Ann Voskamp's Blog, page 4

How to Choose Joy When Life is Crashing in on You

C.S. Lewis said, “Joy is the serious business of Heaven.” Too often, however, joy is missing from our lives. When we look to Scripture, we see examples of early Christians thriving even amid hardship and persecution. How do we recapture that deep and stubborn joy? In this excerpt from I Choose Joy, pastor and author Chip Ingram takes us to God’s Word, helping us shift away from the temporal to fix our eyes on our eternal hope. It’s a joy to welcome Chip to the farm’s table today…

Guest Post by Chip Ingram

When we got the news that my wife, Theresa, had cancer, we cried together on the couch.

“Some things in life matter very much and some don’t matter much at all, and when you face life-threatening situations, the difference becomes crystal clear. “

There were so many things going on in our lives at that time—contracts, appointments, engagements, and countless other demands. When I talked and prayed with the elders, we came up with a plan: I’d be there for weekend services and a few other responsibilities, but otherwise, I needed to be available for my wife.

Everything that seemed so important the previous week suddenly seemed almost irrelevant.

Things like remodeling the kitchen, my left knee hurting, staff hires to be made, how our retirement account was doing . . . all became trivial. It’s amazing how we can fill our hearts and minds with things that matter to us when all is well—whether our weekend plans will work out, getting the latest phone upgrade—only to discover how little those things matter when life is on the line.

The wisest man in the world was right when he wrote that there is more wisdom in “the house of mourning” than in “the house of pleasure” (Eccl. 7:4).

Some things in life matter very much and some don’t matter much at all, and when you face life-threatening situations, the difference becomes crystal clear. 

So, how do you choose joy when life is crashing in on you?

How do you stay grounded in your purpose when it looks like your purpose on earth might come to an end?

How do you live in confidence when you wonder whether you or a loved one will live or die?

I’d suggest that the answer is very simple. That’s not to say it’s easy. It isn’t. But it’s simple and profound: have an eternal perspective.

And that perspective is rooted in one word: hope. 

Hope is the oxygen of the soul. You can go without food for several days and water for about three, but if you go without hope for very long, you die.

“…if we anchor our soul in eternity and cling to God’s promises, we receive the grace and perseverance to keep going.”

This life is not all there is. If we think it is, we eventually lose hope, but if we anchor our soul in eternity and cling to God’s promises, we receive the grace and perseverance to keep going.

So, how do you develop the eternal perspective that gives you the kind of hope that allows you to go through anything without giving up, getting inwardly focused, becoming a victim, or blaming God or others? When life is crashing in and you don’t know how things are going to turn out, how can you become the kind of person who makes people wonder: What do they have that I don’t have?

In other words, when life seems hopeless, how do you live with hope?

We use the word hope to mean a lot of things. We hope the weather will be nice this weekend, hope our team wins the big game, hope we get that good job, and hope our kids grow up to be strong believers who make wise choices. But the outcome is not guaranteed in any of those scenarios, is it?

When we use hope in that sense, we’re really talking about desires and wishes. We don’t know if things are going to work out, but we “hope” they do. There’s nothing wrong with wishful thinking and “hoping” our desires come to pass, but we need to understand that when the Bible talks about hope, it isn’t referring to things that may or may not work out. Biblical hope is a certainty, a guarantee of something yet unseen.

“Biblical hope is about looking forward not to possibilities, but to certainties.“

When we hope for Christ’s return, eternal life in heaven, and the fulfillment of God’s promises, we aren’t speculating or expressing personal desires. These things are definite and certain. They are on God’s eternal timeline; they just haven’t happened yet. They are coming, but for now we can only anticipate them.

Biblical hope is about looking forward not to possibilities, but to certainties. We can anchor our souls in that kind of hope. Hope based in God’s plans and purposes cannot be shaken. Our perspective on that hope might shift back and forth—that’s why we need to be intentional about choosing our perspectives—but the foundation of our hope never moves.

It is based on God’s character and faithfulness. 

Paul wrote that if there is no resurrection, if we’ve hoped for Christ in this life only, we should be pitied above everyone else (1Cor. 15:19). But because the resurrection is a certain hope, there’s no reason for us to cling to everything in this life as though it’s all we have.

That doesn’t mean we should live with an escapist, pie-in-the-sky mentality.

Suffering is real, and sometimes life is incredibly painful. There’s no getting around that. But we are called to set our minds on things above, not on things on earth (Col. 3:2), and live with a clear view of eternity, even in the midst of our darkest, most excruciating experiences.

Like Paul, we need to understand that to live is Christ and to die is gain (Phil. 1:21)

—and, with eager expectation, fix our eyes on the promised hope. 

Chip Ingram is the teaching pastor and CEO of Living on the Edge, an international teaching and discipleship ministry. A pastor for more than thirty years, Chip is the author of many books, including Holy Ambition and The Invisible War. Chip and his wife, Theresa, have four grown children and twelve grandchildren and live in California. 

I Choose Joy isn’t dry theory—it’s a practical, example-filled, Scripture-rich guide to choosing joy when life hurts.

If you need practical tools for thriving no matter your circumstances, I Choose Joy is for you.

{Our humble thanks to Moody Publishers for their partnership in today’s devotional.}

The Blessing of Knowing Our True, God-Given Identity

As a new mom, Jordan Sears’s heart’s desire is to raise her daughter to be strong, compassionate, and full of faith—knowing her worth and how loved she truly is, no matter what. Being loved and known by God is a beautiful start, but understanding that her identity extends beyond that is important too. May every believer of all ages, young and old, know God deeply and embrace her true identity in Christ. It’s a joy to welcome Jordan Sears to the farm’s table today…

Guest Post by Jordan Sears

My daughter made her arrival into the world unexpectedly—nine weeks early in an emergency C-section.

It happened so quickly that my husband barely got off the phone with my parents to tell them the baby was coming before he was calling them back to let them know she was here.

Then came 36 days in the NICU, where conversations with doctors, crying babies, and the beeps and alarms of the monitors were our background noise.

And then, finally, we were home.

In the first quiet, precious moments at home, I rocked my newborn daughter and watched her tiny chest rise and fall in rhythm with her gentle breaths, overwhelmed with awe and gratitude. Here was a life entrusted to my care, a responsibility that was both terrifying and beautiful. We’d thought we would have more time to prepare the nursery, pack our hospital bags, and figure out how this whole parenting thing really worked.

“This divine love isn’t dependent on her actions, her looks, or her achievements. It’s an unchanging, everlasting love that comes from being a child of God.“

As a new mom, my heart’s desire is to raise my daughter to be strong, compassionate, and full of faith. I want her to love others and be kind. I want her to know her worth and how loved she truly is, no matter what.

But in a world that will try to define her by her looks, achievements, or mistakes, I find myself constantly asking, How do we teach her about her true identity in Christ?

How do we help her understand the profound truths that she is loved, she is known, and she is valued not because of who the world says she is but because of who God says she is?

How do we teach a child to understand these truths that we as adults so often forget ourselves?

God’s Word is filled with declarations of his love and affection for us. The Bible says, “See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world don’t recognize that we are God’s children because they don’t know him” (1 John 3:1, NLT). In these moments of doubt, I am reminded that God’s Word holds the answer. As her mother, it’s my responsibility and privilege to share this truth with my precious daughter as much as I need these reminders myself.

From the moment I first held her, I whispered to her the truth that she is loved—not only loved by her family and friends but also loved unconditionally and beyond comprehension by God.

The Bible reaffirms this: “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16, NLT). This divine love isn’t dependent on her actions, her looks, or her achievements. It’s an unchanging, everlasting love that comes from being a child of God.

I want her to know that she is known by God. The psalmist says, “He counts the stars and calls them all by name” (Psalm 147:4, NLT). God knows her completely—the depth of her heart, the dreams and fears she will hold, and even the number of hairs on her head. He formed her, knows her, and cherishes her.

“…Chosen not as the world chooses—based on outward appearance or abilities—but chosen for her heart, for her spirit, and for her ability to reflect God’s love.“

Being loved and known by God is a beautiful start, but I also want my daughter to understand that her identity extends beyond that. She is also chosen by God: “Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes” (Ephesians 1:4, NLT).

Chosen not as the world chooses—based on outward appearance or abilities—but chosen for her heart, for her spirit, and for her ability to reflect God’s love.

As I ponder these truths, I realize the enormity of my role as a mother. It’s not just about teaching her to walk, talk, or even navigate the complexities of life. It’s about instilling in her a deep understanding of her identity in Christ. It’s about guiding her to discover that she is loved, she is known, and she is chosen not by the fleeting standards of this world but by the eternal, unconditional love of God.

This journey won’t be easy. There will be days when the world’s voice will seem louder, more convincing. All I can do is plant these seeds of truth in her heart, trusting that God will nurture them, helping her grow into the person he created her to be.

My prayer is that God will guide me in teaching my daughter these truths and helping her embrace her true identity in Christ—and reminding myself of these truths also.

You are loved.
You are not alone.
You are known.
You are important.
You are forgiven.
You are special.
You have a purpose.
You are held.
You are equipped and able.
You are blessed.
You are guided.
You have a reason for hope.

At some point in life, we all face moments when we feel lost, unsure of how to connect with God. The world’s voices can drown out the truth of who we are in Christ, and it’s easy to forget God’s promises.

With this life-giving truth in your heart, you will find the courage to face any challenge that comes your way.

Jordan Sears has been a content marketing manager with DaySpring Cards and enjoys writing and spending quality time with her family.

The DaySpring Hope & Encouragement Bible was created in partnership with DaySpring to help you remember your true identity.

It’s a reminder that you belong to God, that he loves you deeply, and that he has incredible plans for your life.

This Bible highlights 12 indisputable truths about who you are in Christ—truths that stand firm, regardless of how you feel or what you may believe. You’ll also enjoy wide margins for journaling, 52 DaySpring devotionals to help you recognize your true identity in Christ, and over 250 inspirational reflective readings to deepen your faith. Explore the incredible calling God has lovingly planned for you with the DaySpring Hope & Encouragement Bible.

If your heart’s desire is to raise your daughter/s to know God deeply and embrace her true identity in Christ, the My Beautiful Princess Bible has 500 highlighted verses to call attention to key Bible truths for girls to hide in their hearts. This adorable Bible also has special features up front and on the full-color inserts to help girls build the foundation for a lifelong faith and see their value in God’s eyes. It’s also available in Spanish.

{Our humble thank to Tyndale for their partnership in today’s devotional.}

For the Woman struggling with her body: How Jesus’s Sacrifice Changes How We View Ourselves

I absolutely love this women and try to read everything she writes! My friendship with Lisa Whittle has grown strong and tender through the years, anchored by our passion for Jesus and seeking first the Kingdom of God. From diets to workouts to anti-aging serums, we’re constantly told to do more, be more, change more. But what if your body was already declaring the goodness of your Creator? In this excerpt from her new Bible study, Body and Soul, author and Bible teacher Lisa Whittle offers us hope and encouragement to embrace God’s design and live well—inside and out. It’s an absolute joy to welcome Lisa to the farm’s table today…

Guest Blog Post by Lisa Whittle

When I was a twenty-two-year-old seminary student, living off a “girl dinner” of Skittles® and Diet Coke®, over-exercising, and gravely depriving my body of its vital nourishment, I didn’t think about my body’s created purpose;

I only thought of what I desperately wanted my body to look like.

I admit, this was a very small and surface-level goal of a much more beautiful and grand design.

I just didn’t get it.  

A lot of us walk around with this narrow view of ourselves.

It’s no wonder then that when we notice in the mirror we’ve not yet achieved our body goals, we live with a failure (and subsequently, guilt, shame, and self-loathing) mindset. When in reality, we are simply not understanding that the goal isn’t to look better; it is to live our whole embodied purpose from the inside out.  

While a lot of us may innately know this, the problem is moving from the knowing to the living it out.

It starts with being honest and no longer running away from the truth, even when it’s hard. 

What I’m talking about is not neglecting our bodies or living self-focused. I’m talking about making a shift to whole body theology (a biblical belief system of God’s creation of us as an entire person, body and soul). With whole body theology, our views and activities in our bodies fall much more into balance. 

“Centering Jesus in your life is the only way to yourself stay emotionally and physically centered, body and soul. “

Yes, keeping our mindsets right will still require commitment and human effort. But it will also happen much more naturally as we set up the right mindset to begin with.  

Centering Jesus in your life is the only way to yourself stay emotionally and physically centered, body and soul. 

And because I’m a fantastic natural skeptic, I know what your “but” here likely is. But Lisa, Jesus isn’t an actual health/anti-aging plan/strategy.  

You’re right. Jesus isn’t those things. Because this is whole body theology. This isn’t about resigning to or reconciling with your outside appearance.

Jesus didn’t come and die for you to work out a certain way.

You might be talking about night serum to your girlfriends, but He is interested in far more.  

Let me give you a little example.  

If you’ve ever been to a counselor, you might have had them draw you an “iceberg” drawing, where you see an iceberg above the water, a waterline, and then a lot of space in the “water” below. The counselor will write the issues you tell him or her you are having on the iceberg tip above the water, while pointing to all the water below and say, “this is what you are really dealing with,” and thus, the counseling dives into the things that need to be written below the water’s surface. 

Of course, diets and body types get a lot of attention, but I’m not just talking about the way our bodies look. Many of us struggle with chronic health issues, infertility struggles, aging, disability, or perhaps our bodies being abused in the past and how that affects the way we think about ourselves. Regardless of what the difficulty is, many things lie below the surface.

It’s never really about our weight, wrinkles, gut issues, or body’s abilities, ultimately. (I know. My flesh wants to argue that, too!) 

We are mad at our bodies because our souls want something they aren’t getting. The two are yoked together, and that is a huge problem because at least one of them isn’t cooperating with us.  

“We are mad at our bodies because our souls want something they aren’t getting.“

What you believe and feel about your body is what ultimately needs to change (emphasis on believe).

Because when we understand God’s full picture of us and for us, we don’t have the same health habits anyway. Our wants change, and that includes the desire for our lives to be full, abundant, and God-glorifying rather than temporarily happy, cheaply thrilled, and ultimately dissatisfied.  

One of the things I love about the Lord is how He is patient with us if we are not there yet.  

Because I doubt many of us, while focused on changing what we see in the mirror, have considered Christ’s death on the cross. I admit that I, myself, have not previously had those simultaneous thoughts. 

When Jesus said, “It is finished,” He proclaimed that He accomplished what the Father sent Him to do. Meaning, the payment for our sins was made. He did that for you and for me. 

So, for all believers, there are two life-altering realities:  

“It is finished.” The ultimate conclusion to the exchange of His death for our eternal lives—His coming to break every chain that binds us, which includes the captivity of whatever body struggles hold us.  “In the process.” The ongoing chain-breaking of daily struggles in our bodies, in our temptations, setbacks, and disappointments, as we have communion with our Lord and are loved through every moment, with hope for a new day.  

Sis, I hope you feel as hopeful as I do in this. Because I am quite “in the process” while rejoicing in the “it is finished” work of Christ on the cross. And I quite desperately need Him in the process, while I pray daily to keep my mind in the right place with my whole body theology.  

And it helps me, too, to remember that as an embodied Savior He can relate to me in my “in process” work—that daily temptation and struggle. 

The temptation of Christ (Matt. 4:1-11; Luke 4:1-13) reminds us of a Savior in the trenches with us. He came, already knowing the end of the story, but in His incarnation, the process of living was a reality for Him. Thus, we find communion with Him in the fellowship of suffering.  

And above all, it’s crucial to remember the words “It is finished.” Because these were the words Christ said on the cross when He defeated death and broke every chain that binds us.

Therefore, even if you feel long-held issues with your body have some type of hold over you, according to the Bible, it is not true. 

Have a right expectation, my friend. This isn’t going to happen overnight. Anything you want to die to you will have to process through. Only then will you get to the other side. This takes time. Some of our mindsets and habits have been forming since we were very young.  

In the process.  

It is finished.  

He is with you. 

Best-selling author and beloved Bible teacher Lisa Whittle is the author of nine books and multiple Bible studies, including her newest Bible study, Body and Soul. A pastor’s daughter with deep roots in the church, Lisa is known for her wit and bold authenticity. Host of the popular Jesus Over Everything podcast and founder of Ministry Strong, Lisa is a wife, mom, lover of laughter, good food, and the Bible, and a self-professed feisty work in progress. For more, go to lisawhittle.com.

In the new Body and Soul Bible study, you’ll discover what Scripture teaches about your body. Uncover the truth, stop the cycle of information exhaustion, and explore how every curve, scar, wrinkle, and physical limitation of your body exists to glorify God. It’s time to develop a whole body theology – growing in a deeper understanding of your true identity and function as a whole person created in the image of God! Learn more at lifeway.com/bodyandsoul.

{Our humble thanks to LIfeWay for their partnership in today’s devotional.}

How to Pray to God in Tragedy & Where is God in Suffering?

Grief can feel like a dam breach, and you feel all this aching sadness for one heartbreak… that gives way to grieving all kinds of collective losses and accumulative sadness.

“If God allowed these tragedies — how can we pray to Him, lean on Him, trust in Him, through these same tragedies?“

I fought tears much of the day yesterday, and then I just let it all come, moved with a deep, deep, sadness over so many tender, heart-shattering tragedies… which broke open some interior dam of memories, for all kinds of tragedies we have ever tried to survive. The moment I witnessed my sister killed. The day the police told me Dad was killed. Sometimes one tragedy can cascade into this emotional torrent of heartache for all kinds of tragedies.

I sat with a Texas friend who attended 3 prayer vigils this weekend with other disoriented and numb Mamas, whose little girl has inconsolably lost her best friend in the inconceivable heartbreak of this weekend, and confessed she wasn’t even sure where to begin talking to God? 

In the midst of the sharp heartache, sometimes, if you’re very still, and very honest, you can begin to feel what is hard to actually articulate:

If God allowed these tragedies — how can we pray to Him, lean on Him, trust in Him, through these same tragedies?

How do we speak to the same God who didn’t speak to the storm? How do we currently run to the One who didn’t still the racing current? 

This is more than a question that’s merely theoretical or theological — it’s actually deeply relational. 

We are all out here with more than a theological puzzle to solve, we are out here with relational pain that we are trying to survive, as Love Himself can feel distant and silent. 

And God beckons all of us who don’t understand, who can hardly stand — to just let Him just hold us. 

And maybe: You pray to God not because you understand Him — but because you need to stand near Him, with Him, because where else in all the universe can we go?

Frankly, sometimes we can find ourselves running to God not because we are ready,  but because we’re wrecked — and where can we go with tears that keep running, that keep falling? 

“God would rather have us wail wildly at Him than for us to apathetically walk away from Him.“

And God pulls all of us closer, all of us who desperately long for a different world, and He lets us honestly wail: “How long, O Lord, how long?” (Psalm 13). And we cry to Him like David, and we howl at Him like Job, “His hand is heavy in spite of my groaning” (Job 23:2) and we’re as honest with Him as His own Son, “Take this cup from Me… My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Matthew 27:46) 

God would rather have us wail wildly at Him than for us to apathetically walk away from Him. 

And even though He felt forsaken, Jesus faithfully relied enough on God to say, “My God.”  God only knows that when we just keep wrestling with God, and don’t let go, we get to go to places we’ve longed to know.

Even in agony and deep adversity, Jesus still feels deep intimacy. It’s the wrestle that makes for a stronger faith and a closer bond with God.

And as we just honestly lament and weep, we begin to feel it:

“The deepest comfort is experienced in communion with the God whose tears mingle with ours. “

The One who holds us, is the One who cries with us. Jesus doesn’t stand at the tomb of Lazarus with all the broken hearted and tell them it would all work out — but Jesus breaks down in tears and weeps in deep grief with them. “Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows”(Isaiah 53:4).  “Darkness yields to hope because the sorrow of those who suffer … is met by the sorrow of God,” writes Jesuit theologian Karl Rahner. “The empathy of God is itself revealed in the cross of Christ.”

The empathy of God embraces the tragedies of this worlrd and the God of the Cross knows what it feels like to be in crisis — and only the God who had His heart broken can touch us in our heartbreak. “Only the suffering God can help,” comforts Bonhoeffer. Only the Wounded God who weeps can heal our wounds.

Only the God who went to the Cross, who cried out, “My God, my God, why have You forsaken Me?” can reach all who have felt completely godforsaken.

When we can’t understand the why or the ways of God, we can sit with Him till we feel the tears that He too weeps. 

Jesus went to the Cross to “take the death of the godless, and the godforsaken on Himself – so that all the godless and godforsaken can experience communion with Him,” offers theologian, Jürgen Moltmann in The Crucified God. 

The deepest comfort is experienced in communion with the God whose tears mingle with ours. 

“God and suffering are no longer contradictions,” writes Jürgen Moltman, “God’s being is in suffering – and suffering is in God’s being itself … because God is love.”  

When we can’t understand the why or the ways of God, we can sit with Him till we feel the tears that He too weeps. 

“The answer to suffering isn’t found in some mental analysis, but in His very personal presence. “

The One who cries with us in our grief, is the One who can ultimately hear us in our grief. It’s only truly prayer when you give to God all the things that all the pain gave you: all the questions, all the doubts, all the heartbreak, all the despair, all the grief, all of you, given to Almighty Love.  Prayer is more than getting anything – but honestly giving it all to Him.

And maybe that is it: the beginning of a way forward –  isn’t looking for some cold road of logic, but looking to the sure closeness of His presence. The answer to suffering isn’t found in some mental analysis, but in His very personal presence. 

Jesus always has deeper work to do than give explanations for suffering – like giving Himself and deeply entering into our suffering. “He did not love us from a distance. He entered the chaos,” assures the theologian, Fleming Rutledge. God does not give us space and a kind of distant love, but He gives us Himself and enters right into the heart of our suffering. 

God may not give us any answer sheet to our questions  – but He gives us Himself and a clean sheet for all eternity.God may not offer us interpretations of the situation — but He never stops offering us His own groaning Spirit, personally interceding for us (Romans 8:26).

We may not understand why God allows heartbreak and falling tears — but they must be of such significance that God Himself steps into them with us, and surrenders to their work alongside of us. Only the God who cries with us, could ever rise through us.

If we can pound on the chest of a God great enough to question in tragedy, then ours is a God whose ways are far greater and beyond any answer we had in mind.

If we can pound on the chest of a God great enough to question in tragedy, then ours is a God whose ways are far greater and beyond any answer we had in mind.

And I close my eyes, and I return to what anchors, no matter what: our choice is always to either have a crisis of faith, or to have faith in crisis….

And I pray with hurting friends and grieving mamas and this is what now can be done:

Mourning with those who mourn,

Crying with those who cry out for a different kind of world – 

that begins with us – us grieving together, us listening to each other, us holding space for each other – 

and praying honestly to Him who doesn’t always fully explain the why of suffering to us, 

But always fully enters into the suffering with us. 

When the ache feels like more than the heart can carry — try gently picking up a pen and looking for gifts of grace, even here, to count, all from a good and relentlessly loving God who draws near with grace upon grace in our heartache.

With spacious lines to name three gifts each day, and uniquely formatted to daily see how God has shown up with gifts on this day of the month, on all the previous months, Gifts & Gratitudes gently helps grow trust in a God who doesn’t always explain our suffering but who always enters into it with us. Taking pen to paper each day will help trace God’s goodness and keep a record of gratitude. And because of Jesus… there is always, always, always something — Someone — to be thankful for.

If you’re seeking deeper peace, in a world of tender pain…. if you’re looking for hope in the midst of all kinds of hurt… beginning this daily practice of looking for Gifts & Gratitudes helps you see the way forward.

When you don’t know what or who to count on tomorrow… if you start counting Gifts & Gratitudes — your eyes… and heart… begin to open to Who you can always count on…. especially on the hardest days.

How to Find God’s Peace When Darkness Falls

Oh we all feel it… how the tender days in which we live leave us longing for peace. Where can we find the inner calm our souls crave? My friend, Grace Fox, answers this universal question in her new book, Names of God: Knowing Peace. A career missionary, full-time sailboat dweller, and grandma to fourteen, Grace—a woman who humbly lives up to her name—inspires hope, courage, and transformation through God’s Word in audiences around the globe. With transparency, warmth, and wisdom, she invites you to join her on a path of discovery that leads to knowing God by name and, thus, experiencing His peace even when life is hard. It’s a delightful joy to welcome Grace to the farm’s table today…

Guest Post by Grace Fox

True confession:

Peace was the last thing I felt as a child when my mother asked me to fetch a jar of home-canned peaches or pears from the basement.

Reaching the pantry meant first walking through two other dark rooms. When I turned on the lights as I entered, presto!

The darkness disappeared.

All was well until I retraced my steps, and my mind convinced me that bad guys lurked there. I was afraid that the moment I turned off the lights in each room, they would sneak up in the darkness and grab me. I raced up those stairs faster than a spook can say, “Boo!”

I don’t fear bad guys in the basement anymore, but my imagination still messes with me on occasion. Does yours try to trick you into believing untruths about the dark?

If so, join the club.

Pastor David Jeremiah writes, “Darkness does something to a place, doesn’t it? It distorts. It becomes a canvas for the imagination. The good news is that shadows are only the deflection of light. They can frighten, but they can do no harm.”

““Hard times tend to override the brain to focus on fear, losses, and anxieties. That is why in the darkest times you need to be the most grateful.“

Hold tight to Dr. Jeremiah’s wisdom. When your imagination begins to splatter chaos and fear across your canvas, remember that you belong to Yahweh Ori (the LORD is my light).When you face a difficult situation or an unknown future, call on him to turn your darkness into light. Ask him to help you take the following actions, so you can appropriate the gift Jesus promised: “peace of mind and heart” (John 14:27 NLT).

Reframe your view of dark places

Our human bent wants to avoid the dark (both literal and symbolic) and all things hidden there (both real and imagined). We want to escape it to avoid danger and pain, but God’s Word says, “Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing” (James 1:2-4 NLT).

I once went caving with my husband and youngest daughter. The prospect of navigating cramped, wet spaces scared the willies out of this sunshine-and-wide-open-spaces girl, but I put on my brave face.

Thankfully, an experienced guide led our adventure. At one point, he told us to turn off our headlamps. “You’ll experience total dark,” he said.

He was right—I literally could not see my hand in front of my face.

Then we flicked on our headlamps again and pushed forward. Minutes later, the narrow passage opened into a room in which the walls glittered like a star-studded night sky. The moment’s magic filled me with awe. I’d heard about subterranean wonders like this, caused by water droplets inside the cave, but seeing one with my own eyes made me realize the beauty I would have missed if I’d stayed above ground.

If I’d not entered the dark, I would never have discovered the beauty hidden in its depths. Let’s not dread the dark or consider it our enemy. Instead, let’s count it as an opportunity to mature our faith and learn to know God as manifest through his name Yahweh Ori.

Remember to give thanks

Catherine Hart Weber, PhD., writes, “Hard times tend to override the brain to focus on fear, losses, and anxieties. That is why in the darkest times you need to be the most grateful.”

Giving thanks is easy when the sun shines, but not so much when darkness surrounds us. That’s when we need to practice this reminder: “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:18 NIV).

Focusing on our fears causes our brain’s amygdala to alert us to danger. Our body reacts by releasing stress hormones throughout our bloodstream and triggering the fight, flight or freeze response. Feelings of anger and anxiety rise.

Conversely, focusing on things for which we’re grateful silences the alarm and flushes the stress hormones from our system. Giving thanks raises levels of serotonin and dopamine, chemicals associated with pleasure and contentment. These things combined leads to our experiencing joy, harmony, and peace.

So—let’s practice.

What’s one thing for which you’re thankful today?

Recall biblical truth

In most cases, we can’t see what God is doing in the dark, and our limited understanding can lead to skewed perspectives. We assume the worst, and our beliefs influence our behavior.

An example of this is when Mary went to Jesus’s tomb the day after he died. She peered into the cave, realized his body was gone, assumed someone had stolen it, and felt hopeless.

In reality, his body was missing because he’d fulfilled his promise to rise from the dead. Jesus appeared in that moment and asked, “Why are you crying?” (John 20:15) His question helped Mary understand that she had believed untruths, and the question gave her a fresh perspective.

When we’re worried, discouraged, or in despair, let’s ask ourselves, Why am I feeling this way?

What do I believe to be true about my situation?

Do my beliefs align with the actual truth about my situation?

Answering honestly helps us identify inaccurate thinking and regain proper perspective.

Perhaps that cave—the place we fear most—is not the end of the story.

Perhaps it’s the beginning of something amazing God wants to do in and through us.

This is an amazing small group resource! 

Grace Fox‘s lives fulltime in a marina near Vancouver, British Columbia, and co-directs International Messengers Canada, a missionary-sending agency with staff in 30 countries. The award-winning author of 15 books, she’s a popular international Bible teacher and a member of the First 5 writing team (Proverbs 31 Ministries). 

In her new book, Names of God: Knowing Peace, Grace shares honestly about her faith journey and how she has discovered peace in life’s hard places. She shows how understanding God’s character as manifest through His biblical names shifts our focus from our problems to the Prince of Peace and gives us a new perspective.

Each of the seven sessions includes biblical and real-life examples that illustrate the power of God’s names; a guided prayer; reflection questions; and video access to bonus teaching. 

Get your copy and invite your friends to join you on a journey to knowing who God is as manifest by His names. The more you understand His character, the more peace you’ll experience even in life’s hard places.

{Our humble thanks to Tyndale for their partnership in today’s devotional.}

Only the Good Stuff: Multivitamins For Your Weekend {07.05.2025}

Happy, happy, happy weekend!

Let yourself smile, be crazy inspired, laugh, love & really live the gift of this life
just a little bit more this weekend…

Smile a mile wide & believe like crazy in a Good God redeeming everything —

and that there’s love everywhere & for ((you))! 

Serving up only the Good Stuff for you & your people right here:

Photo by Sharissa Johnson

Photo by Annie Spratt

Photo by John Thomas

Photo by Annie Spratt

Photo by Annie Spratt

Slow down and really consider the beauty of the flowers this weekend — God clothes them, & He will deeply care for us, so we need not have any cares…

Heart Vitamins for you this week:“Helping Each Other Hold Onto Hope”So soul-encouraging “Preaching to the Heart” — Tim KellerTUNE IN: WATCH HEREWant to Grow in Wisdom? You have to read this!Let Peace rule in your hearts THIS, THIS: Listen hereSOUL LEARNING 101 this week:“I Am the Light of the World” with Jen LIFECHANGING LISTEN “Learn to Hear from God Through His Word”YESSSSS! The best!The 12 apostles You need to read this!How much do we pray? WOW! So moving! Make a Joyful Noise: Worship for you this week:This is so good! Don’t miss this! We have dusty Bibles Watching over and over!Recipes for you this week: Mini cookies… YESSS! A MUST TRY! So so fun for the summer! Do you want to try too? So delicious! Lets make it together:A must Try!! Watch here:Creative Bits for you this week: I need to try this! So beautiful! Have you ever tried this? Watch here:Why haven’t I done this? AMAZING! The best Postcard ever! I love this!! Encouragement for the Mothers this week:“Breaking Cycles & Building Something New”WOW! “Reflecting the Kindness of God” with Ruth YES! THIS!! This is the sweetest! You don’t want to miss this: WOW!! Click here to watch:Ready to smile this weekend?!!Soo Cute! This is the BEST! Hilarious! Su funny! !HA! You don’t want to miss: “Oh…” Insane! Can’t stop watching!Breathtaking! Watch here:Fireworks like never Before! CRAZYYY!!!!Thoughts to Really Ponder this week“Disappointed but Not Defeated” with Chris CaneDon’t miss this“What Do You Want More Than God?”Doesn’t this resonate: LISTEN“You Need Biblical Prayer” I found this so movingWould they see Jesus? Really, so thinking about thisWhat we’re Listening to on the Farm this week“Million Little Miracles”Jess Ray: “Leaning on the Everlasting Arms”on the book stack at the farm

Through the daily and healing practice of gratitude, you can discover a way of seeing that opens your eyes to ordinary amazing grace, a way of living that is fully alive, and a way of becoming present to God that brings deep and lasting joy.

A perfect book to use on its own or as a thoughtful companion to One Thousand Gifts, Ann’s bestselling book that takes readers on the transformative journey of chronicling God’s gifts in their lives.

This unique format allows you to express your own gratitude with three lines per day for you to reflect on the day’s unique blessings. You’ll then move to the next day, and at the end of the month, return to the beginning, the first day of the month.

It’s only in the expression of gratitude for the life we already have, we discover the life we’ve always wanted…a life we can take, give thanks for, and offer others. Come to feel and know the impossible right down in your bones: you are wildly loved by God and showered with His gifts.

Ann Voskamp shares her own personal prayer practice to help you discover the power and beauty of prayer:

SACRED

Stillness to know GodAttentiveness to hear GodCruciformity to surrender to GodRevelation to see GodExamine to return to GodDoxology to thank God

Discover with Ann, that, when we retreat from the world to pray, to wait, to hope in God—we find true and beautiful perspective for our souls. Ann shares the six steps of SACRED prayer through this 90-day guided journey.

Take this sacred journey of prayer with Ann over the course of 90 days and see how God moves in your life and in your circumstances.

When you need hope, the first place you should go is down on your knees.

Um … wow (!!) #1 Bestseller at ECPA: Loved to Life ! Only God! And it’s ON SALE right now at Christian Book and Amazon: 30% off right now!

Pick up  Loved to Life: A 40-Day VISUAL Pilgrimage with Jesus, that will:

give you enlightening insights to calm your real worriesground your identity in who you really are, regardless of failuresspeak to your deepest doubts in a profoundly steading wayand walk you in fresh, intimate ways with Jesus, Love Himself, that will grow your soul into real LIFESTOCK UP FOR GIFTSAND (!!) OUR GRATITUDE JOURNAL as well as sacred Prayer are 45 % OFF! You don’t want to miss out on these sales! What! We need to run for this sale! Now just 25 cents for The Broken Way study guide?!

Take advantage of this incredible deal (we’ve NEVER seen anything like this!) and make The Broken Way your next group study!

Run to see this sale! (and all the others at ChristianBook!) Download yours free when you subscribe to emailsMATIN: Rest (a set of quiet songs at sunrise):

And maybe have a beautiful picnic this weekend!

That’s all for this weekend, friends.

Go slow. Be God-struck. Grant grace. Live Truth.

Give Thanks. Love well. Re – joy, re- joy, ‘re- joys’ again

Share Whatever Is Good. 

Only the Good Stuff: Multivitamins For Your Weekend {06.28.2025}

Happy, happy, happy weekend!

Let yourself smile, be crazy inspired, laugh, love & really live the gift of this life
just a little bit more this weekend…

Smile a mile wide & believe like crazy in a Good God redeeming everything —

and that there’s love everywhere & for ((you))! 

Serving up only the Good Stuff for you & your people right here:

Photo by Svitlana

Photo by Evangelina Silina 

Photo by Madara 

Photo by Evangelina Silina

Who’s ready for Picnic season?! We are! all your inspiration here…

Have you heard of a Cake Picnic?

We LOVE this idea! We’re having one today — wouldn’t it be a dream to host a little Cake Picnic for your community?!

And maybe some more picnic inspiration for your weekend!

Heart Vitamins for you this week:Why Can We Trust the Bible?So soul-encouraging “Holy, Holy, Holy”TUNE IN: WATCH HERESurf Church You have to read this!Clinging to Christ in Suffering THIS, THIS: Read HereSOUL LEARNING 101 this week:God’s Presence in the WildernessLIFECHANGING LISTEN “Who God Says you Are” with Sadie YESSSSS! The best!“HIS JOURNEY, OUR FAITH” You need to read this!Where do we find our hope? WOW! So moving! Make a Joyful Noise: Worship for you this week:This is our God! Don’t miss this! You are my Everything Watching over and over!He is worthy!! A must listen! This is beautiful! So beautiful! Recipes for you this week: We all need a good Latte! A MUST TRY! So so fun for the summer! Do you want to try too? So delicious! Lets make it together:A must Try!! Watch here:Creative Bits for you this week: This is incredible! So beautiful! Isn’t this so pretty! Watch here:WOW! Crazy! AMAZING! We Want to Do this as a Family! I love this!! The post of the week from around these parts: “Start Here: When The World’s Spinning Sideways” You really don’t want to leave the internet before you read this! Encouragement for the Mothers this week:A Part of My Story That’s Been Quiet Until NowWOW! “What We Find in the Dark” – with Aubrey SampsonYES! THIS!! Ready to smile this weekend?!!Oh my! CRAZY! This is the BEST! WOW!! This is AMAZING! So beautiful! You don’t want to miss: Their Reactions! Can’t stop watching!Thoughts to Really Ponder this weekGrowing in Patience- with Ruth Don’t miss this“Rediscovering God’s Presence”Doesn’t this resonate: LISTEN“4 Gospel Truths About Repentance from Hosea” I found this so moving“The cost of following Jesus”- George Muller Really, so thinking about thisWhat we’re Listening to on the Farm this week“The Blood”Jess Ray: “Lilies & Sparrows”on the book stack at the farm

Brokenness doesn’t only find us in the big things—things like illness, hardship, or grief. It can find you in the everyday. Learn to walk in a way that glorifies Jesus and receive freedom, not beyond your fear and pain, but within it.

This one’s for the lovers and the sufferers. This one’s for the busted ones who are ready to bust free, the ones ready to break molds, break chains, break measuring sticks, and break all this bad brokenness with an unlikely good brokenness. You could be one of the Beloved who is broken—and still lets yourself be loved.

You aren’t alone. And Jesus is with us, within us, to cause us love like Him. 

God knows what it feels like to be where you are, where you have been — and He’s here to give us a new heart. 

God Himself knows how hard this broken planet is―He’s walked where you’ve walked. But out of those hard, dusty roads emerges a way into the exhilarating life you’ve longed to fully experience — that exudes His kind of Love. 

This is the truest story in the whole universe: God is the only One who has ever loved you to death and came to resurrect you into the fullest life you always hoped for.

Embark on a 40-day spiritual pilgrimage following the entire life of Jesus through the Gospel of John — a 40-day pilgrimage to move you from barely getting through―to passionately living like Jesus Himself!

Um … wow (!!) #1 Bestseller at ECPA: Loved to Life ! Only God! And it’s ON SALE right now at Christian Book: 30% off right now!

Pick up  Loved to Life: A 40-Day VISUAL Pilgrimage with Jesus, that will:

give you enlightening insights to calm your real worriesground your identity in who you really are, regardless of failuresspeak to your deepest doubts in a profoundly steading wayand walk you in fresh, intimate ways with Jesus, Love Himself, that will grow your soul into real LIFESTOCK UP FOR GIFTSAND (!!) OUR GRATITUDE JOURNAL as well as sacred Prayer are 40 % OFF! You don’t want to miss out on these sales! Annnnd! 98 cents for The Broken Way study guide?!

Take advantage of this incredible deal (we’ve NEVER seen anything like this!) and make The Broken Way your next group study!

Run to see this sale! (and all the others at ChristianBook!)Download yours free when you subscribe to emailsJoin us for worship to start our weekend right:

And maybe have a beautiful picnic this weekend!

That’s all for this weekend, friends.

Go slow. Be God-struck. Grant grace. Live Truth.

Give Thanks. Love well. Re – joy, re- joy, ‘re- joys’ again

Share Whatever Is Good. 

Start Here: When The World’s Spinning Sideways

What can you do when the world’s spinning sorta sideways but come alongside just one person and find ways to steady them with love? 

“You always said something, Ann…” a friend mentioned this week.

“You always said, “It’s okay already.” 

“So in n the early morning hours, that’s what I did, as I lay in bed with my anxious mind running to and fro, I thought of what you used to say often: It’s okay already.”  

Because God is with us, won’t forsake us, is always for us, and cannot fail us – it’s ok already.

And as the world spins sideways and headlines upend, she lay there in bed, and before her feet even hit the floor, she recounted the good news of reality that steadies everything: 

Because God is King of the cosmos and our very own Abba Father – it’s ok already.

Because Jesus rescues us, restores us, and resurrects us – it’s ok already.

Because the Spirit is our Counselor, Comforter, and always close — it’s ok already.

Because God is with us, won’t forsake us, is always for us, and cannot fail us – it’s ok already.

Because grace always meets us, and hope never leaves us, and Love always names us His own and beloved– it’s ok already.

Whatever’s happening already in the world – God Almighty is already working good so we are deeply steadied – so it’s okay already.

No matter how the news columns read, the world is supported by more than some large, stone columns – it’s supported by the rock-solid hand of Love Himself. 

And when I go to grab a coffee first thing in the morning, the book laying open by the pot of coffee beans reads exactly why it’s okay already: 

“When the earth totters, and all its inhabitants, it is I who keep steady its pillars” Psalm 75:3. 

Though the world totters, God steadies the pillars. 

Cosmic chaos doesn’t shake the One who’s the Upholder of the cosmos. The world’s structures may presently shake, but we have a God who’s a stabilizing presence. The visible may explode, but the invisible hand of God upholds. There may be  architects of war, and an axis of evil, but the outstretched arms of Jesus are the revolutionary axis of grace that turns the whole universe, and He is the architect of certain peace. 

No matter how the news columns read, the world is supported by more than some large, stone columns – it’s supported by the rock-solid hand of Love Himself. 

Whatever gives way, The Way gives us the steadiness of Himself. 

Whatever dissolves in this world, our heart refuses to melt in fear, because the heart of God is fused to our heart. 

The pillars of the earth are the Lord’s arms of Love. His arms are always underneath you, no matter what is overwhelming you. What God upholds won’t fall down.

Because that Lord’s hand holds earth’s pillars, your heart can rest in His Providence and His Presence. 

Regardless of the state of global security, because Jesus saves, we can have eternal security. And it’s not stable markets, or nations, that matter most, but the One who took on matter, entered our world through a stable, and gives Himself to give all generations and nations real and sure stability.

I grind the coffee beans, pour the milk, raise the cup, drink deeply … and I pick up that open book of Psalms and everything feels steadied… righted.

“Though the mountains fall into the heart of the sea… God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved” (Psalm 46).

“When the world totters – tilt toward Love. Tilt toward Love, the Person – Jesus, who is Love. What offsets a world that’s tottering, is to be one offering Love..

Whatever dissolves in this world, our heart refuses to melt in fear, because the heart of God is fused to our heart. 

And it’s okay already and this is all there is, and what always is: 

When the world totters – tilt toward Love. Tilt toward Love, the Person – Jesus, who is Love. 

And tilt toward love – love for the person in front of you and all the people all around you, tilt toward love, loving the people unlike you and the people who don’t like you.

When the world totters – tilt hard to offer Love to the one who doesn’t deserve it, and the one who desperately longs for it, be the one who is more of the Love the world needs, as you live your life in the steadying life and love of God.  Who makes everything okay already.   

What offsets a world that’s tottering, is to be one offering Love.

You aren’t alone. And Jesus is with us, within us, to cause us love like Him. 

God knows what it feels like to be where you are, where you have been — and He’s here to give us a new heart. 

God Himself knows how hard this broken planet is―He’s walked where you’ve walked. But out of those hard, dusty roads emerges a way into the exhilarating life you’ve longed to fully experience — that exudes His kind of Love. 

This is the truest story in the whole universe: God is the only One who has ever loved you to death and came to resurrect you into the fullest life you always hoped for.

Embark on a 40-day spiritual pilgrimage following the entire life of Jesus through the Gospel of John — a 40-day pilgrimage to move you from barely getting through―to passionately living like Jesus Himself!

Only the Good Stuff: Multivitamins For Your Weekend {06.21.2025}

Happy, happy, happy weekend!

Let yourself smile, be crazy inspired, laugh, love & really live the gift of this life
just a little bit more this weekend…

Smile a mile wide & believe like crazy in a Good God redeeming everything —

and that there’s love everywhere & for ((you))! 

Serving up only the Good Stuff for you & your people right here:

Photos by: thechaffins.co

I lift up my eyes to the Mountains – where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. Psalm 121:1-2Heart Vitamins for you this week:Gospel Ministry in a Post-everything World with Ray Ortlund So soul-encouraging Hustle vs Holiness and How to Redefine Productivity in Light of the Gospel TUNE IN: WATCH HEREPLANTING SEEDS OF HOPE- You are Seen You have to read this!The Leper’s Cleansing and Our Salvation THIS, THIS: Read HereSOUL LEARNING 101 this week:By Faith Alone with Courtney DoctorLIFECHANGING LISTEN The Source of Your Joy (A Fruitful Summer)YESSSSS! The best!No one can steal our Joy You need to watch this! How do we treat the poor? WOW! So moving! Make a Joyful Noise: Worship for you this week:This is Beautiful! Don’t miss this! We lift up our hands   Watching over and over!We want to know you! A must listen! Jesus is Lord! So beautiful! Recipes for you this week: This looks so good! A MUST TRY! A summer must try! Don’t miss this!Creative Bits for you this week: This is incredible! You need to try this! Can we all try new things too? So beautiful! WOW! AMAZING! This is Amazing! I love this!! God’s Glory in the World this week: “A Once in a lifetime type tornado” WOWW! Northern Lights dance over Earth Don’t miss this!Encouragement for the Mothers this week:Have Bold Faith in the Storms of LifeWOW! Katie Davis Majors’ Story- with Life TodayYES! THIS!! Rest For The Restless Soul Don’t miss this!It’s 3 AM Read here!Ready to smile this weekend?!!Oh my! CRAZY! This is the BEST! Yes! The best welcome! This is AMAZING! The First Church! This is crazyThis is so cute! Can’t stop watching!Thoughts to Really Ponder this week“How Has God’s Love Changed Us?” with Sadie Roberson Don’t miss this“The View that Changes Everything”Doesn’t this resonate: LISTEN“AI and the Threat of Mutually Assured Boredom” I found this so movingWe are unconditionally Loved by Jesus! Really, so thinking about thisWhat we’re Listening to on the Farm this week“Broken Vessels”“Holy Forever”on the book stack at the farm

Brokenness doesn’t only find us in the big things—things like illness, hardship, or grief. It can find you in the everyday. Learn to walk in a way that glorifies Jesus and receive freedom, not beyond your fear and pain, but within it.

This one’s for the lovers and the sufferers. This one’s for the busted ones who are ready to bust free, the ones ready to break molds, break chains, break measuring sticks, and break all this bad brokenness with an unlikely good brokenness. You could be one of the Beloved who is broken—and still lets yourself be loved.

The One Year Chronological Study Bible, which takes you on a profound journey to experience God’s story as it unfolds in chronological order. It guides you through events with daily Scripture readings enhanced with study guides and reflection questions. Connect the dots of the Bible’s narrative, gaining a deeper understanding that empowers you to apply its teachings to your life. This unique approach helps you construct a holistic view of the Bible, revealing how its diverse parts harmoniously work together. Discover your place in the grand narrative of God’s unfolding plan.

Um … wow (!!) #1 Bestseller at ECPA: Loved to Life ! Only God! And it’s ON SALE right now at Amazon: 30% off right now!

Pick up  Loved to Life: A 40-Day VISUAL Pilgrimage with Jesus, that will:

give you enlightening insights to calm your real worriesground your identity in who you really are, regardless of failuresspeak to your deepest doubts in a profoundly steading wayand walk you in fresh, intimate ways with Jesus, Love Himself, that will grow your soul into real LIFEAND (!!) OUR GRATITUDE JOURNAL IS NEARLY 50% OFF! Annnnd! 98 cents for The Broken Way study guide?!

Take advantage of this incredible deal (we’ve NEVER seen anything like this!) and make The Broken Way your next group study!

Run to see this sale! (and all the others at ChristianBook!)STOCK UP FOR GIFTS BEST GRATITUDE JOURNAL: Nearly 50% off Download yours free when you subscribe to emailsJoin us for a night of worship to start our weekend right:

That’s all for this weekend, friends.

Go slow. Be God-struck. Grant grace. Live Truth.

Give Thanks. Love well. Re – joy, re- joy, ‘re- joys’ again

Share Whatever Is Good. 

How to be in your “Knowing God” Era — That Gets to Go On With Endless Joy

Honestly, though Iva May always had an interest in the Bible, it wasn’t until she read it through chronologically that the pieces fell into place — and it transformed her life. Which has made her deeply passionate about helping others better understand who God is through His Word and ignite their passion for Bible reading and teaching. It’s a deep joy to welcome Iva May to the farm’s table today…

Guest Post by Iva May

“In the beginning God. . . .”

How many times have we just glossed over those words?

When you’re in your “Knowing God” era — you enter into a a joy era that doesn’t end!

But we, honestly, can’t afford to miss it!

Those four opening words of the Bible are a grand announcement, the setup for everything that follows. They herald God’s desire to make Himself known.

The Bible is a book about God, His ways, and His people. Without His self-revelation, we could not know Him or understand ourselves. That is why God gave us the Bible: so we don’t have to be left in the dark.

We can know Him, we get to know Him!

And frankly? When you’re in your “Knowing God” era — you enter into a a joy era that doesn’t end!

The truth of God’s existence is everywhere. Even though we cannot see God, we can see His handiwork through which He demonstrates His eternal power and divine nature. The earth and the sky reveal His invisible attributes (Romans 1:19-20). All of creation proclaims His existence. And then God made the ultimate reveal of Himself through Jesus. Jesus walked with us, talked with us, and suffered and died for us so we would know God’s abounding goodness, unending love, and powerful truth.

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. What if we went back to the beginning?

Those first chapters of the Bible are pivotal. Moses gives a detailed account of the creation of the universe because during a four-hundred-year stay in Egypt, the Hebrews (God’s chosen people) started believing the Egyptian narrative that gods and goddesses governed the natural and supernatural worlds. Moses’ record of creation dismantles the false narrative and replaces it with truth.

“…God made the ultimate reveal of Himself through Jesus. Jesus walked with us, talked with us, and suffered and died for us so we would know God’s abounding goodness, unending love, and powerful truth.“

Truth starts with God Himself. From the beginning, He reveals that He exists. He demonstrates His power by simply speaking—when He speaks, things happen! What was nothing becomes something amazing.

God establishes Himself as the judge of good and evil. He evaluates what He makes and deems it good. And He immediately introduces boundaries, separating light from darkness, sky from earth, land from water, day from night, and aquatic life from aerial life. He also sets boundaries in reproduction—all animals and plants reproduce offspring of the same kind.

God makes humanity in His image—morally, spiritually, and intellectually—and gives humans the ability to reproduce more image bearers, along with the right to reign over His creation. He blesses His image bearers and anticipates all of humanity’s needs before they even have needs.

God makes orderly, integrated systems within the boundaries He created. And before He elaborates more on the crown of His creation—humanity—God evaluates everything He has created as “very good” (Genesis 1:31).

God’s goodness resonates through all he created. His design of the universe, His desire for the flourishing of plants and animals that fill the earth, and His care in the safety of and provision for His image bearers. He places Adam in a beautiful garden loaded with resources and gives him a companion to share in the beauty and bounty, to reign with him in the garden over all the earth and its created order, and to extend God’s Kingdom.

In the midst of abundant provision, God reveals His goodness and protection for His image bearers through His caution concerning the tree of the knowledge of good and evil: “If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die” (Genesis 2:17). Though Adam has never seen death, God makes the word understandable and promises that death would follow eating from the forbidden tree. Like so many other boundaries established in creation, this didn’t come from a place of rules or punishment but from a heart of care and love.

But would His image bearers trust His goodness and exercise rule over their appetites?

“Truth starts with God Himself. From the beginning, He reveals that He exists. He demonstrates His power by simply speaking—when He speaks, things happen! What was nothing becomes something amazing.“

Sadly, in the beginning, Adam and Eve listened to God’s enemy—the serpent, who seeks to be the dominating voice that humanity hears—and question God’s goodness, doubt His word, and eat the forbidden fruit. Sin enters their hearts. They feel shame at our nakedness, fear that causes them to hide from God, and guilt that leads them to blame others for their own faults.

But God, in His goodness, seeks them in their hiding. His questions expose their sin, but His mercy provides both a promise of future restoration, that an offspring of the woman would crush the head of the serpent (Genesis 3:15), and a picture of hope (Genesis 3:21).

The rest of the biblical story tracks God’s goodness against the backdrop of humanity’s rebellion. The refrain “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!” (Psalm 136:1) can be applied to each era of the Bible. God’s goodness is experienced:

in the Patriarch Era, when He chooses a man from an idolatrous family to found a nation.in the Exodus Era, as He liberates His people from slavery and cares for them in the wilderness despite their frequent rebellion.in the Conquest Era, as He gives His people the land promised to Abraham and his descendants.in the Judges Era, where He raises up a family from Judah through whom the redemption story continues.in the Kingdom Era, through a king after God’s own heart and through His glory settling on the Temple built by Solomon.in the Divided Kingdom Era, when His people are disciplined and called to repentance.in the Captivity and Return Eras, as His people are sustained during the seventy years of Babylonian captivity and then are prepared for the coming of the Messiah when they return home.in the Silent Era, as both His people and His written Word are preserved.

Finally, God’s goodness is on ultimate display in Christ Jesus, who bears guilty humanity’s penalty in His death on the cross and then bursts out of death’s tomb and ascends to heaven.

And today, God is not done revealing His goodness to us.

IT’S UTTERLY MIRACULOUS AND DAILY: The Holy Spirit speaks to each of our hearts, guiding us and nudging us into closer relationship with the triune God until that day when His goodness consumes everything and “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!” plays on gloriously for all eternity.

God longs for us to know Him and be in relationship with Him right now.

The Bible is not just a book of stories, it’s a guide to God’s goodness that surrounds us, a connection point to His grace and mercy, and an invitation to come closer and truly know Him.

When you’re in your “Knowing God” era — you’re in an era of eternal wonder, infinite meaningfulness, and endless awe.

This is an invitation to an era your soul longs to say yes to.

I can’t recommend a CHRONOLOGICAL Bible enough! An absolute MUST to really enter into more fully understanding the story of God and more intimately knowing Him.

Iva May is a founder of Chronological Bible Teaching. She also is the general editor for The One Year Chronological Study Bible, which takes you on a profound journey to experience God’s story as it unfolds in chronological order. It guides you through events with daily Scripture readings enhanced with study guides and reflection questions. Connect the dots of the Bible’s narrative, gaining a deeper understanding that empowers you to apply its teachings to your life.

This unique approach helps you construct a holistic view of the Bible, revealing how its diverse parts harmoniously work together. Discover your place in the grand narrative of God’s unfolding plan! So worth it!

She and her husband, Stan, along with their three kids, lived for several years in Zimbabwe, Africa, where they planted churches and discipled Christ-followers. She loves traveling and has visited over 30 countries.

{Our humble thank to Tyndale for their partnership in today’s devotional.}