In step

[RiverOL]

Top 7 Bible Verses About Old Age or the Elderly​

Want to know how to age gracefully? Do it with the Lord by your side. Every day we live is an opportunity to know Him more. The most exciting part is that God never ages. He remains the same beautiful, layered, complex, simple, exciting, peaceful, wild presence that he has always been. Worried about growing older? Shift your focus to learning more of Jesus every day, and watch all of the ways you’ll begin to feel young again. Read on for some truth on the aging process and God’s love for us at every stage of our lives.
Proverbs 16:31 Gray hair is a crown of splendor; it is attained in the way of righteousness.

If you have spent your years walking with God, and learning from Him, then you have earned every gray hair on your head. They should be celebrated and worn like a crown, as a testament that you are the living, breathing child of a King.

Isaiah 46:4 Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.​

In the younger years, when lots of life’s biggest decisions are being made, it is easy to seek God’s guidance and assistance. But it is important to remember that He cares about every day of your life. He will carry you when you are too young to know you need it, and when you are too old to walk on your own. His sustaining love is forever.

Job 12:12 Is not wisdom found among the aged? Does not long life bring understanding?​

Some life lessons come in an instant, and others must be learned from years of experience and growth. The older we grow, the more we learn about kindness, patience, heartbreak, love , and mercy. All of these experiences lead us to a deeper understanding of life’s seasons, and a greater wisdom of God’s presence through them all.

Deuteronomy 32:7  Remember the days of old; consider the generations long past. Ask your father and he will tell you, your elders, and they will explain to you​

All generations have been entrusted with different lessons based upon the time they lived. There is much to be learned from those that have gone before us. God places people in our lives who can teach us these lessons- parents, grandparents, church elders-and they can explain so much about God. We just have to take the time and consideration to ask for help.

1 Timothy 5:17 The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching.​

Those who have devoted many years to serving the church, and proclaiming Christ’s message, are worthy of respect and honor. They have spent time pouring themselves out, preaching and teaching others what they, through time and experience, have learned. We honor their commitment to their church community, as well as their commitment to serving God.

Psalm 71:18 Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, my God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your mighty acts to all who are to come.​

I believe this may be the prayer of many. Asking God to stay beside them, to remember them, throughout their lives. We live long enough to see God’s mightiness in many ways, and ache at the thought of someone not getting that chance. We hope that we can help others to know Him, as we have known Him. Once you know love like that, you just want to spread it out.

2 Timothy 4:7-8 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.  Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.​

No one ever said that following Jesus would be easy. Daily, believers lose, struggle with, and abandon their faith. The ones who thought they were signing up for a breezy sprint are shocked when they discover that this race is long distance. Upon making this discovery, there are two options: Give up when you get past the easy part, or dig deep and continue on. The finish line may seem so very far away, but for those who have stayed in the race? They will be rewarded with a crown, and allowed to rest forevermore.

Conclusion​

There is a common belief that we gradually become less useful as we grow older. That this world is made for the young. Perhaps that is so. But we are not of this world. When we live our lives for God, our journey here does not end until we take our final breath. Noah, Moses, Abraham-some of our greatest biblical examples-all went on some of their greatest adventures at a time when most would be settling into retirement. Should you be finding yourself feeling a little bit forgotten, overlooked, unappreciated…take care to remember that God will use you at any age, and any stage. There is no age limit to the way He works, and His is a love that never grows old.

 

[RiverOL]

Walking the Four Stages of Faith with Good Leaders​

In my last blog post, I looked at the four stages of faith and conversion that we commonly go through as followers of Jesus: calling, challenge, catalytic moments, and convergence. In this post, we examine what qualities Good Leaders will possess as mentors in those stages. I admit in that reflection that I oversimplified the stages to avoid formulas and to make it memorable in the contexts I serve (Water Street Mission and River Corner Church). I am also okay with that, because it is a framework for reference, not a metric. You can check out that blog post for more about these stages.



In that reflection, I also emphasized that we can’t go it alone. Faith is not meant to be a solo project. It is never truly just “you and Jesus.” An overwhelming majority of Jesus’ teachings were given in community. Even the prayer we teach us to pray roots us in a communal context. Similarly, most of Paul’s pastoral letters were written to church communities, and all of them involved leading or facilitating a church community. You cannot follow Jesus effectively without living into the communal nature in which it was entrusted.

Since community is so essential to what it means to follow Jesus, we need mentors and church communities that walk with us, keeping us accountable, rooted in discipleship, encouraged, and empowered along the way. I talked about my experience with that in a recent blog post on ICNU conversations.

Good Mentors for Each Stage​

Following up on the conversation on stages of faith, this blog post focuses on what sort of leaders and mentors I have come to see that we need in each of these stages—and what kind of learning journey each stage invites us into with others. At Water Street Mission, I work with our guests to find mentors. Throughout my seasons of life, I have had many mentors. All of this has taught me that in different seasons, there are other mentors we need to encourage us on our journey. Similarly, over nineteen years of pastoring have taught me that there are times when church communities need a specific gifting from their pastoral leaders, and there are times when we as followers of Jesus might even need specific communities to empower us to live our faith more holistically.


This blog post explores the kinds of mentors who can walk with us through each stage of faith. My own experience, along with the insights of Mike Breen in Building a Discipling Culture, Dave Ferguson, and countless others, has shaped how I think about the role mentors play in our spiritual journey.

The First Stage: Calling​

When the journey begins with calling, we need leaders who invite and model. In this season, we feel like life is on top of the world, and emotions are high. In these seasons, good mentors live out their faith in front of us and welcome us to walk alongside them. Their leadership says, “Come and see.” They show us the basics of following Jesus, help us hear his voice, and guide us into foundational practices like prayer, scripture, and community.

The learning journey here is about awareness and imitation. We are becoming aware of God’s presence and beginning to accept what it means to follow. Having leaders who patiently model faith and extend invitation makes all the difference.

The Second Stage: Challenge​

So often, the stage of challenge catches us off guard. The excitement of calling usually gives way to disillusionment, doubt, or suffering. In other words, life gets hard. This is when faith feels messy, confusing, or even shaky.


At this stage, we need leaders who guide with honesty and stability. They don’t gloss over the questions, but they create safe spaces to wrestle with God and with life. These leaders remind us that doubt is not the opposite of faith but part of the process of growing deeper. They model perseverance when things don’t make sense and show us how to cling to God in the storm.

The learning journey here is about acceptance and resilience. We learn to accept that following Jesus will mean surrendering our expectations. We grow in resilience as we endure adversity, guided by leaders who can sit with us in the tension without rushing us through it.

The Third Stage: Catalytic Moments​

After a challenge often comes a season of breakthrough. We learn how we have been transformed in the face of challenge, and we have let go of some parts of our journey and ourselves in the process. God provides catalytic moments that propel us forward. These catalytic moments are opportunities, relationships, or experiences that stretch our faith and move us into new territory.

Here, we need leaders who equip and empower us in a new season. These mentors recognize our gifts and invite us to use them more clearly. They hand us responsibility, encourage us to experiment, and give us room to fail and learn. They help us discover that faith is not just about personal belief but about living it out in action.


The learning journey in this stage is about adversity and skill-building. Catalytic moments are often stretching, and they bring new kinds of adversity. But through these experiences, we develop spiritual resilience, new skills, and more profound convictions. Good leaders move us from consumers (calling) to participants by empowering us to own our faith and step into the callings God places in front of us.

The Fourth Stage: Convergence​

Finally, the journey leads toward convergence—when calling, challenge, and catalysts come together in a more profound sense of purpose. At this stage, we finally realize how God is using all of our experiences up to this point. This stage is marked by maturity, confidence, and clarity. These leaders also keep you focused on leading others.

At convergence, we need leaders who celebrate and partner. These leaders don’t position themselves above us but alongside us, affirming the fruit of our journey. They encourage humility and downward mobility, reminding us that convergence is not about arriving for ourselves but pouring out for the sake of others. They echo Jesus’ words to his disciples: “I no longer call you servants… Instead, I have called you friends” (John 15:15). These leads keep us accountable and growing, and they become collaboration partners.


The learning journey here is about adaptation and overflow. We adapt by learning how to live out our calling in ways that serve others faithfully. Our faith overflows into mission, service, and presence. With the right leaders beside us, we are released into ministry not just as workers, but as friends of God.

Good Mentors for the Four Stages of Faith

Mentoring and the Scriptures​

Where do we find good mentors in the Bible, and how does all of this fit with Scripture? First, Jesus commanded his followers to go and disciple others just as he had done with them (Matthew 28:19–20). In many ways, this means we are all moving toward the stage of convergence so that we can mentor others toward it as well. Jesus reminded his disciples often that this was his model: “I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you” (John 13:15).


Paul himself needed mentors. His calling was clear, and his knowledge of Scripture was deep, but he still needed others to help him walk out what it meant to follow Jesus as a Christian. He humbled himself to receive guidance from Ananias—someone from the very community he had been persecuting. Paul then spent time with the apostles and the early church, learning from them and being discipled.

Later, Paul modeled this same pattern with others. He encouraged Timothy to take what he had received and pass it on: “The things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others” (2 Timothy 2:2). He instructed Titus to build a culture of mentoring within the churches of Crete (Titus 2:3–5). Barnabas also exemplified this by coming alongside Paul and later John Mark. The writer of Hebrews reminds believers to be thankful for those who have guided them in faith (Hebrews 13:7). And to the church in Ephesus, Paul describes good leaders as those who “equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up” (Ephesians 4:11–12).

The Importance of Community​

One final reminder: no single leader can provide everything we need at every stage. You will need different mentors for each season of life and faith. Our ability to teach is limited by where we have been led. That’s why community is also indispensable. Together, the body of Christ carries the variety of wisdom and gifts needed to disciple one another in holistic ways; it is a family of partnerships. Whether in finances, prayer, relationships, family, or spiritual practices, you can find rooted supporters in community.


When we walk through the four stages of faith (calling, challenge, catalytic moments, and convergence), we need mentors and leaders who can invite, guide, equip, celebrate, and collaborate. And we need communities that bring their diverse strengths so that discipleship is not just instruction but shared life.

Closing Thought​

The journey of faith will always move through awareness, acceptance, adversity, and adaptation. At each turn, the kind of leadership we have around us will either help us take the next step—or hold us back. May we seek out leaders and communities who call us forward, steady us in challenge, empower us in growth, and celebrate with us as our lives converge in Christ.

• Which stage of faith (calling, challenge, catalytic moments, or convergence) do you find yourself in right now, and what kind of mentor would be most helpful in this season?
• Who has been a steady guide, encourager, or example for you in the past, and how did their presence shape your journey of faith?
• How might God be inviting you to become a mentor or encourager for someone else walking through one of these stages?

 

[RiverOL]

The Power of God’s Truth in Everyday Life​

I have been teaching a summer Bible study class to a group of precious seniors at a local assisted living facility. We have been discussing the attributes of God. We have, of course, talked about God as omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent. We also discussed His holiness and inclination for personal relationships. Our last lesson affirmed that God is absolute truth.

I have often heard it said that the only thing God can not do is lie. I guess that’s so, since according to Genesis 1, whatever He speaks, becomes. His word makes something out of nothing … it brings forth.

Truth is not what God does; rather, it is (like love) who God is.​

Those who confess God as Lord should always believe what He says and live accordingly. I have heard people say arrogant things like, “Well, I know the Bible says that, but I just don’t believe it”–dangerous words, those! One thing about truth: it doesn’t matter if you believe it or not. It’s still truth. Truth does not depend on you. It depends solely on God.

[Jesus said,] “I was born and came into the world to testify to the truth. All who love the truth recognize that what I say is true.” (John 18:37) Our God is absolute truth. Our God is present everywhere and knows all things, He has complete understanding of what is real, what is right and what is true. Whatever He says is completely accurate. And according to His word, “[He] is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not a human, so He does not change his mind. Has He ever spoken and failed to act? Has He ever promised and not carried it through?” (Numbers 23:19). Whatever God promises will always be fulfilled.

God wants us to know the truth. He never intended that a relationship with Him should be a mystery or difficult to figure out. To explain that, He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, (the Way, the Truth, and the Life) into the world to live with people, teach people, and have relationship with people. Though many people may claim to know the truth, only Jesus claimed to be the truth. Even on the night He was betrayed, Jesus prayed for His disciples, asking God to “sanctify them by the truth; Your word is truth” (John 17:17).

God also guides us into truth through the working of His Holy Spirit. Jesus promised His disciples, “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever — the Spirit of truth” (John 14:16-17). He also declared, “You are truly My disciples if you remain faithful to My teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:3132).

Though truth may at times seem difficult, intimidating, or frightening, the scriptures assure us that it is the very best way to live our lives. The Psalmist prays “Teach me your ways, O LORD, that I may live according to Your truth!” (Psalm 86:11).

An old friend of mine recently shared a lovely piece from Wednesday’s Word on facebook. It touched me and my sweet Bible study group. Here it is:

God’s Truth​

God’s Truth​

isn’t meant to be​

restricted​

to academic theologians​

experienced pastors​

and seminary presidents.​

It was given to us​

by God​

for sweet little girls​

mischievous little boys​

teenagers finding their way​

busy housewives​

plumbers​

salesman​

clerks and​

baristas​

lonely grandmas​

successful executives​

homeless wanderers​

university students​

the fearful​

the discouraged​

the anxious,​

every person​

searching for what only God​

can give.​

God’s Truth​

is meant for​

the hallways​

bedrooms​

family rooms​

board rooms​

university rooms​

apartment rooms​

supermarkets​

backyards​

garages​

and vans​

of everyday life.​

God’s Truth​

is meant to be​

personal​

relational​

applicational​

connected to​

everyone​

everywhere​

in everyday life.​

Theology in the hands​

of God​

is meant to​

rescue​

convict​

reconcile​

transform​

empower​

deliver​

and​

shape you into the​

image of the​

Son.​

There is no doctrine​

that is meant only for the​

spiritual elite​

the biblical intellectual​

the professional Christian.​

Every truth,​

no matter how​

full​

deep​

expansive and​

mind-bending,​

is meant to be a​

tool of grace​

in the life of everyone​

who has been​

infected​

by the pandemic of​

sin.​

God has no favorites​

doesn’t talk in​

secrets.​

He speaks in​

human language​

gifts us with the​

Spirit​

to illumine​

his truth​

so willing hearts can​

see​

hear​

meditate and​

understand.​

When the Savior speaks​

life happens,​

life we could never​

earn or​

deserve​

but is only ever​

a gift of grace.​

His truth is his​

medicine​

comfort​

light​

guardrails​

oasis​

sword.​

His instruction is like​

diamonds​

warnings like​

gold​

comforts like​

rubies​

promises like​

jewels.​

The spiritually poor​

who listen​

become rich,​

the spiritually lost​

who follow​

find their way.​

The doctrines of his​

Word​

are one of his richest​

gifts of grace,​

freely given to anyone​

who will come near​

and listen,​

meditate and​

believe.​

God’s Truth​

is always accompanied by​

God’s Grace,​

and for all of us,​

that means there is​

hope.​

God isn’t just after your mind; he’s after your heart. The doctrines of the word of God are not intended just to lay claim to your brain but to radically alter the way you live. The primary purpose of theology is not information but transformation.

God’s Truth is meant to turn you inside out and your world upside down. Doctrine is much more than an outline you give confessional assent to. Biblical theology is something you live in, even the smallest and most mundane moments of your life.

God’s plan is that when the rain of God’s Truth falls on us, it will change us—not that we will become better renditions of ourselves, but that we will become spiritually different than we were before.

God’s Truth is meant to transform your identity, alter your relationships, and reshape your finances. It’s intended to change the way you think and talk, how you approach your job, how you conduct yourself in time of leisure, how you act in your marriage, and the things you do as a parent. It’s meant to change the way you think about your past, interpret the present, and view the future.

As the rain of God’s Truth pours down, angry people become peacemakers, greedy people become givers, demanding people become servants, lustful people become pure, faithless people become believers, proud people become humble, rebels become obedient people, and idolaters become worshipers of God.

The truths found within the Word of God are a beautiful gift to us from a God of amazing grace. They are not burdensome, life-constricting beliefs. No, they impart new life and new freedom. They quiet your soul and give courage to your heart. They make you wiser than you had the natural potential to be, and they replace your complaining heart with one that worships with joy.

God unfolds the mysteries of his truth to you because he loves you. He is the giver of life, and every page in his word plants seeds of life in your heart. As those seeds take root and grow, you, too, will grow and change.

( https://www.paultripp.com/wednesdays-word)

“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it” (Isaiah 55:10-11)

God bless you and guide you always in His truth.

 

[RiverOL]

[td] Irresponsible Worry​ ​ ​

[td] And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?—Matthew 6:27​ ​ ​

[td] Something’s coming. Doesn’t it always feel like that? Maybe it’s something financial . . . maybe work-related . . . maybe health-related . . . definitely bad. And so, we worry. I mean, it almost feels like that’s just a part of being a man, worrying about what’s coming. We worry about all the bad things that could happen, to us and to our loved ones. We scheme about how to get out in front of all those things. Then we worry some more about whether we’re actually men enough to execute our schemes. All this worrying hangs over our lives. It haunts our thoughts and steals important moments—moments that should be joy-filled. But, it would be irresponsible not to worry, wouldn’t it? We’ve been trained to worry, all our lives. We’ve been trained that men with responsibilities are supposed to worry. It’s part of manhood. Or is it? Our King, Jesus Christ, teaches us that it’s actually not. You see, he didn’t come so that we’d live lives haunted by fear. He came and died to set us free from such things (Galatians 5:1). He assures us, our Father God will take care of us, whether we worry or not (Matthew 6:26). We must, therefore, adopt a radical, new mindset: "We don’t know what’s coming . . . but our Father God does. So, we’ll leave it to him."​ ​ ​

[td] Okay, so what do we do? Letting go of worry is tough. You must approach it not only intellectually, but practically too. You cannot simply command yourself, "worry less." That, by itself, doesn’t work so well. You must get practical by actually talking about worries with a spouse, a friend, with brothers in community. That does work (2 Corinthians 12:9). Getting your worries out into the open is as powerful as it is counterintuitive. So, brother, defy your instincts.​ ​ ​

[td] [ 1 min read ★ ]​ ​ ​ ​

[/td]

[/td]

[/td]

[/td]

[/td]

 

[RiverOL]

Come Close To God For Enduring Hope​

The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him. The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him.

Lamentations 3: 24-25


My friend’s daughter was extremely sick. Sick as in whatever mystery illness that was plaguing her was starting to shut down her organs. For years, my good friend and her teenage daughter searched for a medical answer to this frighteningly debilitating condition. Doctor after doctor, specialist after specialist, hospital after hospital, these two women fought for answers as they simultaneously battled for the daughter’s life.

This struggle endured for years. Not weeks. Not months. Years as in the teen grew into a young adult woman before they found the medical help she needed and a long sought after correct diagnosis. Imagine that moment when finally someone got it right. They were thankful to God for answering thousands of tear-laced prayers that extended over countless seasons.

God Is Our Hope​

But with the diagnosis came a grim reminder of the damage already done by a delayed treatment plan…the virus had infiltrated every part of this young gal’s body and it would take vigilance and years to heal her. More treatments. More years. More tears. Enter the battle against hopelessness for the foreseeable future.


After having expended much of the last decade of their lives and more money than they could afford to spend; it was a bittersweet ending to a long battle. True, now they have a name for this insidious invader. They also have to face the facts that the fight isn’t nearly over. This mom and her daughter took risks others thought were silly, foolish even. But as desperate as they were, mother and daughter decided together to go the unconventional route with only God’s inner-assurance as their guide. Their faith-infused risk paid off.

Battles Are Stepping Stone To Greater Faith​

Today, they’re still entering a battle zone every single day but all they went through to get here has made them that much more resilient and hopeful. The truth is, we don’t grow strong during the high times in life. We grow as we fight our way out of the thorny brambles and bushes with our bare hands. Sometimes our toughest battles are the stepping-stones that create an unbreakable foundation for a hope-infused life.

There’s an old saying that goes, “Whatever doesn’t kill you will make you stronger,” and I’d have to agree. There is something about being backed into a corner facing down terrific foes that force us to examine and then re-examine who we are and what we believe. In these scary moments, we had better already have figured out who and what we’re going to put our trust in, because once the battle ensues, we won’t have the time or the energy to be reflective.

Make Time For God Every Day​

Which is why everyone needs to spend some generous amounts of time reflecting upon their belief system. I make my best effort to spend time daily with God, in His Word, praying, journaling, reading thoughtful and thoughtfully challenging books by authors way smarter and wiser than me. It makes all the difference in my day, all the difference between hopeless and hopeful.

My friend will tell you that what sustained her and her family during their most hopeless hours was the time she invested sitting alone before God and meditating upon the promises found in the Bible. She literally soaked up these comforting and powerful truths. Enough so, that when it was time to move forward into foreign medical territory, she was equipped to do so from the inside out. My friend knew whom she believed and she counted Him faithful to see her through. Come close to Him today, before, during, and after you really need to do so. Come close. Recklessly close.

 

[RiverOL]

[td] Your Next Chapter​ ​ ​

[td] . . . he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come—2 Corinthians 5:17​ ​ ​

[td] We write with God all the time. Working alongside him, we write the stories of our lives. He creates the settings and the characters. He creates the conflicts—the situations requiring choices. And we get to make those choices as the characters in his stories. God may encourage us, invite us, surprise us, persuade us, challenge us, convict us—but we and we alone decide, for ourselves. As we move along in our stories, as we live them out, we sometimes try to convince ourselves that some decisions aren’t actually written down or that we can selectively somehow strike decisions from our stories, after we’ve made them. Looking forward, we tell ourselves, “no one will know.” Looking back, we think, “no one can ever know.” The truth is, every decision is captured: large, small, good, bad. Every decision is written into our stories, immediately, indelibly. Thankfully, the plot God intends for us involves making some mistakes, some bad decisions, but learning from them and allowing him to redeem them. He can, you know, redeem even the worst decisions (Romans 8:28). What we must do, going forward, is to keep our stories in mind, when we come upon decision points. What we must do is ask ourselves, at those points, “What decisions do we want written, permanently, into our stories?” Asking ourselves that, in those moments, is how we begin to lay aside our old selves and put on our new selves (Ephesians 4:22-24).​ ​ ​

[td] Okay, so what do we do? When you come to a next decision point—today, tomorrow—ask yourself, before you decide, “What do I want written into my story?” Ask yourself, “What do I want the next chapter of my story to be about? Trust or mistrust? Selflessness or selfishness? Love or resentment? Maturity or immaturity? Redemption or sin?”​ ​ ​

[td] [ 1 min read ★ ]​ ​ ​ ​

[/td]

[/td]

[/td]

[/td]

[/td]

 

[RiverOL]

Find Your Identity in God, Not Your Suffering​

We live in a time when we are defined as disabled, bipolar, alcoholic, ADHD, victims of lupus, cancer, Parkinson’s disease, and nearly everything else. Our condition easily becomes our primary reference point.

I am an insulin-dependent diabetic, but my disease doesn’t define me. I learn what’s necessary, take care of myself, and live. I shouldn’t become preoccupied with a disease any more than with a career, a hobby, possessions, or a retirement program. I want Jesus Christ first, and my family second, and then my church and ministry to define my life.

David Powlison, now with the Lord, wrote,

People will often express their care and concern by inquiring about your health. That’s good, but the conversation easily gets stuck there. So tell them openly about your sickness, seeking their prayers and counsel, but then change the direction of the conversation by telling them what your God is faithfully doing to sustain you with ten thousand mercies. Robert Murray McCheyne wisely said, “For every one look at your sins, take ten looks at Christ.” …For every one sentence you say to others about your cancer, say ten sentences about your God, and your hope, and what he is teaching you, and the small blessings of each day. For every hour you spend researching or discussing your cancer, spend ten hours researching and discussing and serving your Lord.

We are to receive comfort from God and His people, and then we are to give that comfort to others. People who pour themselves into loving God and other people find their identity becomes clear. They rest in the fact that God has a purpose and plan for their lives, and they are here as God’s ambassadors and ministers to meet the needs of others. This is critical to our sense of identity. God, not suffering, should define who we are.

 

[RiverOL]

Biblically Responsible Investing​

Investing doesn’t simply bring profits to the investor (sometimes it doesn’t even do that). It also profits the business in which we have invested. A Christian should avoid investing in any enterprise that makes its profit from people doing what they shouldn’t. For example, in most cases I believe people shouldn’t take out a second mortgage on their home. Consequently, for me to invest in high-yield second mortgages would be an attempt to profit from others’ poor decisions. I would not feel right doing that.

I wrote what follows (and much more) years ago about values-based investing, or biblically responsible investing, in my book Money, Possessions, and Eternity. I am including a small portion of it here in order to explain why I am so excited about a new book by Robin John called The Good Investor that I’m going to wholeheartedly recommend in this blog. If you have limited time, skip directly to what I have to say about that great new book.

Many Christians don’t evaluate the source of their investment income. God operates by a different standard: “You must not bring the earnings of a female prostitute or of a male prostitute into the house of the Lord your God to pay any vow, because the Lord your God detests them both” (Deuteronomy 23:18).


God does care where the money comes from. Of course, often a church or ministry can’t know the source of its contributions. The biblical principle applies primarily to the giver of the gift, not the recipient. But when pastors and leaders know that something has come from a source displeasing to God, they should address the issue, both for the sake of the donors—and those whose lives are affected by their choices—and the church or ministry. If this standard applies to the source of incoming funds, surely it applies even more to where we choose to put our money…

Consider Ephesians 5:1-11, which culminates in the command, “Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.” How can we justify investing in companies that market the fruitless deeds of darkness? Isn’t funding evil a clear violation of the warning against establishing an unequal yoke with darkness (2 Corinthians 6:14-18)?

This certainly isn’t easy to track when there are so many companies with so many names. Most Christians would think it was wrong to invest in Playboy magazine. But the Houston-based Internet company Telescan specializes in data retrieval tools that it uses in partnership with Playboy’s Web sites. But who would know that if they saw Telescan on a long list of companies invested in by their mutual fund?


Hewlett-Packard supports Planned Parenthood, the nation’s largest abortion provider. Rick’s Cabaret International (NASDAQ symbol: RICK) is a public company self-described as a “premier adult nightclub offering topless entertainment.” In Putting Your Money Where Your Morals Are, Scott Fehrenbacher lists many objectionable companies that mutual funds invest in. Among these are Tenet (NYSE symbol: THC), the second-largest chain of hospital facilities in the nation, including some of which perform for-profit, elective abortions; and American Express (NYSE Symbol: AXP), which uses shareholder funds to actively promote homosexual causes.

….Those who own certain Fidelity mutual funds (which includes many Christians) have unknowingly helped support the government of Sudan, a genocidal regime that has systematically enslaved and persecuted Christians for decades. Various Christian denominations have invested in Talisman Energy, a huge Canadian oil company that does 25 percent of its business with Sudan. Vanguard and the state of New York were among those who divested themselves of Talisman after antislavery groups lobbied them. I hope by the time you read this it’s no longer true, but as of 2002, Fidelity still owned millions of shares in Talisman. Last year, I joined many others in addressing my concerns to Fidelity [I include in the book the letter I wrote them].


…Scott Fehrenbacher persuasively argues that it’s wrong for Christians to invest God’s money in music that promotes murder and rape (e.g. by funding gangsta rap), blatantly immoral movies, blood-spattering video games, pornography, nude dancing bars, abortion, alcoholism, and tobacco addiction. Some companies, including the large conglomerate that owns MTV, actively engage in trashing Christian beliefs and morals. That we would invest God’s money in companies sponsoring anti-Christian philosophies and activities seems unthinkable. Yet it happens every day.

The average Christian whose retirement program is in mutual funds or stocks managed by others has no clue where God’s money is actually going. Mutual funds serve to separate the investor from the companies invested in.

…Values-based investing isn’t a new concept. Scott writes in Putting Your Money Where Your Morals Are:

As early as the 1800s, the Quakers withdrew from business relationships and partnerships involved in the slave trade. In the 1920s, churches and denominations in America chose to actively screen their money from being invested in “sin stocks,” defined then as belonging to companies that manufactured products related to alcohol, tobacco, and gambling.


…If enough Christians would adopt a values-based approach, we might see a shift in priorities among some mutual funds or brokerages, so we could more wisely entrust them with our investments. But even if we’re the only ones to do this, our stewardship responsibility is to God, and he is the one who will ultimately evaluate and reward us.

It is every bit as true today as it was when I wrote and updated Money, Possessions, and Eternity: Mutual funds, today’s most common investments, distribute their investors’ money in a wide range of companies, some of which do things with the money that a Christian wouldn’t condone. The average Christian whose retirement program is in mutual funds or stocks managed by others has no clue where God’s money is actually going. Mutual funds serve to separate the investor from the companies invested in.

A brand new book is out, The Good Investor by Robin C. John, that I think should be read by every Christ-follower who gives financial advice or invests in companies, even if it’s only through a retirement plan. I love that Robin is not just encouraging us to avoid investing in what’s bad—as I did in Money, Possessions and Eternity—but to turn toward investing in what will bring joy and blessing to others around the world. Giving is vital, but investing with integrity is also crucial. He is addressing not just the negative aspect I dealt with in my book, but the positive aspects of investing. I highly recommend this book and was happy to endorse it.


Robin writes:

…what if it isn’t true that we’re powerless? What if it isn’t true that our little choices have no impact on the world around us? Our everyday decisions can make the world more what we long for it to be, more what God longs for it to be. And something most of us do already (investing) can participate in the world’s healing. The allocation of capital is a powerful tool; when used thoughtfully, and in connection with its true purpose, investing can create immense value and solve some of the world’s deepest needs. Or, when disconnected from its true purpose, it can extract value and cause extensive damage.

…Our money is doing work in the world. The question is whether our money is doing work that harms or work that helps. My hope as you read my story is that you will find inspiration to imagine how your investments can do good, how your investments can help and heal.

The possibilities for doing good, bringing power to bear on behalf of those most in need of relief, gives me hope. We’re not helpless. Our investments, our lives and work, our resolve to challenge the status quo—these are seeds of beauty.

 

[RiverOL]

Was Blind, But Now I See … For Real​

2 Corinthians 5:7: “For we walk by faith, not by sight.”

I Was Blind​

One morning last March I opened my eyes, but I could not get them to focus on anything. Everything was blurry. To be honest, I had been having difficulty reading the teacher’s edition of my class textbooks–Why do they make those letters so small?–for some time. That morning was different, though. I couldn’t make out anything, except that I knew the furniture, the walls, the steps with which I was familiar. It was frightening.

Yes, I prayed, and then I called my NP. She wasn’t available, so I took an appointment with another NP in the office. He was very nice and sympathetic, ran a couple of tests and told me it didn’t appear to be glaucoma or retinal detachment (for which I was grateful). He said it was probably allergies and prescribed me some eye drops. They didn’t work. A week later, he prescribed something else. Still, no results. So he set up a call to an optometrist to point me to an ophthalmologist who might be able to discover what was happening with my eyes. I could not get an appointment for five months!

During those months I stopped driving because I couldn’t see on the road, I stopped reading because I couldn’t see the words, and I stopped baking because I couldn’t read the recipes. I couldn’t golf because it was impossible to track the ball. I couldn’t even see the outdoor temperature on the weather report. Time went on and I couldn’t discern the birds and flowers in my garden. All that time, the color started fading out of everything. I did keep taking pictures, mainly because I could point the camera at whatever I wanted to photograph and enlarge it until I could see it. Sad, huh? I sure thought so.


My big concern during all of this was that I would not be able to teach. How can an English teacher not read and write on a daily basis?

Finally, the day of my appointment came and the mystery was solved–advanced, fast-growing cataracts in both eyes. My eyesight was 20/300. I was referred to an ophthalmologist, and since they were sympathetic to my predicament (God bless them!), I got an appointment pretty quickly with the warning that their surgeries were already booked into the end of October and into November,

Before the appointment, Marty planned my birthday trip for me. I chose Niagara Falls. I wanted to go somewhere that was big enough for me to see it.

After the trip and back to reality, the ophthalmologist confirmed the cataracts and asked when I wanted to have the surgery. I was in the process of answering, “As soon as possible because I teach English and school starts next Thursday, and I don’t know how I can function in school. I realize that you are booked up …”

But Now​

He interrupted, “Are you on any medications?”

“No.”


“Are you in good health?”

“Yes.”

“Could you do it Monday?”

“YES!”

Miraculously, someone canceled for the next Monday while we were there in the office!

“You’ll be able to see by Monday evening and you will be driving by Tuesday.”

There was God, right on time, turning an impossible situation around!

The tech checked my blood pressure and heart beat, and the arrangements were made. Monday … before school would start on Thursday.

Yes, I trust God, but there is a certain anxiety that still attaches to things like this that one has never done before. My biggest concern was the IV sedation. I hate needles, but I understood why this would be a necessary step. Not surprisingly, it took the tech (who was being trained and kept asking questions) three tries to get the IV needle into one of my uncooperative veins.

Finally, I was prepped and just waiting my turn to be wheeled in for the surgery, and I was quietly praying, and yes, nervous. Music was playing in the room–oldies. “House of the Rising Sun* came on. Now if you’re a 70s Christian like me, you may remember that we used to sing the lyrics to *Amazing Grace* to that tune. That’s what I did, I sang … and you know those lyrics …”I once was lost, but now I’m found, WAS BLIND, BUT NOW I SEE.”


Suddenly, peace washed away all my anxiety, and the rest was easy. When I was checked immediately after the surgery, my vision had gone from 20/300 to 20/30!

Thank You, Jesus! As always, You were right on time!

I See​

Now here it is, a week and a half later, and I am teaching, driving, cooking, writing, and everything is pretty much back to normal. I still have to get the other eye done, but I am not concerned. I know where my help comes from.

In the midst of the months of legal blindness, I wondered if there was something God wanted me to learn through it all. There has always been a part of me that gets very impatient with others with health problems. Maybe I just needed to experience it to realize that a person might truly want to do something, yet be completely unable to do it, and there may not be any physical appearance that supports their claim. After all, I looked just the same, and yet. I was helpless.

Thankfully, God has changed that. He has promised, “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh” (Ezekiel 26:36). My lack of empathy has definitely made a one-eighty. When the Psalmist says, “The Lord gives sight to the blind” (Psalm 146:8), he means so much more than just physical sight.

I was blind, but now I see … for real!​

P. S. Here are some encouraging stats:​

If you are considering cataract surgery to help you to see.

• By age 80, over half of all Americans have cataracts.
• Close to 4 million cataract surgeries are performed in the U.S. every year.
• Over 90% of patients have 20/20 vision with glasses after surgery.
• The rate of post-surgery infection is less than 0.1%.

“Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now I’m found; I was blind, but now, I see.”

God bless you and help you to truly see.

 

[RiverOL]

[td] Man, What's the Point?​ ​ ​

[td] For I was envious of the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked—Psalm 73:3​ ​ ​

[td] Do you ever look around, at people who are prosperous and follow God either not much or not at all? Do you ever find yourself envying such people, who embrace the world wholeheartedly and enjoy it’s successes? Do you ever get discouraged? Do you ever wonder, what’s the point? I mean, do you ever just get tired of trying to follow God in the midst of people who aren’t? Are you ever tempted to relent and embrace the world a bit more, too? A man named Asaph, psalmist in the time of David and Solomon, was tempted to relent. He was surrounded by faithless men who seemed “always at ease” and to continually “increase in riches” (Psalm 73:12). Asaph envied them and his “heart was embittered” (Psalm 73:21). “All in vain,” he cried, “have I kept my heart clean . . .” (Psalm 73:13). We may not admit it as boldly as Asaph, but many of us harbor similar thoughts. When we face that choice, though, to embrace God or embrace the world, we must remember—we’re part of something much larger, much more important than houses or vacations or titles. We’ve been invited into an ancient and remarkable battle. For “we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one” (1 John 5:19). We’re agents of the resistance, behind enemy lines. We cannot allow ourselves, therefore, to be beguiled by our enemy or the world under his power.​ ​ ​

[td] Okay, so what do we do? Are you ever, like Asaph, nagged by this kind of envy? If so, talk about it. Simply talking about it—with God, a spouse, a friend, with brothers in community—undermines its power. It also allows others to keep you “fueled and aflame” for the battle ahead (Romans 12:11 MSG).​ ​ ​

[td] [ 1 min read ★ ]​ ​ ​ ​

[/td]

[/td]

[/td]

[/td]

[/td]

 

[RiverOL]

[td] You're Magnetic​ ​ ​

[td] Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?—Mark 2:16​ ​ ​

[td] God loves us—just as we are, right now. Wow. That’s kind of difficult to accept, isn’t it? I mean, it’s hard to feel worthy of that love, with all our mistakes, our imperfections. Don’t we need to be perfect and holy too, just as he is, before he can love us? No, brother, he loves us—just as we are, right now. If we’re ever going to understand God, if we’re ever going to understand ourselves, in relation to God, we’re going to have to bend our minds toward that truth. He is perfect and holy; we are not. True. What’s not true is that, because of his perfection, he’s drawn only to more perfection. What’s not true is that, because of his holiness, he demands our holiness before he’ll love us, accept us, want anything to do with us. God knows our mistakes, every imperfection. Nothing is hidden from him (Hebrews 4:13). And, actually, precisely because he knows, he executed the ultimate act of love: he sent his son, Jesus Christ, to be our King and to save us from our mistakes and imperfections (Romans 5:8). So, the truth is—like a doctor to the sick—he’s actually drawn to imperfection and sin (Mark 2:17). Our relationships with God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, begin to work when we accept and welcome that love.​ ​ ​

[td] Okay, so what do we do? Throughout this week, take these words as God’s promise, just to you. Meditate upon them. Let them sink in deep. “. . . neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate [me] from the love of God in Christ Jesus . . .” (Romans 8:38-39).​ ​ ​

[td] [ 1 min read ★ ]​ ​ ​ ​

[/td]

[/td]

[/td]

[/td]

[/td]

 

[RiverOL]

Can Marriage Counseling Save My Marriage?​

As a marriage counselor, I’ve witnessed firsthand the benefits of my clients learning to manage conflict, developing new skills for enhancing their relationship, and restoring broken trust.

This is what can happen with the support of a skilled therapist. However, not all couples have a positive outcome when they seek marriage counseling. Some couples seek help for their marriage problems too late, and others are not willing to put much effort into improving communication between sessions.



For instance, Jen, 42, and Rich, 45, sought counseling after ten years of marriage and they both had a lot of resentment and often reached a gridlock during arguments, making it hard for them to compromise.

Jen put it like this, “We bicker all the time over small things, plus I feel like Rick is too distracted with work to listen to me and he says that I make up problems because I don’t want to be happy.”

Rich responds, “Jen is telling the truth, she never seems happy and I tell her that I feel criticized. It seems like I can never do anything right. I can’t tell you the last time we had a good time together.”

During our first session, I told Jen and Rich that a couple’s commitment to each other can be strengthened by their counseling experience and cause them to feel closer emotionally as a result of engaging in the therapeutic process. However, it does take a commitment of at least six months of weekly sessions and involves practicing increasing positive interactions between sessions.


Unhappy Couples Need to Increase Positive Interactions

Truth be told, the effectiveness of marriage counseling is directly related to the couple’s ability to increase positive interactions. In fact, in his extensive research, Dr. John Gottman discovered that the difference between happy and unhappy couples is the balance between positive and negative interactions during conflict. There is a very specific ratio that makes love last.

Couples can benefit from reminding each other of Gottman’s guiding principle of adding more positive interactions. That “magic ratio” is 5 to 1. This means that for every negative interaction during conflict, a stable and happy marriage has five (or more) positive interactions.

Unhappy couples, on the other hand, tend to engage in fewer positive interactions to compensate for their escalating negativity. If the positive-to-negative ratio during conflict is 1-to-1 or less, that’s unhealthy, and indicates a couple teetering on the edge of divorce.

In many cases, a motivated couple who attends counseling sessions can begin to explore their problems from a new perspective and learn new ways to recognize and manage conflicts as a result of the tools provided by the therapist.


Further, a skilled couple’s therapist can provide “neutral territory” to help couples agree upon and work through challenges with guidance from a trained professional. On the other hand, some couples use marriage counseling as a means of deciding whether to stay in their unhappy relationship or split. If this happens, they may decide to separate or divorce (either mutually or one person decides) and the therapist can support their decision and refer them to trained professionals to assist them.

 

[RiverOL]

The Old Day is Ending | Renewal has Come​

This list of Scripture was birthed out of a couple days of prayer.

Every once in awhile songs will come to me like I suppose they would to a D.J. I’ve made many lists on Spotify. I’ve been listening to this one a lot lately CLICK

At times it’s the same way with Scripture. One will flow right after another seamlessly ministering to me in the depths of my soul. Such is the case with these Passages.

All Scripture is King James Version unless otherwise noted.

renewal​

You keep track of all my sorrows.
You have collected all my tears in your bottle.
You have recorded each one in your book.
Psalm 56.8, NLT

The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to keep still.
Exodus 14.14, NRSV

ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory
1 Peter 1.8.b


For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? but we have the mind of Christ.
1 Corinthians 2.16

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Romans 12.2

Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
Ephesians 5.16

Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time.
Colossians 4.5

O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
Romans 7.24

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
2 Corinthians 5.17

For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8.38-39


For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
2 Timothy 1.7, NKJV

Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.
Matthew 10.16

 

[RiverOL]

5 Words of True Worship​

Isaiah 58:6-12​

In the book of Isaiah, chapter 58, God’s people were doing religious rituals like fasting (not eating to show devotion). They wondered why God did not seem pleased with them. Through the prophet Isaiah, God explained that true worship is more than just rituals or going to church. He cares about how we treat others every day. In Isaiah 58:6-12, God highlights five words of true worship; important ways to worship Him in daily life: practicing justice, helping those in need, shining our light, receiving God’s blessings, and restoring what is broken. We will explore these five points and see how we can live them out.

5 WORDS OF TRUE WORSHIP​

Justice: Free the Oppressed and Stop Unfairness​

“Isn’t this the fast I choose: To break the chains of wickedness, to untie the ropes of the yoke, to set the oppressed free, and to tear off every yoke?” (Isaiah 58:6, CSB)


“At that time, when you call, the Lord will answer; when you cry out, he will say, ‘Here I am.’ If you get rid of the yoke among you, the finger-pointing and malicious speaking,” (Isaiah 58:9, CSB)

The first word of the five words of true worship is justice. God cares about justice and fairness. In verse 6, God says He wants “to break the chains of wickedness… to set the oppressed free” . This means God wants us to stop any cruel, evil, or unfair treatment of people. He also tells us to get rid of the “yoke” – this yoke means heavy burdens or unfair rules that people suffer under. In simple words, God wants us to set people free from injustice. He even says to stop pointing fingers and speaking hurtfully about others (v. 9) because that is unfair and unkind. True worshipers stand up for what is right and defend those who are bullied or mistreated.

Justice against bullies​

Imagine a student at school being bullied by others. Everyone else just watches or walks away. But one brave girl decides this is wrong. She steps in and tells the bully to stop, or she gets a teacher to help. She refuses to let the unfair treatment continue. That girl is acting with justice by freeing someone from oppression. In the same way, when we see someone being treated unfairly, we can speak up or get help. God is pleased when we treat people fairly and help those who are being wronged.

Help: Feed the Hungry and Care for the Needy​

“Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, to bring the poor and homeless into your house, to clothe the naked when you see him, and not to ignore your own flesh and blood?” (Isaiah 58:7, CSB)

“and if you offer yourself to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted one…” (Isaiah 58:10, CSB)

The second word of true worship is about helping others in need. God explains in verse 7 that true worship includes sharing with those who have less. He says to “share your bread with the hungry, to bring the poor and homeless into your house, [and] to clothe the naked when you see him” . In other words, if someone is hungry, give them food. If someone has no home or warm place, try to help them find shelter. If someone has torn or no clothes, give them clothes to wear. Don’t ignore people who need help — especially your own family (v. 7 says not to ignore your “flesh and blood,” which means your relatives). God wants us to be generous and kind. We shouldn’t turn away when we see someone struggling.

Feeding the hungry​

Think about a time you saw a person who was hungry. Maybe at school you noticed a classmate who forgot their lunch. A boy decides to share half of his sandwich with that classmate so they won’t be hungry. That is a simple act of helping. Or imagine you have a coat you don’t use, and you give it to a kid who has none and is cold. That is caring for the needy. These might seem like small things, but to the person you help, it means the world. When we feed the hungry or give to the poor, we are worshiping God by showing love. God smiles when we care for others, because that is what He asked us to do.

Light: Live as a Light in the World​

“Then your light will appear like the dawn…” (Isaiah 58:8, CSB)

“…then your light will shine in the darkness, and your night will be like noonday.” (Isaiah 58:10, CSB)

The third word of true worship is light. When we practice justice and kindness, the Bible says we become like a light shining in darkness. In verse 10, God promises “then your light will shine in the darkness, and your night will be like noonday” . Imagine how bright it is at noon when the sun is high in the sky—that’s how bright our lives can be in a dark world when we do what is right! Being a light means we bring hope, truth, and goodness where there is sadness, lies, or evil. In verse 8, it also says “your light will appear like the dawn.”

Just as sunrise chases away the night, our goodness can help drive away the darkness around us. People will see our actions and learn about God’s love through them. Jesus said something similar: we should let our light shine so others can see our good works and praise God (this idea is echoed in the New Testament).

Light in the darkness​

Think of a completely dark room. If you light one small candle or turn on a flashlight, the darkness is not so scary anymore. It only takes a little light to make a big difference. In the same way, one person doing the right thing can inspire others.

For example, if a group of friends is gossiping (talking meanly) about someone, and you choose not to join in and instead say something kind, you are being a light. Your choice might encourage your friends to be kinder too. Or if others are cheating on a test but you refuse to cheat, you set an example. It’s like you shine a light of honesty in that situation. Living as a light means always trying to do what pleases God, so that your life shines with His love and goodness for everyone to see.

Blessing: Rely on God’s Guidance, Strength, and Provision​

“…your recovery will come quickly. Your righteousness will go before you, and the Lord’s glory will be your rear guard.” (Isaiah 58:8, CSB)

“The Lord will always lead you, satisfy you in a parched land, and strengthen your bones. You will be like a watered garden and like a spring whose water never runs dry.” (Isaiah 58:11, CSB)

The fourth word of true worship is blessing. When we honor God by living out justice, helping, and being a light, God promises to take care of us. In verse 11, the scripture says, “The Lord will always lead you, satisfy you in a parched land, and strengthen your bones” . This is a way of saying God will guide you, give you what you need even in hard times (a “parched land” means a dry, difficult place), and make you strong. It also says you will be like a “watered garden” that never runs out of water . Think about a garden in the summer: if it gets water every day, the plants stay green and healthy. They don’t dry up.


In the same way, God will refresh us and give us strength and joy when we do what He asks. He will bless us with what we need to keep going. In verse 8, God even said, “your recovery will come quickly” – our wounds or problems can heal faster because God is helping us. And “the Lord’s glory will be your rear guard” – meaning God will protect us from behind, watching our back. These are amazing blessings!

It’s important to know that we don’t do good things just to get rewards. We do them because we love God and others. But God is so kind that He rewards our obedience anyway. He promises to hear us when we call out to Him (as verse 9 says, He will say “Here I am” when we pray). He gives us guidance when we are confused, strength when we feel weak, and hope when we feel down. Just like a well-watered garden, our lives will bear good fruit and not wither.

Joy from warm hearts​

Have you ever helped someone and then felt a warm happiness in your heart afterward? That joy might be one of God’s blessings in you. Or maybe you were nervous to stand up for what is right, but when you did it, you felt God gave you courage and it turned out well. That is God strengthening your bones (giving you inner strength). Remember, God takes care of those who follow His ways. We can trust Him to fill us up when we pour out love to others.

Restoration: Rebuild What Is Broken​

“The Lord will always lead you, satisfy you in a parched land, and strengthen your bones. You will be like a watered garden and like a spring whose water never runs dry. Some of you will rebuild the ancient ruins; you will restore the foundations laid long ago; you will be called the repairer of broken walls, the restorer of streets where people live.” (Isaiah 58:11–12, CSB)

The last word of true worship in this passage is restoration – fixing and rebuilding what is broken. In verse 12, God tells His people that if they live out true worship, “you will be called the repairer of broken walls, the restorer of streets where people live” . In ancient times, broken walls and ruined streets meant a city was in bad shape. God promises that His people will rebuild the ruins and restore things that have been destroyed. God wants us to help restore broken places and broken lives.

This can mean many things for us today. It can mean fixing broken relationships, helping to renew a community, or building up people who feel destroyed inside. True worshippers become helpers and healers, not destroyers. We look for ways to make things right again, to fix problems, and to bring people together.

Repairing a broken wall in a relationship​

Think of a friendship that fell apart because of a big argument. That friendship is like a broken wall. It protects nothing and just makes both people sad. If you go and apologize or forgive, you are helping rebuild trust – you are repairing a “broken wall” in a relationship. Another example is when a neighborhood park is dirty or broken down, and families come together to clean it up and fix the playground.

They are restoring a nice place for everyone to enjoy. Even helping someone who is sad by listening to them can restore their hope. It’s like you help rebuild their broken heart. God calls us to be restorers. Instead of saying “It’s not my problem,” we can ask, “How can I help fix this?” When we do, we are living out true worship by rebuilding what is broken around us.

Knowing these five points is not enough – we should put them into practice. You don’t have to wait to be an adult to start doing them.

Application​

Here are some practical ways we can live out each lesson in our daily lives:

• Practice Justice: Treat everyone fairly. If you see someone being bullied or mistreated at school, do something to help – stand with them or get an adult’s help. Don’t join in doing wrong, and don’t judge others by rumors or differences.

• Help Those in Need: Share what you have. You can give some of your lunch to a classmate who has none, or donate old clothes and toys to charity. Offer to help a neighbor or include the kid who is often left out. Look for small ways to care for people who are hungry, lonely, or in need.

• Be a Light: Wherever you are, choose to do what is right even if others aren’t. Be kind, honest, and hopeful so that people notice something positive in you. For example, be the one who says “thank you,” who refuses to cheat or lie, and who welcomes new students. Let your behavior show God’s love.

• Trust God’s Blessings: Don’t be afraid that you will lose out by helping others. Trust that God will give you what you need. Pray for His guidance each day. When you feel tired or discouraged, ask Him for strength. Remember that God promises to be with you and to take care of you, just like watering a garden.

• Work on Restoration: If you break something or hurt someone’s feelings, do your best to fix it. Say sorry and try to make things right. If you see a broken situation, maybe you can help — like cleaning up trash in your community or mediating when friends fight. Be a person who brings people together and fixes problems rather than someone who breaks things apart.

By taking these actions, we make our everyday life an act of worship to God.

Conclusion​

Isaiah 58 teaches us that true worship goes far beyond just attending church or doing religious rituals. God is happy when we live out our faith by loving and helping others. He wants us to fight injustice, care for those in need, shine His light, accept His guidance and blessings, and repair what is broken. This is worship that God loves — it’s like worshiping God with our actions and not just our words.

As we go about our week, let’s remember that worship doesn’t end when the church service is over. Every day is a chance to honor God by the way we behave. Let’s put Isaiah 58 into practice: do what is right, share with others, be a light in your school or home, trust God to take care of you, and help fix what’s broken around you.


When we live like this, we are truly worshiping God beyond rituals. We become the kind of people God wants us to be — people who love Him and love others in real, tangible ways. This week, let’s each take up the challenge to worship God by the way we live!

 

[RiverOL]

[td] You're Designed for Extremes​ ​ ​

[td] I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot—Revelation 3:15​ ​ ​

[td] There are three approaches to life with God: All In; All Out; and, in the middle, between those, a third approach. This third approach is actually a range—it encompasses every approach between the two extremes. Many of us take the third approach. I mean, we do believe life is better with God—but, our belief is more theoretical than not. We get busy with careers, families, finances, and rarely think about actually applying the life and truth of our King, Jesus Christ, to our own, complicated lives. And so, they become indistinguishable from the lives of men All Out. Jesus calls takers of the third approach “lukewarm,” and is particularly frustrated by us: “because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth” (Revelation 3:16). We third-approachers mistakenly presume we’re doing okay faith-wise—not as well as we could maybe, but okay nonetheless. Therefore, Jesus’ words are startling and challenging—and force us to consider All In. So, what does All In require? The world tells us, too much. But, that’s wrong. It doesn’t require more than we can give. Brother, we’re designed for All In. Jesus isn’t some out-of-touch “high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses” (Hebrews 4:15). He understands our lives. He knows what he’s asking. All In doesn’t require we be perfect; we couldn’t. It requires a soft heart―a willingness to try, genuinely, to use Jesus’ life as a pattern for our own.​ ​ ​

[td] Okay, so what do we do? Pray the All In prayer: Set aside a couple minutes today. Quiet your surroundings. Shut the door. Turn off music. Quiet your mind. Ask the Holy Spirit to soften your heart. Now, speak directly to Jesus, your King, and say three plain, simple words, “I’m All In.” That’s it.​ ​ ​

[td] [ 1 min read ★ ]​ ​ ​ ​

[/td]

[/td]

[/td]

[/td]

[/td]

 

[RiverOL]

Confessions of a Weary Daughter — And God My Faithful Father​

Journaling has always helped me keep my thoughts and prayers more focused! ~ photo created by chat gpt by author.


Have you ever found yourself in a season where you just feel like you are “spinning your wheels,” as the saying goes? Well, I have, and it’s happening now! I wonder what my life would be like if only I could stop repeating the same mistakes? Maybe you’ve asked yourself that too?

This post is a little different for me—less structured than usual—but it’s real. I’m currently in a season of reflection, seeking spiritual renewal and clarity about my identity in Christ. As I wrestle, I’m leaning into prayer and writing with transparency, inviting God as Father to lead the way.



You see, I typically begin writing with a topic in mind. Oftentimes, it is a Bible verse that keeps repeating in my head. Other times, it comes from a devotion I’ve read, or pastor I’ve listened to, or a Facebook or Instagram post I’ve seen. But not this time! Honestly, I don’t have a specific direction so you never know what might come pouring out. I sense a need to put feelings into words, even if it ends up being words I never share with anyone other than God and me. I intend to pray as I go, and tell God about the things that are weighing on my heart, and see where He leads me!

Nothing is Hidden From God’s Sight!​

One thing is certain, He knows that I am struggling with a lot of different stuff, and that I have been for a while. Nothing is hidden from His sight. I know He sees me, and He knows every tiny detail about me. So, it seems silly sometimes to talk to Him about it, or write it out in a journal or a post, but doing so helps me process things. It helps me focus on my time with Him a little easier, and quite frankly, just seems like the right thing to do! I think this is a very important part of who I am, who He created me to be, and ultimately it deepens our relationship!

In the big picture, it is important to remember that God sees us, right where we are, and He cares about our issues, and loves us unconditionally! ~ Picture courtesy of the author.

God’s Role as Father, and Mine as Daughter.​

God’s role as Father, and mine as daughter, allows me to communicate with Him as if I see Him sitting in the room with me. This intimacy with God the Father reminds me that my identity as His daughter isn’t just symbolic—it’s deeply personal. His care and concern for me, similar to that which I have for my own children. Yes, God the Father, knows every emotion that swirls inside my head and heart, and He loves me still! Why? I’m not sure I have a good answer for that one, but He does!


But it’s not only that—God also cares about the things that concern me, affect me, and happen to me. He’s caring and compassionate, and His love is not something I have to earn. His forgiveness of my sins comes through His Son Jesus Christ, and it all amazes me, and humbles me at the same time. I am adopted into God’s family through my acceptance of Jesus as my Savior, and I am indeed His daughter! What an undeserved blessing! Thank You, Father!

• I shared a post about an event I attended called Bloom Again, and it is all about the amazing Daughter of God connection! Check it out:
  
  Identity is rooted in the truth of who God says we are, and by blooming again, we are asking God to make all things new again! Revive us, and grow us into exactly who He uniquely created us to be! | Photo courtesy of the Author.

I’m Asking My Father for Wisdom and Discernment.​

I ask for wisdom and discernment because I know in my heart that I’ve been called to share the truth beyond my own circle—God has given me spiritual identity and purpose, and He’s equipped me to walk in it.

God has not limited my vision to just share Jesus with those around me—He reminds me that the Great Commission is to take it to the world.

I believe God has placed a deep desire inside me, that ignites a passion for “thinking outside the box.” As a result, a seed has been planted in my life that has me believing I can be used by Him, for His Glory, for so much more than I can see in this moment! And I say, “Let it Be God! Let it Be! In Jesus name, Amen!”

This coffee mug was the perfect reminder for my day! I need to begin by committing everything about my day to the Lord! ~ Photo courtesy of the author.
A favorite verse quickly comes to mind: “Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Matthew 19:26 (NIV)

Saying, and Actually Believing, that God Makes All Things Possible are Two Different Things!​

I confess that I quote this verse often, but then find myself struggling to actually believe it more often than I’d like to admit. So I look for the evidence of its truth in my life as a reminder to keep moving forward, never give up, and lean on God’s provision as I go!


Even writing this column would have been impossible without God’s hand opening the doors of opportunity!

God knows I’m telling you the truth when I say that sharing Jesus with all who will listen or read my words, is becoming an even more heightened focus, as of late. I feel compelled to share the truth of the Gospel, and not wait!

As a result, I want to shout out my praise for the opportunities He is giving me to do this so far, while boldly asking Him for more! Not in my strength, ability or power, but through His! I want Him to use me, and I want to fulfill every calling He placed upon my heart when He created me!

God Created Me with Purpose and Intentionality!​

I’m learning to reclaim that purpose daily as a daughter of God, even when I feel like I’m spinning my wheels spiritually.

Another couple of favorite verses comes to mind: “For YOU created my inmost being; YOU knit me together in my mother’s womb.” Psalm 139:13 (NIV) and “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” Psalm 139:14 (NIV)


I’m eternally grateful for verses like these that reassure me that God created me with purpose and intentionality! They lift my spirits and encourage me to keep seeking His will and keep stepping out to try new things!

God, Why Do I Feel Out of Sync With Who I Am?​

Even writing the truths about being a daughter of God, with scriptures to back it up, does not stop my struggles. Acknowledging I am created for a purpose, is not enough either. Something is missing. I feel a little lost, disconnected, and out of sync with who I am. This has me questioning myself:

• “Am I fulfilling my purpose?”
• “Do I believe I am on the path to becoming who I am called to be?”
• “Can I withstand the attacks of the enemy on my identity?”

The truth is that identity is a weak spot for me. One the enemy wages war in every day!

The battle is wearisome! I feel like I am “spinning my wheels,” going nowhere! And it is quite frustrating, to say the least!​

I need a fresh move of God! Renew my spirit Father! Show me how to take back my joy and peace. Show me the things that require change. Help me see what You see!


As most of you know, change is not easy, even if you know you need it. Dieting or losing weight quickly come to mind as good examples. You know you need to, but gosh, it can be so hard to do at times!

Honestly, even knowing I am daughter of God, does not stop me from wrestling with indecision. I confess that I second-guess myself way too often .

My identity in Christ does not erase every obstacle I face, nor does it give me instant wisdom and clarity in every life choice.


I’m reminded that in my weakness, then I am made strong… 2nd Corinthians 12:9-11 NKJV

If you follow my column, you may be noticing that I am not posting much lately. So, I will admit, there are reasons for that. Currently, I am walking through some personal trials. During this time, I am reflecting over years of my life’s decisions as I go along. Honestly, I don’t like what I see. With that said, next steps are unclear, but I am fully trusting God for direction!

Confident on the outside sometimes still equals messed up on the inside… But God! ~ Author courtesy of the author.

Change and Reflection is Often Necessary, Even if It’s Not Easy​

I often wonder how I end up dealing with some of the “same old” problems over and over again in my life. Honestly, it is baffling as I look back in time, and see patterns where it’s like someone was using a great big “REPEAT” button in my life! It is maddening at times! Even with intentions of finding resolution, and moving forward, I see that this is not the case. Some things never seem to change at all.

This is certainly a topic for future reference! I could go on and on about the poor choices I have made. Instead, I’ll pray, and ask you to pray for me to apply wisdom and discernment from lessons of the past. Pray that I move forward and not backward, and that I no longer remain stuck in indecision. In Jesus name, AMEN!

 

[RiverOL]

[td] A Pernicious Loop​ ​ ​

[td] . . . he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything—Acts 17:25​ ​ ​

[td] There are few more powerful (and potentially harmful) forces at work in the lives of men than the When/Then lie. It goes like this: when we get that job, that promotion, that house, that “number” in the bank account . . . then everything will be great. Things will settle down then. We’ll have peace and joy and security then. The lie wouldn't be so bad, but for the behavior we rationalize and excuse with it, hoping it is true: neglecting people we’re meant to love; disregarding people we’re meant to serve; ignoring people we’re meant to rescue; treating badly and taking advantage of people we are meant to encourage and support. Our enemy, the “father of lies” (John 8:44), created a clever one with the When/Then lie—it’s an infinite loop. You see, whatever “something” follows When is never as good as we think it’ll be. And so, any given “something,” when it’s achieved, is quickly replaced by a bigger, better one. There’s freedom available to us, though—freedom to enjoy the abundant blessings we’ve already been given; freedom to access true peace and true joy and true security, right now—if we’re willing to reject the lie and, instead, embrace the promises of our King, Jesus Christ. He’s promised that our Father God will provide everything we need in any given moment (Matthew 6:25-34). His provision just might not look how we think or hope it will (Isaiah 55:8).​ ​ ​

[td] Okay, so what do we do? Write down the When/Then lies you’ve believed. Be specific with both the Whens and the Thens. Now, with brothers in community or directly to God, pray against any power they’ve held over your life. Then, pray in the opposite: declare your gratitude for how God’s provided for you already—and for how he always will.​ ​ ​

[td] [ 1 min read ★ ]​ ​ ​ ​

[/td]

[/td]

[/td]

[/td]

[/td]

 

[RiverOL]

Beaten by the False Gospel of Busyness​

One of my favorite quotes comes from Kurt Vonnegut in A Man Without a Country. Vonnegut remarks, “Progress has beat the heck out of me” (Vonnegut 2005, 56). I feel like that.

We are swept up into a sea of busyness for progress through technology, thought, and consumerism.


We see busyness as progress, and progress as happening as a result of busyness. As some authors described in Everyday Theology, “The business of America is busyness” (Vanhoozer 2007, 155).

More than ever, it feels like our days are busy with tasks, expectations, and ought-tos. As a result, progress has beaten the heck out of us and left us and our schedules without margin and rest, meditation, and prayer.

Sometimes we feel like busyness is next to godliness, too. It’s not. Actually, it’s a false gospel. Being busy for God won’t bring you closer.

Busyness Is Not the Same as Productivity​

A few weeks ago, in Dirty Glory by Pete Greig, I read a line that hammered me: Greig remarks, “As Christian leaders we can often be busier and far less fun than Jesus” (Greig 2016, 286).

And he is right. Far too often, we are busier than Jesus is or was.


In our culture, being busy is seen as a good thing. We view it as a means of getting ahead, being recognized, and achieving our goals. But as a pastor’s coach, and my friend, Dave Jacobs, has asked, “Just because you’re busy does that mean you are productive?” (Jacobs 2017, 5–6).

Ask yourself. Are you more productive as a result of your busyness?

The Psychology Department at the University of Michigan has stated that being busy is actually not making us more productive. They write, “Being busy has somehow become a badge of honor. The prevailing notion is that if you aren’t super busy, you aren’t important or hard-working. The truth is, busyness makes you less productive.”

Progress has beaten the heck out of us.

Yet, we keep our lives busy with tasks, expectations, and ought-tos.

Our schedules have no margin anymore.

We aren’t actually accomplishing anything.

Wrestling Personally with Busyness​

I know, because I wrestle with this myself. The reason I sign every email, “in pursuit of a quiet life,” is that I am reminding myself not to be too busy, and that is not the goal. I need to confess this a hundred times a day to get it into my thick skull.


Statistics say we all feel this. “Through the last forty years, between 70% and 80% of Americans have consistently indicated they sometimes or always feel rushed” (Vanhoozer 2007, 155–156).

Being busy is not actually accomplishing anything of value for my family, for me, or my relationship with God. In fact, science has shown how the stress of being busy has adverse effects.

The Mental and Physical Cost of Busyness​

Few would disagree that excessive busyness can lead to stress, anxiety, sleep problems, and even burnout. However, we keep swept up in it without a full ownership of what it is doing to us.

According to VeryWell Mind, medical research indicates that excessive busyness can have a significant impact on physical health, often triggering or exacerbating conditions such as muscle tension or pain, restlessness, insomnia, headaches, inflammation, weakened immune function, fatigue, changes in sex drive, digestive problems, and even cardiovascular disease.

Yikes. Busyness is killing us mentally and physically.

The Spiritual Cost of Busyness​

However, is it also affecting us spiritually?

In Everyday Theology, the authors point out, “Those who practice this busyness, who implicitly define themselves in terms of how much they do are only a short step away from denying the gospel. Call it justification by busyness” (Vanhoozer 2007, 164).

Busyness deceives us into thinking we’re accomplishing much, even spiritually, yet it often leaves us spiritually unproductive, distracted from prayer, presence, and the deeper work God longs to do in us, with us, and through us.

This is why the scriptures call us to make it our ambition to lead a quiet (still) life, as Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 4:11–12.

I’ve never come across the Phillips translation before, but when Paul instructs the Thessalonians to lead a quiet life, Phillips renders it as “have no fuss.” The NLT instead calls us to live a “peaceful life.” I would also add that the word implies cultivating a sense of stillness and calmness in our lives.

This sort of no-fuss, still, peaceful, and quiet life is a resistance against busyness. And, it is throughout the whole witness of scripture as something that affects us.

A Biblical Vision of Stillness​

Paul tells Timothy something similar: “Live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness” (1 Timothy 2:1–2).

Paul models a way of contentment in all things for the Philippian church, a way that is “content,” not busy, regardless of “the circumstances” (Philippians 4:11).

Later, Paul will tell the church in Thessalonica that some are not busy with the right things, like providing for their families; instead, they have become busybodies. The word for busybody means wasting labor on other things, like other people’s “stuff.”

This sort of busyness is an anxiety, not a good practice. It is an identity we have let define us.

This is the kind of anxiety Paul says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition… present your requests to God” (Philippians 4:6–7).

But this is nothing new under the sun. The writer of Ecclesiastes, after trying to find achievement and notoriety, remarks, “What do people get for all the toil and anxious striving with which they labor under the sun? All their days their work is grief and pain; even at night their minds do not rest” (Ecclesiastes 2:22–23).


He finds that endless striving in our lives leaves us quite restless, empty, and unachieved.

The Proverbs tell us the same thing: “Do not wear yourself out to get rich; do not trust your own cleverness” (Proverbs 23:4).

Stop doing.

The biblical thread is clear — busyness without purpose or rest pulls us away from God. Jesus models withdrawal, Paul teaches intentionality, and wisdom literature warns against chasing after endless toil.

What Keeps You Busy?​

So, what is keeping you busy?

Are you aware of how busy you are?

Here are five quotes that I appreciate to help me wrestle with this idea of busyness:

1. “By not choosing our habits carefully, we are falling back on rhythms that are forming us in all of the usual patterns of unceasing screentime, unending busyness, unrivaled consumerism, unrelenting loneliness, unmitigated addictions, and unparalleled distraction” (Earley 2021, 16).
2. “Thomas Merton says the most pervasive form of violence in the modern world is busyness… not drugs, not guns, but busyness. The Chinese character for busy… combines the pictographs for heart and death, suggesting that busyness kills the heart” (Shigematsu 2013, 14).
3. “Instead of complaining about our busyness or assuming it’s just a fact of life, we need to ask ourselves why we are so busy. Sabbath helps us to question our assumptions” (Shigematsu 2013, 45).
4. “We all want more. Jesus commanded less” (Mulholland 2001, 114).
5. “The devil loves busyness because it keeps us away from spending time with our Father” (Carlson 2019, 55).

Sabbath as God’s Gift Against Busyness​

The way to face and break the cord of busyness in our lives is through the practice of the sabbath. I am convinced God gave us the sabbath for a really good reason. This is why Jesus also said the sabbath is for people like you and me (Mark 2:27).

As Ken Shigematsu says in God in My Everything, “Sabbath reminds us that God invites us to stop” (Shigematsu 2013, 14).

The authors of Everyday Theology agree, mentioning that “Keeping a sabbath offers significant benefits for holy busyness. It represents a countercultural practice, counter to the world and—truth be told—counter to much of the church too. It steps away from the drive for achievement and consumption by marking off space from such pursuits” (Vanhoozer 2007, 169–170).

Prayer and the Quiet Life​

What do we “do” on the sabbath?

We pray.

But let us remember what prayer is and is not. I love the way St. Dimitri of Rostov explained prayer. He said, “Prayer is directing the mind and thoughts toward God. To pray is to stand before God in your mind, and to gaze upon Him with an unwavering thought, and to speak to Him in fear and awe and reverence. So bring all your thought to bear, lay aside all outward cares of this life, and set your mind on God, and behold Him” (Rostov 2022, 26).


In prayer, we remember to lead a quiet life of stillness, directing our thoughts and moments on God. Sabbath cuts the hold of the busyness, so we have time to pray and to be realigned to the ways, word, wills, and works of God.

Leave some thoughts in the comments, or reflect…

• In what ways has busyness shaped how you see yourself, your worth, or your productivity?
• Where have you experienced God inviting you into stillness instead of striving?
• What is one practical step you could take this week to resist the false gospel of busyness?

Let’s journey together. Connect with me on my website, jeffmclain.com.

 

[RiverOL]

Regrets Can Be Positively Transforming​

When you (God) open your hand, they are satisfied with good things

Psalm 104: 28


I should have listened to him. Him being my husband. It felt like an ah-hah moment that arrived a little too late for much damage control to take place. And yet, isn’t our God the one who promises to restore the years the locusts have eaten? He sure is and I’m sure my family is thankful for that promise.

Many years ago, I started writing books for single moms not because I’ve ever been a single parent, but because two of my closest friends almost simultaneously went through unwanted divorces of their own. When they became single parents, I began telling their stories. After watching my two friends become both mom and dad to their children, nothing seemed harder to me than parenting solo.

Learn To Listen To Wise Counsel​

So why did I struggle so mightily against listening to my spouse’s counsel regarding one of our children? To this day, I’m not quite sure. If I’m honest, I suppose I thought I had a better take on the situation because I was a woman overflowing with female emotions whereas my husband was all manly business. The truth is, I wasn’t seeing the whole picture and my inability (and unwillingness) to budge from my stance cost my daughter in a big way.


How does a mom spell regret? In big, bold, flashing neon letters that never stop blinking across this mother’s mind, that’s how. If only…I had listened. If only…I had trusted another’s voice other than my own. If only…I had taken more time to pray. If only…I wasn’t so impatient to fix a problem. My “if onlys” were adding up in part because I hadn’t taken time to truly pay attention.

God Gives Wisdom To Those Who Ask​

Pay attention to what my spouse was observing. Pay attention to the signs that my daughter was making poor decisions. Pay attention to what the Lord was trying to tell me…that all my good intentions don’t amount to much (or avail much), if I’m not hearing what He (the Lord) is trying to tell me. And more often than not, He (God) uses those closest to me to direct me. My husband. My kids. My parents. My friends.

Paying attention takes effort. Listening takes effort. Waiting on the Lord takes effort (and self-control) to not rush headlong into a situation only to be left with regrets. Paying attention – it’s a good thing.

Regret is the definitive thief. It robs us of our peace today. It steals our hope for tomorrow. Everyone has regrets. Be those regrets of the personal or professional variety, we all make mistakes and with our blunders come all sorts of repercussions.

Humility Is Always A Great Instructor​

It’s true enough that when we have a fallout with someone, feelings are hurt and relational repair work has to be done. When we fail at work, again some repair duty must be had. But often we forget that there’s another type of regret-worthy mistake we neglect to consider.

When we stop listening to the people in our lives who know us better than we know ourselves, there’s trouble a brewing. When we fail to heed the advice of those who see the situation from every angle while we only see it from our side, there’s going to be some heartache a happening. When we rush into a difficult situation without first stopping to pray and ask for God’s wisdom, there’s going to be some messy untangling to do.

It just makes sense. Before we leap into the fire (even when we have the best motives possible), we should take on the fireman’s motto of stop, drop, roll. Stop – to get all the facts. Drop – to our knees in prayer. Roll – gently into the situation covered in gentleness and grace. If we can master those three steps…we can alleviate a good portion of the regret we’d experience otherwise. The best part of making mistakes? They can make us better people as we start paying attention to what we did wrong and then learn from it. And transforming something painful into something beautiful? That’s a good thing too.

 

[RiverOL]

The Best Part of the New Earth, Enjoying God’s Presence​

The 1998 movie What Dreams May Come portrays Heaven as beautiful but lonely, because a man’s wife isn’t there. Remarkably, someone else is entirely absent from the movie’s depiction of Heaven: God.

That movie’s viewpoint mirrors numerous contemporary approaches to Heaven which either leave God out or put Him in a secondary role.

The Five People You Meet in Heaven, a best-selling novel by Mitch Albom, portrays a man who feels lonely and unimportant. He dies, goes to Heaven, and meets five people who tell him his life really mattered. He discovers forgiveness and acceptance, all without God and without Christ as the object of saving faith.

Five People portrays a Heaven that isn’t about God and our relationship with Him, but only about human beings and our relationships with each other. A Heaven where humanity is the cosmic center, and God plays a supporting role. The Bible knows nothing of this pseudo-Heaven.


Numerous people claim to have gone to Heaven and seen loved ones and also Jesus, yet almost never do they react as the “beloved disciple,” the apostle John, did: “When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead” (Revelation 1:17).

Surely no one who had actually been in Heaven would neglect to mention what Scripture shows is its main focus. If you had spent an evening dining with a king, you wouldn’t just talk about the place settings! When John was shown Heaven and wrote about it, he recorded the details—but first and foremost, from beginning to end, he kept talking about Jesus, the Lion and the Lamb, with infinite gravitas and beauty.

A Honeymoon without a Groom?​

Jesus promised his disciples, “I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am” (John 14:3). For Christians, to die is to “be present with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:8, NKJV). The apostle Paul says, “I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far” (Philippians 1:23). He could have said, “I desire to depart and be in Heaven,” but he didn’t—his mind was on being with Jesus.

Heaven without God would be like a honeymoon without a groom or a palace without a king. Teresa of Avila said, “Wherever God is, there is Heaven.” The corollary: Wherever God is not, there is Hell.


The presence of God is the essence of Heaven. John Milton put it, “Thy presence makes our Paradise, and where Thou art is Heaven.” Heaven will be a physical extension of God’s goodness.

Samuel Rutherford said, “O my Lord Jesus Christ, if I could be in heaven without thee, it would be a hell; and if I could be in hell, and have thee still, it would be a heaven to me, for thou art all the heaven I want.” To be with God—to know Him, to see Him—is the central, irreducible draw of Heaven.

Heaven’s Greatest Miracle​

The best part of Heaven on the New Earth will be enjoying God’s presence. He’ll actually dwell among us (Revelation 21:3-4). Just as the Holy of Holies contained the dazzling presence of God in ancient Israel, so will the New Jerusalem contain His presence. The New Earth’s greatest miracle will be our continual, unimpeded access to the God of everlasting splendor and perpetual delight.

What is the essence of eternal life? “That they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent” (John 17:3). The best part of Heaven will be knowing and enjoying God.


Sam Storms writes, “We will constantly be more amazed with God, more in love with God, and thus ever more relishing His presence and our relationship with Him. Our experience of God will never reach its consummation. …It will deepen and develop, intensify and amplify, unfold and increase, broaden and balloon.”

The Reservoir that Will Never Run Dry​

Because He is beautiful beyond measure, if we knew nothing more than that Heaven was God’s dwelling place, it would be more than enough to make us long to be there.

Of course we will enjoy all the secondary gifts God gives us, but they will be derivative of God Himself, and our happiness in them will be happiness in him. Jonathan Edwards said, “The redeemed will indeed enjoy other things…but that which they shall enjoy in the angels, or each other, or in anything else whatsoever, that will yield them delight and happiness, will be what will be seen of God in them.”

“They feast on the abundance of your house; you give them drink from your river of delights. For with you is the fountain of life” (Psalm 36:8-9). This passage portrays the joy that God’s creatures find in feasting on Heaven’s abundance, and drinking deeply of His delights. Notice that this river of delights flows from and is completely dependent on its source: God. He alone is the fountain of life, and without Him there could be neither life nor abundance and delights.

The Ultimate Wonder​

We may imagine we want a thousand different things, but God is the one we really long for. “O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water” (Psalm 63:1). God’s presence brings satisfaction; His absence brings thirst and longing.

Our longing for Heaven is a longing for God—a longing that involves not only our inner beings, but also our bodies. Being with God is the heart and soul of Heaven. Every other heavenly pleasure will derive from and be secondary to His presence.

All our explorations and adventures and projects in the eternal Heaven—and I believe there will be many—will pale in comparison to the wonder of being with God and entering into His happiness. Yet everything else we do will help us to know and worship God better.

God’s greatest gift to us is now, and always will be, nothing less than Himself.