Wayfarer

Along my spiritual journey, I’ve come to realize that the greatest danger is often not outright rejection of God. It is convincing myself that my version of obedience is close enough. A chapter-a-day podcast from 1 Samuel 15. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com . Please subscribe, "Like," and comment!

Throughout the Great Story, God moves through people willing to take the next faithful step before the whole map is visible. A chapter-a-day podcast from 1 Samuel 14. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com.

Saul could not endure uncertainty long enough to obey. His core issue is not weakness. It's self-reliance baptized in religious language. A chapter-a-day podcast from 1 Samuel 13. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

Sin is real. Grace is more real. A chapter-a-day podcast from 1 Samuel 12. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com . Be sure to "like" and subscribe -- and feel free to comment!

This is it. The moment. Saul is down on the farm, but the phone just rang in the dugout. He’s getting called up to The Show, and his debut is going to be the lead story on SportsCenter tomorrow. A chapter-a-day podcast from 1 Samuel 11. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com.

Along my journey, I’ve observed and learned that when God calls individuals, rarely are those individuals ready or prepared for the task. A chapter-a-day podcast from 1 Samuel 10. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

It’s easy to imagine God's calling arriving with trumpets and lightning bolts. Along my life journey, I’ve come to realize that more often, God hides destiny inside ordinary obedience. A chapter-a-day podcast from 1 Samuel 9. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com.

This is one of the Bible’s most sobering truths:  God sometimes loves us enough to let us experience the weight of what we insist upon. A chapter-a-day podcast from 1 Samuel 8. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

God’s Kingdom and His purposes don’t cater to the human expectations of timeliness. They are operating on an eternal scale outside of time. A chapter-a-day podcast from 1 Samuel 7. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com. Please subscribe, share, like, and comment.

I’ve observed that one of the strangest dangers along my spiritual journey is that the longer I walk around sacred things the easier it becomes to lose my sense of wonder. A chapter-a-day podcast from 1 Samuel 6. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com.

I have observed that throughout history followers of Jesus have panicked whenever culture shifted, institutions weakened, or the Church lost influence. But today’s chapter whispers:  “God is not pacing nervously in heaven.” A chapter-a-day podcast from 1 Samuel 5. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

I’m reminded in the quiet this morning that when life hands me a bitter defeat, when seemingly everything has gone wrong — it is never hopeless. A chapter-a-day podcast from 1 Samuel 4. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

Along my life journey, I’ve observed that it is easy for me to miss the simple spiritual lessons that God wove into creation itself. A chapter-a-day podcast from 1 Samuel 3. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

As I meditated on today’s chapter, I found it to have a bit of epic feel to it. It’s not just narrating facts, there’s a spiritual heartbeat thumping underneath the text. A chapter-a-day podcast from 1 Samuel 2. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

Sometimes life requires a more intense prayer offering. A chapter-a-day podcast from 1 Samuel 1. The text version can always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

If I allowed my desires and expectations to determine my decisions, you wouldn’t be listening to this podcast. A chapter-a-day podcast from Haggai 2. The text version is always available to read and share at tomvanderwell.com .

I am very capable of building a beautiful life… while quietly neglecting the very thing that gives it meaning. A chapter-a-day podcast from Haggai 1. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

It's often how God works. Not with coercion. Not by breaking down the door. But by invitation. A chapter-a-day podcast from Luke 24. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

The two thieves crucified with Jesus reminded me this morning of an unexpected call I once received from the hospital. A chapter-a-day podcast from Luke 23. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com.

For most of my life, I’ve stood in Peter’s sandals and felt what he felt. In the quiet this morning I saw something different. A chapter-a-day podcast from Luke 22. The text version may always be found and shared at tom vanderwell.com .

Whenever something comes along with the transformative power to change “normal” life as we know it, it stirs within human minds doubts, fears, and anxieties. A chapter-a-day podcast from Luke 21. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com.

If you read this chapter closely, it’s dripping with the tension of a political thriller! A chapter-a-day podcast from Luke 20. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

Today's chapter is about  recognition … and the tragedy of missing it. A chapter-a-day podcast from Luke 19. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

What struck me as I meditated on these things this morning was that I was observing a pattern in the parables and stories that have been lifting off the page for me. A chapter-a-day podcast from Luke 18. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

“Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” For most of my life, I confess that I muttered these words without truly even thinking about what they meant. A chapter-a-day podcast from Luke 17. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .