The episode opens with a quote from Romans 11:33 about God's unsearchable judgments. It notes that Abraham Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809. Lincoln remained skeptical and cynical about religion into his forties. The narrative highlights how personal and national suffering drew him into the reality of God. In 1862, when Lincoln was 53, his 11-year-old son Willie died. Lincoln's wife dealt with her grief by searching out new age mediums. Lincoln turned to Phineas Gurley, pastor of the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church in Washington. Several long talks led to what Gurley described as a conversion to Christ. Lincoln confided that he was driven many times to his knees by the conviction that he had nowhere else to go. The horrors of dead and wounded soldiers assaulted him daily. There were 50 hospitals for the wounded in Washington. The Rotunda of the Capitol held 2,000 cots for wounded soldiers. Typically, 50 soldiers a day died in these temporary hospitals. All of this drove Lincoln deeper into the providence of God. The episode reflects on how suffering can lead to spiritual awakening rather than alienation. It uses Lincoln's story to illustrate the theme of divine wisdom in hardship. The devotional format provides a short, substantive reading focused on historical and theological insights.
