This week the blog is sponsored by ShareWord Global.

What do most people think of when they hear ‘The Gideons’?
If you were to ask around, the answer would likely have something to do with Bible distribution, with the most common forms being Bibles in hotel nightstands or in the hands of Grade 5 students. But the thing is, the Gideons have never just been about Bible distribution – in hotel nightstands, or otherwise.
If you trace back to the very beginnings of the ministry, you’ll find two traveling salesmen that met and found they shared a passion for the gospel. From that meeting, The Gideons were born as an evangelistic association of traveling salesmen. One method they employed in spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ was the distribution of the Bible, but at its core, their intent was evangelistic.
In other words, the goal was to see souls saved.
Ten years ago, for both ideological and legal reasons, The Gideons International in Canada (“TGIC”) became an independent entity from The Gideons International. In so doing, new avenues of ministry opened all around the world. The kind of ‘this can’t be happening’ gospel opportunities that only God could have orchestrated. Until recently, that international outreach lived under the distinct brand name, ShareWord Global. But this past September, the organization adopted it to represent both the international and domestic ministry – unifying under one name and clarifying its ministry focus to mobilize Biblical evangelism.
No longer will we solely be the people who put Bibles in hotel nightstands, our renewed focus is to come alongside believers across the world, mobilizing our brothers and sisters to be faithful to Jesus’ call to “go and make disciples of all the nations” (Matt 28:19).
And so, we go.
Not just sharing Bibles, but sharing the Word – partnering with the local church to invite people into a relationship with the person of Jesus Christ and leaving them with a copy of Scripture to help them on that journey.
Two of the places that God has called us to do that work are Nicaragua and Cuba. In Nicaragua, government officials requested that ShareWord Global connect with every school-aged child in the country, to share the gospel with them and leave them with a copy of Scripture. Similarly, in Cuba, we’ve been invited into the nation to mobilize the church and ensure a copy of Scripture is placed in every single home in the nation.
This is clearly a work that only God can do, and yet, He has chosen to use us, and we can’t do it alone.
The need is immense, the stakes are eternal, and we cannot do this work without you. Would you consider being part of the ongoing work?
Canada – https://sharewordglobal.com/ca/giveUS – https://sharewordglobal.com/us/
Together, we can tell the world.
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This week the blog is sponsored by Burke Care.
You are good and do good; teach me your statutes. Psalm 119:68
Corrie ten Boom as quoted as saying:
“If you look at the world, you will be distressed. If you look within, you will be depressed. But if you look at Christ, you will be at rest.”
This psalmist reached the same conclusion when he wrote this verse. He realized that the only true rest comes from God the Father, through Jesus the Son by the Holy Spirit. And he wants more…
“You are good…” The psalmist is not trying to invent a catchy marketing quip to attract fellow Jews to the ways of God. This is a real-life summary of his experience with His God. After significant struggle and grief, the psalmist finds himself surrendering to a sovereign God by simply acknowledging what he now fully understands, “God, you are good!”
“…and do good…”  Then the psalmist is quick to acknowledge that God is not silent or inactive. He is an initiating God who does good in addition to being God. He is not distant or aloof. God the Father is the ever present, close, self-initiating God who does good, always. 
The psalmist does not say it specifically, but he is implying that God is always this way. He is implying that God is always good, and always does only good.
“…teach me your statutes.” Then he concludes with the request to be taught more of God’s goodness. The psalmist admits that he wants to pursue learning about the full  goodness of God. He acknowledges God’s “goodness” attribute and now he is expressing his desire to be taught the fullness of God’s goodness. 
This is not unlike finishing a wonderfully healthy delicious meal only to acknowledge that the flavor of the meal was amazing, and the nutritiousness of the meal was incredible. And then asking for more…
“If you look at the world, you will be distressed. If you look within, you will be depressed. But if you look at Christ, you will be at rest.”Corrie ten BoomShare
But you may not be there. Your plate may be loaded with struggles. You may find yourself weary, emotionally dry and undernourished spiritually. For you, this verse may be a reminder to cling to during challenging times. This verse may need to be more like “a lamp to my feet and a light to my path,” as found later in Psalm 119:105.
If you are experiencing overwhelming feelings of guilt, shame, or loneliness, this verse can become a promise to you. It can be like a light at the end of this dark season that you can pursue. Perhaps moving forward is difficult to imagine. I would encourage you to remind yourself of how Corrie ten Boom interpreted her struggles. She chose not to resolve her difficult circumstances on the hope of the world or the hope of herself. She resolved her heart to focus on Jesus, the Christ, our Savior. That is where we find rest. 
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. – Psalm 23:4 ESV
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. – Psalm 23:1-3 ESV
To learn more about Burke Care or find a counselor, you can go to www.burkecare.org.
Father, You are good and You do good.  I want to know more about who You are and what You promise. I want to be conformed into the image of Jesus who is the prefect image of You. I want more of You and I want to be more like You. Change me and make me into the image of Jesus, I pray. Amen.
Application Questions:

When are the times that I lose sight of what God has for me and stray away from Him?
What areas of my life am I the self-appointed expert in and refuse to allow others to speak into?
Where do I tend to not consider God as being good or even doing good?

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Good morning to you!

This has been a good week for Kindle deals—and there are more to be had today.
(Yesterday on the blog: The Worst Defeat in All of Human History)
The Case for Ditching Your Smartphone (from Someone Who Has Never Owned One)
I really enjoyed this article and was challenged by it (though I am very unlikely to do all it recommends)! “I turn 40 years old later this year and I’ve never owned a smartphone. I am a technological anachronism: a living, breathing social experiment in 2023 America.”
Attention, Affection, Authority
Bob and Julie Kauflin have some wisdom here for parents. “In these years far removed from the daily pressures of raising little ones, Julie and I have identified at least three ways God calls us to reflect his fatherly heart in the way we raise our children.”
Faithful Truth + Literary Grace
William Burkitt’s Expository Notes, with Practical Observations, on the New Testament is a forgotten classic, available soon in a beautiful reprint, that “is not only faithful to biblical truth; it expresses that truth with literary grace.” (Sponsored)
Believe it or Not: One Day Drag Queen Story Hour Will Be a Drag
This is true: that even for those who find Drag Queen Story Hour so thrilling right now, it will eventually prove to be a big letdown.
The Spider-Man Fallacy Fallacy
This article shows that the so-called Spider-Man fallacy is itself a kind of fallacy.
What Is Christian Science?
Ligonier has a nice little primer on Christian Science (which, of course, is neither Christian nor scientific).
Finding Rest on the Road
I appreciate Kody’s call here to make it your habit to find a local church on your vacations.
Flashback: The Dead Seriousness of Careless Words
Words can strengthen the weak or crush them, comfort the sorrowful or grieve them, relieve the burdened or weigh them down all the more. Words can be a taste of life or a savor of death, a scent of heaven or a whiff of hell. They can do the work of God or of the devil, serve the cause of Christ or of his enemies.

The more times we are in narrow straits, and we see God bring us through, the more peace and courage we will have as time goes on. —Tim Keller