Many of us get excited when we see a rainbow—its vibrant colors and rarity make it a special sight. However, that rainbow belongs to Noah, as it symbolizes God’s promise never again to flood the earth. What about the storms in life? Have you ever counted your rainbows afterward? I mean those moments that remind you of times God has been merciful, spared you, or delivered you in impossible situations, as only he can.

Wars are won through battles fought one at a time. In the same way, our responsibility is not to become obsessed with reaching “the masses” while overlooking the person standing in front of us. We serve one person, encourage one hurting heart, speak truth to one searching soul, and remain faithful one day at a time.

Halfway through a four-hour return flight, Sara experienced a medical emergency. We gratefully accepted the caring help to get her through that in-flight ordeal. Sara then spent five days in the hospital.

God often gives us opportunities—quiet, ordinary moments that become “one of those days” where our words or actions make a real difference in someone else’s life, even when we may never fully see the impact. This isn’t meant to be a sentimental or overly warm reflection but something grounded and honest that we can all relate to. When we look to God’s Word, we’re reminded that meaningful impact is often found in simple obedience and everyday faithfulness.

I’ve learned that I fail when I rely on my own strength rather than God’s. I ask for grace, and when He gives it, I often don’t use it to face the trials I’m facing. I run from them. That is receiving God’s grace in vain. The mission He’s given us will have rough times. It’s going to be difficult. But that’s what makes it so awesome. The sweat, tears, and frustrations make us dependent on God’s strength.

In our lives, we often face circumstances and situations that we cannot fix on our own. On those occasions, we must put our confidence and trust in the Lord. He will always help us, or tell us to stand back and watch him work.

We love the idea of God fighting for us. We pray and ask Him to step in and change our circumstances—the cancer diagnosis, the lawsuit, the struggling marriage, the wandering child. And often, He moves in powerful ways. But God’s faithfulness does not always look like immediate rescue or visible victory. Sometimes His work is quieter, deeper, and more mysterious than we expect. Scripture shows us that while God is always present and always good.

We often face situations that seem insurmountable, with no way out or resolution. It may even feel like we’re going under for the last time. We may think our fate is sealed and that we have no hope. Common sense, logic, reason, and rational thought tell us to give up and accept our fate. Just toughen up and take it like a man. That’s the exact opposite of what we should do.

When we fixate on past failures, hurts, or even successes, our attention shifts away from Jesus—the Author and Perfector of our faith—and onto ourselves. That kind of self-focus is actually rooted in pride. And pride is something God takes seriously because it’s a form of idolatry. We quietly remove God from the throne of our hearts and place ourselves there instead. That’s exactly what Satan attempted to do. He failed—and now he works hard to get us to repeat the same mist