David prayed a deeply significant prayer when he asked God to help him with all sin in his life—both deliberate sins and the “hidden faults” buried deep in his heart that he might not even be aware of. This was a brave prayer to pray, and what an example he set for us to follow. We want to be proud of who we are and feel like we’re getting things right, so it can be tempting to lie to ourselves about our motives in order to feel better. Asking God to help us face these things requires real honesty and a genuine commitment to change.

The story of Jonah is a powerful one. What you may remember most is his encounter with the great fish and surviving three days in its belly. While that is true, it is only a small part of a much greater story.

In John 6, we read the incredible miracle of Jesus feeding the 5,000 and then slipping away shortly afterward to be by Himself. After making His way to Capernaum miraculously through the night by walking on water, that same crowd realized He was gone and pursued Him by boat. When they arrived, Jesus quickly called them out on their motives for following Him.

Have you ever seen a bright, shining light be overcome by a greater source? Maybe you’ve noticed this with Christmas lights. If they’re left on during the day, you usually can’t even tell that they’re on. The sun is such a greater source of light that the tiny bulbs we cover our homes with could never match its radiance. Still, they shine so beautifully in the dark.

In Luke 18, we find Jesus warning the disciples that at their next stop—Jerusalem—all the prophecies about Him would come true: He was about to die. The walk there must have been excruciating for Jesus. I cannot imagine knowing when and where I would die and walking there willingly without it weighing heavily on my heart. While Jesus was the Son of God, He still experienced human emotions just like we do (Hebrews 4:15; Isaiah 53:3). And yet, in the middle of this walk, He still stopped to respond to a divine interruption.