It’s been a month since I’ve been able to write one of these, and my heart is full looking forward to gathering with my faith family this Sunday. The Scriptures we will read and the songs we will sing declare what the weary world — and our own weary hearts — need to hear: GOD is with us.
I know it’s not Christmas (and it’s hard to even think about it in the midst of a Mississippi summer), but I am reminded of what the prophet Isaiah said about Jesus’s coming — He would come and be the Light that would pierce the darkness:
“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light…. For to us a child is born, to us a Son is given….” (Isaiah 9:2,6)
Jesus is that Son, the promised Emmanuel (which means God with us). He isn’t distant or disinterested. No, Jesus is the God who stepped into our world, entered our pain, and walked among sinners. He bore the weight of our sin and carried our sorrows. But even more than being with us, Jesus is also for us.
“But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.”
That word advocate means someone who speaks on your behalf, who stands beside you when you have no defense of your own. One day, we’ll stand before the Holy God of the universe to answer for our works — for our sin. It’s hard to imagine the crushing weight of the volume of our sin or how we could ever bear it (Psalm 38:4, Romans 3:23). But before we can be under that crushing weight, our advocate steps up. When our Judge asks how we plead, our advocate speaks up, but He doesn’t just plead for us — He points to His own finished work on the cross (John 19:30, Hebrews 10:12-14) — to His blood that covers and blots out our sin (Isaiah 1:18, Colossians 2:13-14, Revelation 1:5). He doesn’t speak up to ask God to forgive or overlook; He says He’s already paid for our sin — paid in full (Romans 8:1, 33-34; 2 Corinthians 5:21).
Those who are saved know that Jesus is our righteousness. He is our covering. And He is our confidence before the Father. As we’ll read in Colossians 2:13-15 this Sunday, we’ll find that the very same God who is our advocate and defends us is the same God who died for us.
That’s why we can sing “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” — because we need Him and can know He’s returning just as He’s already come to us. We can sing “Great I Am” because Jesus is not merely the babe in the manger but God Almighty come to us. We can sing “Jesus Paid It All (O Praise the One)” because our sins, not in part but the whole, were nailed to the cross and the debt of our sin paid in full. And we can sing “Thank You Jesus for the Blood” because His blood wasn’t a mere payment for sin committed but the means by which we are brought near to God.
So, this Sunday come with hope. Come with need. Come with thanksgiving. And come ready to worship the One who is God with us, our Advocate, and our Savior. We will read from God’s Word together (1 Timothy 4:13) and lift our voices to proclaim the gospel to one another as we offer praise to God (Colossians 3:16). We will sit under the teaching of God’s Word as John points us to Jesus (John 20:31). We will have the opportunity for a few hours to get a brief glimpse into the glory that awaits when we find our faith becoming sight (1 Peter 1:8-9, 2 Corinthians 4:17-18) when we come at last to be with Jesus for eternity (Revelation 21:3-4).
2The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone. 3You have multiplied the nation; you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as they are glad when they divide the spoil. 4For the yoke of His burden, and the staff for His shoulder, the rod of His oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian. 5For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult and every garment rolled in blood will be burned as fuel for the fire. 6For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder, and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7Of the increase of His government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over His Kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.
13And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, 14by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This He set aside, nailing it to the cross. 15He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in Him.
Actually, excited is probably an understatement. I’m overjoyed, ecstatic, elated, exhilarated, thrilled, rejoicing, and grateful beyond words to be HOME after 18 days and 19 hours in the hospital and rehab. It has been so sweet to be with Candi and the kiddos and things that feel…normal. Now, I am looking forward to being with my faith family at Christ Community on Sunday.
I find myself a bit overwhelmed as I type this out because there is so much that I want to say. It was the same with praying about and picking the Scripture and music for Sunday; everything seemed right and good and appropriate. Thankfully, there’s just nothing better to sing about than Jesus’s finished work on the cross (Hebrews 10:12), His empty tomb (Luke 24:6-7), and His imminent return (Revelation 22:12, Acts 1:11) — about the living hope we have in Jesus (1 Peter 1:3)!
Concerning that living hope, there is a verse that has been on my heart and mind since I have been sick. It’s the verse I share with people who are going through trials to point them to Jesus, so as I preached to myself, it’s the verse I brought to mind to meditate on and remember. When I got to preach in the rehab unit last Sunday, it’s the verse that I shared with my fellow rehabbers to point them to Jesus. That verse is Nahum 1:7.
The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; He knows those who take refuge in Him.
“The LORD is good….” That’s who He is, not a mere adjective to describe His actions or tendencies. He cares for His people (1 Peter 5:7). He blesses those who trust in Him (Jeremiah 17:7). He has steadfast love toward His people (Psalm 103:11, Lamentations 3:22-23) and does good to them (Romans 8:28).
“The LORD [is] a stronghold in the day of trouble….” He is a fortress (Psalm 18:2). He is the protector of His people (Psalm 91:1-2). A fortress is a walled structure designed to protect. The specific type the original language references here is a like a mountain stronghold — not walls built out of bricks or blocks by men but the natural relentless strength God built into the mountains when He created them.
In the day of trouble, we can turn to the Lord and know that He’s got us and we are safe (Psalm 46:1). But here’s how strong our God is: He’s strong enough and big enough to keep us in the palm of His hand (John 10:28-29). And even though He’s so strong that no one could ever pluck us from the palm of His hands, He’s gentle and caring enough that by those same mighty hands, He will lift us up because He cares for us (1 Peter 5:6-7, Isaiah 40:11).
“The LORD…knows those who take refuge in Him.” Now, this is beautiful. If you were to be somewhere in Europe or somewhere where the remains (and sometimes ruins) of castles and fortresses exist, those fortresses would not know if you ran into them for refuge. They aren’t alive. And, as I said, some of them are ruins, meaning their ability to provide fortitude has an expiration date. The Lord is different. Those who put their faith and trust in Him are known by Him (2 Timothy 2:19, John 10:14). This is more than knowing about us or knowing who we are; this is intimate knowledge (Psalm 139:1-4). This is deep knowledge of who a person is. Our God is so good that He not only provides refuge but that the refuge provided in our times of deepest trouble comes with Him knowing who we are and comforting us by His very presence and salvation (Psalm 46:1, Psalm 34:18, Zephaniah 3:17, Isaiah 12:2).
This verse hit hard when we had church in the rehab last Sunday. Some were afraid that they’d never regain movement in their body because of a stroke. Some that their broken back might not heal fully or that another injury might mean paralysis. Others were there as caretakers and feeling inadequate about their ability to comfort their loved one while also feeling totally out of control and incapable to do anything to help. But it was good to know that there is a God who saves (Isaiah 45:21, Titus 3:4-6). There is a God who loved them enough to send His Son to die on their behalf (John 3:16, Romans 5:8) and raise from the dead to offer them new life in Him (Romans 6:4-5, 2 Corinthians 5:17).
It was good news to know that if God can save our souls, healing our bodies is small potatoes (Psalm 103:1-5).
It was good news to know that God never leaves us or forsakes us (Deuteronomy 31:6, Hebrews 13:5) even when we find ourselves more alone than ever before in our lives — that we can take refuge in Him right where we are and know that He knows us, our needs, and how to give us the strength and grace we need (Matthew 6:8, 2 Corinthians 12:9, Isaiah 40:29-31).
And it’s good news for all of us as well. If you have put your trust in God — confessed Jesus as Lord and believed God raised Him from the dead and are saved (Romans 10:9-10), He knows you and cares for you, too (John 10:14, 1 Peter 5:7).
I know I’ve said it at least a dozen times, but y’all, that’s good news! And it’s that good news — the good news of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ that we’re singing, reading, and preaching about Sunday.
So if you’re weary, hurting, searching, or could just use some good news — come. Not just to attend a church service, but to come to Jesus. He is the refuge we come to and the risen King who is our living hope. We’ll gather to worship Him, read and sing of His cross and resurrection, and have John remind us from God’s Word the good news — the gospel — of Jesus.
13 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. 15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
5:1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
Christ Has Come – Week 3Episode Title: The Promised King & His Gift of JoyLuke 1:39–56In this Advent episode of Christ Has Come, Keith Harris turns to Luke 1 and invites us to slow down and listen to the joy that begins stirring before Bethlehem. Long before angels sing to shepherds, joy breaks the silence in the hill country of Judea—through a Spirit-filled confession, a leaping child, and the worshipful song of a young woman who trusts the promises of God.Together, we explore:What biblical joy is—and what it isn’t, distinguishing it from fleeting happiness or emotional highs.How joy appears before the word is even spoken, as John the Baptist leaps for joy in Elizabeth’s womb at the presence of the unborn Messiah.Why Mary’s joy is rooted not in circumstances but in God’s mercy, as she magnifies the Lord and rejoices in God her Savior.The meaning and message of the Magnificat, a Scripture-saturated song that celebrates God’s great reversal—lifting the lowly, filling the hungry, and humbling the proud.How Mary’s joy points beyond herself to Jesus, the promised King who fulfills God’s covenant promises and secures lasting joy through His saving work.This episode reminds us that joy is not something we manufacture—it’s something we receive, and it grows wherever Jesus is trusted. Advent teaches us that true joy is found not in having life figured out, but in the presence of Christ and the mercy He brings.If you would like to see a written version of this study, complete with footnotes and cross-references, you can find it here.
I’m home from the hospital after several weeks (18 days and 19 hours) and so glad and thankful!
Being with Candice, Keri, and Xander again has been absolutely wonderful. It’s not just about being back at our house; it’s about being with them. They are my home. Sharing meals, watching movies, hearing them laugh—just being with them—reminds me of what I’m working toward in recovery. I don’t want them to have to be my babysitters and caretakers; I’m ready to get back to being husband, daddy, son, brother, Uncle Keith – full and whole.
And this past Sunday, I got to be back with my Christ Community family. What a gift. I was overwhelmed—in the best way possible. There were tears, but they were tears of joy. So many encouraged me with their words, their hugs, and especially their voices. When I was too overcome to sing during “Nothing Without You,” I heard my sisters Nikki and Shonna lifting their voices and carrying the song—and carrying me with it. And when our church gathered around to pray for me and others longing for healing, James 5:13–15 came to life. John anointed me with oil, the church prayed, and I was deeply moved by the tangible presence of God’s people doing what His Word calls us to do.
If you haven’t already, I’d encourage you to look back at the two previous writings I shared from the hospital. They were part of my processing in real time, and I hope they encourage you:
Now that I’m home and healing (and awaiting more doctor appointments), I want to walk through the passage that held me through the hardest nights. Romans 5:1–5 has been like an anchor for me. These verses walk us through what it means to have peace with God, to stand in grace, and to find real, lasting hope—even when life hurts. This passage has met me where I’ve been—sometimes flat on my back, sometimes inching forward with shaky steps, but always needing the kind of hope that doesn’t put us to shame. It’s not theoretical to me anymore—it’s lived truth. And I want to walk through it with you, verse by verse, to see again what I’ve been reminded of: that Jesus is our peace, Jesus gives us access to grace, Jesus brings joy even in our suffering, and Jesus is our unshakable hope.
Jesus is Our Peace (v. 1)
Verse 1 starts with the word “Therefore”, signaling that this is building on what came before in Romans 3-4. Paul had previously shown that no one is justified — made right with God — by good works or keeping the Law but only by faith in Jesus (Romans 3:28, 4:5). Romans 5:1 shows the result of being justified and saved by grace through faith in Jesus: peace with God.
This isn’t merely some inner calm or warm fuzzy feeling. It’s not circumstantial peace. This is peace that “surpasses all understanding” (Philippians 4:7) — a settled reality that, for those who are saved, the war we waged against God in our sin is over. We once lived as enemies of God (Romans 5:10), alienated and hostile in mind (Colossians 1:21). But now, through Christ, the conflict is resolved in Him. There is no more wrath for those who are in Christ (Romans 5:9). The gavel has fallen. The verdict is in. And the Judge is also the Savior who made peace by the blood of His cross (Colossians 1:20).
The peace we see here in v. 1 is peace through our Lord Jesus Christ. It doesn’t come through human effort, morality, or religion. It is through a Person — Jesus — who took our punishment upon Himself (Isaiah 53:5), died in our place (Romans 4:25), and rose again to give us life and right standing before God (Romans 4:24-25).
Coming home from the hospital reminded me how vital this peace truly is. While my body is still healing and I’m learning new limits and routines, I have peace that’s not dependent on my strength or stability—peace that holds even when I feel weak or uncertain. When you’re going through trials, peace with God means everything. This peace has sustained me through days I couldn’t lift my arms or stand without help, through nights of tears and questions. But it never left. It never failed. No, He never left or failed. This is not pointing to my circumstances but a reality that extends to all of the trials of this life. This peace with God means your soul is safe no matter the circumstances affecting your body or earthly life. Jesus has made a way for us to come to the Father, not out of fear, but as beloved children (John 14:6, Romans 8:15). We get the peace that a child feels when they, terrified in the middle of the night, run and are embraced in the arms of their parents. Knowing Jesus has made a way for us to run to the Father is about the truest idea of peace there is.
Jesus Gives Us Access to Grace (v. 2a)
Paul builds on the peace we now have with God by saying that through Jesus, we have access to grace — and not just a momentary taste, but a continual standing in it. This is the grace of God that justifies us (Romans 3:24), the grace of God that saves (Ephesians 2:8), and the grace of God that sustains us (2 Corinthians 12:10).
It’s grace, so it’s not something we’ve earned, and it’s not something we could ever keep on our own. This grace is a place we stand because Jesus holds us there.
That word “access” in v. 2 is rich in meaning. It describes being brought into the presence of royalty by someone with the right to do so. That’s what Jesus has done for us. He doesn’t just bring us peace with God — He brings us into the throne room of grace (Hebrews 4:16). And because of Him, we don’t stand in fear or shame but in favor, the favor Jesus earned and deserves, welcomed and secure in relationship with God (Romans 5:1-2, Ephesians 1:6, Hebrews 4:16).
I think about this truth often now that I’m home and trying to rebuild strength. There were weeks I couldn’t physically stand—I had to be lifted, guided, even fed. Yet even then, I never stopped standing in grace. Not once. Not when I was flat on my back, not when I was wheeled down hallways to therapy, not when I cried out to God in pain and weakness. His grace held me. His grace still holds me.
This is where the theology meets real life—especially when you’re walking through suffering. Grace is not a place we earn; it’s what we receive because of Jesus – because of what He earned. My standing in grace isn’t special or unique to me; everyone who has been saved by Jesus is still standing in His grace (2 Corinthians 12:9-10, 1 Peter 5:10, Romans 8:18). This is part of the beauty of being in Christ. If you are in Christ, your position with God is not fragile. It’s not based on your performance or dependent on your condition. Jesus has secured it and sustains it by His grace (John 10:28-29, Philippians 1:6, Romans 8:38-39).
Jesus Brings Joy Even in Our Suffering (vv. 2b-4)
This section of Romans 5:1-5 is where people get caught up because Paul says something pretty shocking: not only do we rejoice in our hope — we rejoice in our sufferings.
Yup, read that again. We are supposed to rejoice in our hope. But we are also supposed to rejoice in our sufferings.
If you think that sounds strange, and can even be offensive if taken out of the context of Romans 5 (which is something we need to be especially careful with here). Paul denying the reality of pain. Paul knew pain deeply. He knew beatings, imprisonment, sickness, shipwrecks, rejection, and weakness (2 Corinthians 11:24–28). What the Spirit through Paul is doing here is showing us that, in Christ, even our pain has a purpose. We rejoice in our sufferings not because it feels good but because we know what God can and is doing through it.
Let’s break it down.
First, we rejoice in the “hope of the glory of God”. This is the secure promise that one day we will see Jesus face-to-face and be fully transformed into His likeness (1 John 3:2, Colossians 3:4). That’s not a vague wish — it’s a guaranteed future secured by the finished work of Jesus. It gives us eternal perspective and lifts our heads to look forward beyond our present troubles (2 Corinthians 4:17-18, Romans 8:18).
Paul goes further. He says we can also rejoice now, in the middle of our trials. Why? Because suffering shapes us:
“suffering produces endurance” — the Spirit works in us to give the strength to persevere, holding us when things are hard
“endurance produces character” — a tested, refined faith that isn’t superficial but rooted in Christ and who He is making us to be
“character produces hope” — again, a hope not based on circumstances or fickle, earthly, hypothetical hope but built on who Jesus is, what He’s done, and all He’s promised
Over the last few weeks in the hospital, I’ve seen this unfold in ways I couldn’t have expected. Lying in a hospital bed with no ability to move, no answers, and nothing but time and pain forced me to lean into Jesus like never before. I found that suffering is a classroom—not one I signed up for, but one in which the Spirit was a very present teacher. He reminded me that I wasn’t alone (Psalm 139:7–10, Isaiah 41:10, Matthew 28:20), that He had not abandoned me, and that He was working something in me I could never have built on my own (Romans 8:28, James 1:2–4). He’s shown me how He gives strength when I am beyond weak (2 Corinthians 12:9-10, Isaiah 40:29-31), producing something in me I couldn’t manufacture on my own (Romans 5:3-5).
Only a fool would revel in the difficulties or try to enjoy the pain and suffering. No, this is rejoicing in the loving hands of God that lift us up out of the mire and difficulty (Psalm 40:1-3, 1 Peter 5:6-7) and hold us safe and secure in Him (John 10:28-29, Romans 8:38-39). It is rejoicing in knowing that we can look to the horizon and see the beauty of eternity with Jesus (Revelation 21:3-4), knowing that every speedbump and tribulation is something that can draw us closer to Jesus and make us more like Him (2 Corinthians 4:16-18; Romans 8:17-18, 29). Let me be clear: this isn’t the result of grit—it’s the fruit of grace. Joy in suffering is not natural, but it is supernatural. It’s a gift from God to His people who are held fast by Jesus.
Jesus is Our Unshakable Hope (v. 5)
After walking us through the path of suffering, endurance, and character, Paul arrives at the bold and beautiful conclusion of that paragraph: hope does not put us to shame.
In a world of letdowns, empty promises, and fragile dreams, that’s a stunning calm. But Paul isn’t talking about generic, hypothetical optimism. He’s talking about Jesus — and He’s unshakable.
Why doesn’t this hope disappoint? Because it’s grounded in the love of God, not in the shifting sand of circumstances. Paul says that God’s love has been poured into our hearts. That verb there translated “poured” isn’t a trickle — it’s a flood. Through the Holy Spirit, given to every believer, God pours out His love — not just toward us, but into us. The very presence of God’s Spirit is assurance that we belong to Him (Ephesians 1:13-14), and that His love for us is not distant but deeply personal and present. His Spirit is inside those He saves – not some concept or ethereal force but a Person, God within us.
In Jesus, you’re not holding onto hope, white knuckling it and hoping everything might work out okay. In Christ, hope is holding onto you (Hebrews 6:19-20), secured by the Spirit (Ephesians 1:13-14) and sealed in the love of God (Romans 8:38-39). When your strength fails, He doesn’t (Isaiah 40:28-31). When your feelings falter, His love doesn’t (Lamentations 3:22-23, 2 Timothy 2:13). Even when you don’t feel hopeful, you can trust that the Spirit is at work in you, reminding you who you are and Whose you are (Romans 8:16, Galatians 4:6).
I’ve needed that reminder every day this month. There were moments when I wondered what the future held.
I was reminded of David Miller who suffered from muscular atrophy from his teenage years and lost the use of every muscle in his body until he was bound in a wheelchair. I think of his testimony about the aftermath of his son being paralyzed in a wreck. He told me that he sat by his son’s hospital bed — in his own wheelchair, a wheelchair identical to the one his son would have to use — and sang the hymns of the faith, quoted Scripture over his son (as he couldn’t hold a Bible), and thanked God for giving him decades to live in a wheelchair like that so that he could help his son.
A month in the hospital can’t compare to lives like theirs. Yet God showed me that, if He could handle their trials and give them endurance, character, and hope, He can handle any and every trial that His children will go through. God’s goodness, protection, and care aren’t limited to Spurgeon or Miller, though; think of all the people He carried through trials in the Bible.
Job was carried through Satan attacking his family, health, and sanity (Job 1–2).
Joseph was carried through betrayal, slavery, and prison to save his family and many others (Genesis 37, 39–50).
Moses was carried through forty years in the wilderness with a complaining people (Exodus 3–Numbers 20).
Hannah was carried through years of barrenness and deep grief (1 Samuel 1–2).
David was carried through hiding in caves and fleeing for his life before becoming king (1 Samuel 18–31).
Elijah was carried through exhaustion, fear, and depression under a broom tree (1 Kings 19).
Jeremiah was carried through persecution and tears while faithfully proclaiming God’s Word (Jeremiah 20, Lamentations 3).
Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah (a.k.a. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego) were carried through the fiery furnace and came out without even smelling like smoke (Daniel 3).
Daniel was carried through the lion’s den with unshakable faith, not receiving so much as a nibble from hungry lions (Daniel 6).
Mary was carried through scandal, fear, and wonder as she bore the Son of God (Luke 1–2).
Peter was carried through the shame of denying his Savior and restored by Jesus Himself (Luke 22:54–62, John 21:15–19).
Paul was carried through imprisonments, beatings, and shipwrecks for the sake of the gospel (2 Corinthians 11:24–28, Acts 27).
Our God is not just the God of our mountaintop faith—He’s the God who meets us in the valley, walks with us through the fire, and floods our hearts with His love even when we feel empty. Doubts creep in. Trials come and go and sometimes never go away on earth, but God keeps pouring out His love. He does it because He is good and He is God and He is faithful. His hope doesn’t put us to shame.
Wrapping Up
Romans 5:1-5 isn’t a feel-better-formula or some kind of positive thinking strategy — it’s a gospel-soaked promise from the living God. It is real peace, real grace, real joy, real hope—and every bit of it comes through Jesus.
If you’re reading this and you’ve never trusted in Jesus for salvation—if you don’t know what it’s like to have peace with God or hope that holds firm even when life falls apart—hear this clearly: you don’t have to stay where you are. Jesus invites you to come to Him. His Word says, “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9).
This isn’t about fixing yourself or cleaning yourself up first — it’s about trusting the One who already paid the price to redeem you. The Bible promises that “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:13). That invitation is for you.
Come to Jesus. Lay down your burdens. Trust in His finished work on the cross. Let Him pour His love into your heart by His Spirit and anchor your life in a hope that never puts you to shame.
And if you already belong to Jesus, but you find yourself weary or hurting, don’t forget what the Holy Spirit has taught you in Romans 5.
You have peace with God — He’s not against you.
You stand in grace — you are held and sustained by him.
Your suffering is not pointless — He is producing endurance, character, and a hope that is alive because He is alive.
You may feel weak (or very well be weak), but the Spirit of God lives in you.
Your circumstances may shift, but Jesus never will.
So, hold on, and more than that — let hope, let Jesus hold you. You are seen. You are loved. And in Christ, you are not alone and never forsaken (Hebrews 13:5, Romans 8:38–39).
Thank you for reading. While I hope my story and testimony will help others who are struggling or going through trials, I know that the Word of God offers better and lasting hope — for “faith comes from hearing and hearing from the Word of Christ” (Romans 10:17). If you are struggling or going through trying times, look at the many, many cross-references; click on them and let God’s Word encourage and comfort you. And may you encounter the God of the Bible, our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, in your time of need.
23 During those many days the king of Egypt died, and the people of Israel groaned because of their slavery and cried out for help. Their cry for rescue from slavery came up to God. 24 And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. 25 God saw the people of Israel—and God knew.
This is the passage we closed with in the adult Bible study at Christ Community last Sunday, and the beauty of it has captivated me. For context and to understand the magnitude of these verses, we’ve got to get the lay of the land in Exodus 1-2.
Genesis ends with all of Israel’s family (the person Israel, aka Jacob) in Egypt after God providentially took the evil done to Joseph by his brothers and put him in a position to “preserve life” (Genesis 45:5, cf. Genesis 50:20). God used Joseph and gave him the ability to interpret dreams, which let Egypt enjoy plenty when the world around them faced famine (Genesis 47:13-26). Joseph was second only to Pharaoh, and God preserved Israel (the Hebrews/people group), moving them to the land of Goshen in Egypt (Genesis 47:27).
Now, fast forward many generations there in Egypt and “there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph” (Exodus 1:8). This king found himself surrounded by God’s people who He had providentially made to be “fruitful” and “increased greatly”, growing “exceedingly strong, so that the land was filled with them” (Exodus 1:7, cf. Genesis 1:28). This king was worried about the position this great people group could put him in and was afraid of losing his power, so he decided to “set taskmasters over them to afflict them with heavy burdens” (Exodus 1:11). He made God’s people His slaves, but “the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and the more they spread abroad” (Exodus 1:12). Even in the midst of turmoil and trial, God was keeping His promise to Abraham that He would make his offspring number like the stars of the heavens (Genesis 15:5) and the sand on the seashore (Genesis 22:17), and bless all the nations of the earth through his offspring (Genesis 18:18, 22:18, cf. Galatians 3:8). In the midst of terrible oppression, He who promised was faithful (Hebrews 10:23, cf. Lamentations 3:22-23).
The trouble in Egypt rose to from oppression to murder and semi-genocide as Pharaoh commanded that baby Hebrew boys be cast into the Nile (Exodus 1:22). The bulk of Exodus 2 is God providentially saving Moses from death in the Nile, using that same river to float him to a life where he would be adopted by Pharaoh’s daughter (Exodus 2:1-10).
It’s an understatement to say that the Israelites were experiencing terrible things. Atrocities. Evil. Wickedness.
Sometimes, we find ourselves in times of trials and troubles when it seems like no relief is coming and that no one sees or notices. We can easily feel isolated and alone. These are the times when people begin to ask the question whether or not God cares or even knows — asking, why won’t He do something?(Psalm 10:1, Habakkuk 1:2-3)
This was surely how Israel felt by the end of Exodus 2. They “groaned because of their slavery and cried out for help” (Exodus 2:23). Just as the load of their taskmasters burdened them, they were burdened with grief and despair. Where was the God who brought them from a land of famine to the land of plenty? Why bring them there if only to leave them and forsake them? But God never leaves nor forsakes His people (Joshua 1:5, Hebrews 13:5, 2 Corinthians 4:9, Deuteronomy 31:6).
Look at what God had for Israel (and has for us) in Exodus 2:23-25.
“Their cry for rescue from slavery came up to God.” (v. 23b)
This wasn’t a formal prayer or some polished religious petition. It was a groan (v. 24) — a raw cry made out of desperation. Yet it came up to God. That is grace (Romans 8:26-27).
Their pain wasn’t lost in transmission or ignored by God. He’s not aloof or distant when His people suffer (Psalm 139:1-2, Exodus 3:7). Look at how David puts it in Psalm 34:17-18:
“When the righteous cry for help, the LORD hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.”
The cries of God’s people — His children — always find His ear, even when our words run out and all we have left is a groan (Romans 8:26). We need to know that our cries don’t disappear into silence — they rise to God (1 Peter 3:12, Isaiah 65:24, Psalm 55:17).
“And God heard their groaning….” (v. 24a)
Let me say it again: God hears. He heard them, and He can hear you.
When the Israelites groaned under the weight of slavery, it didn’t go unnoticed. Their pain was not wasted. God isn’t like Pharaoh who heard and ignored. He is a Father who bends low to listen (Psalm 116:1-2, Isaiah 64:4). This should encourage us in prayer because God is never too busy, too disinterested, or too far away (Psalm 145:18, Jeremiah 33:3). He hears the whisper of the wounded and the shout of the desperate (Psalm 10:17).
“…and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.” (v. 24b)
When it says “remembered” here, it does not mean that God is recalling something He had momentarily forgotten or lost track of. It means God was about to act (Exodus 6:5-6).
To “remember” in the biblical sense here is covenant language. It means God is faithful to what He has promised (Hebrews 10:23). Even after generations of silence, God had not abandoned His people or His Word. He made a covenant to bless them and bring them to the land He had promised (Genesis 15:18-21, Exodus 3:6-8), and He was preparing to fulfill it.
When we feel forgotten, we can rest in this:
“God is not man, that He should lie, or a son of man, that He should change His mind. Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not fulfill it?” (Numbers 23:19)
God made promises to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. He remembers. He fulfills His promises (Psalm 105:8-10, Luke 1:72-73). Sometimes, we can almost be afraid to hope (maybe I’m speaking from where I am now), but God’s memory is perfect and His promises are sure.
“God saw the people of Israel — and God knew.” (v. 25)
These are some of the most tender words of all. God saw. He didn’t just hear — He saw their suffering, saw them (Genesis 16:13, Psalm 33:13-15). And God knew. He knew their pain, their burdens, their brokenness. This is the kind of knowing that moves the heart of God toward His people. It’s intimate. It’s personal. It’s the same kind of knowing we see in Jesus, who looked at the crowds and had compassion on them (Matthew 9:36, Mark 6:34).
You are not invisible to God. Wait, I need to say that to myself: I am not invisible to God. He sees. He knows. And because of Jesus — our Savior who bore our griefs and carried our sorrows (Isaiah 53:4) — we can be sure that He enters into our suffering with us (Hebrews 4:15).
Exodus 2:23-25 shows us something precious about the heart of God. The Israelites were enslaved, burdened, and groaning under cruel oppression, yet God was not distant. He heard them. He remembered His covenant with them. He saw them. And He knew them.
The ultimate fulfillment of that covenant — the promise to bless all nations through Abraham’s offspring — was Jesus (Galatians 3:16, Genesis 22:18)! He is the same God — the covenant-keeping God who never changes (Hebrews 13:8, Malachi 3:6) — who still hears, still sees, and still knows today.
These past three weeks have been some of the hardest in my life. Pain, immobility, weakness, and unknowns have left me stripped of my independence and strength. I have needed help to do the most basic of things. But what I’ve learned — or perhaps what I’ve been lovingly reminded — is that though I have limits, God does not. Though I am weak, He is strong (2 Corinthians 12:9-10). Though I have groaned, He has heard. Though I have wrestled in the dark, He has seen. And when I’ve felt confused, broken, lost, or even forgotten by doctors and insurance companies these last three days, He has known — not just facts about my situation, but He knows me because I am His (Nahum 1:7, John 10:14).
This is not unique to me. That’s who God is. He invites the weary and the burdened to come — to to a system or religion but to Him:
[Jesus said] “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)
God isn’t merely aware of your pain — He cares (1 Peter 5:6-7, Psalm 55:22). He is not powerless to act — He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to take on your greatest burden: sin and death. On the cross, Jesus bore our sins and carried our sorrows (Isaiah 53:4). He died to pay for our sins, and He rose again to offer us life — real, eternal, abundant life (John 10:10, Romans 6:4). If God could hear the groans of Israel in Egypt and set in motion their deliverance through Moses, how much more should we see His heart in the Deliverer He sent us — Jesus.
So, what do you do when you find yourself groaning, crying out, and feeling forgotten?
You call upon the name of the Lord:
“For everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved.” (Romans 10:13)
Salvation isn’t about cleaning yourself up or fixing your own problems. It’s about trusting the One who can save despite your need of cleansing and sin. The Bible says:
“If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believer in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)
This isn’t salvation from a mere problem or seeking to be lifted out of a trial. This is taking us and bringing us from dead in sin to alive in Christ (Ephesians 2:1-5). This is taking us from lost to found (Luke 15:24). This is taking us from the darkness and bringing us into His light (1 Peter 2:9, Colossians 1:13-14). If God can do that, what is a little trial or sickness or tribulation (2 Corinthians 4:17-18)?
So, if you’re weary — if you’re burdened — if you’re groaning under the weight of suffering — come to Jesus. He sees, hears, knows, and saves.
And for those who are already in Christ, let this be a fresh reminder: our God is not absent in affliction. He is near to the brokenhearted (Psalm 34:18). His Spirit intercedes with groanings too deep for words (Romans 8:26). He will never leave you nor forsake you (Hebrews 13:5). And one day, He will wipe every tear from your eyes and swallow up death, pain, and sorrow forever (Revelation 21:4, Isaiah 25:8).
As I write this, I am on my seventh day of my current hospital stay. This hospitalization — or even the illness really — is not the subject of my reflections but merely a backdrop. However, I will give enough details for clarity and hopefully none for complaint.
Many of you most likely do not know that I am in the hospital, and that is because I don’t care for that sort of attention. Outside of the Christ Community prayer group and a few personal messages, I have not shared much. Ultimately, this is pride — not trying to hide things necessarily, but some difficulties are hard to share even when you should (2 Corinthians 12:9). So I’m sharing now.
Two weeks ago (May 29), I woke up with what I thought to be gout flare ups in both feet. This was odd as gout typically manifests in just one, isolated joint. I already knew that I am an atypical sort of guy, so I just was going to roll with the weird. Within an hour, both feet were fully swollen up to the ankle. By lunch, my left wrist and the little finger joint on the right hand had joined in with swelling and pain.
The next morning (May 30) I awoke to walking being nearly impossible because of excruciating pain in both feet. I needed assistance eating because the pain in both hands was nearly as bad. I still managed to walk to the bathroom a few times. Little did I know I would only walk one more time the following day.
The next Monday (June 2), Candice took me to an orthopedic doctor in Oxford. They performed x-rays and examinations that revealed my feet were “full of arthritis”, meaning there was no space in my foot not taken up by inflammation which explained why walking or even standing, and the doctor scheduled a wide array of labs to be run and started me on a steroid pack. The following day (June 3), Kevin took me to Oxford to get the labs run. And the wait began.
Long story short, steroids brought little relief and the lab results were largely inconclusive except to say that wide spread inflammation was occurring in my body. By the end of the week (June 6), the total joints inflamed and in pain expanded to both knees, the right hip, and eventually both shoulders. We went to the hospital that night and ended up staying (and are still here).
Ultimately, there is no official diagnosis, but what is known is:
There was gout involved.
Even though there initially was thought to be some sort of infection, none was found.
My body had an autoimmune response and was fighting against itself causing the wide spread inflammation to all the joints.
God is still seated on His throne, still loves me, still cares for me, can heal me if He so chooses, and — for whatever reason — has me where I need to be even if it’s not where I want to be (Romans 8:28, 2 Corinthians 4:16-17).
The reason I am writing this is because in the midst of the worst two weeks of my life, I have consistently seen and experienced the goodness of God on display (Psalm 27:13) and want to share that. So, with no further ado, let me share with you about the goodness of God.
Reflection #1 — An Excellent Wife I Have Found
10 An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels. 11 The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain. 12 She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life.
Proverbs 31:10-12
So far (and for the rest of this), Candice is typing instead of me. I have gained about 95% usage of my left arm and hand back and only about 75% of my right arm and hand (which also has an IV in a less-than-helpful position). This is the first collaboration of this sort Candice and I have ever done, and judging by how much she hates that she’s having to type out a reflection thanking God for her and bragging on her, this may be our last.
Over the last two weeks, Candice has tirelessly (despite exhaustion and being as overwhelmed and scared as I have been) cared for me night and day. She has advocated for me with doctors (even ferociously at times), fed me, bathed me, and loved me through this time. While I was humiliated for being so unable to do for myself, her love humbled me and reminded me that wedding vows spoken by young adults prove out by the deeper-than-romance love that God can foster between a husband and a wife.
This has not been easy for her. She didn’t expect it to be. The love that she has shown me, even as she types this now through her own tears, has preached the gospel of Jesus’s love for His Church more eloquently and effectively than my words ever could (Ephesians 5:32). Her selfless actions and unrelenting care were more than “word or talk”, showing her love “in deed and in truth” (1 John 3:18).
I could not, should I live a thousand years, hope to ever repay or match her show of love and care (although I can’t wait to get to go home and try). She’s more precious than treasure (Proverbs 31:10), has all of my trust, is my favorite person and the love of my life, and has shown real-life love more than I could have ever dreamed of 22 years ago.
Reflection #2 — God Exulted Over Me With Loud Singing
The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty One who will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you by His love; He will exult over you with loud singing.
Zephaniah 3:17
We were supposed to be on a mission trip with our Christ Community youth group in New Mexico right now, but obviously we are not.
I am immensely thankful that God allows me to be one of the pastors at Christ Community, and getting to serve and disciple our kiddos is one of the greatest joys of my life. Needless to say, a large portion of my heart has been in New Mexico while my body has been confined to this hospital bed.
Sara Goldwater worked it out with Candice that they would FaceTime us so that we could participate in some of their nightly worship times. I knew we needed that, but at the time I was so mentally, physically, and emotionally overwhelmed I almost said no. Thankfully, I didn’t because the kiddos and adult leaders who are so dear to my heart ministered to me more that night than I ever have to them.
The time they spent singing and songs they chose were so carefully, lovingly, and thoughtfully arranged that by the end I was ugly crying and raising the only hand I could in worship of God.
The first song they chose was “Battle Belongs“, reminding that God is our fortress, mighty to save, and has already won the only battle that eternally matters through the cross and His empty tomb (Colossians 2:14-15).
The second song was “Firm Foundation (He Won’t)“, reminding me that Jesus is my rock and firm foundation, who has never failed in all of history, will never fail in the time that remains, and will protect and keep me through the storms of this life (Matthew 7:24-25). It brought to mind a quote from Charles Spurgeon (who dealt with debilitating gout and health problems that often left him bedridden for longer than I have been):
I have learned to kiss the waves that throw me up against the Rock of Ages.
After a verse and chorus of “Because He Lives“, and being reminded that I know who holds the future, the mission team humbled me and loved me in a way that was nearly overwhelming. They passed the phone around and one-by-one spoke something meaningful, encouraging, personal, and loving. To say that I was wrecked is a vast understatement. I was reminded of Zephaniah’s words to Israel above about how, even in times of trials and exiles, God was still in their midst, still mighty to save, still rejoicing over them. But it’s the last part of Zephaniah 3:17 that was so poignant and clear to me that night as it describes God Himself quieting His people, those He loves, by exulting over them with loud singing. I experienced God singing over us by His mission team singing over me. That memory will stay with me from here on out.
Reflection #3 — Built Up and Burdens Borne
Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.
1 Thessalonians 5:11
Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
Galatians 6:2
We have experienced such a great outpouring of love, concern, care, and prayer from our family, faith family, and friends. Difficult times are often lonely times, but that has not been our experience. I could not begin to recount all of the text messages and phone calls. Family (both biological and church) have come to sit and visit to lift spirits. The days leading up to the hospital stay, Candice did not have to cook as well as care for me because God has people in our life who took care of that, even being so thoughtful as to find out some foods our kiddos would like and sending us to the hospital with our own vending machine stockpile so as to not go without at all.
Sometimes it is not until after tragedy or loss that people step up in this way. I have often wondered why we do not share more freely how we feel with people while they are still with us. However, I do not have to wonder anymore because God has used the kindness and care of our families and friends to show His goodness toward us.
Without hesitation, Katherine and my parents have taken care of Xander for the entirety of the hospital stay, keeping him busy and worry-free while Candice and I were living out the opposite. Candice’s dad wanted to show appreciation for our helping him through similar health difficulties that we may experience the way he felt when cared for. And as far as helping bear our burdens, Kevin got me in and out of the vehicle and wheelchair multiple times, and he and Daddy literally carried me out of the house the day I went to the hospital.
Keri was still able to go with our church on the mission trip, and we did not have to doubt for a second that she would be cared for, looked after, and loved like she was their own (because that’s how our faith family loves). We received many text messages at various times making sure that we knew she was being cared for looked after (while still letting her be the independent young woman she is). We are thankful for the spiritual aunts, uncles, and cousins who have adopted our kiddos and love them.
While tangible shows of care and physical presence are big, nothing has moved me more than the sheer volume of people praying for us. Too often, we treat prayer like the least we can do, but what more can you do than seek God Most High on behalf of someone? I felt like the man in Mark 2:1-12 whose friends carried him on the roof of where Jesus was, removed a section, and lowered their friend to where Jesus could help him. It’s humbling to know that so many were willing to approach the throne of grace and seek mercy from the King on my behalf (Hebrews 4:16). It is the most they could do, and they did it tirelessly.
When you are feeling alone in sickness and pain, it’s too easy to be isolated, but God in His goodness, as reminded us at every turn, that He is with us and has given us family, friends, and a faith family to remind us of that.
Reflection #4 — Lord From Sorrows Deep I Call
Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise Him, my salvation and my God.
Psalm 42:11
Sunday night/the wee hours of Monday morning was probably the longest of my life thus far. I have been avoiding pain medication as much as possible, but should have taken it sooner that night. The pain got to be too much, and coincided with a night requiring multiple lab draws with arms too swollen to find veins. I had just become overwhelmed.
In normal circumstances, I use the Dwell app (an audio Bible/Scripture meditation app) to take my mind off of difficulties or trials, but I could not work my phone or hold a Bible in my hands. My mind was so frantically distracted that I found it difficult to bring Scripture to mind. I laid in the dark, pleading with the Lord, praying for help or relief or whatever.
Now, if you know Candice, sleep has always been very precious to her. If you know hospitals at night, you know sleep is for well people at home. However, Candice stood over my bed for hours, playing various playlists of Scripture verses to help me fix my mind on things above, on Jesus, “not on things that are on earth” (Colossians 3:1-2). She played “psalms and hymns and spiritual songs” to help the “Word of Christ dwell in [me] richly” more than the pain that overwhelmed me physically (Colossians 3:16).
Dark times can cloud our vision. Sometimes hope is eclipsed by temporary trials. But for those who have been saved by grace through faith in our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, “suffering produces endurance”, “endurance produces character”, “character produces hope”, and “hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us” (Romans 5:3-5). My hope remains because it is not fickle, moveable, earthly hope; my hope is a person. My hope’s name is Jesus. And I can cast “all [my] anxieties on Him, because He cares for [me]” (1 Peter 5:7).
One of the clearest evidences of God’s goodness is that He has given us His Word — not only to reveal Himself, but to renew our minds, anchor our hearts, and strengthen us in every season of life. In His mercy, God does not leave us to be shaped by the world around us, but transforms us through the renewal of our minds so that we can discern His will and walk in it (Romans 12:2). His Word brings comfort and life in the midst of affliction, reviving our hearts when they are weary (Psalm 119:50). When our minds are fixed on Him through the promises of Scripture, He surrounds us with perfect peace (Isaiah 26:3). Rather than letting anxiety consume us, He invites us to bring everything to Him in prayer, and as we dwell on what is true and good, His peace guards our hearts and minds in Christ (Philippians 4:6-8). In trials, His Word gives strength and courage, equipping us for every step of obedience (Joshua 1:8-9). Because Scripture is breathed out by God, it thoroughly equips us for every good work — not just in easy seasons, but especially when life is hard (2 Timothy 3:16-17). When we delight in His Word and meditate on it daily, we become like trees planted by water — stable, nourished, and fruitful no matter the conditions around us (Psalm 1:2-3). And as we not only hear His Word but live it out, we experience His blessing and see more clearly who He is (James 1:22-25). In spiritual battle, His Word is our sword (Ephesians 6:17), and even Jesus, in the wilderness of temptation, showed us that we do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God (Matthew 4:4).
Every verse is a testimony to His kindness — He has not left us in the dark, but has spoken light and truth to sustain us.
That night, when my body had failed me and there was no strength to attempt to battle for myself, God sustained me with His Word. It was a refreshing reminder of His goodness, goodness I learned of from His Word and experience anew through His Word again and again. Here are some examples of both song and Scripture playlists:
I do not (we do not) write this seeking sympathy or trying to complain. I am thankful to have a God who does not leave me nor forsake me (Hebrews 13:5, Deuteronomy 31:6) but instead meets me in my darkness with His light (John 1:5, Psalm 18:28).
On the way to the hospital last Friday night, Kevin reminded me of Satan’s words to God when seeking to tear apart Job’s life to make him curse God (Job 1:8-12, 2:3-6). Now, I am far from Job, and I am not saying this is all some elaborate test of my faith. The consequences of the Fall on the world and within human bodies (death, decay, sickness, etc.) is enough. But if you think on Satan’s rationale for needing to hurt Job, his earthly logic seems sound:
9 Then Satan answered the Lord and said, “Does Job fear God for no reason? 10 Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. 11 But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face.”
Job 1:9-11
and,
3 And the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil? He still holds fast his integrity, although you incited me against him to destroy him without reason.” 4 Then Satan answered the Lord and said, “Skin for skin! All that a man has he will give for his life. 5 But stretch out your hand and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse you to your face.”
job 2:3-5
Kevin reminded me that Satan knew that by attacking Job’s health it could fundamentally affect how he lived and thought. So Satan was right — insomuch as the things of this earth being all that there are. His logic, at face value, was sound. However, what Satan discounted — what he always overlooks in his passion and sinful pride — is that the LORD is not of this world. The Creator of all that is, the King of kings and Lord of lords is not bound by the logic of a being He created because He Himself is Truth.
When He saves people, He fundamentally changes them from the inside out, making them new creations not religious converts (2 Corinthians 5:17). His change in those He saves is not a mere change of mind but truly a change from death to life, delivering them from “the domain of darkness” to the “kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:13-14).
I am not Job. But I have been saved by grace through faith in Jesus (Ephesians 2:8-9). My faith has wavered at times these last two weeks, I have forgotten who and whose I am, but praise God when all else is stripped away and I find myself at rock bottom, Jesus is the Rock (Psalm 18:2, 1 Corinthians 10:4).
I have to remind myself that God is no more or less good if He chooses to heal me immediately and/or completely or if whatever purpose He allows this to go on. He is good because that is who He is.
God is good all the time.
And all the time God is good.
As difficult as this period is (and seems to continue to be), I can rejoice that in the midst of sickness and pain I have seen the goodness of God and can see more clearly the sweetness and beauty of Jesus’s return when He will dwell with His people, wiping away their last tears with His nail-scarred hand as well as wiping away death, mourning, crying, and pain (Revelation 21:3-4). All of those things have an expiration date that is set and sure.
The goodness of God has no expiration date.
We are thankful to have the opportunity to share with you and would appreciate your prayers. If anything has helped you, lifted your spirits, or helped you see the goodness of God in Christ, then I’m glad to be where I am. And I am learning to be content that whatever season I find myself in I am not alone for He is with me.
Sunday’s coming, and I’m excited! Well, I’m weary and a bit worn, but there’s more to my excitement than what my body feels and how this world grates at my spirit.
Our #dailyPSALMchallenge has been going on since January, and the Psalm for Saturday, May 17 (Psalm 137) has been on my heart for a few weeks now. We looked at it this past Wednesday night with our CCC youth to help us understand Daniel 1. I believe this Psalm gives context to our worship gatherings, too. Bear with me as I flesh this out.
1 By the waters of Babylon, there we sat down and wept, when we remembered Zion. 2 On the willows there we hung up our lyres. 3 For there our captors required of us songs, and our tormentors, mirth, saying, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!”
4 How shall we sing the Lord’s song in a foreign land?
Psalm 137 begins with weeping. The people of God are in exile in Babylon, far from home, grieving all that they’ve lost. They sit by the rivers of Babylon, remembering home, and they hang up their instruments. Their captors mock them and ask for songs — Sing us some of those Zion songs! Sing to us of this great Yahweh! Sing!
But how can they?
That’s a question many of us find ourselves asking. How can we sing in this broken world? How can we sing when our hearts are heavy with grief, anxiety, pain, etc.? How do we lift our voices when we’re surrounded by sin and sorrow?
We sing because Jesus was “despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief” (Isaiah 53:3). He understands. He is acquainted with our feelings (Hebrews 4:15, Psalm 34:18).
He was the One on whom the Lord “has laid…the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:6). He took our sin and shame upon Himself (1 Peter 2:24). He knows the anguish that accompanies all of that, and He bore it all for us (Isaiah 53:4-5). We sing because Jesus humbled Himself and took on the death we deserved on the cross (Philippians 2:8, Romans 5:8, Galatians 3:13).
We sing because God “has highly exalted [Jesus] and bestowed on Him the name that is above every name” (Philippians 2:9). His name is now our hope (Acts 4:12), our refuge (Proverbs 18:10), and our anthem (Psalm 96:1-3).
We sing because Jesus lives! The grave could not hold Him (Acts 2:24). And “because He lives, we can face tomorrow”.
Here’s some good news for you: if Jesus can sustain our tomorrows, He most assuredly carries us today (Matthew 6:34, Deuteronomy 33:27).
Because Jesus lives, exile is not the end of the story. He has gone to prepare a place for us, and when our sojourning in this old world is over, He will come and bring us home to be with Him forever (John 14:2-3, 6).
Those exiled worship leaders by that river of Babylon were distressed (and just plain old stressed, too). They had hung up their instruments and laid them by, but they had hope that their Rock and Redeemer was not done with them.
I believe the way the Psalms were laid out for us gives us the answer to “How can we sing the LORD’s song in a foreign land?” Psalm 137 is followed by one of those songs of Zion in Psalm 138.
Psalm 138 is a response to the exile-weary, world-weary, pain-weary, weary-weary heart. It’s the sound of a soul remembering how to sing. Where Psalm 137 ends with heaviness, Psalm 138 begins with hope. Even in the presence of false gods, grief, or enemies — David sings. He sings because the LORD answers (v. 3), strengthens (v. 3), and preserves (v. 7). He sings because the steadfast love of the LORD “endures forever” (v. 8).
So how do we sing in this foreign land, so far from the shores of heaven?
How do we sing in the midst of pain and sorrow that seems to stretch out like a horizon?
3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
4 Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
We’re continuing in our study of Revelation called The KING is Coming. We took a break for our He Who Promised is Faithful readings during Holy Week but are glad to be back at it. Today, we will be diving into Jesus’s letter to the church at Smyrna. Once again, I am thankful for Jamie Harrison and the opportunity to do this study together.
8 “And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: ‘The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life. 9 “ ‘I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich) and the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 10 Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. 11 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.’[1]
Keith Harris: Greetings, Sojourners,
We are in the letter to the church in Smyrna, continuing our study of Revelation. Jamie, why don’t you remind us as you did in our last Bible study about the form of these letters – the five things that show up in each one.
Jamie Harrison: Yes, that is correct. Each letter is going to have a salutation. In this letter, “Write to the angel of the church of Smyrna” (Revelation 2:8)[2] – the angel being, of course, the pastor, the messenger, the person delivering them the Word. Then, you’re going to have where Jesus will say something about Himself – His attributes. Then, there will be something about their works, some praise and admonition. Except in this church – Smyrna is one of two churches that does not have an admonition (correction, something to fix). Then, you’re going to have a universal admonition which is to anyone who hears, who has ears to hear – to listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. Finally, each letter will contain a final promise.
Keith: Alright, talk to us about Smyrna. What does Jesus tell us about Himself here?
Jamie: He starts off by saying, “Thus says the First and the Last, the one who was dead and came to life” (Revelation 2:8). The letter to Ephesus referenced back to the description of Jesus in Revelation 1, and so does this one. In Revelation 1:17, Jesus says, “Don’t be afraid. I am the First and the Last…”; He continues to say, “I was dead, but look – I am alive forever and ever, and I hold the keys to death and Hades.” It’s really cool that Jesus keeps going back to what He’s already said – to almost repeat for emphasis.
Keith: He’s doing it on purpose.
Jamie: Correct. He’s is the First and the Last which, like I said in Revelation 1, is a claim that He is God. He was there in the beginning as we know. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1). So He was the First, and He will be the Last.
It’s also important to note that He points out again that He is the one who was dead and has now came to life because all of Christianity is a complete waste of time if He didn’t raise from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:14-17). There’s a lot of dead people, but He’s the only one….
Keith: What is it that John Goldwater says? “Dead saviors can’t save.”
Jamie: That’s correct. You know, I was talking to someone the other day and – I apologize if this bothers anybody, but you know where people are like, You know that my dead relative was looking down on me today, or I was talking to them and they clearly gave me an answer. I know this is going to bother some people, but if you’re expecting some dead relative to help you with something, you’re [in a pickle]. I’m sorry, but when you take your last breath, you’re done. So, it’s important that we make a decision for Jesus before that happens….
Keith: …because He was dead and came to life – not was brought to life. He just stopped being dead (Revelation 2:8, John 10:17-18). Like Jamie was saying on the part of our relatives, it may seem to have someone we care about look from what we would describe as an afterlife, but we have something better than that: we have the God of the universe who was there at the beginning, pre-existed the beginning (John 1:1-3, Colossians 1:17) – He’s going to be there at the end and continue eternally. He is the God who saves, the God who looks after (Zephaniah 3:17, Psalm 121:3-5). He’s Emmanuel – God with us (Matthew 1:23). We shouldn’t be satisfied with lesser things (Psalm 119:37). Jesus is clearly superior to everybody and everything (Hebrews 1:3-4, Philippians 2:9-11).
Jamie: That’s right.
After Jesus says this, He goes into telling them some things about themselves. He says, “I know your affliction and poverty, but you are rich. I know the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan” (Revelation 2:9). Let’s touch on that real quick. When He says, “I know your affliction and poverty.” History tells us that Smyrna was a very wealthy town – very well-to-do. Why would the Christians there experience “affliction and poverty”? It’s simple when you look at it.
In order to work, you had to join a guild, which is like what we would call a labor union, right? Each one of those guilds back during that time, would have been represented by some god or goddess. In order to join, you had to worship that god or goddess. So as a Christian….
Keith: …almost like your dues….
Jamie: As a Christian, I’m not going to worship this god or goddess because that’s a false god. I’m not going to be able to join a guild, which means I’m not going to work because I can’t get a job. It wasn’t laziness – they couldn’t get a job. A lot of Christians ended up begging for food and things like that, but it’s because they were willing to suffer that affliction to follow Christ.
So, we ask ourselves the question of if someone comes to you at work and asks you to do something immoral (or whatever the case may be), are you going to do it to keep your job or say “no” and that whatever happens happens? Are you going to compromise your relationship with Christ to advance at the workplace? Or are you going to put Him first? These Christians here at Smyrna put Him first.
Then He tells them that He knows the slander of “those who say they are Jews and aren’t but are a synagogue of Satan”. He tells [the believers there] that they are about to suffer – that the devil is going to throw some of them in prison to test them, and they’ll “experience affliction for ten days”; He tells them, “Be faithful to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life” (Revelation 2:10).
He kind of tells them exactly what’s about to happen. There’s this synagogue of “Jewish” people who are claiming to be Jews but in the biblical sense, they’re not.
Keith: Ethnically, they are, right? But just as Jesus told the Pharisees on more than one occasion – you’re talking about your father Abraham but you’re of your father the devil. The fruit of your life is showing what you are more than your ethnicity is.
Jamie: Mmmm…. This was happening. This synagogue was slandering them. They would be jailed normally about ten days. They experienced, obviously, persecution and things like that while in prison – sometimes to the point of death. But Jesus says, “Be faithful to the point of death and I will give you the crown of life.” So, what is the crown of life talking about? I think we probably know the answer to that, but let’s look at James 1:12. Again, we always want the Bible to speak for itself. James 1:12 says, “Blessed is the one who endures trials, because when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him.” So, it’s eternal life with Jesus.
You notice, you know, this book of Revelation a lot of times – when we look at it, we think it’s just a sign of what’s going to happen and all these different things and how bad things are going to be – and it is, but it’s not at the same time. The revelation is of Jesus Christ (Revelation 1:1). It’s about Jesus Christ. It’s to lead us to Jesus Christ (Revelation 1:17-18, 5:9-10). The whole central setting of Revelation is the throne room (Revelation 4:2-6). Everything centers around the throne room where God – the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit – is present with multitudes around them worshiping Him, praising Him (Revelation 4:8-11, 5:11-13). Right? As all of these things are going on.
There’s no admonition in this letter to Smyrna. There’s no this is what you’re doing wrong. They have it. They get it. They have a relationship with Jesus, and because of that relationship, they are putting off these other things and are following after Him. Because of that they’ll receive the crown of life.
Keith: I mean, just that idea in and of itself: be faithful unto death. If you’re living in an area of the world where following Jesus means certain death, you’re going to be in less need of an admonition because if you’re know that following Jesus means certain death here on earth, you’ve counted the cost like Jesus said in Luke 14:27-28.
The idea there that “be faithful unto death, and I’ll give you the crown of life”, He doesn’t say when you die in prison in ten days or when you die in the tribulation; it’s for all of life. If you’re like John, who’s on the island of Patmos in probably his 80s or 90s – that just because he didn’t get martyred, he’s no less faithful unto death. He’s faithful until the time that God calls him home. That crown of life isn’t just for martyrs; it’s for those who are saved for all of life.
Jamie: You know, you’re talking about people who are being persecuted even to the point of death today…. Was it Richard Wurmbrand in that book we read[3]? They put him in a room – in a closet, basically smaller than a closet, and all four walls were nails. There was just enough room for you to stand. If you moved at all, you were going into these nails. They had him in that room for days on end. No food. No water. Nothing like that. Eventually, they would open the door and he would just collapse to the ground. They would defecate and make him eat it – urinate in his mouth, things like that….
Keith: …beat his feet so much that he could never wear shoes again the rest of his life….
Jamie: Right. And not once did he waver. Not once did his relationship with Christ come into question. He continued to tell the guards about Jesus the whole time he was there. And eventually did get out. But what it did was it strengthened his faith. So, if there was any point, to all of these trials is that it strengthens our faith in God.
Keith: Speaking of, I had forgotten about this, but while you were talking…there was a guy named Polycarp. He was a pastor in Smyrna and a disciple of the apostle John. And at [Polycarp’s] martyrdom, when he’s about to be executed for Christianity, they gave him an opportunity to recant. We talked last week where Jesus gave the church at Ephesus to repent and remember the love they had at first – those who were going to execute Polycarp gave him an opportunity to repent and remember his love for the powers-that-be, His love for Jesus was more. He says,
“For eighty and six years I have been his servant, and he has done me no wrong. And how can I now blaspheme my king who saved me?”
They killed him for that, but Jesus’s own words here – and I don’t think that’s an accident – I mean, it’s more than ten days later, but I don’t think it’s an accident that Jesus told Smyrna this knowing full well that Polycarp and those in the immediate context living in the same situation as Polycarp – that they were faithful unto death.
Polycarp has a crown of life. John has a crown of life. And if we, in our churches today, are faithful unto death, then we’ll receive that crown of life. The proof’s in the pudding, so to speak.
Jamie: It is. That pudding’s pretty good stuff…..
Just to finish this out real quick…. I always say real quick, and it always takes forever. I take that back.
Keith: It takes the time it takes.
Jamie: Just to finish this out, we have Jesus with a universal admonition, which in a word, you know, is let anyone who has ears to hear, listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. What is the Spirit saying to us? He says, “To the one who conquers”. Remember 1 John 5:4-5 here. This is those who are saved, those who have a relationship with Jesus will never be harmed by the second death.
11 Then I saw a great white throne and one seated on it. Earth and heaven fled from his presence, and no place was found for them. 12 I also saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life, and the dead were judged according to their works by what was written in the books. 13 Then the sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them; each one was judged according to their works. 14 Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.
This is not a scare tactic by any stretch of the imagination. It’s explaining what the second death is. You might have died here on earth, but the second death is the one – it’s the one. If you have a relationship with Christ, you won’t experience the second death (John 3:16, 5:24). You will have a life everlasting with God the Father (John 17:3). If you don’t have a relationship with Christ, you will experience that second death, which – even with all of the lake of fire and all that – the punishment of hell is an eternal separation from God (2 Thessalonians 1:8-9; Matthew 25:41, 46). You’re never with Him again. You’re eternally separated from your Creator.
Keith: And the ever-presence of His wrath.
Jamie: That’s right, but I think the people who are there will still blame Him – will still be angry with Him. So imagine living in eternal punishment, being angry the entire time. That’s the feeling it’s going to be. I can’t describe it. We’ve never been there. We don’t understand it. We don’t want to be there.
Sometimes, like right now, people will be like, now, let me invite you to come to know Jesus, but I don’t want you to come to know Jesus because you’re scared to go to hell. If you come to know Jesus, it needs to be because you were convicted by His Word and want to have a relationship with Him – and you want to love Him.
Keith: How does Paul say it in Philippians 3:8? The surpassing worth of knowing Christ. That’s a far cry from the surpassing worth of not wanting to go to hell.
You think about different people you’ve heard talk. Well, I got married to so-and-so because they were the only person in my community or if I didn’t marry this person I’d have to marry that person. That’s not love. … The idea that you’re just pursuing one thing because you don’t want the other, that’s not it.
That’s not the image you get in Matthew 13:44-46 where Jesus is giving the parables of the man who is walking through a field and finds a treasure worth more than any treasure he’s ever seen. He immediately goes back to his house, cashes out all of his assets, and buys the field. He’s not willing for anyone else to find this treasure. The pearl merchant who, upon finding the pearl of great price, doesn’t haggle – doesn’t negotiate – he cashes out everything he has to buy this one pearl.
Jamie: And that’s what these people in Smyrna did. They were willing to give up their jobs – the opportunity to own their house, purchase food for their family, things of that nature – for the sake of Christ.
Keith: That’s one of the things that I wonder here, and I’m not trying to speculate. But He’s talking to them about how they were rich before Christ in a worldly sense. Now in a worldly sense they’re in poverty. Jesus reminds them that they are rich – that their life is in danger but they have Life. I would imagine some of them were in definite danger – not necessarily of martyrdom or execution but just in the ability to sustain themselves and live.
As we look at this to close it out, think about how we talked about Polycarp and Richard Wurmbrand. It reminds me of the perspective here – “the one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death” (Revelation 2:11) – the idea that the closest to hell believers will ever experience is what they experience here on earth. That’s the greatest threat the world can give us – that it’s going to kill us, leads us to our greatest reward (Philippians 1:21-23, Revelation 21:4-5).
This reminds me of Dietrich Bonhoeffer.I’ve been reading through his Letters and Papers from Prison[4]…. There are times where he’d be aggravated that he had opportunities for the gospel and he’d repent and minister to this or that person. Everyone who was thrown into the concentration camps wasn’t Jewish ethnically. They weren’t even necessarily for the cause. If they Nazis wanted to just get someone out of the way, they had the camps for this.
Bonhoeffer, on the last day of his life, got up and preached. There was a guy there as a witness – a British intelligence officer kind of kept the Nazi guards at bay to let him finish his sermon. Then Bonhoeffer willing went with them – walked to his execution almost consoling the guards because – you know, you’d have to feel some kind of way when somebody’s looking at you and talking about the love of Christ, preaching the gospel and you’re going to be the one to kill him. And what he told those guards right before they took his life was: “This is the end, but for me, it is the beginning.”
Where so many face the second death, those believers in Smyrna, they face the beginning.
The tears they had for persecution were wiped away by the nail-scarred hands of their Savior whom they served unto death.
That’s good news.
Jamie: Amen.
Keith: Well, Jamie, that about wraps it up for Smyrna. Sojourners, we’ve enjoyed our time with you today. Check with us next time as we look at the letter to the church at Pergamum.
25 For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth. 26 And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God, 27 whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. My heart faints within me!
Christ Has Come – Week 3Episode Title: The Promised King & His Gift of JoyLuke 1:39–56In this Advent episode of Christ Has Come, Keith Harris turns to Luke 1 and invites us to slow down and listen to the joy that begins stirring before Bethlehem. Long before angels sing to shepherds, joy breaks the silence in the hill country of Judea—through a Spirit-filled confession, a leaping child, and the worshipful song of a young woman who trusts the promises of God.Together, we explore:What biblical joy is—and what it isn’t, distinguishing it from fleeting happiness or emotional highs.How joy appears before the word is even spoken, as John the Baptist leaps for joy in Elizabeth’s womb at the presence of the unborn Messiah.Why Mary’s joy is rooted not in circumstances but in God’s mercy, as she magnifies the Lord and rejoices in God her Savior.The meaning and message of the Magnificat, a Scripture-saturated song that celebrates God’s great reversal—lifting the lowly, filling the hungry, and humbling the proud.How Mary’s joy points beyond herself to Jesus, the promised King who fulfills God’s covenant promises and secures lasting joy through His saving work.This episode reminds us that joy is not something we manufacture—it’s something we receive, and it grows wherever Jesus is trusted. Advent teaches us that true joy is found not in having life figured out, but in the presence of Christ and the mercy He brings.If you would like to see a written version of this study, complete with footnotes and cross-references, you can find it here.
With those words, the grave was silenced, death was defeated, and hope reigned eternal.
Long before that first Resurrection Sunday morning, Job declared through tears and pain, “I know that my Redeemer lives” (Job 19:25). He didn’t have all the answers, but he held onto the living hope that one day, beyond death and decay, he would see his God for himself. That hope was not misplaced.
Because Jesus lives, we can face anything – even death – with confidence. The Redeemer Job longed to see is the risen Christ who lived on earth, bore our sorrows unto death, and now lives reigns in glory. And as surely as He rose, He promises that all who trust in Him will rise too (John 11:25).
Today is not just a celebration of what happened – it is a declaration of what is to come. Our Redeemer lives! And one day, with resurrected eyes and glorified bodies, we will see Him face to face.
Let your heart rise with resurrection hope. Jesus is not here. He has risen just as He said. He ascended back to heaven and has promised to return to gather His people to Himself.
12 Then I said to them, “If it seems good to you, give me my wages; but if not, keep them.” And they weighed out as my wages thirty pieces of silver. 13 Then the Lord said to me, “Throw it to the potter”—the lordly price at which I was priced by them. So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the Lord, to the potter.
The Original Context
Psalm 41 expresses the voice of a faithful sufferer, King David, who faced betrayal not just from his enemies but from a trusted companion. In ancient cultures, sharing bread was a sign of intimate friendship or loyalty, so the betrayal of such a companion added deep pain to hardship. Yet the psalm ends in hope, with a declaration that the Lord upholds the righteous.
Zechariah 11 paints a vivid picture of Israel’s spiritual rebellion against the Lord. The prophet assumes the role of a rejected shepherd, illustrating how Israel would reject God’s true care. The “wages” of thirty pieces of silver – a paltry sum for the value of a shepherd – shows their contempt. The odd command to throw the money “to the potter” at the temple conveys divine disdain for their decision, while also symbolizing judgment and redirection.
Fulfillment in Jesus
Jesus was no stranger to betrayal. Psalm 41:9 is quoted in John 13:18 on the very night of the Last Supper, as Jesus identified Judas Iscariot as His betrayer – the one who dipped bread with Him would “lift his heel” against Him. Judas’s act fulfilled both Scripture and sorrow.
The thirty pieces of silver In Zechariah found direct fulfillment In Matthew 26:14-16 when Judas agreed to betray Jesus for that exact amount. Later, overwhelmed by guilt, Judas returned the silver to the temple, and the chief priests used it to buy a potter’s field (Matthew 27:3-10) – fulfilling Zechariah’s prophecy to the letter.
These betrayals were real. They were evil. And yet they did not thwart the redemptive plan of God. Even through betrayal the Good Shepherd laid down His life for His sheep.
Hope for Today
Betrayal is a bitter sorrow many of us face. Whether in friendship, family, or faith, the sting of being hurt by someone close can feel like a wound that may never heal. But Jesus knows this pain firsthand. He was betrayed by a friend, abandoned by His followers, and sold out for thirty pieces of silver. Yet His story did not end in betrayal. It was merely a precursor to His victory over death, hell, and the grave.
In Christ, our pain isn’t wasted. God sees. God knows. And God redeems.
So today, if you’ve ever been betrayed or wounded by someone close, take heart. Jesus walks with you in that pain. He is the faithful friend who never leaves.
Trust Him to bring beauty even from and through brokenness. And rest in the Savior who was betrayed but not defeated.
6 “And the foreigners who join themselves to the LORD, to minister to him, to love the name of the LORD, and to be his servants, everyone who keeps the Sabbath and does not profane it, and holds fast my covenant— 7 these I will bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.” 8 The Lord GOD, who gathers the outcasts of Israel, declares, “I will gather yet others to him besides those already gathered.”
The Original Context
Isaiah spoke these words to Israel during a time of spiritual renewal, casting a vision of God’s heart for the nations. In contrast to the idea that Israel alone was God’s chosen people, Isaiah announced that foreigners who loved and followed the Lord were welcomed into His house.
This radical promise highlighted something about God’s covenant: His salvation was never meant for Israel alone because God was gathering worshipers from every tribe and tongue to find joy and belonging in His presence. His temple was never meant to be a barrier but a beacon.
Fulfillment in Jesus
When Jesus entered the temple in the final week of His life, He saw that its courts – meant for Gentile worshipers – had been turned into a marketplace. In righteous anger, He drove out the merchants and quoted Isaiah 56:7 in Matthew 21:13:
“My house shall be called a house of prayer, but you make it a den of robbers.”
Jesus was restoring the temple to its true purpose. And ultimately, He became the new and better temple (John 2:19-21). In Him, all who trust and follow God, all who confess Him as Lord and believe in their hearts He is risen from the dead – regardless of background or nationality – are brought near (Romans 10:9-13, Ephesians 2:11-22).
Hope for Today
Jesus is still gathering outcasts. He is still welcoming foreigners. He is still saving sinners. And He is still building a house of prayer for all peoples.
If you’ve ever felt like an outsider – too far off, too broken, too different, too sinful, too shameful – know this: there is room for you in God’s house. The joy of His presence is not reserved for some select few who have it all together or who have the right genealogy, but offered to all who come to Him through Christ.
This Holy Week, let your prayers rise in confidence and hope. Jesus has not merely opened a way for people to come to Him, He IS the Way (John 14:6), and He prepares a place for Him in His Father’s house for all He saves (John 14:2-3). If He has saved you, you belong there; you are home with Him. And through Him, your worship is welcomed with joy.
Just Keith Harris 