November 12, 2025

Viewing all things through the lens of the True and the beautiful!

The True

Easily Found

They were where they were supposed to be, and they were doing what they were supposed to be doing. In other words, they were easily found.

Do you desire to be used by God? Is there a longing in your heart to be called by Him into a task worthy of your life’s devotion? If so, those are healthy desires, but it can be easy to allow them to distract you from where you are supposed to be right now and from what you are supposed to be doing right now.

God has called countless of His people into very specific tasks, and He has done so in numerous personal and meaningful ways. But there is a noteworthy aspect of the personal call that Jesus made to His first disciples as He began His ministry. Consider the following from Matthew 4:21-22 as Jesus calls James and John:

“Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.”

There is so much richness packed into that short passage, but consider it against the backdrop of our theme this week. What were James and John doing to instigate this mighty calling? How were they working and positioning themselves to receive such a prestigious appointment? What was their strategy?

They were in their boat.

They were preparing their nets.

On one hand, you could conclude they weren’t really doing anything of note. They were just doing what they had always done and were simply going about the menial task of participating in the work that sustained their family. But in a very real way, this simple diligence, patience, and consistency should be instructive to us:

They were where they were supposed to be and doing what they were supposed to be doing!

Of course Jesus could have—and perhaps would have—found them anywhere. But He didn’t ask and require that they be frantically “bettering themselves” for His call. In fact, when it came time for Jesus to call His disciples, He took a walk where He expected to find them . . . on their boat, routinely preparing their nets.

He found them where they were supposed to be and doing what they were supposed to be doing.

(Side note for a future contemplation: What incredible faith and obedience James and John displayed to drop everything and follow immediately!)

The question for you this week is this: Are you where you are supposed to be, and doing what you are supposed to be doing?

The task at hand might feel small. It might even feel somewhat pointless in light of eternity. The truth is your current task may have more eternal value than you can fathom. In addition, it may also be precisely where Jesus expects to find you when it is time to call you to the next mission.

When He comes calling, will He find you? When He does, will you immediately drop the nets you are faithfully preparing and follow Him?

U.S.

Deal to Open

The U.S. government is poised to re-open after the longest shutdown in U.S. history. An end to the prolonged closure is in sight after eight U.S. Senators who caucus with Democrats (seven Democrats and one independent) voted with all but one Senate Republican to approve a bill that extends all government funding through January 30, 2026 and funds a handful of agencies (veterans’ affairs, military construction, legislative branch, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture) through the end of the fiscal year on September 30, 2026.

The bill is expected but not certain to clear the U.S. House on Wednesday. U.S. President Donald Trump called the bill a good deal while most Democrat leaders (including both House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer but excluding Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin who broke party ranks to support the bill) expressed displeasure with its passage.

Analysis and eternal perspective: The budget and spending process of the U.S. government is broken. It is a fact we’ve acknowledged repeatedly over the last few years, and one that remains true across all manner of partisan control. The current shutdown, even as it appears to be nearing an end, is but the most recent evidence of this fact. After six weeks of closure, the government is set to re-open . . . with no substantive changes in policy.

That last point is worth underscoring. You almost certainly have changes you would like to see made in the spending priorities of the U.S. government. Finding consensus on those preferences would certainly be challenging, but that deliberative process is what every successful business must do during its budgeting process. The U.S. government currently has no functioning mechanism for this task, as both parties have more political incentives aligned against it than for it.

There is only one force with the power to change that incentive, and it doesn’t reside in Washington, DC. It is the force of the American voters of both political parties, who will need to determine on both sides of the aisle that budgeting and spending discipline is a priority. Until this occurs, you can be assured the next shutdown is a certainty and only a matter of time.

As a Jesus follower, you can and perhaps should engage the above debate substantively. But it has been, and has the ongoing potential to continue to be, a civic space into which you can be the tangible hands and feet of Jesus. The Equipped community has all manner of perspectives on how federal programs should look. But given that disruptions as significant as this most recent one are all but certain to recur, we should band together as Jesus followers to be ready to fill those places of need.

Future disruptions are inevitable, and they won’t catch our community off guard.

“Be prepared in season and out of season” (2 Tim. 4:2).

U.S.

UPS Plane Crash

Fourteen people died last week when a UPS plane crashed and exploded shortly after takeoff from Louisville’s Muhammed Ali International Airport. The plane was bound for Honolulu and therefore carrying approximately 38,000 gallons of fuel, which resulted in a massive explosion and fire because of the crash. Many of the victims were either employees or patrons of companies near the airport where the plane ultimately went down. The investigation into the cause of the crash is ongoing and officials are in possession of the plane’s black box.

Analysis and eternal perspective: Tragedy strikes in a moment. It is a reality of life on Earth and a clear reminder to set your eyes on that which is eternal. Just as certain as the fragility of earthly life is the certainty of eternal heavenly life. By setting your eyes and your focus on the latter, you will dramatically improve both your peace and your effectiveness in the former.

As you contemplate how to apply these truths to your own life, remember to cover the families of these victims in your prayers. It is a jarring thing to suddenly lose a loved one and our community should be lifting up each family impacted.

“Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory” (Col. 3:2-4).

World

Two Typhoons

The Philippines was struck by not one but two typhoons in recent days. Last week, Typhoon Kalmaegi killed more than 230 people in the country before also claiming at least five lives in Vietnam. On Monday, Typhoon Fung-wong killed at least 18 in the Philippines and now threatens Taiwan. Both storms contained intense wind, torrential rain, and widespread flooding. More than a million people are displaced, and many of them are facing a prolonged rebuild or permanent relocation.

Analysis and eternal perspective: This story adds a tremendously tragic tenor to the phrase, “when it rains, it pours.” One devastating typhoon is more than many of us will experience in a lifetime. For two significant typhoons to make landfall so near to each other and within such a short window of time is particularly devastating.

The days (and weeks, months, and years) ahead will involve significant rebuilding and cleanup, and the people of the Philippines will need assistance long after they are no longer in the headlines. We as The Equipped community should be sensitive to the prompting of the Holy Spirit and should look for ways to sustain those who are recovering. If you partner with a trusted disaster response organization, that may be a good way to tangibly respond to this story.

On a spiritual level, let this story be a reminder to build your life on the Rock of Jesus Christ that it might withstand the storms of this life!

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock” (Matt. 7:24-25).

The Beautiful

Stir What You Got

A story is told (tip of the cap to our friend Carmen LaBerge who first shared it with us) of Dr. Andrew Eddington, who loved a more-than-healthy dose of sugar in his coffee. One particular waitress tired of his requests for more sugar and responded, “You stir what you got!”

It’s humorous, but also so true. We so often ask for more sweetness or goodness or beauty or blessing in our life when the truth is we have already been given so much.

What sweetness sits at the bottom of your life’s cup today? What beauty has been poured into you by the Maker of all things only to settle into your being undisturbed? What goodness needs to be stirred up and into motion?

Your God loves and longs to give you good gifts (Matt. 7:11)! But He wants you to then use those gifts for His glory!

Don’t stop asking for His blessings (Matt. 7:7-8, Jam. 4:2-3). But make sure you don’t let what He has already poured into you simply settle to the bottom. Stir what you got!