom (Acts 7:54-60).  They were well known for their willingness to stand up for Christ and to bear testimony for Him, even if it meant imprisonment or death.  May we also be so willing.

Amplias simply has the testimony of being beloved by a minister of the Gospel.  This indicates that he was a man of remarkable love, a man who greatly loved others and was greatly loved by others.  “By this shall all men know ye are my disciples, if ye have love one for another.”  John 13:35

Urbanus was a helper, that is, a fellow worker in the ministry.  There are three things here I find noteworthy.  He was a man who worked side by side with Paul.  He was a man of unusual diligence and he was a man of unusual faithfulness who was loyal to Christ wherever he travelled.  He faithfully witnessed and served wherever he travelled.

Stachys is also called my beloved by Paul.  He was a believer who was characterized by the greatest of all traits – love.  Just imagine the strength of a man whose dominant feature is love!  Apelles was a believer who had been tried and found faithful.  Apparently, he had faced some great trial and had stood up against it, proving his loyalty beyond question.  As far as I know, he was a lay believer yet he stood fast against suffering, trusting the presence of God’s Spirit to carry him through the trial.  Personally, I love the term “approved in Christ.”  What an endorsement!!!

Those who were of the household of Aristobulus were slaves who were owned by Aristobulus, Herod the Great’s grandson.  From this I learn that, no matter where we are, no matter our station in life, Christ loves us.   Herodian was another relative of Paul (there’s no reason for translating suggene as countryman instead of relative).  This reminds me to be faithful to witness to my family.

Paul then greets the believers in the household of Narcissus.  Narcissus was probably the wealthy secretary to the Emperor Claudius and determined the appointments of the Emperor and amassed a great fortune from kickbacks (William Barclay).  It’s important here to note that these believers were so faithful in Christ that they stood up for Him even in this kind of a home environment.  One of the greatest problems believers face is living with unbelievers.  Yet, these slaves in this very prominent household were able to maintain their faithfulness to Christ.  We are called to follow Christ, even if, as the hymn says, none go with me.

Tryphena and Tryphosa were two women who labored much in the Lord.  The name Tryphena means dainty and the name Tryphosa means delicate.  The word labored here means working to the point of exhaustion, toiling to the point of collapse.  These two dainty, delicate women worked like horses for the Lord and His church.  Persis was a beloved woman who also worked hard in the Lord.  She was a woman of such love and ministry that others looked on her as the “beloved Persis.”  She labored every which way she was able.

Rufus, chosen in the Lord, was a saintly man.   Note the word chosen.  Paul does not say chosen by the Lord but chosen in the Lord.  The emphasis here is not election (no matter our belief in this area). The emphasis is on a tenderness, a preciousness, and a warmth – an intimate relationship between the Lord and Rufus.  He was set apart and had an intimate relationship with Christ.  Rufus was probably the son of Simon the Cyrenian who carried the cross for Jesus (Mark 15:21).  What an impact this must have had on his life – watching his father carry the cross of our Lord!  We can learn to be set apart for Christ – to remember the impact of the crucifixion and how it forever changed us.

Rufus’s mother is mentioned next and Paul calls her his mother in the Lord.  On several occasions, she cared for Paul as a mother cares for her own son.  When Paul needed a mother nearby, he knew he could count on her.  Do we treat fellow believers like family?  Can they count on us in times of need?

Several more servants of the Lord are named about whom we know little.  Then Paul exhorts us to greet each other in the same manner as these saints, reminding us that we are also servants and fellow workers in the Lord.  It’s a good reminder to remain faithful to the Lord and to the fellowship of His people.

“And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.”  Hebrews 10:24-25

Jars Beneath the Apple Tree: The Quiet Bravery of Irena Sendler

Biography

This week, I came across the story of a woman whose name, until recently, I didn’t even know. And yet, she is now etched in my heart as one of the bravest souls of the 20th century.

Her name was Irena Sendler.

She passed away at the age of 98, but the legacy she left behind—quiet, fierce, and faith-filled—continues to speak volumes.

Irena was just 29 years old when she began her mission to rescue Jewish children from the Warsaw Ghetto during the Nazi occupation of Poland. She ultimately saved the lives of 2,500 children—not through grand speeches or battlefield heroics, but through daily, gritty, sacrificial courage.

A Life Hidden in Service

Irena was a Polish social worker in Warsaw. At a time when most people were shrinking back in fear, she leaned forward into the darkness. She worked in the city’s Social Welfare Department, using her position to provide aid to Jewish families—registering them under false Christian names and disguising the support as medical assistance to avoid Nazi inspections.

In 1942, when the Nazis sealed off the Warsaw Ghetto, corralling hundreds of thousands of Jews into a 16-block space, Irena knew she had to do more. She joined Zegota, the Polish underground resistance group, and quickly became one of its first and most active members.

With a pass from the Warsaw Epidemic Control Department in hand, she entered the Ghetto daily—bringing food, medicine, and clothing… and slowly, quietly, smuggling children out.

“Can You Guarantee They Will Live?”

Convincing terrified parents to hand over their children—many of whom would never see them again—was perhaps the hardest part of her work.

“Can you guarantee they will live?” the parents would ask.
Irena’s answer was painfully honest: “I can only guarantee they will die if they stay.”

Children were smuggled out in body bags, potato sacks, toolboxes, even coffins. Some entered churches through the Ghetto side and exited into the Aryan part of the city with new identities. Irena gave each of them false names and placed them with willing Polish families, convents, and orphanages.

She recorded every child’s real and new name in coded form and buried those notes in jars beneath an apple tree across the street from a German barracks. She hoped one day she could reunite the children with their families.

Faith in Action

Irena wore a star armband in solidarity with the Jews she served. She worked closely with churches and religious institutions, relying heavily on the hospitality of nuns and faithful volunteers who risked everything to protect the children.

“I sent most of the children to religious establishments,” she said. “I knew I could count on the Sisters.”

She later remarked that no one ever refused to take a child from her.

Her faith—so clearly woven through every action—was quiet, unwavering, and deeply rooted in love and sacrifice.

Tortured, But Never Broken

In 1943, the Nazis discovered her activities. She was arrested, imprisoned, and tortured. Her legs and feet were broken. She was sentenced to death.

But Zegota intervened once again, bribing a guard to spare her life. Irena escaped, though she lived the rest of her life under constant threat. Still, she never gave up.

After the war, she returned to dig up those jars, using them to track down the children and try to reconnect them with surviving relatives. Many had lost their families forever, but they remembered her face… and her code name: Jolanta.

A Legacy Buried and Unearthed

Though Irena saved 2,500 lives, her story remained largely untold for decades. There were no textbooks. No Hollywood films. No history class mention.

And yet—God knew.

Her bravery wasn’t born from recognition. It was born from compassion.
From love.
From a heart that saw the value of every life.

*“In my dreams,” she once said, “I still hear the cries when they left their parents.”

The Lessons We Carry

Irena Sendler’s life reminds us of what it truly means to serve others.
It reminds us that courage doesn’t always roar—sometimes it whispers through cracked doors and hidden jars.
That faith can look like showing up every day in quiet defiance of evil.
That God uses ordinary people in extraordinary ways.

She didn’t ask for fame.
She didn’t seek applause.
She just did what was right, no matter the cost.

And in doing so, she showed us what love looks like.

A Final Word

We may never be called to face what Irena faced.
But we are called to love.
To protect.
To speak up.
To act boldly, with compassion and conviction.

May we be brave in our obedience, tender in our courage, and faithful in our calling—whatever it may be.

“A threefold cord is not easily broken.”
— Ecclesiastes 4:12

You can read more of Irena’s story here: http://www.auschwitz.dk/Sendler.htm

Love is something that we do

christian living

“But Ruth said:
‘Entreat me not to leave you,
or to turn back from following after you;
For wherever you go, I will go;
And wherever you lodge, I will lodge;
Your people shall be my people,
and your God, my God.
Where you die, I will die,
and there will I be buried.
The Lord do so to me, and more also,
if anything but death parts you and me.’”
— Ruth 1:16–17

We all express love differently.
Some say it with words.
Others say it with hugs or gifts or time.
But perhaps the most powerful “I love you” we can give—or receive—is one shown in action.

That’s exactly what we see in the story of Ruth and Naomi.

Love That Stays

After both women lost their husbands, Naomi told Ruth to return to her own people. To start fresh. To go back to what was familiar. Ruth had every reason to walk away and begin again.

But instead, she stayed.

And in staying, she said more than any words could.

“Where you go, I will go.
Your people will be my people.
Your God will be my God.”

Ruth’s love for Naomi wasn’t loud or flashy. It was quiet, steady, and deeply sacrificial.
She didn’t offer flowery speeches—she offered her life.

Love That Provides

Later in the story, Ruth continues to express her love by working tirelessly to provide for them both. She doesn’t demand anything from Naomi. She simply serves.

And Naomi, in turn, guides Ruth with wisdom—leading her toward Boaz, a kind and honorable man who would become a source of protection and provision.

Boaz, too, reveals his heart not just through what he says, but what he does.
He steps in as a kinsman-redeemer—caring for Ruth and Naomi without hesitation, ensuring their safety and future.

We Don’t Always Hear “I Love You” With Words

Not everyone is comfortable saying the words.
Sometimes, love doesn’t come through a declaration—it comes through a gesture.
A meal brought when you’re too tired to cook.
A quiet presence when you’re grieving.
A listening ear. A shared task. A thoughtful note. A patient kindness.

We may not always hear “I love you” out loud,
but if we’re paying attention, we’ll hear it in the actions of others.

And we can speak it that way, too.

Love That Redeems

The story of Ruth is about more than one woman’s loyalty.
It’s a picture of God’s redeeming love.

Boaz foreshadows the ultimate Redeemer—Jesus—who didn’t just speak love with words, but with His life.
He came for us.
He stayed with us.
He gave everything for us.

And now, we are called to reflect that same kind of love in the lives of others—steadfast, sacrificial, and real.

A Final Thought

Who has shown you love lately—not through words, but through presence, service, and grace?

And how might God be calling you to do the same?

May we be like Ruth—faithful in the quiet ways.
May we be like Boaz—quick to serve and provide.
And most of all, may we reflect the love of Christ—who shows us, again and again, what love in action really looks like.

Knitted Together in Spirit: The Gift and Calling of Christian Fellowship

christian living

“And they continued daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart.”
— Acts 2:42

The early Church was marked by something powerful, something deeply countercultural: true fellowship.

Not just shared meals.
Not just showing up in the same space on a Sunday morning.
But a spiritual oneness that went beyond friendship or community—something Spirit-wrought and soul-deep.

They were in one accord—united in purpose, devotion, joy, and simplicity of heart.

And they lived it out daily.

Fellowship: More Than Social Connection

Today, we use the word “fellowship” in a lot of contexts—church potlucks, small group events, ministry outings. But true biblical fellowship is far more than shared social time.

It’s more than an association or a club.
It’s more than participation in a shared cause.

True Christian fellowship is something the Holy Spirit creates.
It’s something He does in us and among us.

The Spirit Who Knits Us Together

When we become believers, the Spirit of God comes to dwell within us. And that same Spirit, dwelling in each of us, begins to bind our hearts to one another.

He creates a union—deeper than shared interests or personality compatibility.
He unites our lives.
He shapes our purposes.
He knits our hearts together.

Through the Spirit, we become one body.

We share burdens.
We share joys.
We share gifts.
We grow together, serve together, weep and worship together.

This kind of fellowship isn’t optional. It’s part of the life we’re called into.

Christianity Is Personal—But Never Private

Faith begins as a personal relationship with Christ.
But it never stays there.

It immediately extends outward—drawing us into relationship with others.

Christianity makes me a saint.
But Christianity is made up of saints.

We are part of something much bigger than ourselves—a living, breathing, growing body of believers.
A spiritual organism that becomes a spiritual organization.
Not built on rules or hierarchy, but on grace, love, humility, and service.

We are called to live out the fruits of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
And we can only do that in relationship with others.

What a Gift Fellowship Really Is

Sometimes we forget what a gift it is to be part of the Body of Christ.

To be accepted.
To be encouraged.
To find others who understand, support, and challenge us.
To feel our hearts knit together by something (Someone) far greater than shared preferences or personalities.

God requires us to live in fellowship.
But more than that, He blesses us through it.

A Final Thought

If you’ve ever felt disconnected or unsure about the role of community in your faith—remember this:

We weren’t meant to walk alone.
We weren’t made to grow in isolation.
We were designed—created—for fellowship.

To laugh together.
To serve together.
To eat with gladness and simplicity of heart.
To carry one another’s burdens.
To be one in Spirit and purpose.

Let the Holy Spirit draw your heart to others.
Be willing to connect.
Be open to receive.
And watch how God blesses and builds His people—together.

Random Quotes

Uncategorized

Some random quotes which make me think…..

“The ability to ask the right question is more than half the battle of finding the right answer”– Thomas Watson

“The person who knows he’s right never needs to ask questions”– proverb

“When you shoot an arrow of truth, dip its point in honey”– Arab proverb

“Don’t just throw the seed at the people! Grind it into flour, bake it into bread, and slice it for them. And it wouldn’t hurt to put a little honey on it.”– Charles Spurgeon

“When you are on the wrong train there is no point in running along the corridor in the opposite direction”– Dietrich Bonhoeffer

“Use your heads as you live and work among outsiders. Don’t miss a trick. Make the most of every opportunity. Be gracious in your speech. The goal is to bring out the best in others in a conversation, not put them down, not cut them out.”– Paul, tentmaker

 

The Word of Life: Jesus, the Light in Our Darkness

Bible devotions

“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes,
which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life…
that which we have seen and heard we declare to you,
that you also may have fellowship with us;
and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.
And these things we write to you that your joy may be full.”
—1 John 1:1–4

John doesn’t open this letter with pleasantries or greetings.
He gets straight to the heart of it: Jesus Christ has come.
God is not distant. Not absent. Not uninvolved.

He came to us. He lived among us. He walked, and talked, and reached out with human hands.

And everything changed.

The Eternal Became Flesh

John begins by declaring what he and the other early believers had personally seen, heard, and touched: the eternal Word of life made flesh.

Jesus didn’t simply exist before creation—He has always existed.
He wasn’t created. He was with God and was God (John 1:1).
Jesus confirmed this Himself in John 17:5:

“Glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory I had with You before the world was.”

When He came to earth, He didn’t come as a distant deity.
He came as a man—seen, heard, touched.
The Word took on flesh so we could know the truth not just through scripture, but through a person.

To See, To Gaze, To Grasp

John emphasizes that they didn’t just see Jesus in passing.
They looked upon Him—studied Him, learned from Him, walked with Him.

The word used in the Greek for “looked upon” (etheasametha) implies an intense, thoughtful gaze.
And the word “handled” (epselaphesan) implies grasping, feeling, understanding by touch.

This wasn’t casual contact. This was deep, intimate witness.

They experienced Jesus.
And they couldn’t keep it to themselves.

The Word of Life—Revealed and Received

Jesus is not only the Word, the very expression of God’s thoughts and heart—
He is also the Word of Life.

He is the message and the embodiment of life itself—abundant life, eternal life.
Through Him, we receive:

  • Fellowship with God

  • Fellowship with each other

  • Deep, lasting joy

  • Truth that leads us out of darkness

  • Light that shows us the way

He is the gospel in flesh.

He doesn’t just tell us how to find life—He is the life.

God Is Light—and in Him Is No Darkness

John tells us plainly:

“This is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you:
That God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all.”
—1 John 1:5

God is light—radiant, pure, holy, revealing.
Light by His nature and character.
Light that drives out darkness and confusion and chaos.

There is no shadow in Him. No deception. No inconsistency.

In His light, we are seen.
In His light, we are made whole.
In His light, we find peace and purpose.

Jesus—the Light of the World

Jesus came not to condemn us to our brokenness but to deliver us from it.

He came to offer:

  • Fellowship

  • Forgiveness

  • Joy

  • Peace

  • Life—now and forever

“The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it,
for the glory of God illuminated it.
The Lamb is its light.”
— Revelation 21:23

That’s the promise we live in now.
And it’s the hope we carry into eternity.

A Final Thought

God has not left us to wander in the dark or to guess our way through life.
He has revealed Himself through Jesus Christ—fully, clearly, personally.

We don’t just have a message.
We have a Messiah.

Because the Light of the World has come:

  • We can cast our cares on Him.

  • We can walk out of darkness.

  • We can experience joy that fills us, not just for a moment—but completely.

  • We can be made right with God and prepared to spend eternity with Him.

And in the meantime—while we wait for that glorious day—
We walk in the light.

Because He is light.
And in Him, there is no darkness at all.

Judging Food, Drink, Worship Styles?

Bible devotions, christian living

“So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or Sabbaths,
which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.”
— Colossians 2:16–17

There was a time in my life when legalism had a tight grip on my heart.
As someone who is naturally performance-driven, it was all too easy to measure my worth—and my closeness to God—by what I did or didn’t do.

I remember hearing a sermon on this very passage from Colossians.
But instead of pointing to freedom, the speaker insisted that the “real meaning” was this: those who were truly walking closely with God would choose stricter practices—observing festivals, avoiding certain foods—and that no one should judge them for it.

It sounds spiritual.
But it’s not the gospel.

Legalism: The Cycle That Never Ends

Legalism is a subtle and suffocating kind of bondage.
It wraps itself in spiritual language and makes you believe that more rules equal more righteousness. That more effort equals more holiness.

But it’s a never-ending cycle.
Especially for those of us who are naturally wired to strive and achieve, legalism becomes an exhausting checklist of what we must do to earn God’s favor.

And here’s the truth: Jesus already did it all.

Christ Is the Substance

Paul wrote to the Colossians to remind them that the Old Testament rules and rituals—the food laws, the festivals, the Sabbath observances—were shadows pointing to something greater.

The substance is Christ.
And once the fullness has come, we no longer live in the shadow.

This doesn’t mean there’s no value in spiritual disciplines or traditions.
But it does mean that they are not the measuring stick of salvation or maturity.

We Must Guard Against “Moralizing Our Preferences”

As a counselor, I’ve seen this over and over again: we are tempted to moralize our preferences.

We say things like:

  • “Truly spiritual people only read the KJV.”

  • “If you’re really mature in the faith, you’ll follow the Old Testament dietary laws.”

  • “Worship should only sound one way—and if it doesn’t, it’s not reverent.”

But Paul is clear: these are not the things that define us as believers.
The Christian life is not built around food, drink, or worship style.
It’s built around a mindset—a heart set on Christ.

“Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.”
— Colossians 3:2

When our minds and hearts are centered on Jesus, we begin to see things from His perspective.
We live and serve out of love—not legalism.
We offer grace—not judgment.
We prioritize presence—not performance.

What Unity in the Body Truly Looks Like

Within the family of God, there is diversity in practice.
And that’s okay.

As long as a believer is not violating Scripture or teaching heresy, we are called to embrace, not exclude.

“One Lord, one faith, one baptism…” (Ephesians 4:5)

We are made one by Christ—not by what’s on our plates, what translation we read, or which holidays we observe.

A Final Thought

If you’ve been caught in the trap of legalism—believing that more rules make you more holy—let this be your reminder:

Christ is the substance.
The work is finished.
You are free.

Live in that freedom.
Let your heart be anchored in love, not law.
And extend that same grace to others.

“Let no one judge you… for the substance is of Christ.”
— Colossians 2:16–17

Trials

christian living

“The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart,
And saves such as have a contrite spirit.”
— Psalm 34:18

There are stories in Scripture that are painful to read.
Stories that don’t wrap up neatly.
Stories that leave us longing for justice, for comfort, for healing.

Tamar’s story in 2 Samuel 13 is one of them.

She was the daughter of King David, a young woman of beauty and innocence. But she became the victim of a horrible deception and a terrible crime—raped by her half-brother Amnon, a man driven by obsession and enabled by poor counsel and unchecked desire.

Tamar begged for mercy.
She even offered Amnon a way forward that would have restored honor.
But he refused—and after the assault, he did what many abusers do: he cast her aside in shame and anger.

Scripture tells us that Tamar “lived in her brother Absalom’s house, desolate.”
Her father, David, though angry, did nothing.

Her pain was deep.
Her support was weak.
Her voice was silenced.
And the injustice led to long-standing bitterness and vengeance from her brother Absalom, who would later kill Amnon.

The Tragedy of a Desolate Life

Tamar’s story is heartbreaking.
Not only because of what happened to her—but because of what didn’t happen after.

No healing.
No restoration.
No voice.

Her grief is preserved in Scripture not as a passing detail, but as a sobering reminder of how sin shatters lives—and how silence and inaction compound the pain.

We don’t know how Tamar’s relationship with God unfolded.
Scripture doesn’t tell us whether she found comfort, hope, or peace.
But we know this: God saw her.

And He sees us, too.

When People Fail, God Remains

People hurt us.
They disappoint us.
They fail to protect, to defend, to acknowledge.

Sometimes we look around, like Tamar must have, and feel completely alone.

But we are not.

“The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart.”
— Psalm 34:18

God doesn’t abandon the brokenhearted.
He doesn’t look away from abuse.
He doesn’t minimize our pain.
He draws near.

And for the believer, that nearness isn’t just a comfort—it becomes a source of strength.

Trials Come, But So Does Joy

As painful as trials are, they hold the potential to transform us—not by the weight of the suffering, but by the grace that meets us in it.

“Count it all joy when you fall into various trials,
knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.”
— James 1:2–3

“You have been grieved by various trials,
that the genuineness of your faith… may be found to praise, honor, and glory
at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”
— 1 Peter 1:6–7

These trials—whether brought on by others’ sin or the brokenness of the world—are not wasted.

They are tools in the hands of a loving God who is shaping us, refining us, and conforming us to the image of Christ.

The Good That God Promises

Romans 8:28 is often quoted, but verse 29 holds the key:

“And we know that all things work together for good
to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son…”

The “good” is not always comfort or resolution.
The good is that we are being shaped to look more like Jesus.

Even through heartbreak.
Even through injustice.
Even through desolation.

A Final Word

Tamar’s story reminds us that pain is real—and not every story ends with earthly restoration.
But Scripture also reminds us that God is not done writing our story when we are hurting.

He draws near.
He sees.
He saves.

And He works, even through the ashes, to form something new.

So if you are walking through grief, injustice, or heartbreak—know this:

You are not alone.
God is close.
And He will not waste your pain.