Life – Growing 4 Life

Feelings Won’t Get You Into Heaven

1 Comment / August 11, 2026 August 11, 2026

My husband and I had the opportunity to talk with an older gentleman the other day. In the course of the conversation, he offered the information that he had traveled several hours to get the “monument” that he and his wife had already purchased for the graveyard back home in his old state. They had moved and had decided to be buried in their new state.

It was a rather unexpected conversation to be having, but there it was. And, along with it, the perfect opportunity to talk about eternity.

And so my husband and I started asking him questions. Kindly. Gently. Do you know what is more important than preparing your gravesite? Do you know where you will spend eternity?

He replied with assurance that he most certainly did.

So I asked him: How do you know?

His response was terrifying but not unexpected…

“I feel it in here” and his fisted hand went to his heart.

As we talked further, we realized his great confidence in where he will spend eternity was based on feelings and his good works.

When we started talking about the Bible, we found out he never reads it and didn’t even know where his was. Somewhere in the basement, he thought.

After telling him about the sacrifice Christ made for us and why, we suggested that he find his Bible and read the book of John.

He sounded like he might do just that but we also realize that people will tell you anything for their own reasons. (You can pray that he does. Pray for “J”.)

That conversation was such a vivid reminder of a few different truths. I’ll share just two.

First, many people are basing their eternity on nothing but feelings. I guess it is natural, isn’t it? We live in a society where feelings are used to make the most important decisions.

I just read a post on Facebook by a middle-aged wife. Her kids were in their teen years and she no longer felt “connected” to her husband. And so she was walking away. It was all based on feelings. She didn’t feel love for him or from him and so she was going to follow those feelings into a “better life”. (Ironically, statistics show that the “better life” she is chasing is often just an illusion.)

If we let them, our feelings can control how we treat others, how we spend money, how much food we eat, where we go, and how much time we spend scrolling our phones or playing games on our iPad, or what we watch on TV. Feelings can lead us into deception, into sin, and into worldliness.

We want to feel good. We want to feel safe. We want to feel loved. We want to feel popular.

We don’t want to feel bad. We don’t want to feel insecure. We don’t want to feel unloved. We don’t want to feel backwards.

And so these feelings—driving every other decision made in life—eventually lead many into the assurance that they are going to heaven.

Their belief in what is true is more important than the actual truth. If they “feel it inside”, then it must be true.

But it just doesn’t work like that.

Just because someone feels like they are healthy and well, doesn’t mean they are. Deadly diseases don’t always give symptoms.

Just because someone feels unloved and like the whole world is against them, doesn’t mean it is. Many a people have committed suicide believing this lie that was never—even for a second—true.

Our hearts are very powerful and deceptive. It leads people into beliefs that simply aren’t true through the use of feelings.

The Bible tells us that our hearts are wicked and we cannot trust them—

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? (Jeremiah 17:9)

He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool:
but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered. (Proverbs 28:26)

As someone once wisely told me:

When it comes to decisions—small or large—feelings should be the caboose of our trains and not the engines. In other words, the feelings will tag along and change, when we choose to make the right decision. They should never be what is driving our decisions. It was good advice and I still remember it today.

We can’t afford to make decisions based on feelings. And we certainly can’t afford to make the biggest decision of our lives—where we will spend eternity—based on feelings.

Instead, we must anchor our lives in the Word of God—the only source of Truth that we can count on.

Second, it was a reminder of how many people that talk about Jesus so easily do not really know Him. Jesus tells us that we are His friends if we do what He commands (John 15:14). Many people never even open their Bibles to find out what Jesus commands. They just live in a comfortable, albeit false, belief that if they say they “believe on Jesus” they are good to go. But that is simply not what the Bible teaches. Genuine belief yields a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Many people, particularly in America, know the “Christianese” language very well. And it comes very naturally to them.

The other day I saw an interview with a baseball player after a game. In the interview he shared his gratitude for God and His sovereignty in his life. All praise was due to God. Then, in the next sentence, he cursed quite naturally.

I am not making any judgment on him personally. I do not know him nor do I know anything about him.

But I use this as an example for what we are seeing today. We are living in the midst of a syncretistic religion called “Christianity” where anything goes (except for true, biblical Christianity…that doesn’t go over so well).

I think we often are tempted to believe that anyone who refers to God or tells us they are praying for us understands what the Bible teaches, but that just isn’t true anymore. Even if that person goes to church, most churches are not teaching a biblical Gospel.

Just because someone talks like they are a Christian, doesn’t mean they truly understand. The mission field for the Gospel is probably much bigger than we have assumed here in America.

Of course, if we go back to “J”, we will realize that most people have been inoculated against the true Gospel by the belief that feelings equal truth and so it is hard to have any really good conversations. Most people who believe they are going to heaven have no care for what the Bible says and are basing their beliefs on other things.

Thankfully, we know it is the Holy Spirit that opens spiritually blind eyes and we don’t have to worry about the results of any conversations we have.

We simply need to have them.

So let’s have the conversations.

I’m not very good at it myself. This conversation with “J” was the first time I’ve had the courage to bring up eternity with someone in a long time. But I want to do it more.

Because I have nothing to lose and they have everything to lose. And we never know how God will use even the tiniest seed of the Gospel that we hesitantly toss onto the soil of another life.

An Attitude Adjustment

1 Comment / August 4, 2026 August 4, 2026

I was discontent. I didn’t want to do this certain thing. Okay, I’ll just be honest with you as to what was frustrating me. It was cooking. I didn’t want to have to do the work of cooking dinner. I have never really enjoyed it all that much, using a number of excuses as to why this is not my favorite duty.

And then one day (rather recently), as I stood at my counter working on dinner, I was so very convicted about my attitude. This was my job. It is what I signed up to do all those years ago when I got married. Instead of trying to “get it over with”, why not enjoy it?

And so, since then, I have begun to view it a bit differently. And it has totally changed my attitude.

I began to learn about cooking through videos. I poured over some of the cookbooks I own (which generally just sit on my shelf) and picked out some recipes to try.

Rather than just defaulting to easy meals or getting takeout (which used to be our standard…after all, there are only two of us…), I am trying to think outside the box and feed my husband and myself in a healthier way. My husband has been a good sport about my efforts and is also honest in his critiques, which I appreciate. (Yes, the potatoes were too hard in that chowder! Lesson learned!)

When you were used to cooking for six and now you only cook for two, you can grow lackadaisical in this area. Well, at least I did.

But my point is this: Whatever we have on our “to-do” list that has to be done is not the “dreaded” but, rather, a privilege. It’s a privilege to cook, to do laundry, to stick to a budget, to wait on tables, to take inventory at work…you fill in the blank for whatever duty it is that you find yourself having a bad attitude about.

Instead of having an attitude of “working for the weekend”(getting a chore past so we can do something we enjoy more), why not bring the joy of the Lord to the chore itself?

We live in a lazy, self-centered, entertainment-loving culture, and I am afraid this has seeped into my own life more than I care to admit. I am thankful to God for opening my eyes to this.

Unfortunately, I’d rather guess that I’ll fall back into laziness and discontentedness again at some point, but I am so thankful that God reminded me, yet again, that this is not how it should be. He is so faithful.

Outside on my back porch are two hanging Boston Ferns. The porch is shaded and it’s a great place to hang ferns. But sometimes I forget to water them. If I forget for too long (which thankfully, doesn’t happen too often), the edges of their leaves begin to turn brown and dry.

They still look green from a distance but when you look up close, you can see the stress.

I feel like my approach to cooking or any chore I don’t “love” has been like a fern with dry, brown leaves. I look good from a distance because I don’t really complain about it out loud (most of the time) but, inside, where God can see, my attitude has not been right.

And I realize that the joy of the Lord should water all of my day. And that when I bring that joy to anything, my whole attitude changes.

I am not sure if anyone else can relate to this or not. But I thought I’d share what God has been teaching me, just in case someone else would benefit by it.

I want to be someone who does everything for the glory of God and stops getting caught up in the lie that work is something to be gotten out of the way to get to the things we enjoy. Instead, I want to bring the joy of the Lord to whatever the Lord has for me.

And I’d rather guess that if you are still hanging around here, you want to do the same.

And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.
~
Colossians 3:17

Revolutionizing and Restoring Relationships

3 Comments / July 29, 2026 July 29, 2026

I’ve been thinking about something for a while now. Something about which the Lord has been both convicting me and teaching me. I am not sure I’ll be able to write it all out very well, but I’m going to give it a try.

Once upon a time, there was a person I knew (going to be vague purposely) who left many different people with some pretty bad memories when they left this earth. Things were never made right and the harmony and love that was hoped for was never realized.

I spent quite a few years very upset about this. Not necessarily for my sake but for others that I love very much. My opinion about that person was extremely negative for many years.

And then one day, not that long ago, I had a good memory come to mind of that person. A really good memory of a time shared together. And when I remembered that, other good memories started to surface. They had been deeply buried underneath all the hurt and angst that surrounded their last years.

And these memories taught me something: People just aren’t a “cut and dried” good or bad, like we’d like them to be. We tend to assign labels (even if it’s in our own minds) as to what we believe them to be. But it’s just not that simple.

Some are worse than others. We cannot deny that. Some are more challenging than others to love, for sure. But we can’t control them, can we? We can only control our own thoughts and actions. And that’s what today’s post is about.

We want people to be a certain way. And when they aren’t, we tend to write them off. Or we fight with them. Or we are discontent and we complain. There are many ways we show that we are not happy with the way someone is.

But I am beginning to understand the importance of accepting people where they are.

This doesn’t mean we don’t pray for them. It doesn’t mean we stop trying to make our relationships better. It doesn’t mean we do not confront sin or worldliness because of our love for someone.

What it does mean is that we love them despite their faults. We stop nitpicking and fussing. We lower our expectations and we stop basing our love for someone on those expectations (which are often impossible for someone to fully meet).

It means we stop trying to change them. Rather, we pray for them and, instead of harsh criticism, our conversations of confrontation are filled with our love for them.

And…we stop allowing our peace to be destroyed by them. Because our peace is to come from Jesus, not from people.

And I have had to think…if God would have only offered His love and salvation to me when I was perfect, I would not be saved today. Instead, God reached out to me while I was still a sinner (Romans 5:8). We love Him because He first loved us (I John 4:19).

Perhaps it is time that we start following God’s example in His love towards us. It’s time to eliminate the conditions. It’s time to stop getting so offended. It’s time to stop trying to fix people.

Instead we need to love them right where they are at, as God has demonstrated for us.

After all, am I that easy to love? Are you? If we are honest, we all will admit that we aren’t.

People just aren’t cut and dried. None of us are.

So instead of focusing on the things that drive us crazy, why not focus on the positive things we appreciate? The good memories rather than the bad memories?

Most people in our lives have some qualities for which we can be thankful. Why do we so easily focus on the negative??

Over the course of the past years, I have learned so much about having grace for others. And I have grown in this area. But God has been showing me lately that it’s not just having outward grace, while inwardly being annoyed or frustrated. It’s about both outward and inward grace towards those whom I don’t understand; Towards those that act in ways that frustrate or confuse me.

Everyone is shaped by so many things. My life experience is not your life experience. We often do things for reasons even we don’t understand. And so does everyone else.

People just aren’t always going to be how you want them to be. For example…I will always talk too much. I don’t want to and I try to work on it. But, so often, I go home from church or some event and I think…now why can’t I just be quiet?

But the people that are annoyed by my “over-talking” have no idea that I am actually annoyed with myself, too!

I need so much grace… I’d rather guess you do, too. So why not offer that same grace we need to the people around us?

People are struggling with sin issues and going through hard things, just as we are. They, too are responding or reacting in a certain way because it’s simply a personality trait they struggle with; or perhaps it’s due to a sin (which they may or may not be aware of yet) and God will show them eventually, just as He faithfully reveals our sin to us; It may be that they have had an experience in life that is causing their response; or any number of other things that affect how someone talks and acts. Just like us.

We all have different struggles and challenges. We all have blind spots. We all, if we are sincere believers, desire to be more like Christ. Unfortunately, we do it so pathetically imperfectly. That flesh is a real foe for most of us.

So perhaps it is time that we stop being annoyed and frustrated and just accept people where they are. Perhaps it is past time to offer genuine grace to others—the same grace that God offers to us and that we desire from others towards ourself.

The person I spoke about above chose not to reconcile with those that loved them so dearly. The situation felt utterly impossible. And there will always be great sorrow surrounding the whole thing. But in the midst of this, God brought to mind something that was good.

I want to be a person that can understand that life just can’t be broken down into “good” or “bad”. It’s so much more complex than that.

And that people aren’t all good or all bad. We are all a mumble jumble of both. (FYI: Yes, I do believe we are all depraved sinners in need of a Savior. I am referring here to the average person, both saved and unsaved to which God, through His amazing “common grace”, grants positive personality traits that are beneficial to humankind.)

I used strong words in the title of this post. Revolutionize and Restore are both words that bring to mind big change. I used those words because I believe if we begin to approach our relationships with an attitude of acceptance, rather than an attitude of dissatisfaction, it will revolutionize and restore our relationships.

I believe if we begin to love someone without condition, instead of waiting for them to love us according to our expectations, it will revolutionize and restore that relationship.

According to scripture, we are to live according to the Spirit (Romans 8:1-2). It really is this that sets us apart from the unsaved in this day-to-day world. And one of the ways we can live according to the Spirit is by becoming more like God in how we approach our relationships.

But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)

Bank Adventures

Leave a Comment / May 4, 2026 May 4, 2026

A few months ago, I went to the bank to try to figure out why a deposit wasn’t showing on my statement. I had called and talked to someone but she, after sending the statements away to the “appropriate department”, had insisted rather condescendingly that all was well with my account. I was sure that it wasn’t.

I decided to head over to the local branch and talk to someone in person. This is not our main bank and I don’t go there very often. This means they naturally do not know me there.

As I tried to explain the problem to the bank teller, she eyed me indifferently. She wasn’t mean but she also wasn’t nice. I felt a bit frustrated at her apathy, although I did try very hard to stay kind and keep my voice neutral.

She finally turned to her computer and said, “what’s your last name?”

When I said my last name, her face brightened and her whole demeanor changed. Oh, yes, I see those checks come in and I process them, she said and, quite unexpectedly, she became much more interested in what was going on with my account.

I don’t know this woman and, to my knowledge, she doesn’t know me. But, for whatever reason, my last name triggered a response.

Despite the change in her attitude, she didn’t really help me.

A few days later, never really receiving any answers from the women at my local branch, I called the branch in the next town. The young man who answered the phone was cheerful and kind before I even spoke a word. He took down my information and within 24 hours had answered where my disappearing deposit had gone (to the wrong account).

A few weeks later, I went into my regular bank. We have personal and business accounts there and had a very good relationship with the former manager of the branch. (Disappointingly, the current manager is very disinterested in her customers but that’s irrelevant here.)

On this particular day the teller didn’t know me and she was stammering, saying she needed my ID to finish my transaction. I was surprised because I was making a large deposit into my account (and I was not withdrawing a cent) so I was kindly trying to understand why.

The former bank manager, who works from several branches in a certain department, just happened to be there in a next door office with the door open. I could see him listening to what was going on and soon he came out and told her that I am who I say I am and she didn’t need my ID to process the deposit.

There is just something about being known, isn’t there?

As I reflect on my experiences at the two different banks, I realized I ran into five very different types of people.

First, woman #1 that I called at Bank #1. Ostensibly, she acted like she cared but obviously she a) had no idea what she was doing (claimed to send it away but could never have actually done that, as it was a simple mistake to find) and b) didn’t really care, as her condescension in telling me that all was well was clearly not care.

Some people can pretend to be nice but, in the end, show their true colors of self-interest and lack of compassion.

Second, woman #2 from Bank #1. This woman was cold and apathetic until she heard my name. For some unknown reason this filled her with interest to help me. When I was unknown to her, she was totally disinterested. And she never did help me.

This woman is a great example of the biased person that James talks about in his second chapter (verses 1-8). She changed her demeanor and her behavior based on who the person was rather than treating all people the same.

Third, man #1 at Bank #1, different branch. This young man answered my call with a pleasant and kind voice. He listened to my problem, acknowledged my concern, and promised to get back to me. And he did so in a timely manner. He also actually found the issue.

He was a great example of customer service. And of how we should live life—with kindness, concern, and follow-through of promises.

Fourth, woman #1 at Bank #2. This woman was kind but lacking in knowledge of who I was. It wasn’t her fault and she was just doing what she was supposed to be doing.

She was a good example of an employee, showing kindness and following the bank rules. Many people do not have that level of integrity anymore.

Fifth, and finally, man #1 at Bank #2. This former manager unselfishly stepped in to a situation when he could have just ignored us for his own selfish agenda.

This man was busy working on his own thing and he wouldn’t have had to take the time to help. But his kindness of heart and friendly demeanor put us both at ease and saved us both some extra work.

So why even share this?

Well, here’s why. We all have an opportunity to talk to people every single day. We have an opportunity to face problems and solve them.

Oh, most of us do not work at a bank. But we work, volunteer, or serve somewhere. And, if we live with someone else, we have these opportunities at home every single day.

How do we treat the people around us? How do we help them solve their problems?

Are we filled with a lot of complaining and frustration and unkind words? Or do we choose joy and kindness and unselfishness when someone reaches out for help?

I’ll be the first to confess that if you were a little mouse in my house watching when my husband comes in asking for help while I’m busy doing something, you would notice that I would not be a model responder. Oh, if I don’t have my own agenda at the time, I can be quite kind and helpful. But if I am in the middle of something… well, I am still working on that.

Today, when the unexpected crops up, let’s try to be kind and pleasant. Let’s conduct ourselves with integrity. Let’s be without bias, having a good attitude and a joyful spirit, no matter who the Lord puts in our path. And let’s be proactive in helping others, rather than selfishly saying to ourselves that it’s “not our problem”. Most importantly, let’s bring the love, grace, forgiveness, and mercy for others that Jesus has shown us.

We won’t do this perfectly, of course, but let’s keep trying. And in so doing, we will be like Jesus, showing a skeptical world that Christ absolutely does makes a difference.

Here Lies a Man…

Leave a Comment / March 30, 2026 March 30, 2026

Yesterday, My Sunday School teacher (also my father-in-law) shared this epitaph that someone had found on a tombstone:

Here lies a man who went out of this world without knowing why he came into it.

Is that not one of the saddest things you ever heard? To never know purpose? To flounder and to wander through this world, always asking the question “why am I here?”

I don’t believe he is the only person who died not knowing why they were born. And even those who find some semblance of purpose through their jobs, their manmade religions, their families, or charity work still feel empty if they take a moment to actually examine their hearts and be honest with themselves.

This is because we all have only one true purpose and that is to worship, glorify, and obey the One True God in the way He demands, according to His Word, the Holy Bible.

There is rebellion in a man’s heart that keeps him from having a natural desire to do this. And so he searches in all kinds of places, hoping to fill that desire to worship with inferior, temporal things.

It’s only when we bow our knee to Jesus Christ and turn to Him alone as our Savior from sin and death, that we can even begin to understand our true purpose in this world. Jesus is not just one way. He is the only way to be right with God (John 14:6).

We can choose to bow our knee to Jesus Christ now and acknowledge Him as Lord….or we will be forced to do this later. It’s our choice. God leaves it up to us. For now.

Paul puts it like this—

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:5-11)

Believing this—that Jesus is our Savior and Lord and our only way to be right with God—is life-changing.

I came across these verses yesterday (also from Philippians) and found myself meditating on them and what they mean for me (and for you) today, in this current time we find ourselves living in.

Here’s what Paul writes—

But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:7-14).

Paul tells us to follow him as he follows Christ (I Corinthians 11:1). His example has been providentially given to us by God. If this is true, then what can we learn or be looking to attain for our own lives, based on this passage from Philippians?

First: All things are considered loss when compared to Christ. Counted as garbage, even. While these verses are nice to read, they are very difficult verses to actually live out. God has been revealing some idols in my life over the course of the last few months. Things that have taken too high of a priority in my life. While it can be painful, I am so thankful that God is opening my eyes to this.

Second: Christ alone is my righteousness. We stand before God clothed in Christ’s righteousness. There is nothing good in us and we can do nothing to make ourselves right with God (Isaiah 64:6, Romans 3:10) Any good works we do for the Lord should be because we love Him, and not because we need to do them to attain salvation or because we think He will be mad at us if we don’t do them. We can get a little mixed up with our motivation for good works, can’t we? Even those of us who know and believe this truth with our whole hearts.

Third: We must stop looking behind us and press toward the mark. One of Satan’s biggest tricks is to get us focusing on all we’ve done wrong in the past. Or to imprison us in our disappointments, our grudges, our unmet expectations of yesteryear. Again, easy to read and be inspired by these verses, but much more difficult to actually live out.

As we approach Resurrection Sunday and take time to reflect on what Christ has done for us, may we also reflect on the change His victory at the cross has wrought in our own lives.

May we remember our true purpose and turn from those temporal things that call to us, demanding our allegiance. May we turn back yet again with bowed knee and surrendered heart to the One who loves us most.

Liberty to Love

1 Comment / November 19, 2025 November 19, 2025

Galatians 5 has always been a favorite chapter of mine. Paul has spent the preceding four chapters explaining that we can never be justified by the law and that Jesus Christ is enough. And then in chapter five, he starts off with—

Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

We are to stand fast in the liberty that we are given through Christ. Paul then spends the rest of the book showing us what that looks like.

Does it mean we can immerse ourselves in worldliness and sinful behavior, knowing we are forgiven?

He answers this clearly in verse 13–

For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.

Clearly the answer to that question is no. We are not saved so that we have the liberty to sin and embrace the world.

We are saved and given the liberty to love. To love and serve God. To love and serve one another.

Our new life in Christ has changed our WHY.

We don’t do the right things because we “have” to. We don’t do them to merit favor with God.

We do them because we have finally been given the liberty to love.

Most of us are very familiar with verses 22-23 of chapter 5, where we are given a list of the fruits of the Spirit. Can you remember what they are?

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

But the next verse is probably not as familiar to us—

And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. (Vs 24)

Those that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its affections and lusts. This is a description of every believer. It should describe us. We have crucified (or are actively trying to crucify) our flesh.

Crucify— to subdue (conquer; bring into subjection; overcome; repress)

Flesh—our old man; our human nature

So, rather than fulfilling our desires for the world and to sin, we are to live with intention and be turning away from them. Crucifying them.

Crucify is such a strong word, isn’t it? We see Paul has used it earlier in this book, when he says in chapter 2:20–

I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

So we aren’t crucifying our flesh for no purpose. As we crucify our flesh more and more, we make more and more room for Christ to live in us. As we live for Christ, we, through Him, love God and others.

This is reflected in our lives in all areas. It’s not just about “being nice” to people. It goes far deeper…it is reflected in how we love others when no one is watching—how we treat our spouses every day; how we respond when someone irritates us; it is reflected in how freely we forgive and the amount of grace we offer to others. It’s also reflected in how much we love God—shown clearly by what we put before our eyes on the tv, the Internet, or books (do we love Him enough to turn our eyes from the things He hates?) It is reflected in how we spend our money and time (do we consider His will as we make these decisions?) And it is reflected in how we respond when we face a trial, large or small (do we really trust Him?)

This topic is probably one of the most difficult things to navigate as a believer in our current culture. As soon as we raise the topic, cries of legalism rent the air.

But the liberty to love and then to live our lives in response to that love (for God and for others) is in direct opposition to legalism.

This verse has really been on my mind and so I thought I’d share what I’ve been thinking about. Hope it encourages you to also ponder our liberty to love and instills in you the same desire it has in me: To love God more and to love myself less. To turn from my fleshly desires and to fill the void with Christ.

May I seek God’s glory instead of my own. May I seek God’s approval rather than man’s. May I seek to submit and to obey God rather than to fulfill the desires and lusts of my flesh that insistently (and sometimes so very LOUDLY) call out to me each and every day.

We will never do this perfectly, but, by His grace, we will do it more and more with each passing day.

Older and Wiser

3 Comments / June 24, 2025 June 24, 2025

Life is designed in such a way that the older we get, the wiser we become. Our experiences teach us more than any teacher ever could. And so, hopefully, as believers, we are learning not to be so hasty; when to speak and when to keep quiet; we are growing less angry and more forgiving. And the list could go on and on.

This not only should inform our daily living in a good way by changing our choices and decisions and even our thought processes but it also gives us insight for those that come behind us.

As I was reading in II Chronicles 10 last week, I came across this interesting passage. It’s regarding Rehoboam, who asked two groups of men—old men and young men— how he should respond to a question the people have asked him—

𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘙𝘦𝘩𝘰𝘣𝘰𝘢𝘮 𝘵𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘴𝘦𝘭 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘮𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘚𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘮𝘰𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘧𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘩𝘦 𝘺𝘦𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘥, 𝘴𝘢𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘴𝘦𝘭 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘦 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦? 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘴𝘱𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘪𝘮, 𝘴𝘢𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘐𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶 𝘣𝘦 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘬 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘺 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘴𝘦𝘭 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘮𝘦𝘯 𝘨𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘮, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘴𝘦𝘭 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘶𝘱 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘩𝘪𝘮, 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘮. (II Chronicles 10:6-8)

Instead of heeding the wiser, older men, he decided to go with what the young men had said (which was to be harsh with the people).

In this case, the older men had a much wiser answer for Rehoboam and had he followed it, his kingdom would have had a very different ending. Following the wrong advice can change everything, just as it did for Rehoboam.

Of course, older men do not always give the best advice—especially in a culture where so many older men and women spend the last twenty years of their lives playing and selfishly pursuing their own desires.

But there is still a principle to be found in this story from the Bible. We spend almost the entirety of our lives younger than some and older than some, so what are principles we need to consider from this story as a younger person and as an older person?

We live in a culture that is a bit upside down. In the past, the wisdom of old age was valued and elderly men and women were respected. In the world we find ourselves in, it is youth that people listen to and it is the young people that are respected.

It wasn’t until the mid-1900s that youth culture took on a life all its own and became a force to be reckoned with. There were no “youth groups” in the 1800s. No Botox or plastic surgery so we could look “younger”.

While growing older always has had its challenges, there was no shame in it back in the day. It was just a part of life. No one was trying to be younger. They just were taking life as it came.

But we live in this culture where youth is admired and old age is despised. How do we live in this culture but not be “of it”? Since we are all both “younger” and “older” for most of our lives we need to ask—according to scripture—what are things we need to consider as a younger person and what do we need to think about as an older person?

First, it’s important that we consider what those older than us have to say. Particularly, those who are walking with God.

There are lots of foolish old men and women in this materialistic, self-centered culture. But there are also many wise men and women who love the Lord and have so much to offer those of us who are younger than they are. May we be humble enough to listen to what they have to say and take time to reflect on it.

Some of my dearest friends have been women considerably older than me. One was thirty years older and one was twenty-two years older than me. Both were incredible blessings in that they had so much wisdom to offer me, because they loved the Lord and had lived longer than me. If we still have our parents and they love the Lord, we will find that they are also a wonderful resource for godly counsel.

Older people just think about things we never even considered. They understand dynamics we can have no clue about. They have been through what we are going through and can look back and see what they did right and what they did wrong. Hind sight is 20/20 and they have the blessing of having the hind sight we can’t possibly have.

And so may we be humble and teachable and willing to learn from those who are a bit ahead of us on this path called life.

Second, may we be worthy counselors.

We are all older than someone. May we be studying the Word and growing more like Christ through our life experiences, so that we may be a counselor of value as we get older.

As I mentioned above, many older men and women live selfishly. But as believers, we not only must turn away from that, we must realize the absolute privilege it is to build into the lives that are around us. Many of us have children (and their spouses), grandchildren, and even great-grandchildren whom we can support and encourage. We have nieces and nephews, Sunday School children, young parents, co-workers, and our church families. There is always someone younger than us that can use some support and encouragement to honor and obey the Lord.

But before we offer any counsel…

It is critical that we are an excellent listener. Spewing unwanted and condescending advice will be never be a blessing to anyone.

Compassionate listening with a well-spoken word of advice as God gives opportunity is what we are after.

We can’t change the world, but we can change our own hearts and attitudes, can’t we? May we be willing to listen and consider the counsel of those who are ahead of us and may we be willing encourage and build up in the Word those who are behind us.

And, in doing these things, we will be obeying scripture and be living out the pattern that God established for His people.

Judgements, the Bible, and Incomplete Information

1 Comment / June 10, 2025 June 10, 2025

We all make judgments. We make judgments about what is beautiful and what isn’t. And about what is “normal” and what “isn’t normal”. We make judgments about whether someone is doing something right or something wrong; And about whether someone is doing something wise or something foolish. We all do it. And we all do this quite naturally, whether we speak our judgments aloud or not.

But there are two things that we believers really should consider before we pass judgment. Before I go on I’d like to mention that this is something God has been teaching me, oh so gradually, over the course of my lifetime and I am definitely not the same person I used to be. But I am still growing in this area. It’s so easy to write about something the Bible teaches, but learning to live it out takes a lifetime.

The FIRST thing for our consideration is this: Is my judgment based on God’s Holy Word or is it based on my opinion?

If it’s based on my opinion then does it really matter? What makes one opinion better than another?

Here’s a silly example (albeit a practical one). Let’s consider a woman’s shirt. Let’s say I notice a co-worker’s new shirt and I just don’t like it. It’s bright and loud in a color I do not care for and I find it very unappealing. Why is my opinion about that shirt better than the wearer’s opinion? And does it really matter?

Now, let’s take that same shirt and let’s say that it is cut very low and is very immodest. The Bible tells us to dress modestly (I Timothy 2:9-10). So now I am making a judgment between right and wrong which, in fact, we are supposed to do (Matthew 7, I Thess. 5:21-22, and others).

Judgments that are based on our opinions don’t always need to be said. But sometimes they do need to be shared. For example, in committee meetings or family gatherings, when a plan is being developed or a vacation planned. At that point, we speak up with the understanding that there is really no “right” or “wrong” in the situation but that our opinion is simply based on preference.

But what we do with our biblical judgments? Are we to speak each one? This is probably worth a post all its own but, for the sake of time and space here today, let’s just nutshell it in this way: True love discerns, through prayer, when speaking truth is appropriate and is willing to confront when necessary. A lot of harm has been done by parents, pastors, teachers, and others who were simply unwilling to speak biblical truth into the lives of others because they were worried about offending.

This leads to the SECOND thing which we must consider: Are we are aware that we may have incomplete information as to why someone made a choice?

This is not regarding the actual making of judgments but, rather, about our attitudes that accompany our judgments.

When we make biblical judgments, we make them based on our own life experiences. This leads many of us to give no grace, no mercy, no lee-way for other life experiences.

So, for example, someone growing up in a Christian home will naturally know the Bible better than a baby Christian who just got saved as an adult and is learning. Do we have grace for the baby Christian who is just learning?

Or another example is that perhaps someone made a decision for a very good reason but you, looking from the outside, are not privy to the reason for that decision and are judging them for doing something unwise based on your incomplete information. We don’t always know the facts and perhaps they didn’t do anything unwise at all.

Do we give people the benefit of the doubt? Or do we fall prey to having a “holier than thou” attitude?

We only have our life experience from which to form judgements. But it’s so important to recognize that our life experiences are not the gold standard. Only the Bible can and should inform all of our judgments.

And this should lead us to grace and mercy as we remember our life is not their life. And they may have challenges about which we have no idea at all. This doesn’t mean we don’t talk with them when we see sin or worldliness. It just means we have a humble, loving attitude that acknowledges we may not know everything.

So… what if a judgment is based on scripture and you find yourself concerned about someone you love? What to do?

Our natural response is to gossip or to make sarcastic, passive-aggressive remarks letting others know how we feel. The godly response is to keep quiet and go to that person personally and find out the whole story; find out why they made the choice they did and lovingly and kindly point to the scripture that shows that it is wrong.

Can you see why correct interpretation and honest hermeneutics of God’s Word are so critical to life? There are so many manmade “rules” and “laws”—rules and laws that man has created that are simply not in scripture. And there are also so many principles and commands that go completely ignored and neglected by professing Christians who love the world.

And can you see why it’s so important to be able to recognize an opinion-based judgment from a scripture-based judgement?

I have been judged for many things throughout my life. One that sticks out in my memory is being judged for drinking orange juice with my pop-tart instead of milk. Someone made me feel like a fool because of this decision.

As I reflect on that experience, which is over twenty years ago now, I find it such an unnecessary judgement. It’s a silly example but there are so many just like it that happen every day.

Judgments like this build walls instead of building unity. They create division instead of creating a loving, safe place to grow together.

Oh, that we may recognize the difference between our subjective, opinion-based judgments and objective, scripture-based judgments. May we handle any judgment in a loving, biblical manner that will support and encourage God’s family, rather than tear it down.

He Shall Direct Thy Paths

2 Comments / May 27, 2025 May 27, 2025

Proverbs 3:5-6 are probably two of the most-loved verses in all of scripture. They remind us to trust the Lord, to lean not on our own understanding, and promise us God’s direction. But as I was reading this chapter this morning, I realized that these two little verses must be taken in context. They are surrounded by some other pretty important nuggets of wisdom that can’t be overlooked if we long to trust the Lord and have Him direct our paths.

Such as…

(Vs. 1-2) we dare not forget God’s law and we must work diligently to keep His commandments. We are even told that, as a rule, doing this will give us a long life and peace. Of course, there are legitimate exceptions to this due to God’s sovereign will, but we can see how living a moral, upright life will keep us from a lot of harm.

(Vs. 3) Do not forsake mercy and truth. Can we overestimate the value of mercy and truth in the life of a believer?

Truth keeps us on the straight and narrow path and keeps us from deception. Our only hope of protection and a victorious Christian life is to love the truth of God’s Word more than we love anything else. This is easy to write but hard to live. We all have areas in which we are tempted to ignore, bypass, or outright reject the truth of scripture because the cost is so much higher than we are willing to pay. It is so important that we ask the Lord to give us courage and steadfastness and the willingness to submit to and obey His Word, no matter the cost.

Mercy is what will keep us humble as we seek to follow the truth. My grandfather used to say that “pride is a handle that fits any tool” and there is no tool that it fits better than trying to do what’s morally right and obeying God’s commands. But mercy will keep us from turning up our noses at others and will fill us with humility as we recognize that all genuine believers have victories and we all struggle—just in different ways. Mercy and grace abound in humility of heart and live in perfect harmony with Truth.

(Vs. 7) And then this most important verse after verse 6. This verse explains how we are practically able to execute verses 5 and 6.

First, we are not to be wise in our own eyes. Here we go back to pride again. Pride will keep us from submission to the Lord, it will keep us leaning on our own understanding instead of the Lord’s, it will cause us to stray from the narrow path, AND it will destroy our relationships.

Second, we are to fear the Lord. What does this mean? That we are “scared” of Him? No, of course not. The fear of the Lord means having the proper, reverential, submissive attitude towards the Lord. It means we live our lives with God at the center, instead of ourselves, holding Him in awe and recognizing His greatness, omnipotence, and glory. Earlier in this book, we read that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Prov. 1:7). That’s how important it is that we fear the Lord.

Third, we are to depart from evil. We cannot expect the Lord to direct our paths if we are purposely walking outside His will in sin or worldliness. Evil comes in all shapes and sizes and, through our study of God’s Word, we soon begin to understand that we have far too narrow view of this word. It goes far beyond the “awful stuff” we tend to put in its category and encompasses but is not limited to: Wicked entertainment that goes against God both morally and philosophically; immodest dress and other ways we draw attention to ourselves; an unforgiving and unloving spirit; selfishness; rebellion against God’s laws; and passion for the world’s wealth and status (just to name a few!) If we are honest with ourselves, we all have something that tempts us to do evil. This is why it is so important that we be examining our hearts and our lives on a regular basis.

(Vs. 8) Doing these three things will not only help us to trust the Lord, lean not our understanding, and help us discern God’s direction for our path; but they will also make us healthy spiritually. They will enable us to live a victorious Christian life.

Sometimes we can oversimplify the words of God. And, while loving just two verses we pull out of scripture isn’t necessarily bad, it is so important that we study our favorite passages in the context which they are given. We will get so much more from God’s Word when we take the time to meditate upon our favorite verses in their proper context.

𝘔𝘺 𝘴𝘰𝘯, 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘮𝘺 𝘭𝘢𝘸;
𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘭𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘮𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴:
𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘵𝘩 𝘰𝘧 𝘥𝘢𝘺𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦,
𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘦, 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘥𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘦.
𝘓𝘦𝘵 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘤𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘵𝘩 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘴𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘦:
𝘣𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘺 𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘬;
𝘸𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘶𝘱𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵:
𝘚𝘰 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘢𝘷𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨
𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘢𝘯.
𝘛𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘖𝘙𝘋 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵;
𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘯 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨.
𝘐𝘯 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘺 𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘭𝘦𝘥𝘨𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘮,
𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘥𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘺 𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘴.
𝘉𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘦𝘺𝘦𝘴:
𝘧𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘖𝘙𝘋, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘦𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘭.
𝘐𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘺 𝘯𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘭,
𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘺 𝘣𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴.
* Proverbs 3:1-8 *

A Different Perspective on Trials

3 Comments / March 11, 2025 March 11, 2025

In a few days, one of my grandbabies will be having minor surgery. His mama called me yesterday and shared that, as she has been reading through Deuteronomy, she was struck by the comparison that is made between earthly parents with their children and God’s relationship with His children. (Hebrews 12 also expresses this idea very clearly.)

As she contemplates this surgery, she realized that she can’t make her son understand that this is both necessary and in his best interest. He is a baby and there is no possible way he can understand that the pain he must endure is for his own good. It is hurting her, for she hates to see one she loves so much suffer in any way. She wishes she could spare him but she cannot. She knows she needs to choose what is best for him in the long-term, despite her own feelings.

She will walk with him through the upcoming days, loving him and meeting his needs but he must go through the surgery. She loves him too much not to do what is best for him.

What a wonderful comparison as we consider our own trials. God will do what is best for us and we must walk through whatever is our lot in life. But He will not forsake us. He will walk with us and He will meet our needs as we walk through the trial.

So easy to write but so hard to live, right?

We can be like spoiled children, petulantly demanding relief from the pain. And, yet, just as my grandson cannot understand why he must go through his upcoming surgery because his mama is older and wiser than he, so we, too, cannot understand God’s purposes and reasons for our own sufferings.

God, in His infinite wisdom, knows what is best. He is infinitely higher and greater than we are. I think there is a fundamental lack of understanding of the great gulf that lies between God and man.

God is Creator. Man is created.

God knows all and has unlimited knowledge. Man knows so little and is so very limited.

God is unchanging. Man changes his mind all the time.

God is omnipotent over all. Man has power over just about nothing.

When we demand to know and shake our fist at God because of what we are going through, we are demonstrating a fundamental lack of understanding about who God is and who we are.

Now, let me add here that I do think it’s our natural response. It is so hard to think outside our own pain and hurt. It takes time to journey through a trial and end up with right and biblical thinking. And it takes some longer than others.

(Parenthetically, we must consider this same understanding about who God is and who we are in light of the doctrines we don’t understand or simply do not like. Sometimes, things we read in scripture do not seem loving or fair to our finite minds; we don’t like them; and so many simply reject them. And, yet if these things are clearly in scripture we cannot—we must not—reject God’s clear Word. Here again, we must surrender our pride and bow our knee to God and accept what He says without the need to understand.)

The key is to take the journey we are given and not land in a mire of pride and bitterness because we feel like we got a “raw deal”.

Life is hard. But, for God’s redeemed children, one day it will not be hard. Instead, it will be glorious.

Someone reminded me yesterday that God didn’t say “if” the Israelites reached the Promised Land, He said “when”. They then went on to remind me that it is the same for us. As we walk through this life, Heaven isn’t an “if”, it is a “when”.

Colossians 3:1-2 reminds us that we must keep our minds on things above and not on things below as we journey through this life. Having this perspective will strengthen us with God’s truth as we suffer through the mundane, daily troubles as well as the life-altering, overwhelming trials…and every trial in between.

As we travel the path that God has us on today, I hope this will be an encouragement to you. I can’t understand what you are going through today. But scripture teaches us that God not only knows exactly how you feel but it also teaches that He loves you and He has allowed what is in your life for your good and His purposes (Romans 8:28). He will not forsake you but has promised to be with you every step of the way.

This is what His Word says and this is what has been experienced by thousands—millions—of believers before us. May we all keep trusting that our Heavenly Father knows best as we experience His tender mercies and loving care through it all as we journey in this life.