A plug for Bible Haven: How God Deals With Those Who Hurt You

I came across this video from the YouTube channel "Bible Haven." I've watched quite a few from this channel, and I found this particular video powerful. As such, I wanted to share the transcription with you today:

Transcription:

God's justice doesn't always look like revenge. Sometimes, it looks like peace. Because when you stop fighting people, God starts fighting for you. And when He does, it's never small. It's quiet, it's divine, and always leaves a mark. 

1. When God Steps In: In Scripture, God never ignores pain; He redeems it. Joseph was betrayed by his own brothers, sold as a slave, and forgotten in prison. Yet when those same brothers stood before him years later, desperate and broken, Joseph didn't seek revenge, he saw purpose. Genesis 50:20 says, "You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good." That's divine justice. Because when people break you, God doesn't always break them back; He builds you higher. Maybe you've seen it, too: the friend who turned on you, the coworker who lied about you, the person you loved who left you at your lowest. And it feels unfair, because they seem fine, while you're still healing. But what you can't see is that while they're comfortable, you're being called. God uses betrayal to push you out of places you would've never left. He uses rejection to reveal what was never meant for you. And He uses heartbreak to purify your heart for the next level of your purpose. When God steps in, His goal isn't to make them pay, it's to make you ready.

2. How God Actually Deals With Them: See, God's justice doesn't always come with thunder and fire. Sometimes, it comes in silence. When people hurt you, God doesn't rush to destroy them. He gives them space, space to repent, [space] to realize, [space] to change, because His goal isn't revenge, it's redemption. But make no mistake, the longer they ignore conviction, the heavier the lesson becomes. The same God who protected Joseph also humbled Pharaoh. The same God who lifted David also brought Saul to his knees. God deals with people in His time, not yours. And when He does, it's always fair. He'll let their own actions expose them. He'll let their own words return to them. And while they're busy justifying the pain they caused, He'll be restoring you in plain sight. That's the kind of justice no one can argue with, because it doesn't just change your story, it proves who was really covered by God all along. 

3. The Waiting Season: The hardest part isn't being hurt; it's watching them live like nothing happened. While you're praying through tears, they're posting smiles. And that's when the enemy whispers, "See? Doing right doesn't matter." But that's a lie, because God's delays are not His denials. He's not ignoring what happened; He's observing how you'll handle it. The waiting season is where God measures your heart. Will you let bitterness grow? Or will you let Him build you quietly? Think of David: anointed as king, yet running for his life from Saul. He had every chance to get even, but he didn't. And that's why God called him a "man after My own heart." Sometimes the test isn't about justice; it's about trust. Can God trust you with the throne if you're still obsessed with the sword?

4. When God Turns Pain Into Proof: Every time God allows pain, it's never wasted. The same tears that broke you become the testimony that builds others. When Joseph forgave his brothers, it wasn't weakness, it was revelation. He finally saw that everything that tried to destroy him was secretly positioning him. And that's what God is doing with you: the betrayal that pushed you out, the loss that forced you to start over, the disappointment that made you depend on Him. All of it is proof that grace can grow in the dark. One day you'll look back and realize [that] if they hadn't hurt you, you would've stayed where God never meant you to settle. He doesn't just restore what you lost, He reveals why you had to lose it. And when that moment comes, it hits different[ly], because you'll understand that what was meant to break you was the very thing that builds your destiny. 

Here's the truth: while you were waiting for God to deal with them, He was preparing to heal you. Because God's justice isn't about making others suffer, it's about making you whole. Forgiveness isn't weakness; it's the moment you hand God the gavel and walk in peace. You stop chasing apologies and start protecting your anointing. And when you do, something shifts. The same hands that once hurt you will have to watch God elevate you. So don't fight for revenge; fight for release. Because when you forgive, Heaven moves faster. 

If this message spoke to your heart, drop a "God sees it" in the comments, because sometimes the pain you can't explain is the proof that Heaven's already working behind the scenes. And if you're ready to let God handle what hurt you, make sure you follow for more faith-filled words that remind you [that] God never forgets who His children are. 

Reading through the Bible 2025: Status update

 Hello readers,

I have to confess (if I haven't already): I've all but fallen off the trail on my year-long Bible reading plan. By this point, I would likely be in the book of Acts, and maybe even some of the early letters that Paul had written. But I'm still in the Old Testament. Granted, I'm in the era of Zechariah, Zerubbabel, and Joshua the priest, so I'm pretty far through the Old Testament.

I'm not here to announce that I'm giving up on the Bible reading plan. In truth, I vacillate between two opposing decisions daily. One day, I might decide I'm going to give up this plan on the spot. On the next, I'm encouraged and back to finishing the whole thing, maybe even by reading three installments a day which just might catch me up to the end of the book of Revelation by December 31st. One day, I might decide instead that I'm going to bail on the plan, but not before I at least finish the Old Testament; on the next, I might have the courage to keep going, through the Gospels and the rest of the New Testament, but may not finish until March of next year.

It has been a hard year. Then again, most years have tended to be hard. This year, it's been health challenges, a looming layoff over a period of six weeks that God reversed at the last second (praise God!!!), and a spiritual attack that had me really desiring to find a different church (I say spiritual attack because I finally met with my pastor, cleared the air, and now we have a handshake agreement to meet together once every few weeks to check in and spend time together).

October was a fun month for a change. Guess maybe I should take back what I said about, "oh, we can eliminate October. It's a dreary and downright unnecessary month. Let's just skip ahead to November." A friend from out of town visited for two weeks. We have longtime friends in common, and, as expected, gathering together was incredible, much-needed fun and support. Then, in the latter half of the month, celebrating my dad's birthday. Now that we live an hour, hour-and-a-half away from each other, the opportunities we get to gather have become that much more precious.

Life on the horizon is still uncertain. I have a verbal assurance that I will have my job until February for sure, with the possibility of an extension until next December. We'll see. I saw a purchase order on my client's portal with my employer's name on it, with the expiration date of December 31st of this year. And we are contracted to help support my client cut costs in a manner not unlike what the Department of Government Efficiency kick-started earlier this year. Moreover, my wife has begun a 2nd job as a season tax adviser for tax season next spring. We are currently working on figuring out how to work our marriage and our schedules around that commitment.

I've been asked to return to taking classes again. I'm willing; I just don't know what, and more alarmingly, I lack the desire to stick with something long-term. In 2020, I pursued a degree in accounting, took three classes, got an accounting job, and... I was hospitalized and subsequently fired. God came through with my current procurement job, with which I've recently surpassed the four-year mark. If and whenever this current job ends, God will provide another job. I mean, right when He gave me my current job back at the last minute, the other thing He did was make it completely impossible for me to apply for unemployment insurance on my state's website. I am certain that I tried at least 5 times over a span of a couple days, and was repeatedly stopped on the first step.

I want to watch how I wrap up this blog post. It has been a hard year (and really, a hard several years in a row) on multiple levels, but this year also has provided the opportunity for God to do the impossible:

• He gave me my job back and made it impossible for me to get very far in trying to collect unemployment. (And He did the second thing first, and the first thing second)
• He restored my relationship with my church and with my pastor (and with my wife, who unfortunately had to endure my grumblings).
• He gave my wife her previous job when we were told that we were both being evicted even if we didn't follow through on the wedding as planned (we had threatened to postpone the date for financial reasons).
• He gave my wife her current job within a week after leaving her previous job (which was super toxic and stressing her out to the point of causing physical pain).
• Even though it has been slow, He has even been healing my body from the health challenge that I've had for almost a year. Finally, after previous false starts (my fault completely on the relapses), I'm almost as well as I was before I first got sick last year.

God is good. In addition to proclaiming this, the other reason I wanted to write a post giving an update on my 2025 Bible reading plan is that I may or may not post any more reflections from my readings at this time. Aside from a much-higher priority of figuring out my career (I suspect I may have to change careers yet again), my attention has moved from blogging about my faith to posting about it on LinkedIn. That's a risk. Sure, there's the fear of what others might think, but even more so there's the truth that I'm now publicly witnessing on a career-specific social media platform (and not just Facebook). But it's a risk one worth taking. After all, God has always given me the jobs. Why should I worry about what bosses or hiring managers might think of me when the King of the universe rules over them? (Of course, I still need to be wise in what I say and do; this is not an invitation to engage in entitled behavior.)

Whatever you do [whatever your task may be], work from the soul [that is, put in your very best effort], as [something done] for the Lord and not for men, knowing [with all certainty] that it is from the Lord [not from men] that you will receive the inheritance which is your [greatest] reward. It is the Lord Christ whom you [actually] serve. Colossians 3:23-24, Amplified Bible translation

I close by saying additionally that I don't know what the future of this blog will be. I don't believe it would be wise for me to say officially that I'm stopping blogging, because I don't currently know that to be the case. If God drops something into my lap to post (which happens), then I'll post about it when allowed the time. But if not, then I won't.

Thanks again for joining me on this journey. If you don't know Jesus Christ as your King and Savior, I exhort you to receive Him into your life and into your heart. And if you already do, I exhort you to ensure that He truly is your King and Savior, as far too many self-professing Jesus-followers claim Him in name only but don't actually follow Him. I have to make sure that I don't fall into this trap, myself, because I've known about Him my entire life, but only well into adulthood realized that that alone isn't enough.

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; Philippians 2:12, NKJV

Until next time,

The writer for "For Everything There Is A Season."

Devotionals from my Bible app: Pray Like This (Matthew 7:8)

 Note before sharing the devotional: in the wake of Charlie Kirk's assassination on September 10th, and in the midst of the (admittedly unexpected) intense grief I've experienced, despite confidence of his salvation, I felt it was time to spend at least the next several days sharing recent Scriptural devotionals from my Bible app, YouVersion, with you. The call is to preach the Gospel. Honestly, I haven't been doing it that much lately. This is a first step of many to try to correct that. Life is short. At my current age, and in part because of the ups and downs of my health condition, I am far more aware of this truth than ever before. And yet, even now I still have been guilty of forgetting and taking life for granted. So here goes: 

For your own sake, receive Jesus Christ as your Lord, King, and Savior. Ask Him to come into your heart. Dare to trust Him with your whole life, including every aspect of your life. He died for you. He died for me. He may not have technically been assassinated like Kirk was, but He was crucified, which, to find a modern Western society comparison, is very similar to being lynched. He was 100% innocent. He did not get a fair trial. When He was flogged, He wasn't just beaten severely; He had chunks of flesh ripped out of His midsection to the point where many of His internal organs were visible. And then He had to carry a rough, splintered, heavy wooden cross (equivalent to the weight of a billiards or pool table), all while also wearing a crown of thorns that was piercing His head all around. The Sanhedrin didn't care; the Romans didn't care. But He did it anyway. And the fact that He was still able to carry a heavy, splintered wooden object the size of a pool table goes to show that, as the Bible says, He did indeed lay down His life when the punishment of His Father in heaven, and the wrath of God on all humanity, was satisfied. Lesser men, if they had gotten flogged the same way Jesus had gotten flogged, would've died right then and there, and if not, they certainly would not have been able to carry a rough, rugged, splintered, pool table on their backs. They would've died trying. But Jesus didn't die then; He only died once He laid his life down upon knowing that God's wrath was finally satisfied, after three whole hours of abandonment after all the other punishments had been handed out. After all that was done, He rose again from the dead on the third day. He conquered death, so that you and I can live and have that eternal life. Most importantly, Jesus chose this path willingly because He loves you, and because He loves me. He wants you to be in heaven with Him for eternity (in other words, the best place ever, for a very very long time). But you have to reject sin, repent, turn to Him, and let Him be King of your life. And for some, this may require dying a death similar to Kirk's. But heaven awaits afterward, for all those who truly trust and surrender to Jesus totally and completely.

And part of that is reading the Bible and getting to know Jesus personally this way. As such, here is the devotional for today:

Pray Like This

Prayer is simply an honest, ongoing conversation with God.

Jesus tells us that God knows what we need (Matthew 6:8), but He still wants us to come to Him and share what’s on our minds. He's a good Father who cares for us (Matthew 7:11). He wants to speak into our circumstances, comfort our hearts, and shape our perspectives.

He loves to give good gifts to His children—gifts they want, long for, and ask for. But sometimes, what we want isn’t good for us. What we want isn't what we need.

When Jesus says in Matthew 7:8, “For everyone who asks, receives...” He isn’t saying that we will get everything we ask for. God cannot—and will not—give us anything that contradicts His character.

God wants to bless us with what is good, and sometimes a “no” from God is the loving response we actually need. But He still wants us to bring Him all our wants, needs, and desires. And when we ask for anything that aligns with His will, we can be sure that He hears us (1 John 5:14).

So how do we discover God’s will? We spend time with Him.

The more we get to know God, the more we will understand His character. And it’s only when we understand His character that we will ask for things that align with His will.

Jesus’ words in Matthew 7 are a promise that when we ask for God, He gives us Himself. When we humbly seek God, He finds us. And when we come to Him as we are, He welcomes us with open arms.

When we draw near to God, He will draw near to us. And when He draws near, He transforms the way we think, renews our minds, restores our souls, and leads us down paths that are for our good and His glory.

For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Matthew 7:8, NKJV

Prayer: Father God, in the name of Jesus, I thank You that I can come to You and ask You for anything! Whether Your answer is “yes,” “no,” or “not yet,” You still desire that I come to You for everything. Help me to trust that You always know best, even (and especially) when things don’t make sense. I commit my life to You, in Jesus’s name, Amen.

Devotionals from my Bible app: Choose Thankfulness (1 Chronicles 16:34)

 Note before sharing the devotional: in the wake of Charlie Kirk's assassination on September 10th, and in the midst of the (admittedly unexpected) intense grief I've experienced, despite confidence of his salvation, I felt it was time to spend at least the next several days sharing recent Scriptural devotionals from my Bible app, YouVersion, with you. The call is to preach the Gospel. Honestly, I haven't been doing it that much lately. This is a first step of many to try to correct that. Life is short. At my current age, and in part because of the ups and downs of my health condition, I am far more aware of this truth than ever before. And yet, even now I still have been guilty of forgetting and taking life for granted. So here goes: 

For your own sake, receive Jesus Christ as your Lord, King, and Savior. Ask Him to come into your heart. Dare to trust Him with your whole life, including every aspect of your life. He died for you. He died for me. He may not have technically been assassinated like Kirk was, but He was crucified, which, to find a modern Western society comparison, is very similar to being lynched. He was 100% innocent. He did not get a fair trial. When He was flogged, He wasn't just beaten severely; He had chunks of flesh ripped out of His midsection to the point where many of His internal organs were visible. And then He had to carry a rough, splintered, heavy wooden cross (equivalent to the weight of a billiards or pool table), all while also wearing a crown of thorns that was piercing His head all around. The Sanhedrin didn't care; the Romans didn't care. But He did it anyway. And the fact that He was still able to carry a heavy, splintered wooden object the size of a pool table goes to show that, as the Bible says, He did indeed lay down His life when the punishment of His Father in heaven, and the wrath of God on all humanity, was satisfied. Lesser men, if they had gotten flogged the same way Jesus had gotten flogged, would've died right then and there, and if not, they certainly would not have been able to carry a rough, rugged, splintered, pool table on their backs. They would've died trying. But Jesus didn't die then; He only died once He laid his life down upon knowing that God's wrath was finally satisfied, after three whole hours of abandonment after all the other punishments had been handed out. After all that was done, He rose again from the dead on the third day. He conquered death, so that you and I can live and have that eternal life. Most importantly, Jesus chose this path willingly because He loves you, and because He loves me. He wants you to be in heaven with Him for eternity (in other words, the best place ever, for a very very long time). But you have to reject sin, repent, turn to Him, and let Him be King of your life. And for some, this may require dying a death similar to Kirk's. But heaven awaits afterward, for all those who truly trust and surrender to Jesus totally and completely.

And part of that is reading the Bible and getting to know Jesus personally this way. As such, here is the devotional for today:

Choose Thankfulness


For years, nothing in King David’s life looked “good.” His family underestimated him, giants despised him, and his father-in-law spent years trying to kill him. But the whole time, David clung to a promise that God would establish him, and eventually make him king of Israel.


David never gave up or gave in—he chose to stay close to God and wait for Him to act. And when God showed up, this is how David responded:

“Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.”
1 Chronicles 16:34 NIV

David knew that even when life didn’t look good, he served a God who IS good. And this same God is still actively fighting for us now.


Through His Son, Jesus, He has given us continual access to Himself. We can never lose His unfailing love toward us—a love that endures forever, no matter what goes on around us.


David recognized this, and proclaimed it. And every day, we have the opportunity to do the same.


Here are 2 practical ways that we can respond to God’s goodness and love:


- THANK HIM IN PRAYER
When Jesus was teaching His disciples to pray, he told them to start like this: “Our Father in heaven, help us to honor Your name.” It’s fine to ask God for things, but real relationships include both giving and taking. So at least once a day for the next week, go to God in prayer and thank Him for something He’s done—without asking Him for anything in return.


- SHARE YOUR STORY
The writer of Hebrews encourages us to honor God by “proclaiming our allegiance to His name.” (Hebrews 13:15-16) So what has God done for you? Where have you seen Him provide, protect, show up, or show off through your life? Look for natural opportunities to share what God is doing in you with someone else.


Right now, reflect on your life and thank God for His eternal goodness. Nothing you have faced or will face is too much for the God who loves you and died for you. Bring Him your concerns, surrender your expectations, choose thankfulness, and allow Him to reveal the evidence of His goodness in your life.

Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. 1 Chronicles 16:34, NKJV

Prayer: God, thank You for being unstoppable, unchangeable, all-powerful, and incomparable. You alone are worthy of all my praise, honor, and glory! Your love endures forever, and I am forever grateful for who You are. Thank You for making a way for me to know You personally. Nothing compares to You! In Jesus's name, Amen.

Reading through the Bible 2025: God's distinctions of responsibility

I have to begin this post with a confession: I’ve fallen quite behind in my Bible reading plan. Normally about this point, I would be somewhere in the Gospels, but because I’ve fallen behind, I am still right at the beginning point of the Babylonian exile in Israel’s history. Still, this section of Scripture is an area that I am least familiar with, and so it is good that I get to have an opportunity to spend time with some key points that I believe God has been highlighting to me. Sure, earlier in the Old Testament, as well as the New Testament, has similar repetitions of some of the lessons outlined in this post and the previous. But it’s always refreshing to find another Biblical truth, repeated in a lesser-known portion of scripture compared with where I might normally expect to find it.


When it comes to witnessing to people and specifically to warning them about their sin, what comes up sometimes is the question of responsibility. For example, the line between personal responsibility vs. corporate responsibility. The book of Ezekiel speaks to both, as we will see today.


First, God highlights the distinction of responsibility for sin:

“The word of the Lord came to me again, saying, “What do you mean when you use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying: ‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, And the children’s teeth are set on edge’? “As I live,” says the Lord God, “you shall no longer use this proverb in Israel. “Behold, all souls are Mine; The soul of the father As well as the soul of the son is Mine; The soul who sins shall die. But if a man is just And does what is lawful and right; If he has not eaten on the mountains, Nor lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, Nor defiled his neighbor’s wife, Nor approached a woman during her impurity; If he has not oppressed anyone, But has restored to the debtor his pledge; Has robbed no one by violence, But has given his bread to the hungry And covered the naked with clothing; If he has not exacted usury Nor taken any increase, But has withdrawn his hand from iniquity And executed true judgment between man and man; If he has walked in My statutes And kept My judgments faithfully— He is just; He shall surely live!” Says the Lord God.”
‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭18‬:‭1‬-‭9‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/114/ezk.18.1-9.NKJV

He goes a step further by clarifying the distinction of responsibility for sin between parents and their children:

““Yet you say, ‘Why should the son not bear the guilt of the father?’ Because the son has done what is lawful and right, and has kept all My statutes and observed them, he shall surely live. The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not bear the guilt of the father, nor the father bear the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself. “But if a wicked man turns from all his sins which he has committed, keeps all My statutes, and does what is lawful and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die. None of the transgressions which he has committed shall be remembered against him; because of the righteousness which he has done, he shall live. Do I have any pleasure at all that the wicked should die?” says the Lord God, “and not that he should turn from his ways and live? “But when a righteous man turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and does according to all the abominations that the wicked man does, shall he live? All the righteousness which he has done shall not be remembered; because of the unfaithfulness of which he is guilty and the sin which he has committed, because of them he shall die.”
‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭18‬:‭19‬-‭24‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/114/ezk.18.19-24.NKJV

Evidently, much like a lot of our culture today, parents tend to complain about why their children shouldn’t suffer for their sins (that is, the sins of the parents!). Evidently, this was a common toxic way of thinking. I for one am very glad God addresses this issue head on:

““Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not fair.’ Hear now, O house of Israel, is it not My way which is fair, and your ways which are not fair? When a righteous man turns away from his righteousness, commits iniquity, and dies in it, it is because of the iniquity which he has done that he dies. Again, when a wicked man turns away from the wickedness which he committed, and does what is lawful and right, he preserves himself alive. Because he considers and turns away from all the transgressions which he committed, he shall surely live; he shall not die. Yet the house of Israel says, ‘The way of the Lord is not fair.’ O house of Israel, is it not My ways which are fair, and your ways which are not fair?”
‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭18‬:‭25‬-‭29‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/114/ezk.18.25-29.NKJV

God rightly calls BS on this. But because He still loves even them, He provides a way for them to repent and be restored:

““Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways,” says the Lord God. “Repent, and turn from all your transgressions, so that iniquity will not be your ruin. Cast away from you all the transgressions which you have committed, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. For why should you die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies,” says the Lord God. “Therefore turn and live!””
‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭18‬:‭30‬-‭32‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/114/ezk.18.30-32.NKJV

Secondly, God highlights the distinction of responsibility for warning others:

“Again the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Son of man, speak to the children of your people, and say to them: ‘When I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of the land take a man from their territory and make him their watchman, when he sees the sword coming upon the land, if he blows the trumpet and warns the people, then whoever hears the sound of the trumpet and does not take warning, if the sword comes and takes him away, his blood shall be on his own head. He heard the sound of the trumpet, but did not take warning; his blood shall be upon himself. But he who takes warning will save his life. But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, and the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at the watchman’s hand.’ “So you, son of man: I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore you shall hear a word from My mouth and warn them for Me. When I say to the wicked, ‘O wicked man, you shall surely die!’ and you do not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand. Nevertheless if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul.”
‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭33‬:‭1‬-‭9‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/114/ezk.33.1-9.NKJV

Further, God’s reminder, through Ezekiel, of His desire for His people even in the midst of their sin:

““Therefore you, O son of man, say to the house of Israel: ‘Thus you say, “If our transgressions and our sins lie upon us, and we pine away in them, how can we then live?” ’ Say to them: ‘As I live,’ says the Lord God, ‘I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?’”
‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭33‬:‭10‬-‭11‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/114/ezk.33.10-11.NKJV

He goes on to clarify further how His justice works:

““Therefore you, O son of man, say to the children of your people: ‘The righteousness of the righteous man shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression; as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall because of it in the day that he turns from his wickedness; nor shall the righteous be able to live because of his righteousness in the day that he sins.’ When I say to the righteous that he shall surely live, but he trusts in his own righteousness and commits iniquity, none of his righteous works shall be remembered; but because of the iniquity that he has committed, he shall die. Again, when I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ if he turns from his sin and does what is lawful and right, if the wicked restores the pledge, gives back what he has stolen, and walks in the statutes of life without committing iniquity, he shall surely live; he shall not die. None of his sins which he has committed shall be remembered against him; he has done what is lawful and right; he shall surely live.”
‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭33‬:‭12‬-‭16‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/114/ezk.33.12-16.NKJV

This of course, reflects as such in the New Testament:

“The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”
‭‭II Peter‬ ‭3‬:‭9‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/114/2pe.3.9.NKJV

Reading through the Bible 2025: Jeremiah's small obedience allowed God to act

I have to begin this post with a confession: I’ve fallen quite behind in my Bible reading plan. Normally about this point, I would be somewhere in the Gospels, but because I’ve fallen behind, I am still right at the beginning point of the Babylonian exile in Israel’s history. Still, this section of Scripture is an area that I am least familiar with, and so it is good that I get to have an opportunity to spend time with some key points that I believe God has been highlighting to me. Sure, earlier in the Old Testament, as well as the New Testament, has similar repetitions of some of the lessons outlined in this post and the next. But it’s always refreshing to find another Biblical truth, repeated in a lesser-known portion of scripture compared with where I might normally expect to find it.


Today’s post comes from the book of Jeremiah. In short, in the highlighted sections for today’s post, Israel’s captains rebel against God‘s command and flee to Egypt, forcing Jeremiah to go with them, in the misguided thinking that doing so would help them avoid being killed or captured by the Babylonians. By contrast, God had assured surefire protection if they would’ve stayed put, and assured surefire destruction if they dared to flee to Egypt. In the midst of what amounts to a horrible circumstance for Jeremiah on all sorts of counts, God still found away to use the prophet’s small acts of faith to bring about His work, in this case judgment against rebellious Israelites who still would not heed Him.


But it didn’t start out that way. Israel’s captains asked Jeremiah to intercede with the Lord on their behalf, seeking wisdom on what to do concerning the invasion of the Babylonian army. This first passage shows the initial ask:

“Now all the captains of the forces, Johanan the son of Kareah, Jezaniah the son of Hoshaiah, and all the people, from the least to the greatest, came near and said to Jeremiah the prophet, “Please, let our petition be acceptable to you, and pray for us to the Lord your God, for all this remnant (since we are left but a few of many, as you can see), that the Lord your God may show us the way in which we should walk and the thing we should do.” Then Jeremiah the prophet said to them, “I have heard. Indeed, I will pray to the Lord your God according to your words, and it shall be, that whatever the Lord answers you, I will declare it to you. I will keep nothing back from you.” So they said to Jeremiah, “Let the Lord be a true and faithful witness between us, if we do not do according to everything which the Lord your God sends us by you. Whether it is pleasing or displeasing, we will obey the voice of the Lord our God to whom we send you, that it may be well with us when we obey the voice of the Lord our God.””
‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭42‬:‭1‬-‭6‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/114/jer.42.1-6.NKJV

The next passage shows God’s faithful response. Here, He gives the Israelite captains a chance to obey Him, reminding them of the consequences ahead of time if they don’t:

“And it happened after ten days that the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah. Then he called Johanan the son of Kareah, all the captains of the forces which were with him, and all the people from the least even to the greatest, and said to them, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, to whom you sent me to present your petition before Him: ‘If you will still remain in this land, then I will build you and not pull you down, and I will plant you and not pluck you up. For I relent concerning the disaster that I have brought upon you. Do not be afraid of the king of Babylon, of whom you are afraid; do not be afraid of him,’ says the Lord, ‘for I am with you, to save you and deliver you from his hand. And I will show you mercy, that he may have mercy on you and cause you to return to your own land.’ “But if you say, ‘We will not dwell in this land,’ disobeying the voice of the Lord your God, saying, ‘No, but we will go to the land of Egypt where we shall see no war, nor hear the sound of the trumpet, nor be hungry for bread, and there we will dwell’— Then hear now the word of the Lord, O remnant of Judah! Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: ‘If you wholly set your faces to enter Egypt, and go to dwell there, then it shall be that the sword which you feared shall overtake you there in the land of Egypt; the famine of which you were afraid shall follow close after you there in Egypt; and there you shall die. So shall it be with all the men who set their faces to go to Egypt to dwell there. They shall die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence. And none of them shall remain or escape from the disaster that I will bring upon them.’”
‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭42‬:‭7‬-‭17‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/114/jer.42.7-17.NKJV

As God continues, He reveals that knows in advance what they’re inclined to do, revealing also that He especially knows their hearts. He doesn’t hesitate to remind them of this:

““For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: ‘As My anger and My fury have been poured out on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so will My fury be poured out on you when you enter Egypt. And you shall be an oath, an astonishment, a curse, and a reproach; and you shall see this place no more.’ “The Lord has said concerning you, O remnant of Judah, ‘Do not go to Egypt!’ Know certainly that I have admonished you this day. For you were hypocrites in your hearts when you sent me to the Lord your God, saying, ‘Pray for us to the Lord our God, and according to all that the Lord your God says, so declare to us and we will do it.’ And I have this day declared it to you, but you have not obeyed the voice of the Lord your God, or anything which He has sent you by me. Now therefore, know certainly that you shall die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence in the place where you desire to go to dwell.””
‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭42‬:‭18‬-‭22‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/114/jer.42.18-22.NKJV

The next passage reveals the Israelite captains’ response, once again proving that God was right all along:

“Now it happened, when Jeremiah had stopped speaking to all the people all the words of the Lord their God, for which the Lord their God had sent him to them, all these words, that Azariah the son of Hoshaiah, Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the proud men spoke, saying to Jeremiah, “You speak falsely! The Lord our God has not sent you to say, ‘Do not go to Egypt to dwell there.’ But Baruch the son of Neriah has set you against us, to deliver us into the hand of the Chaldeans, that they may put us to death or carry us away captive to Babylon.” So Johanan the son of Kareah, all the captains of the forces, and all the people would not obey the voice of the Lord, to remain in the land of Judah.”
‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭43‬:‭1‬-‭4‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/114/jer.43.1-4.NKJV

The below passage reveals a significant side note of the Israelite captains’ response: they take Jeremiah to Egypt with them. As stated:

“But Johanan the son of Kareah and all the captains of the forces took all the remnant of Judah who had returned to dwell in the land of Judah, from all nations where they had been driven— men, women, children, the king’s daughters, and every person whom Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had left with Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, and Jeremiah the prophet and Baruch the son of Neriah. So they went to the land of Egypt, for they did not obey the voice of the Lord. And they went as far as Tahpanhes.”
‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭43‬:‭5‬-‭7‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/114/jer.43.5-7.NKJV

In case you haven’t figured out already, I typically tend to include a whole lot of background, for the purpose of setting the stage for the thing I felt God specifically highlight. That is, how the Lord used Jeremiah, despite these circumstances, to accomplish His purpose and will.

“Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah in Tahpanhes, saying, “Take large stones in your hand, and hide them in the sight of the men of Judah, in the clay in the brick courtyard which is at the entrance to Pharaoh’s house in Tahpanhes; and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: “Behold, I will send and bring Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, My servant, and will set his throne above these stones that I have hidden. And he will spread his royal pavilion over them. When he comes, he shall strike the land of Egypt and deliver to death those appointed for death, and to captivity those appointed for captivity, and to the sword those appointed for the sword. I will kindle a fire in the houses of the gods of Egypt, and he shall burn them and carry them away captive. And he shall array himself with the land of Egypt, as a shepherd puts on his garment, and he shall go out from there in peace. He shall also break the sacred pillars of Beth Shemesh that are in the land of Egypt; and the houses of the gods of the Egyptians he shall burn with fire.” ’ ””
‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭43‬:‭8‬-‭13‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/114/jer.43.8-13.NKJV

The next set of text shows God’s response to the Israelites directly, after Jeremiah had done as He had commanded:

““Now therefore, thus says the Lord, the God of hosts, the God of Israel: ‘Why do you commit this great evil against yourselves, to cut off from you man and woman, child and infant, out of Judah, leaving none to remain, in that you provoke Me to wrath with the works of your hands, burning incense to other gods in the land of Egypt where you have gone to dwell, that you may cut yourselves off and be a curse and a reproach among all the nations of the earth? Have you forgotten the wickedness of your fathers, the wickedness of the kings of Judah, the wickedness of their wives, your own wickedness, and the wickedness of your wives, which they committed in the land of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? They have not been humbled, to this day, nor have they feared; they have not walked in My law or in My statutes that I set before you and your fathers.’ “Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: ‘Behold, I will set My face against you for catastrophe and for cutting off all Judah. And I will take the remnant of Judah who have set their faces to go into the land of Egypt to dwell there, and they shall all be consumed and fall in the land of Egypt. They shall be consumed by the sword and by famine. They shall die, from the least to the greatest, by the sword and by famine; and they shall be an oath, an astonishment, a curse and a reproach! For I will punish those who dwell in the land of Egypt, as I have punished Jerusalem, by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence, so that none of the remnant of Judah who have gone into the land of Egypt to dwell there shall escape or survive, lest they return to the land of Judah, to which they desire to return and dwell. For none shall return except those who escape.’ ””
‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭44‬:‭7‬-‭14‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/114/jer.44.7-14.NKJV

Immediately after the above passage, the Israelite men respond to Jeremiah by defending burning incense to their false gods, citing prosperity when they did and lack when they didn’t as justification for doing so. Even their wives piped up, indicating their compliance with this form of idolatry. As a result, Jeremiah responds, saying that it was because of their idolatry and forgetting the Lord, that calamity has hit them.


Finally, the text records Jeremiah sharing with the Israelites the punishment not only for sin, but also for unrepentant sin:

“Moreover Jeremiah said to all the people and to all the women, “Hear the word of the Lord, all Judah who are in the land of Egypt! Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, saying: ‘You and your wives have spoken with your mouths and fulfilled with your hands, saying, “We will surely keep our vows that we have made, to burn incense to the queen of heaven and pour out drink offerings to her.” You will surely keep your vows and perform your vows!’ Therefore hear the word of the Lord, all Judah who dwell in the land of Egypt: ‘Behold, I have sworn by My great name,’ says the Lord, ‘that My name shall no more be named in the mouth of any man of Judah in all the land of Egypt, saying, “The Lord God lives.” Behold, I will watch over them for adversity and not for good. And all the men of Judah who are in the land of Egypt shall be consumed by the sword and by famine, until there is an end to them. Yet a small number who escape the sword shall return from the land of Egypt to the land of Judah; and all the remnant of Judah, who have gone to the land of Egypt to dwell there, shall know whose words will stand, Mine or theirs. And this shall be a sign to you,’ says the Lord, ‘that I will punish you in this place, that you may know that My words will surely stand against you for adversity.’”
‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭44‬:‭24‬-‭29‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/114/jer.44.24-29.NKJV

Below shows God’s final statement before He send each of the Israelites to their punishment:

““Thus says the Lord: ‘Behold, I will give Pharaoh Hophra king of Egypt into the hand of his enemies and into the hand of those who seek his life, as I gave Zedekiah king of Judah into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, his enemy who sought his life.’ ””
‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭44‬:‭30‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/114/jer.44.30.NKJV

The morals: 

1.) When caught in sin, don’t double down on it. Instead, repent. God is faithful and just to forgive you and cleanse you from all unrighteousness if you do so. (1 John 1:9)

2.) God can use any circumstance, no matter how hard or terrifying. God still used Jeremiah in his difficulty to bring about His will on the Israelites.

3.) In the case of today’s Bible reading, God moved in action on bringing justice to the Israelites for their sins only after Jeremiah obeyed and did his part, no matter how insignificant it might seem.

God still loves you.

Devotionals from my Bible app: From Dawn to Dusk (Psalm 113:3)

 Note before sharing the devotional: in the wake of Charlie Kirk's assassination on September 10th, and in the midst of the (admittedly unexpected) intense grief I've experienced, despite confidence of his salvation, I felt it was time to spend at least the next several days sharing recent Scriptural devotionals from my Bible app, YouVersion, with you. The call is to preach the Gospel. Honestly, I haven't been doing it that much lately. This is a first step of many to try to correct that. Life is short. At my current age, and in part because of the ups and downs of my health condition, I am far more aware of this truth than ever before. And yet, even now I still have been guilty of forgetting and taking life for granted. So here goes: 

For your own sake, receive Jesus Christ as your Lord, King, and Savior. Ask Him to come into your heart. Dare to trust Him with your whole life, including every aspect of your life. He died for you. He died for me. He may not have technically been assassinated like Kirk was, but He was crucified, which, to find a modern Western society comparison, is very similar to being lynched. He was 100% innocent. He did not get a fair trial. When He was flogged, He wasn't just beaten severely; He had chunks of flesh ripped out of His midsection to the point where many of His internal organs were visible. And then He had to carry a rough, splintered, heavy wooden cross (equivalent to the weight of a billiards or pool table), all while also wearing a crown of thorns that was piercing His head all around. The Sanhedrin didn't care; the Romans didn't care. But He did it anyway. And the fact that He was still able to carry a heavy, splintered wooden object the size of a pool table goes to show that, as the Bible says, He did indeed lay down His life when the punishment of His Father in heaven, and the wrath of God on all humanity, was satisfied. Lesser men, if they had gotten flogged the same way Jesus had gotten flogged, would've died right then and there, and if not, they certainly would not have been able to carry a rough, rugged, splintered, pool table on their backs. They would've died trying. But Jesus didn't die then; He only died once He laid his life down upon knowing that God's wrath was finally satisfied, after three whole hours of abandonment after all the other punishments had been handed out. After all that was done, He rose again from the dead on the third day. He conquered death, so that you and I can live and have that eternal life. Most importantly, Jesus chose this path willingly because He loves you, and because He loves me. He wants you to be in heaven with Him for eternity (in other words, the best place ever, for a very very long time). But you have to reject sin, repent, turn to Him, and let Him be King of your life. And for some, this may require dying a death similar to Kirk's. But heaven awaits afterward, for all those who truly trust and surrender to Jesus totally and completely.

And part of that is reading the Bible and getting to know Jesus personally this way. As such, here is the devotional for today:

From Dawn to Dusk


Close your eyes for a moment. And while you do that, picture this wonderfully diverse planet we call home. (Yes, really.)


Everything you just imagined? God created all of it. And God created all of us to worship Him.


From north to south and east to west. From bustling cities to slow-paced villages. From lifeless deserts to life-packed forests. From the highest mountains to the farthest oceans.

“From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the Lord is to be praised!”
Psalm 113:3 NIV

The sun “rises” and “sets” on all of us. All people, all languages, all nations. All skin colors, eye colors, and hair colors. All shapes, sizes, and personalities. Rich and poor. Aching hearts and contagious smiles.


An eclectic mix of people from various parts of the world have always been praising God from generation to generation—and it continues to happen now. And we know it will never stop.


In Revelation 7, John has a vision of a “great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people, and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb,” who is Christ. They are serving and worshiping, all day and night.


God’s people—past, present, and future—are worshiping people.


We can worship with our songs.
We can worship with our money.
We can worship with our lives.


And one day, when we finally see things clearly, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. But today, we don’t have to wait to worship.


When sunlight streams through your windows, you can worship.
When the evening sky turns orange-ish pink, you can worship.
When you’re in a season of waiting, you can worship.
When you’re in a season of receiving, you can worship.
When your heart is breaking, you can worship.
When your heart is full, you can worship.


From dawn to dusk, let the name of the Lord be praised.


Today, think about this verse and consider what compels you to worship God. Then, shift your heart toward Him and don’t forget to worship.

From the rising of the sun to its going down
The Lord’s name is to be praised.

Psalm 113:3, NKJV

Note after sharing the devotional: one of the questions that came up in the prayer session that followed this particular devotional, which went along the lines of: what are some reasons you can find to praise God today? My immediate response was: music. And I say that this is true because, regardless of whether life is going well, poorly, or in between, I can always use music to praise God. It's the first vehicle He gave to me as a child when I was growing up the Episcopal church choir, and it's a primary vehicle He allows me to still use even today. In the days after the assassination, music, particularly at the keyboard, was a vehicle for me to being to process not only the events but also how I was handling it during my different stages of grief. Charlie Kirk's widow, Erika, gave a moving and rousing eulogy just a couple days after his passing, and her complete and unwavering trust in God's goodness and His plan blew me away. Even in the darkest moment of her life, she still found a reason and a way to praise God, with no reservation. I believe the call is to follow her lead in this, as she follows Jesus's lead.

Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ. 1 Corinthians 1:11, NKJV

Prayer: God, You are good. No matter what goes on around me -- You are good. You are worthy of my praise because You are God. You provide for me, strengthen me, deliver me, and heal me. Even when I don't see You at work in my life, that doesn't change the fact that You are working. There is no one like You. So regardless of what I face today, I will worship You! In Jesus's name, Amen.

Devotionals from my Bible app: Live Prepared (1 Peter 3:15)

 Note before sharing the devotional: in the wake of Charlie Kirk's assassination on September 10th, and in the midst of the (admittedly unexpected) intense grief I've experienced, despite confidence of his salvation, I felt it was time to spend at least the next several days sharing recent Scriptural devotionals from my Bible app, YouVersion, with you. The call is to preach the Gospel. Honestly, I haven't been doing it that much lately. This is a first step of many to try to correct that. Life is short. At my current age, and in part because of the ups and downs of my health condition, I am far more aware of this truth than ever before. And yet, even now I still have been guilty of forgetting and taking life for granted. So here goes: 

For your own sake, receive Jesus Christ as your Lord, King, and Savior. Ask Him to come into your heart. Dare to trust Him with your whole life, including every aspect of your life. He died for you. He died for me. He may not have technically been assassinated like Kirk was, but He was crucified, which, to find a modern Western society comparison, is very similar to being lynched. He was 100% innocent. He did not get a fair trial. When He was flogged, He wasn't just beaten severely; He had chunks of flesh ripped out of His midsection to the point where many of His internal organs were visible. And then He had to carry a rough, splintered, heavy wooden cross (equivalent to the weight of a billiards or pool table), all while also wearing a crown of thorns that was piercing His head all around. The Sanhedrin didn't care; the Romans didn't care. But He did it anyway. And the fact that He was still able to carry a heavy, splintered wooden object the size of a pool table goes to show that, as the Bible says, He did indeed lay down His life when the punishment of His Father in heaven, and the wrath of God on all humanity, was satisfied. Lesser men, if they had gotten flogged the same way Jesus had gotten flogged, would've died right then and there, and if not, they certainly would not have been able to carry a rough, rugged, splintered, pool table on their backs. They would've died trying. But Jesus didn't die then; He only died once He laid his life down upon knowing that God's wrath was finally satisfied, after three whole hours of abandonment after all the other punishments had been handed out. After all that was done, He rose again from the dead on the third day. He conquered death, so that you and I can live and have that eternal life. Most importantly, Jesus chose this path willingly because He loves you, and because He loves me. He wants you to be in heaven with Him for eternity (in other words, the best place ever, for a very very long time). But you have to reject sin, repent, turn to Him, and let Him be King of your life. And for some, this may require dying a death similar to Kirk's. But heaven awaits afterward, for all those who truly trust and surrender to Jesus totally and completely.

And part of that is reading the Bible and getting to know Jesus personally this way. As such, here is the devotional for today:


Live Prepared


Pause and think of the people who, at a moment’s notice, have to be ready for anything. Maybe your list includes first responders, the military, athletes, teachers, parents, pilots, surgeons, or pastors.


But does your list include you?


As followers of Jesus, we are called to…

“…Be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.”

1 Peter 3:15 NIV

We can’t expect people to observe what Jesus has commanded unless we are also observing His commands ourselves.


Do we want people to learn about God’s love? Then we need to show God’s love to people. Do we want people to learn about Jesus’ compassion? Then we need to be compassionate. Do we want people to give generously? Then we need to be good stewards of our own money. Do we want people to study God’s Word? Then we need to study it for ourselves.


When you give Jesus control over your life, you allow His love, joy, and hope to transform you. As this happens, your life becomes an act of worship that reveals His hope within you.


When you live like Jesus, people are drawn to Jesus in you.


As you worship Jesus with your life, you will be able to honestly say that Christ in you is your hope and glory—and people will believe it because they see the evidence.


They might not like who you are or agree with what you believe, but they won’t be able to find a logical reason to hate you when your life is centered around loving people the way Jesus loved you.


So as you go about each day, aim to live with gentleness and respect toward everyone. And let Jesus’ joy, love, and hope permeate your heart, mind, and relationships.

But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; 1 Peter 3:15, NKJV

Note after sharing the devotional: just a couple days after the assassination, I had a phone call (scheduled prior to the assassination) with a person on the other side of the political aisle, but otherwise a fellow worker for the kingdom. Ahead of this call, I remember having some nervousness about the small potential that the assassination could come up in conversation. With God's help, I assuaged the nervousness by writing down a prepared statement ahead of time to truthfully, concisely, and diplomatically answer the proverbial question: 

• What you do think about the assassination? I think it's absolutely horrible. 
• Do you think Charlie Kirk was a martyr? Yes, I do. 
• Why? Two reasons: 1.) many say he was an American martyr, a MAGA martyr, and I would agree with that. 2.) More importantly, he was a Christian martyr for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Regardless of whether or not you agreed or disagreed with his views, he preached the Gospel and lived the Gospel, and he knew that because he was a sinner his salvation was not by works but only by faith in Jesus's finished work on the cross. As such, I firmly believe that he heard the words from Jesus, "well done, My good and faithful servant."

1 Peter 3:15 (But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;) was that day's devotional verse, from this devotional, and it helped put me in a decent enough frame of mind to handle that potentially uncomfortable conversation should it arise. It never came up. Proverbial bullet dodged uncomfortable situation avoided. It was a nice phone call. We caught up and ended up praying for each other on the phone. God showed up ahead of the call and then again during the call. Praise the Lord, indeed.

Prayer: Jesus, make me more like You. Please get rid of any behaviors or thought patterns that don't reflect Your character or heart for people. Make me bold, brave, and courageous -- but keep me humble, kind, and gentle. Let the way I live reflect Your hope and love. And when the opportunity arises, help me to share my faith with genuine joy. Amen.

Devotionals from my Bible app: Look Up (Colossians 3:1)

 Note before sharing the devotional: in the wake of Charlie Kirk's assassination on September 10th, and in the midst of the (admittedly unexpected) intense grief I've experienced, despite confidence of his salvation, I felt it was time to spend at least the next several days sharing recent Scriptural devotionals from my Bible app, YouVersion, with you. The call is to preach the Gospel. Honestly, I haven't been doing it that much lately. This is a first step of many to try to correct that. Life is short. At my current age, and in part because of the ups and downs of my health condition, I am far more aware of this truth than ever before. And yet, even now I still have been guilty of forgetting and taking life for granted. So here goes: 

For your own sake, receive Jesus Christ as your Lord, King, and Savior. Ask Him to come into your heart. Dare to trust Him with your whole life, including every aspect of your life. He died for you. He died for me. He may not have technically been assassinated like Kirk was, but He was crucified, which, to find a modern Western society comparison, is very similar to being lynched. He was 100% innocent. He did not get a fair trial. When He was flogged, He wasn't just beaten severely; He had chunks of flesh ripped out of His midsection to the point where many of His internal organs were visible. And then He had to carry a rough, splintered, heavy wooden cross (equivalent to the weight of a billiards or pool table), all while also wearing a crown of thorns that was piercing His head all around. The Sanhedrin didn't care; the Romans didn't care. But He did it anyway. And the fact that He was still able to carry a heavy, splintered wooden object the size of a pool table goes to show that, as the Bible says, He did indeed lay down His life when the punishment of His Father in heaven, and the wrath of God on all humanity, was satisfied. Lesser men, if they had gotten flogged the same way Jesus had gotten flogged, would've died right then and there, and if not, they certainly would not have been able to carry a rough, rugged, splintered, pool table on their backs. They would've died trying. But Jesus didn't die then; He only died once He laid his life down upon knowing that God's wrath was finally satisfied, after three whole hours of abandonment after all the other punishments had been handed out. After all that was done, He rose again from the dead on the third day. He conquered death, so that you and I can live and have that eternal life. Most importantly, Jesus chose this path willingly because He loves you, and because He loves me. He wants you to be in heaven with Him for eternity (in other words, the best place ever, for a very very long time). But you have to reject sin, repent, turn to Him, and let Him be King of your life. And for some, this may require dying a death similar to Kirk's. But heaven awaits afterward, for all those who truly trust and surrender to Jesus totally and completely.

And part of that is reading the Bible and getting to know Jesus personally this way. As such, here is the devotional for today:

Look Up


It’s normal—and even understandable—to spend our time, energy, and attention focusing on the here and now. We’re busy, after all. We're preoccupied. And when we stop to really think about it, it’s difficult to perceive something that's beyond our five senses.


But in his letter to the Colossians, Paul encourages his fellow believers to look up:

“Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand.”
Colossians 3:1 NLT

So, as you think about Paul’s words and the realities of heaven, here are four things to consider:


- First, heaven isn’t some vague, dream-like state. It’s a real place, with real people, where God is the true King.


- Second, there will come a day when we will all meet God face to face. We will no longer need faith or hope, because that which we’ve hoped for will finally be revealed.


- Third, our troubles and our heartbreaks (and even death itself) are temporary! Scripture tells us that, eventually, God will do away with pain and death and sickness and suffering—forever.


- Lastly (and most importantly), God is still on His throne, with Jesus beside Him in the place of honor. No matter how crazy, senseless, or heartbreaking the world can seem, we can have confidence knowing that nothing is outside of God’s sovereign plan.


So when you’re tempted to look around at others or look inward at yourself, look up instead. Heaven is wherever God is, and that’s the truest reality of all.

If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Colossians 3:1, NKJV

Prayer: God, eternal life begins the moment I choose You. As I follow You, please help me to have an eternal mindset. Guide me. Give me the wisdom to know how to prepare for eternity in my daily life. In Jesus's name, Amen.

Devotionals from my Bible app: Fighting Fear and Trusting God (John 14:1)

 Note before sharing the devotional: in the wake of Charlie Kirk's assassination on September 10th, and in the midst of the (admittedly unexpected) intense grief I've experienced, despite confidence of his salvation, I felt it was time to spend at least the next several days sharing recent Scriptural devotionals from my Bible app, YouVersion, with you. The call is to preach the Gospel. Honestly, I haven't been doing it that much lately. This is a first step of many to try to correct that. Life is short. At my current age, and in part because of the ups and downs of my health condition, I am far more aware of this truth than ever before. And yet, even now I still have been guilty of forgetting and taking life for granted. So here goes: 

For your own sake, receive Jesus Christ as your Lord, King, and Savior. Ask Him to come into your heart. Dare to trust Him with your whole life, including every aspect of your life. He died for you. He died for me. He may not have technically been assassinated like Kirk was, but He was crucified, which, to find a modern Western society comparison, is very similar to being lynched. He was 100% innocent. He did not get a fair trial. When He was flogged, He wasn't just beaten severely; He had chunks of flesh ripped out of His midsection to the point where many of His internal organs were visible. And then He had to carry a rough, splintered, heavy wooden cross (equivalent to the weight of a billiards or pool table), all while also wearing a crown of thorns that was piercing His head all around. The Sanhedrin didn't care; the Romans didn't care. But He did it anyway. And the fact that He was still able to carry a heavy, splintered wooden object the size of a pool table goes to show that, as the Bible says, He did indeed lay down His life when the punishment of His Father in heaven, and the wrath of God on all humanity, was satisfied. Lesser men, if they had gotten flogged the same way Jesus had gotten flogged, would've died right then and there, and if not, they certainly would not have been able to carry a rough, rugged, splintered, pool table on their backs. They would've died trying. But Jesus didn't die then; He only died once He laid his life down upon knowing that God's wrath was finally satisfied, after three whole hours of abandonment after all the other punishments had been handed out. After all that was done, He rose again from the dead on the third day. He conquered death, so that you and I can live and have that eternal life. Most importantly, Jesus chose this path willingly because He loves you, and because He loves me. He wants you to be in heaven with Him for eternity (in other words, the best place ever, for a very very long time). But you have to reject sin, repent, turn to Him, and let Him be King of your life. And for some, this may require dying a death similar to Kirk's. But heaven awaits afterward, for all those who truly trust and surrender to Jesus totally and completely.

And part of that is reading the Bible and getting to know Jesus personally this way. As such, here is the devotional for today:

Fighting Fear and Trusting God


The list of things to think, worry, and debate about can feel endless: wars, viruses, finances, relationships, politics, religion, job security, natural disasters, the safety and wellbeing of our loved ones … the list could go on forever.


But Jesus told His disciples, who also had plenty to fear (death being at the top of the list)…

“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me.”
John 14:1 NLT

It’s a bold statement, but is it even possible to not be shaken by life’s circumstances? Jesus seemed to think so, because He said those words not long before He was nailed to a cross.


Jesus knew…


He's the source of true peace.
He's the source of real joy.
He's the source of freedom from worry.


Trusting in God doesn’t ensure an easy life, but it means we know He’s walking through life with us.


So how do we avoid getting stuck in a cycle of fear? How—practically—do we keep from getting overwhelmed with anxiety?


- We can take our thoughts captive and make them obedient to Christ.
- We can prioritize His wisdom by reading, studying, and praying Scripture.
- We can take our honest thoughts and questions to a trusted friend.
- We can listen to music that leads us into worship as we go about our days.


Without doubt, there will be troubling situations that come up. But because we know and trust who’s in charge, we don’t have to be troubled by those events.

You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.

Isaiah 26:3 NIV

So what is elevating fear in your life, and how will you replace it with practices that draw you closer to God’s presence? Spend some time today determining what steps you can take to place your trust in God more consistently.

Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. John 14:1, NKJV

Prayer: Jesus, thank You for being trustworthy. I don't need to understand everything that's happening -- I just need to be still and know You. You fight for me. You died for me. You are for me. Thank You. You are enough for me, and so I will place my hope, trust, joy, and future in You. I believe in You. Amen.