A Twisted Era

10/14/24 • 7 min

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READ: ROMANS 5; PHILIPPIANS 2:3-11; HEBREWS 13:8

Princess Gayle examined a few documents on her desk as General Blackgrove delivered his opinion. She attempted to appear disinterested. They weren’t exactly allies. “Between you and me, I believe there is sufficient evidence that you are ready to become queen,” the general said in an undertone. “Unfortunately, I don’t think Runyan agrees...”

“Really?” Gayle said dryly.

“If you promise me a position in the Mountain Army, I will support you. And,” General Blackgrove added, measuring his words carefully, “if I were to learn more about the future of your father’s reign, I may be able to convince others to support you as well.”

Gayle understood his meaning. She didn’t particularly like him, but he had power. So she said, “I will tell you this: my father’s health is indeed waning. Soon he will be incapable of carrying out his duties.” General Blackgrove seemed pleased, and after he left her study Gayle smiled to herself—what a cunning politician she was becoming!

A knock sounded and Runyan entered, his eyes shining. Gayle beamed. “I have General Blackgrove on my side. He wants a position in the mountains.”

The old council member smiled softly. “Excellent!”

“But he said he didn’t think you would recommend me.” She laughed.

Runyan shook his head. “He thinks everyone is a snake like him. What did you tell him in exchange for his support?”

Gayle looked away. “I confirmed the rumors about Father.”

Runyan raised his brows. “I thought no one was supposed to know.”

Pushing back her rising guilt, Gayle said, “I needed to build trust.”

At the next council meeting, Princess Gayle was able to convince her father to move General Blackgrove to the Mountain Army. And then her father stood. “I would like to propose that my daughter be my successor.” She sat up straighter, expecting Runyan, General Blackgrove, and others to stand in support of her. But her smile faded as every one of her contacts remained silent. Runyan even made a statement that he didn’t trust the king’s judgement on account of his health. Gayle’s stomach dropped.

After the council disbanded, she paced furiously in her chambers. “After all I did for them! Is no one true?” She paused, catching a glimpse of her harried appearance in the mirror. “Am I true?” she wondered aloud. “What... what am I becoming? Betraying people for my own gain?” Wait, my child. Do not despair, a voice whispered.

“Lord, is that you?”

I am unchanging. I will not lie to you. I will not trick you. Though others might deceive you, and you might deceive others, I am true. I always have your best interests at heart. Relief flooded over Gayle like a bucket of water. Cool and refreshing. Will you trust me?

“How do I know I can trust you? I can’t even trust myself!”

I know you. I made you. I love you. I knew all your failures before you were born, and I purchased your forgiveness. I have all the power in the world, and yet I took the position of a servant and died a criminal’s death—for you. Come and walk with me. Let me teach you the good way. You don’t need to grasp for power. I am working, even in the midst of this corruption, for the good of my people. • Natty Maelle

• The world has been broken by sin, so it’s easy to compromise and give in to the broken systems and greed around us. We all sin, and we all need forgiveness. That’s why Jesus came. He loves us so much, and He hates to see us hurting and deceiving each other. Through His death and resurrection, He made the way for us to be forgiven. And when Jesus returns, He will restore all things. As we wait for this glorious day, we may feel disoriented and unsteady because of the sin and brokenness around us and inside us. But we can always trust Jesus to be steady, honest, and loving. Who are trusted Christians in your life who can help you look to Jesus and follow Him when you’re tempted to participate in corruption?

• Jesus didn’t connive or deceive to grab power; He laid down His life for us, and now He rules with self-sacrificial love and gentleness (Philippians 2:3-11). How does Jesus’s leadership contrast with the characters in today’s story? What might it look like to follow Jesus in self-sacrificial love and gentleness? (To dig deeper, read James 1–5.)

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom can be no variation, nor turning shadow. James 1:17 (WEB)

READ: ROMANS 5; PHILIPPIANS 2:3-11; HEBREWS 13:8

“Really?” Gayle said dryly.

A knock sounded and Runyan entered, his eyes shining. Gayle beamed. “I have General Blackgrove on my side. He wants a position in the mountains.”

The old council member smiled softly. “Excellent!”

“But he said he didn’t think you would recommend me.” She laughed.

Runyan shook his head. “He thinks everyone is a snake like him. What did you tell him in exchange for his support?”

Gayle looked away. “I confirmed the rumors about Father.”

Runyan raised his brows. “I thought no one was supposed to know.”

Pushing back her rising guilt, Gayle said, “I needed to build trust.”

“Lord, is that you?”

“How do I know I can trust you? I can’t even trust myself!”

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom can be no variation, nor turning shadow. James 1:17 (WEB)

Previous Episode

Living

READ: ROMANS 12; 2 CORINTHIANS 4:16

I felt a complete emptiness. What was the purpose of life? As a newer Christian, my life wasn’t really “fixed.” I still felt empty. Was life just about being good?

Sitting in my room, I found myself reading Romans 12. Sure, I’d skimmed by it once or twice, but strangely, this time I was stuck on the second verse. Reading past it proved quite difficult, and after a while, I stopped trying. Squinting closer, I stood arrested at the clarity found in the words. “Don’t be conformed to this world.” I was still for a while, pondering its meaning.

My thoughts turned to Jesus’s closest disciples. In following Jesus, they rejected the ways of the world. As they walked with Jesus, their lives began to look different. I started to wonder, what made me stand apart from the world? Was I just like the rest? I realized that I turned to conformity as a way to meet societal expectations, and simultaneously as a defense against being disliked or rejected. Yet, I realized that Jesus doesn’t call us to be conformed to this world, just fitting into the mold, but instead to be “transformed by the renewing of your mind.”

Shocked, I stared at that word. Transformed. Not just physically, or emotionally, but entirely. Once a pastor told me, “When you follow Jesus, your mind is renewed.” I immediately understood the source of that insight was this verse, Romans 12:2, and I smiled.

That night, I prayed silently that Jesus would renew my mind and transform my life. Since then, I’ve noticed how His Holy Spirit has been leading me. That week was busy, and so was the next. However, an unexplainable peace settled over my life in a powerful way. No longer did I feel empty. No longer did I have to walk without a purpose or talk without a meaning. Life without Jesus doesn’t satisfy. Living transformed by Jesus leads to life abundant (John 10:10). • Evelyn Cardriche

• Life can seem monotonous sometimes. We can feel stuck in certain habits or thinking patterns, feeling like there’s no purpose in life. But Jesus loves us, and He wants to transform us. When we put our trust in Him, believing in His death and resurrection, He gives us the Holy Spirit. He begins transforming us from the inside out, and He helps us see that we “are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). He shows us how He is moving in and around us, and He invites us to be part of His good work. How can this kind of transformation lead to peace and joy?

Don’t be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what is the good, well-pleasing, and perfect will of God. Romans 12:2 (WEB)

Next Episode

Lord, You Are Faithful

READ: EXODUS 34:6-7; LAMENTATIONS 3:22–24; HEBREWS 10:19-23

Lord, You are faithful.

When I despair over illness and disease

And the wars across the globe,

You are the hope of joy in the wind.

When I doubt that You are there

And seek the hopeless comfort of sin,

You are the mighty voice, shaking me free.

When I am so tired,

Weary of the pain that beats me down,

You are the steadfast strength I need.

When my thoughts stumble

On the temptations of the world,

You are my shelter and my rescue.

And when I run toward the darkness

Of hate and wretchedness,

You guide me home with the light of Your Son.

Lord, You are faithful. • Emily McDonough

• When we feel overwhelmed, sin can seem especially tempting. While sinning might make us feel a little better at first, we quickly realize that sin just makes things worse. But the good news is, Jesus never changes. He is the same God who created the world, who died on the cross, and who lives now today (Hebrews 13:8). Jesus came to forgive our sins, and He promises to one day free the world of evil. What broken things in the world or in your own life have been weighing on you lately? Consider taking some time to talk to Jesus, telling Him about these hard things, confessing any sins that come to mind, and resting in His sure love for you and for the world.

Your faithfulness continues through all generations; you established the earth, and it endures. Psalm 119:90 (NIV)