READ: PSALM 139:7-12; LUKE 15:1-7; ROMANS 8:31-39

I spread mortar on the next brick. The thick sludge looks like grey toothpaste as I smother it on the porous red block. I set the brick firmly on top of the others and reach impatiently for the next one, scoop another trowel-full of mortar and slap it down. Another brick, and another, and another.

The wall is tall enough, and now I’m making it thicker. I lost track of how many layers of bricks I’ve put up. It doesn’t matter.

I don’t bother to focus my eyes on anything. I just keep going. I don’t feel anything. I just keep going. I’ve gotten pretty good at not feeling. It takes practice, but it wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be. Detach. Disengage. Just keep going.

As I place the next brick, the wall thumps. Thumps? I pause with my hand midair. I listen. The wall thumps again. And again. And again. It’s getting louder. And suddenly I realize—something’s trying to get in.

I work quickly, my hands trying to keep pace with my racing pulse. I grab more mortar, more bricks, and focus on adding more layers to the spot where I hear the thumping. I can feel the wall shaking now. Just a little. But the pounding is getting stronger with every blow.

I’m working furiously now, trying to build the wall faster than it can be broken down. I have to keep myself away from what’s on the other side. Who’s on the other side. Detach. Disengage. Just keep going. What’s on the other side is the stuff of childish hopes. I won’t be a fool. I won’t let myself get drawn in—again. I used to think everything that was good and right and beautiful was possible and real. But now I’ve grown up. I know the truth. Don’t let yourself hope. Don’t let yourself feel. Don’t be tricked into trusting. Even the light casts shadows.

But then, I hear a crack. I look to my right, and suddenly the newest layer of bricks bursts open. And I see a hand. Reaching for me. Oh, that hand! It’s Him—it’s really Him! I grasp His hand, and every feeling I haven’t felt bursts open in sobs of pain and relief.

Jesus, my Jesus. My only Jesus. They told me you weren’t as good as I thought You were. They hurt my friends. They hurt me. They told me that’s what You wanted. They told me I didn’t really know You. And after a while, it hurt too much to hope.

I cling to His hand, His warm, strong hand. And He holds on to me. “I’m here. I will always come for you. Always.”

My sob catches in my throat, and all I can do is nod. I have so many tears left to cry, and yet, I can feel myself beginning to hope again. Then He says gently, “I’m not going anywhere. Now, how about I take down the rest of this wall?” • Hannah Howe

• Have you experienced things that made you feel like Jesus wasn’t as good as you hoped He was? Maybe you’ve seen a devastating natural disaster, or lost someone you love, or maybe people have said or done wrong things—whether people in the church or outside the church—that have hurt you or people you care about. Consider taking a moment to ask Jesus to help you notice how He is even now pursuing you with love.

• Jesus invites us to tell Him about all the hurtful, confusing, and infuriating things we encounter in this broken world—and He also provides trustworthy Christians in our lives who can help us process what we’ve experienced and get out of unsafe situations if needed. God sees how messed up things are, and He grieves all the world’s brokenness far more deeply than we do. He knows how bad our sin is, yet He wants to forgive and restore us. He longs to enfold us in His arms and bring healing to our hurting places. That’s the kind of love He has for us. That’s why He went to the cross and rose from the grave for us. He came “to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10)...

READ: MATTHEW 7:1-5; JAMES 2:10; 1 JOHN 1:7-9

Are you ever tempted to believe that your sins are bigger or smaller than somebody else’s? It’s an easy lie to fall into. But in God’s sight, there are no big or small sins. It’s all just plain sin.

It might be helpful to think of sin like stepping on a rock. Whether you trip over a large rock or step barefoot on a small, sharp pebble, it hurts! Stumbling on a rock of any size can stop us in our tracks. It’s easy to think that “small” sins like hiding the truth, gossip, and jealousy aren’t really a big deal, but even little pebbles can cause great pain. James 2:10 says, “For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.” When we commit a sin that seems small to us, we may think it’s not so bad. But the Bible says if we break just one small part of God’s law, we’re as guilty as if we’d broken every part.

Now, that doesn’t mean we might as well sin big because it’s all the same to God. But instead of pointing a finger at others when they sin, insisting their sins are bigger than ours, we need to confess our own sins to God. Our sin has caused each one of us to stumble and fall, but Jesus wants to pick us back up and tenderly care for our wounds. He took all our sin upon Himself on the cross, and then He was resurrected from the dead to defeat sin and death. If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, all our sins are paid for. He forgives us for all of them—past, present, and future.

So whenever we sin, we can admit our guilt to God, receive His forgiveness, and ask for His help to keep walking. Through the Holy Spirit, He will help us turn away from sin and look for ways we could make things right, such as apologizing, telling the truth, or providing payment for something we’ve damaged or stolen (Luke 19:1-10).

God knows that sin hurts everything it touches. That’s why He sent His Son, Jesus, so we could be forgiven and saved from sin. So none of us has any right to think we’re better than someone else. Instead of being critical of others, we can look for sins in our own lives, then confess them to God and walk forward with Him. • A. W. Smith

• What sins are you tempted to think of as “small”? Why do you think there’s no such thing as “small” sin in God’s eyes?

• God always wants to forgive and restore us. How can remembering God’s perfect grace help us confess all our sins to Him? (Find out more about His forgiveness through Jesus on our "Know Jesus" page.)

For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. James 2:10 (NIV)

READ: PSALMS 32:8; 91:15; 119:105; PHILIPPIANS 4:6-7

Imagine for a moment you’re in a car, driving. On and on you go, but soon you realize you’re absolutely, hopelessly lost. The narrow, dead-straight country road stretches out before you with no chance to turn to the left or the right. Should you turn around and go back? You pull over and haul out your phone to use the GPS. It doesn’t work. What should you do? You’re in the middle of nowhere, and you have no idea which way to go. Is this the right way? How far can you go before you run out of fuel? There’s nothing to do but go on. Surely if you keep going you’ll eventually get somewhere.

So you continue, trying to stay calm. The sun begins to sink lower and lower in front of you until it’s dark. Pitch dark. You can’t even make out the shapes of the trees as you pass them anymore, can’t even see the lines on the road in front of you. You moisten your dry lips and try to swallow the growing lump of panic rising in your throat. What if you never get home again? The silence grows oppressive. If only there was a light somewhere, if only you had someone with you! And yet, it’s dark, and you’re completely alone.

But wait, aren’t you forgetting something? Why don’t you switch on the headlights? With a sigh of relief, you turn on the lights. Now you can see where you are! A thought suddenly strikes you—you may not be able to use your phone for a map, but you might have enough service to call your dad! You pull over to the side of the road, whip out your phone again, and call him. Before long, with help from your dad and those headlights, you manage to get home.

Driving alone without lights on a dark road sounds pretty terrifying, right? Yet so often that’s what we try to do with our lives. Psalm 119:105 tells us that the Word of God is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. God wants to light our way! Jesus is the Light of the World, and whoever puts their trust in Him becomes God’s child (John 1:1-14; 8:12). We can always call upon the Lord, our Father, and He will answer us and guide us safely home. • Renata Hornshaw

• Life in our broken world can be difficult and confusing, but we never have to navigate it alone. God is with us, and He is eager to help us and guide us through His Spirit, His Word (the Bible), and His people (the church). In what ways do you need God’s help and guidance today?

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)