Some passengers in a railway carriage... - All The Good Seed Daily Devotionals for 2026

In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears.
But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.
Psalm 18:6; Philippians 3:7

Some passengers in a railway carriage were discussing things generally, what should be and ought not to be. A very small, elderly lady with a wrinkled face was listening. Then one of the passengers addressed her: "What do you think?"
"You know," she answered in a foreign accent, "in my case, I lost everything. Formerly, in my homeland, I was rich and lived with my family. But everything went in the civil war. For years now I have been alone in a foreign country. I had to do work that I was not accustomed to, in order to make ends meet. But I have no regrets. In my loneliness I found God. Now I know Jesus Christ. In the days of my prosperity I was never truly happy, nor even satisfied. But in Jesus I found real happiness."
It turned really quiet in that compartment, and rightly so! It is worthwhile considering the vicissitudes of life: prosperity today, maybe suffering, illness and need tomorrow. Yet external misfortune need not destroy our hope, for true happiness does not lie in material things that pass away, nor in human love, however valuable and important they are. True happiness can be found only in Jesus Christ. He gives peace, joy, comfort and eternal life. "Call upon me in the day of trouble, I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me" (Psalm 50:15)
Today's reading: Acts 1