From the Editor Nov/Dec 2025
Israel My Glory Sneak Peek with Jesse King, our managing editor, is a video series that gives a glimpse into our latest issue.Panic covered my young daughter’s face. Her knuckles turned white as she gripped the monkey bars above her head, her legs dangling beneath her. She quickly regretted exploring the playground further than she intended. I stood beside her, offering help; but she was too frightened to think clearly.
“Do you trust me?” I asked her.
“Yes, Daddy.”
“Then let go of the bars.”
She struggled for a few seconds before her trust won out; her fear dissipated, and she let go. I eased her to the ground—mere inches below where she had been hanging. She had been convinced that dropping down from the monkey bars posed a deadly threat; but, holding her securely, I knew she was never in danger.
In that moment, my daughter was held hostage by a very real but ultimately futile fear of pain. She didn’t realize her father would keep her safe. How often do we believers in Jesus, the sons and daughters of God, fear the unknown instead of trusting our Father’s promise to be with us always (Mt. 28:20)?
God is in control of all things. He “works all things according to the counsel of His will” (Eph. 1:11), from world nations (Ps. 103:19) to every detail of the bodies He designed for us (139:13–15). His supreme sovereignty should comfort our restless hearts.
We have the privilege of watching in retrospect how God worked through great difficulty for His perfect purposes in the lives of some of Scripture’s heroes of the faith, like Joseph and Job. But maintaining confidence in God’s plans while walking through darkness challenges our will.
Our team of young adults on our ORIGINS service trip to Israel courageously modeled faith in the Lord’s sovereignty during a dark time in June when they endured the entirety of the Jewish state’s 12-day war with Iran. Living in bomb shelters as missiles fell around them drastically altered their plans for ministry. But their obedience to God produced a living testimony of faith in Him and love for His Chosen People.
No matter how hard things get, we know a happy ending awaits us. And, in the meantime, the Holy Spirit walks with us through our trials, crafting within us childlike faith in our heavenly Father.
As we explore God’s sovereignty in this issue, I hope your heart finds rest in the One who created and sustains all things (Col. 1:15–18). And I hope this Christmas season reminds you of our Savior’s humble role in God’s sovereign plan: to be born in a lowly stable, live among sinful humanity, and ultimately give His life as a ransom for many (Mk. 10:45).
In His service,
Jesse King
Managing Editor
