The Wound Is Where the Light Gets In

Most of us spend a lot of our lives trying to avoid getting hurt and running away from the famine.

We manage outcomes. We protect ourselves. We keep people at a distance. We hide the parts of our story that feel too fragile, too painful, too exposed. If we’re honest, we don’t just want healing, we want control. We want a life where nothing breaks.

But that’s not how life works. And it’s not how God works either.

In his song “The Wound Is Where the Light Gets In,” Jason Gray captures a truth that feels both uncomfortable and strangely hopeful: the very places we try to cover up are often the places where God wants to meet us most deeply. The wound isn’t just something to fix; it can become a doorway. Not because the pain is good, but because God is good in the midst of it.

That runs counter to everything in us. We assume our strength is found in holding it all together. But Scripture paints a different picture, one in which God’s grace flows most freely into the cracks, where His power is made perfect not in our strength but in our weakness.

What if the places you feel most broken aren’t barriers to God’s work… but the very places He wants to bring His light?

That’s the invitation.

Today, listen and reflect on the way God might want to meet you and shine through you in the midst of seasons of famine.

Jason Gray - The Wound Is Where The Light Gets In (Lyric Video)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjaZGss9tQQ

The Daily Fill Staff

by Anonymous

Faithful In The Failure

Genesis 12:16-20

Genesis 12 ends in a way that almost feels… unsettling.

Abram takes things into his own hands and runs to Egypt rather than turning to God. He lies and says his wife is his sister and puts her at risk to save himself. And as a result, plagues strike Pharaoh, and Abram is blessed (Gen 12:16-20). If we’re honest, this raises a serious question: Is that fair? Is it fair to Pharaoh? Is it fair to Abram?

No.
And I think that’s the point.

Beneath the surface, the story is asking a deeper question: What does God do when His people fail? Abram was given a promise, a unilateral promise. God said, “I will bless you.” Not, “I will bless you if you get everything right.” So when Abram falters, the promise doesn’t fall apart. God remains faithful, even when Abram is not.

That doesn’t mean there are no consequences. There had to be a repair in Abram’s marriage. There was a journey back into the Negeb. There were lessons he would have to relearn. His life would have been more fruitful if he had trusted God the first time. But even in the mess, God does not abandon him. That’s the goodness of God.

Paul says it this way, “If we are faithless, He remains faithful” (2 Timothy 2:13). That’s not an excuse for disobedience, it’s an anchor for weary souls. Because if God’s faithfulness depended on your consistency, you’d never make it. But it doesn’t. It depends on His character.

And that changes everything.

Some of you feel like you’ve taken a detour to Egypt. You tried to control the outcome. You made decisions out of fear. You hurt people. You lost ground. And now you’re wondering if you’ve disqualified yourself. You haven’t. There may be consequences. There may be a road back. But there is not a moment where God looks at you and says, “I’m done with you.”

There is still an invitation in the midst of the famine. God is not finished with Abram, and He’s not finished with you. His love for you is not determined by your faithfulness, but by His. And even in your failure, He is still forming you, still pursuing you, still inviting you to trust Him again.

So don’t run from Him. Run back. Because the God who called you is still the God who keeps His promises.

Ryan Paulson
Lead Pastor

by Ryan Paulson

Egypt Always Calls

“Now there was a famine in the land. So Abram went down to Egypt to sojourn there, for the famine was severe in the land.” (Genesis 12:10)

Egypt has a prominent place in the history of God’s people. Sometimes it’s a place of refuge and help:

– Genesis 42:2, “I have heard that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy some for us, so that we may live and not die.”

– 1 Kings 11:40, “Solomon tried to kill Jeroboam, but Jeroboam fled to Egypt, to Shishak the king, and stayed there until Solomon’s death.”

– Matt 2:13, “an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. ‘Get up,' he said, ‘take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.’”

Sometimes it is a force acting against God’s people:

– Exodus 1:12-13, “But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread; so the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites and worked them ruthlessly.”

– 2 Chronicles 12:2-3, “... Shishak king of Egypt attacked Jerusalem in the fifth year of King Rehoboam. With twelve hundred chariots and sixty thousand horsemen and the innumerable troops of Libyans, Sukkites and Cushites that came with him from Egypt.”

– Jeremiah 44:27, “For I am watching over them for harm, not for good; the Jews in Egypt will perish by sword and famine until they are all destroyed.”

Since they are neighbors, it makes sense that Egypt and Israel’s paths regularly cross.

When Abram journeyed to Egypt in Gen 12:10, the Scriptures do not depict him seeking the Lord first to see if he should go. In fact, for some reason, Abram keep moving even after the Lord appeared to him in verse 7, “The Lord appeared to Abram and said, ‘To your offspring I will give this land.’ So he built an altar there to the Lord, who had appeared to him.”

Why does Abram keep moving after the Lord says he will give his offspring the land he had traveled to?

Pause for a moment and ask the Lord if you are being tempted to move away from a place he wants you planted? Ask him to protect you from drifting to things that may be close or feel safe, but are not his plan for you.

John Riley
Junior High Pastor

by John Riley

Failed the First Test

On April 1, 2026, Artemis II lifted off from the Kennedy Space Center's Launch Complex 39B. I am one of many people who believed the story was an April Fools' joke. As I write this, the astronauts on board have allegedly flown farther from planet Earth than any other humans. Part of me keeps waiting for someone to say, “April Fools!” But based on coverage by all the major news outlets, the story seems legitimate. Some people around us will still be doubters, believing this to be a hoax as well as the original moon landings in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Recently, I found myself wondering if the original moon landings were real until I watched this presentation by astronaut Charlie Duke. His sincerity and his story are very compelling, and so is his faith.

One part of his story stuck out to me. The way he described all the practice they put into learning to land the lunar module. The astronauts went through thousands of landing runs on a simulator to get good enough to handle the real thing. On that simulator, they failed more than they succeeded, but they got better because of the practice.

I suppose that makes sense, but sometimes I expect perfection without the practice. It is easy to judge myself and others harshly. That was my emotional response to Abram’s stumble right after God called him in Genesis chapter 12. God called him in verse 1. He left his home in obedience in verse 4. Then, in verses 11-14, he told his wife to lie and say she was his sister. This was Abram’s first test. He lied and failed to trust God right out of the gate. Instead of trusting God to keep his promise of protection and provision, Abram lied to protect himself, and he made his wife lie too.

It would be nice to get a practice run for our decisions and choices, but God doesn’t give us simulators. God did get Abram and his wife out of the trouble the lie got them in, but how did it affect their relationship afterward? How would my wife feel if I gave her away to protect my skin? I picture that causing a big hurt in our relationship and impacting her sense of trust in me.

I’m thankful that God didn’t abandon Abram or his wife because of their failure, and I’m thankful that he won’t abandon us for messing up either. Take a moment and thank God for another day to practice our faith and live out our trust in him!

John Riley
Junior High Pastor

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRM0D_ix2Zo)

by John Riley

Learning to Trust

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.” (Proverbs 3:5)

We’re all quite familiar with the above verse, but have we ever considered that trusting is learned, that it is a process? This reminds me of a sweet story of a rescued dog, who, upon entering his new home, immediately got into the bathtub and stayed there. Not knowing his backstory, the woman who had taken him home realized this poor dog must have been traumatized, finding only a modicum of safety in a bathtub. The wise woman let him stay there and slept on the bathroom floor herself for two nights in a row. In the evening, she sat on that floor and read aloud to him in her soft, calming voice. The morning of the second day, she awoke to find him out of the tub, curled up on a small rug. Gradually over the next few days, the dog stepped into the hallway, then explored the rest of the house, and followed her everywhere, finally realizing he could trust her to keep him safe and well cared for. He now sleeps wherever he wants, fully trusting her, but it was a process.

In Genesis 12:10, we see Abram panicking because of a famine, and he left for Egypt to meet his family’s needs. Why didn’t he ask God what to do first? Because he was just like us, we fall back on what we’re used to. We must learn to trust! God gives us grace as we learn it. God wasn’t surprised by Abram’s action; He knows it’s a process. Abram was used to leaning on his “own understanding.”

Years ago, at Emmanuel Faith, one of our pastors taught us about this process and used the acronym GAOG to help us remember this truth. GAOG stood for God Allowed Opportunity for Growth. In Abram’s case, it was an opportunity to grow in trusting God. Perhaps Abram had not learned that one of God’s names is Jehovah Jireh, the God who provides (even in a famine). We experience these opportunities along our Christian journey. They are how we grow to know God better, to trust Him fully, and to follow the path He has for us.

The Process

(1) Recognize you are in a GAOG situation. These can be big or small, but as we surrender them to Him, we can grow in trust.

(2) “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you, as though something strange were happening to you.” (1 Peter 4:12)

(3) “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.” (James 1:2)

(4) “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” (James 1:5)

(5) Trust the outcome to God. “… for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.” (Philippians 4:11)

And then give yourself and others grace as you grow in trusting God with all your heart and your actions.

Reflection:

What GAOGs have you experienced in the past? How did you grow in them? Are you in a GAOG now? What do you see God doing in it?

Francie Overstreet
EFCC Member

by Francie Overstreet

From April 13-17 | Additional Thoughts

Abraham was called to leave everything familiar and follow God into an unknown future. He left with no map, no guarantees… just a promise. And somehow, that was enough for him to take the next step.

His story reminds us that faith isn’t about having all the answers; it’s about trusting the One who calls you. It’s choosing obedience when clarity is limited, and moving forward when comfort is behind you.

Listen to the song “Abraham” by Josh Baldwin, let it become your prayer. Where is God inviting you to trust Him today? What might it look like for you to take one step of faith, even if you can’t see the whole path?

The same God who was faithful to Abraham is still faithful today, and He’s still calling people to follow Him.

Abraham (Lyric Video) - Josh Baldwin | The War is Over
(Video Link: https://youtu.be/3kOaHuWrKIw?si=1gk3IatNCjLUOUGN)

From The Daily Fill Staff

by Anonymous

Count the Stars

Genesis 15

I’ve been asked where the title for our series on Abraham, Count the Stars, came from. It’s actually a command that God gave to Abram. However, you need the backstory to really understand the significance for Abram… and for us.

We all know that there are seasons in life where it feels like nothing is happening. Our prayers seem to go unanswered. God’s promises feel like they’re going to be eternally delayed. And it’s in those moments that hope slowly gives way to frustration. That’s where Abram finds himself in Genesis 15.

God had promised to make him into a great nation, but years had passed, and Sarai was still unable to have children. At their age, it didn’t just feel unlikely… it felt impossible. The window had closed.

And Abram is honest about it. He asks, “Lord, what can you give me since I remain childless?” (Gen. 15:2). You can hear the ache and pain in his voice. God had blessed him in so many ways, but Abram couldn’t see past the one thing God hadn’t done. Isn’t that true for us, too? We fixate on what’s missing and forget what’s been given. We measure God’s faithfulness by the one unanswered prayer.

So what does God do? He invites Abram outside. “The Lord took him outside and said, ‘Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them… so shall your offspring be.’” (Gen. 15:5) Don’t miss this moment. Abram moves from inside, where he had been staring at the eight-foot ceiling of his woven goat-hair tent, to standing under an infinite sky. And with that simple shift, everything changes.

God is saying, “You’re putting limits on what I can do. You’re letting your circumstances define my possibilities.” Inside the tent, Abram’s vision was small. Outside, his perspective expands. The sky becomes a reminder: It’s never too late, never too little, never too far gone for God.

Sometimes what we need most isn’t a new answer, it’s a new vantage point. God often meets people outside the routines and confines of their everyday lives. Moses in the wilderness. David is in the hills. Elijah is in a cave. Jesus in the desert. Again and again, God draws people out so they can see more clearly. Maybe that’s an invitation for you today. If your world has started to feel small… if your prayers feel stuck… if your faith feels boxed in, it might be time for a “two-foot field trip.” Step outside. Look up and breathe… and let creation remind you of what your circumstances have made you forget: God is bigger than your limitations. His promises are not bound by your timeline.

Abram looked up at the stars, and something shifted. Not in his circumstances, but in his heart. And that, my friends, is where faith begins again.

Ryan Paulson
Lead Pastor

by Ryan Paulson

While We Were Waiting

“making the best use of time because the days are evil.” Ephesians 5:16 (ESV)

With apologies to the movie entitled While You Were Sleeping, we find ourselves waiting very often. It seems that one of God’s favorite commands is “Wait!” There are myriad reasons for this: He is working in ways larger than we understand; we have truth to learn and experience; we can grow in trusting God, etc. In our Scripture from Sunday, even after Abram moved to Canaan in obedience to the LORD’s command and promise, there was an unspecified period during which Abram, his family, and his entire nomadic group simply lived as they always had. There apparently were no specific instructions on what to do next! But Abram used that time of waiting to worship God as he built altars in two different places. Pretty amazing and made me consider how I use times of waiting.

In our culture, we really don’t wait well. How many times do we groan because we hit every stoplight on the way to wherever? Waiting in the doctor’s office, we hear, “The doctor’s running late, sorry.” Standing in any long line or waiting while the person in front of you at the store checkout line has problems causes us to wait. Or the more serious wait times of financial issues, medical diagnosis, sons/daughters walking away from the Lord, future uncertainty, and God still says to wait. We want the resolution now, the answer yesterday, our plan enacted immediately, the pain gone, and on and on. Perhaps these times of waiting, whether short or long, could be times of opportunities for us to worship him in our responses. We are instructed in Ephesians 5:16: “making the best use of time because the days are evil.”

We have many examples in Scripture. Joseph, imprisoned for years, continued to trust and worship God. David, surrounded by enemies, hunted by the king, still always trusted in God even when he cried, “How long, O Lord?” This does not mean we are to deny the reality, the emotions, or the extent of the waiting.

How can we worship while we wait? Consider these passages:

“Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!” Psalm 27:14 (ESV)

“give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (ESV)

“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.” James 1:2-3 (ESV)

“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31 (ESV)

Perhaps today, when you are waiting, you can build an altar to worship God in the way you respond. What will that look like?

Francie Overstreet
EFCC Member

by Francie Overstreet