Hope with God... with Andrew and Wendy Palau

In the Bible, Deborah was a powerful woman appointed by God. She was appointed to be a leader and a judge over Israel. She faced dangerous enemies and uncertain times, yet she stood strong. Why? Because she trusted God. Through her courage, her voice, through her obedience, God brought hope and victory to His people. God often calls ordinary people to do extraordinary things. Your voice, your life...

Have you faced loss or disappointment so deep that you didn’t know how to keep going? There’s a story in the Bible about a woman who felt this way. She was a widow—she had already lost her husband—and now her only son had died. Her heart must have felt completely broken. But then Jesus came. He spoke to her gently. Then He touched her son—and gave him back his life. That moment shows us something...

I want to tell you the story of Elijah, a prophet of God. Threatened by powerful enemies and exhausted from his mission, he ran away into the wilderness to hide. He actually prayed for God to take his life. But God did not take his life, and He didn’t leave him. He sent an angel instead, with food, and gave Elijah the strength to continue. And he says in a quiet whisper, God reminded him he was ne...

In Genesis chapter 2, we’re told God planted a garden. And then all the way at the end of the Bible, in Revelation chapter 22, we’re told about a river of life that flows through Heaven. And on each side of the river is the Tree of Life. John 15 tells us, Jesus says, “I am the vine, my father is the gardener.” Gardeners are unique people. My husband is a gardener. If we have a plant that isn't doi...

One of Jesus’ friends, Peter, he faced a terrifying storm. And in the middle of the chaos, in the middle of the real danger, Jesus invited him to do something shocking—step out of the boat into the stormy sea and walk on the water! But he walked on the water, feeling daring and alive. But when he remembered the wind and waves, it says, “fear overtook him again, and he began to sink.” Immediately,...

Jesus told a story about a shepherd who left ninety-nine sheep to search for the one that was lost. He searched, and he searched, and he was patient until he found that one lost sheep, and he carried it home with joy. That story reminds us that every life matters deeply to God. No matter how far you feel from God, He is after you, He is seeking for you, and He longs to carry you home to safety. Pe...

In chapter 15 in the book of Mark, we hear the story of when Jesus is taken to the cross. He is challenged over and over again to save Himself. He's insulted, abused, stripped naked, beaten, mocked… And the final insult? People cry out, “Save yourself!” And He could, of course He could. But He didn't, because He was called to save us. You and me and the entire world. We daily live to save ourselve...

The Bible, God’s holy book, tells us the story of a young queen, Esther. Her people were in danger, and to help them, she had to approach the king uninvited—that was a move that would cost her her life. Her bravery saved her people and brought protection, hope, and life to thousands. Courage isn’t about our own strength—it’s about trusting God even when we feel small.  Maybe you’re facing a challe...

While visiting a prison to share the love of Jesus, I met a woman who felt alone and forsaken by everyone, including God. Three of her adult children had died and her husband had also recently passed away. I thought about Jesus on the cross. The Bible says that He cried out to His father, “My God, my God. Why have you forsaken me?” The depth of this word is stunning and exactly the way this woman...

Have you felt trapped by circumstances beyond your control? Consider the story of Daniel from the Bible— this is God’s ancient book of wisdom. Because of his faithfulness to God, jealous leaders plotted against Daniel—and he was thrown into a den of lions. But Daniel didn’t panic. He prayed, and he trusted God. And that night, God miraculously shut the mouths of the lions, and Daniel emerged untou...

Have you ever felt the smallness of your life? A young boy in the Bible felt that way. He found himself in a crowd of people. They were all gathered to see Jesus, and they were far from home, and they had nothing to eat. But this boy had some food with him. Something moved him to offer it instead to Jesus. Jesus took that small but faith-filled offering, and He multiplied it beyond imagination! Ev...

Roxanna was a young mother. I met her in a struggling community on the outskirts of Rosario, Argentina. As I shared the Gospel of hope found in knowing Jesus, I saw her face move from disinterest and distrust to softness and brokenness. As I stood beside her, she cried and cried, broken. There was nothing about what I shared that was unique, but it reminded me of the power of the Good News. The po...

Have you ever faced a challenge so big it felt impossible? That’s exactly what Joshua faced in the ancient story of God’s people. God told him to lead the Israelites into Jericho, a city with walls so tall they were impossible to break.  The instructions were this: march around the city once a day for six days, and seven times on the seventh day, blowing trumpets. On the seventh day, the walls cru...

I recently met a woman who told me she left the church because God didn't answer her prayers. She had been asking God “why?” for years. “Why won’t you answer my prayers? That night, she was reminded that God is sovereign, God is mysterious, but God is always good. It is a hard truth that very often God doesn’t answer our question why. But He promises to never leave us in our suffering, to be with...

God’s ancient book of wisdom tells us about a servant, a woman named Hagar. She was so abused and mistreated by her mistress that she fled into the desert, the Bible says, unsure if she would survive. God saw Hagar and spoke to her, promising that she would have a baby and that her son would live to be the father of a great nation. And she named the place “Well of the Living One Who Sees Me.” Do y...

Have you ever felt invisible in your pain—like no one truly understands what you're going through? Jesus understands. He experienced the ultimate heartbreak on the cross, dying for sins that He did not commit. Three days later, the tomb was empty! Jesus rose from the dead, proving that God’s love is stronger than death. Through His sacrifice, Jesus opened a way for anyone to be forgiven and given...

I met a teenager in Africa whose mother was sick. This sweet girl, Nicole, was afraid of losing her mother, who she loved so much. And she hated watching her mother suffer. At the festival where we were sharing about the love of Jesus, she raised her hand, ready to respond to the love, to the forgiveness, to the comfort offered through a relationship with Jesus. God met her in her pain. He took ca...

Have you ever felt trapped by your past—convinced that you’re too broken to change? I know that feeling, and it makes me think of a story in the Bible, as well, about a man named Saul. He had spent years hunting down and harassing early followers of Jesus, convinced that he was doing the right thing. Every day, he tried to enforce what he thought was justice. But one day, as he was traveling, blin...

I met a woman recently who had decided to walk away from faith in Jesus because the man she loved didn't have the same relationship with God. As the years had gone by, her husband had been abusive to her and her children; she finally left him. She realized she needed to come home to her Heavenly Father. There is a verse in the Bible, written by an ancient prophet named Isaiah, in chapter 50 that p...

There’s a story in the Bible, God’s holy Word, about a poor widow. She had just a handful of flour and a little olive oil—just enough for one final meal for herself and for her son. Then a man came, Elijah, a prophet, and he asked her for a small loaf of bread. She easily could have said no, but instead, she chose to give away what little she had. But somehow…her jar of flour and jug of oil never...

There’s a story in the Old Testament about Joseph—betrayed by his brothers, sold into slavery, and later imprisoned for a crime he did not commit. He must have felt so forgotten, so abandoned. Even in the darkest moments of Joseph’s story, God was at work. Years later, he became a leader who saved countless lives during a severe famine. And then he was looking back, and he said to his oppressors,...

Listen to the powerful words of King David from Psalms 84. He says, “How lovely is your dwelling place. O Lord almighty. My soul yearns, even faints for the courts of the Lord. My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.” In ancient Israel, God's dwelling place was the temple. His people would go to the temple to meet with Him there. But now, because of the work of Jesus, God's dwelling plac...

David was a king in ancient Israel, who made huge mistakes. He had everything—power, family, influence—but one terrible choice brought him deep shame and regret. He tried to hide it, even from God, but the weight on his own heart grew unbearable. Finally, he poured out his soul in a song in Psalm 32, asking God to forgive him. And God forgave him. We all carry regrets; you are not alone. God’s for...

When Jesus healed people, at times He spoke and they were healed. Sometimes He touched them and they were healed; sometimes people simply had to touch Him.  In chapter 7 in the book of Mark, we’re told that people saw what He did and were overwhelmed with amazement. They said: “He (Jesus) does everything well.” The word “well” translates: “good, rightly, beautiful”- I love this translation.  Maybe...

Have you ever felt like you’ve rebelled too much to be loved by God? Jesus once told a story about a son who felt that very same way. He demanded his inheritance early, left home, wasted it all, it says, on wild living. When he ran out of money, food, and his friends deserted him, he decided to go back to his father and beg him to let him return—not as a son, but as a servant. And he expected reje...