God promises us a way out of temptation, but makes no such promise when it comes to suffering. But he doesn’t run from us or watch us suffer from a distance - he enters into our suffering, even giving us the words to say when we can’t work up the prayer on our own
Waiting. It’s everyone’s least favorite activity. We could almost say we hate it. Yet waiting is one of the places where God puts faith to work.
David encourages us to not be agitated or envious of those who seem to get away with wickedness and oppression in the world, because their day is coming. Evil has a shelf life. The righteous may go through hard times, but the Lord makes sure they are never abandoned, forgotten, or overlooked.
We all have a lens through which to process the things we read, watch, or click. When we see evil in the world, it can feel like we're staring at a mountain and holding a shovel. But God gave us the book of Psalms to help us process the things we see and experience.
The Pharisees are bothered with how much time Jesus spends with sinners. Jesus tells three stories about how much rejoicing happens when something that was lost is found.
What construction company sets out to build a building without first giving a bid? What king goes to war without first counting his troops? Jesus uses those to parables to say you shouldn’t be so fast to just raise your hand to follow him without first considering what it will mean.
Jesus gets invited to another dinner party with the Pharisees, and talks to them about who will be invited to the banquet table in the kingdom of God.
Someone asks "How many people will get to heaven? Just a few?" Jesus pauses to reply, and teaches that only those who make every effort to enter the Narrow Door will be saved.
With one act of compassion, Jesus shows that the kingdom of heaven isn't coming with an army, heavy artillery strikes, etc to Make Israel Great Again... the kingdom is already here as Jesus takes things that seem insignificant and gives them massive significance.
Jesus drills the whole conversation about being prepared for his return to three simple but powerful words: Repent or Perish.