Faithfulness can feel discouraging when you don’t see results. You keep showing up, obeying, serving, praying—and yet the world around you still looks broken, and little seems to change. Tonight’s episode, written by Dr. James Spencer (host of the Thinking Christian Podcast) reminds us that we aren’t called to fix what only God can fix. We’re called to live faithfully in the middle of it. In 1 Samuel 16, Samuel assumes Israel’s next king will look impressive on the outside, but God redirects him: the Lord looks at the heart. David, overlooked and doing ordinary work in the fields, is the one God has chosen because of his devoted heart. This meditation invites you to trust that when obedience feels unseen or ineffective, God is still watching, working, and shaping you for His purposes.
Originally published February 09, 2026.
James Spencer earned his PhD in Theological Studies from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and an MA in Biblical Exegesis from Wheaton College. By teaching the Bible and theology, as well as evaluating modern social, cultural, and political trends, James challenges Christians to remember that we don’t set God’s agenda—He sets ours. James has published multiple works, including Serpents and Doves: Christians, Politics and the Art of Bearing Witness, Christian Resistance: Learning to Defy the World and Follow Christ, Useful to God: Eight Lessons from the Life of D. L. Moody, Thinking Christian: Essays on Testimony, Accountability, and the Christian Min, and Trajectories: A Gospel-Centered Introduction to Old Testament Theology. His work calls Christians to an unqualified devotion to the Lord. In addition to serving as president of Useful to God, James is a member of the faculty at Right On Mission and an adjunct instructor at Wheaton College Graduate School. Listen and subscribe to James’s Thinking Christian podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Life Audio.
