April 8, 2026

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

The True

Being is Better Than Doing

You are a doer. I know it to be true, because every week you and I consider together how to be “thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Tim. 3:17). This is a high compliment of you, because it means you take seriously God’s command to be a doer and not just a hearer of His Word (Jam. 1:22-25). You want to do, and that is an appropriate and righteous response to God’s call on your life!

That “doing” comes to mind as we consider the last of four ways our foundational passage (2 Tim. 3:16-17) tells us scripture enables us to be thoroughly equipped for that doing—through “training in righteousness.”

Up until this point, we have considered instructions of teaching, rebuking, and correcting, all of which are rooted primarily in a theme of coming into alignment with God’s character and instructions. Each instruction contains a wealth of wisdom and will involve a lifetime of yielding to it.

But this final purpose for scripture—that of being trained in righteousness—is of a slightly different mold. It is far more about being than doing. It is about who you are becoming more than it is about what you are producing.

You’ve very likely heard the expression: “Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever.” It is from the Westminster Catechism, but it is really just a tight articulation of the beautiful invitation that all of scripture is presenting you. The declarations of your chief purpose are all throughout scripture, but here are just a few of my favorite:

- “[E]veryone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made . . . the people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise” (Is. 43:7, 21).

- “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” (1 Cor. 10:31).

- “For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen” (Rom 11:36).

God has sent you his Word that you might do. The very last words of Jesus before He ascended to heaven were doing words. You are His Ambassador here on Earth and He has told you to “go” and “do” (Matt. 28:16; Matt. 7:24).

But my friend, God wants to train you in righteousness, because being is even more important than doing. God has given you assignments, but those are outflows of the primary and greater purpose He has for you, which is simply becoming more like Him in order that you might bring Him glory and enjoy Him forever.

Your pursuit to be thoroughly equipped for every good work is a noble one. But it is not your chief end. In fact, it is but a natural outcropping of your primary purpose, which is to abide in Christ, to grow in your likeness of Him, to bring Him glorify, and to spend eternity enjoying Him.

It is intensely liberating if you will allow it to take root in your spirit. God will assign you holy work, yes, but He sends His scripture primarily to train you in righteousness that you might bring Him glory and enjoy Him forever.

Being is even better than doing.

Space

Beyond the Moon

Four human beings travelled deeper into space this week than anyone before them, as the Artemis II mission completed a pass around the far side of the moon. At the farthest point, the spaceship was more than 4,100 miles farther from Earth than the previous record, which was held by the Apollo 13 crew. While a moon landing is not on the docket for this trip, this week’s mission is an interim step to a planned landing in 2028.

The Artemis II crew spent Easter in space and was asked about the occasion during an interview. Astronaut Victor Glover responded that the perspective of Earth from space on Easter reminded him of just how much we have been gifted through creation (watch his remarks).

Analysis and eternal perspective: The images of Earth and the surrounding cosmos beamed back from Artemis II give us a glimpse of our insignificant size against the backdrop of creation. In terms of size, the Earth is but a grain of sand on an expansive seashore of space. You, by extension, are but one of approximately 8.3 billion people on that tiny Earth.

Based on size, the Earth and you each appear woefully insignificant.

So how can it be that the Creator of the expanse chose to, in the words of Captain Glover, create an “oasis” to which He would send His only Son for the purpose of saving little ‘insignificant’ you? How does that make sense?

It makes sense only because of God’s exceedingly great love for the world (Jn. 3:16) and for you (Rom. 5:8)!

God’s love takes the form of physical matter in a planet home He designed for you, and it takes relational shape when He singles you and me out of all creation as worthy of saving and redeeming.

As you behold the beauty of the views from Artemis II, bask in the truth that the One who created it all came specifically looking for you. He did so that you might bring Him glory. What a privilege to do so!

World

Under the Wire

It was another eventful week for the war in Iran. U.S. President Donald Trump gave Iran a “final” deadline to make a deal before promising devastating attacks on the country’s infrastructure. Just before the deadline on Tuesday evening, the U.S. and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire negotiated by Pakistan. The deal includes a short-term reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, and the stated goal of both countries is to reach a permanent deal over the next two weeks.

In the hours leading up to the ceasefire, Iran’s president called on the youth of Iran to form human chains around key power plants and bridges, and President Trump vowed to wipe out a “whole civilization” if a peace deal was not achieved.

Meanwhile, a U.S. F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jet was shot down over Iran, causing both crew members to eject behind enemy lines. The first was rescued within a few hours, and the second was rescued safely a day later after an extensive search-and-rescue mission.

Analysis and eternal perspective: Praise God for the safety of the two downed airmen. We rejoice with their families for their protection. We also continue to pray for those in the war zone, and for the leaders making wartime decisions. God, may you grant wisdom in these deliberations that determine life-or-death for so many, and may you soften hearts in a way that creates and enables a path to lasting peace. We will give you glory for the miracle of that outcome.

Amid the ugliness and loss of life that accompanies war, let’s you and I remain vigilant in our prayers for and pursuit of peace (Ps. 34:14). Let’s also reaffirm our resolve to pray for many to come to a saving knowledge of Jesus through this difficult time. War is so very ugly, but God’s saving grace is bigger than all of it!

“Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies. Your righteousness is like the highest mountains, your justice like the great deep. You, Lord, preserve both people and animals” (Ps. 36:5-6).

U.S.

Birthright Citizenship at the High Court

The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments last week on “birthright citizenship,” which is the 14^th Amendment’s declaration that, “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.” This has long been interpreted to mean that virtually everyone born on U.S. soil is a U.S. citizen, but U.S. President Donald Trump issued an executive order in January 2025 to end that automatic grant. Last week’s argument at the high court were from a challenge to that order, and President Trump became the first sitting president to attend oral arguments at the court.

Analysis and eternal perspective: The decision in this case will have significant ramifications for both birthright citizenship and precedent for constitutional interpretation and amendment. Most court observers believe the Justices are skeptical of the President’s authority to make this change via executive order rather than constitutional amendment, but the court has certainly surprised before.

As The Equipped family, it is nearly certain we hold a wide range of views on the proper outcome of this case. Matters of constitutional interpretation tend to produce that diversity of opinion in a free republic, and that is a sign of strength. However, all of us as Jesus followers share a few key responsibilities:

- We should be praying for the President and the U.S. Supreme Court Justices (2 Tim. 2:1-2).

- We should be aware of the times, including the legal foundation of the U.S. Constitution and the ways it can appropriately be amended (1 Chron 12:32; Lk. 12:54-56).

- Our hearts should be inclined toward, and our energies focused on, the eternal condition of every person—citizen and foreigner—we encounter. While our earthly citizenship and legal status is of some significance, we are each traveling to an eternal home and our status in that place is of far greater consequence (Philip. 3:20)!

This story will produce significant division on substantively important matters. But even amid those differences, the bride of Christ can remain united on the most important matters!

The Beautiful

Dew

Against the vast backdrop of space’s expanse, you serve a God who sends a daily refreshing of dew to even the smallest flowers of the field. His promise to you is of a similar daily refreshing. May you receive His refreshing dew today!

“I will be like the dew to Israel; he will blossom like a lily” (Hos. 14:5).