Category Archives: Lord as Shepherd

“The Lamb Who is Our Shepherd” from Revelation 7 — a Refresh & Restore Bible Study

"The Lamb Who is Our Shepherd" from Revelation 7 (The KING is Coming) – Refresh & Restore | A JustKeithHarris.com Podcast

📖 Revelation 7After the terrifying events of Revelation 6, John is given a breathtaking glimpse of hope. Before judgment continues, God reveals that His people are known, sealed, and secure in Christ. The chapter culminates with one of Revelation's most beautiful pictures: the Lamb who was slain is also the Shepherd who leads His people forever.In this episode, Keith Harris and Jamie Harrison discuss:✔️ Why Revelation 7 is an interlude between the sixth and seventh seals✔️ What it means for God's servants to be sealed✔️ The two primary views of the 144,000—and why faithful Christians differ✔️ How John's pattern of hearing one thing and seeing another helps interpret the chapter✔️ The innumerable multitude worshiping before the throne✔️ Why Jesus, the Lamb, is also our Shepherd who leads us to living waterThis chapter reminds us that our greatest hope isn't solving every prophetic question—it's belonging to Christ. Those who trust Him are safe in Him, and one day He will wipe away every tear from their eyes.📖 "For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes." (Revelation 7:17, ESV)🔗 If you'd like to see a written version of this podcast, complete with footnotes and cross-references, you can find it here.
  1. "The Lamb Who is Our Shepherd" from Revelation 7 (The KING is Coming)
  2. "Who Can Stand Under the Wrath of God?" from Revelation 6 (The KING is Coming)
  3. "Musings on Marriage, Missions, and My Walk with Christ" (Refresh & Restore)
  4. "Light Momentary Afflictions, Eternal Weight of Glory" (Refresh & Restore)
  5. "Worthy is the Lion, the Slain Lamb Who Lives" from Revelation 5 (The KING is Coming)

We’re back in our study of Revelation called The KING is Coming, where we’re taking a verse-by-verse approach to see what the book truly reveals—Jesus Christ Himself. As always, I’m joined by Jamie Harrison, and I’m thankful for the opportunity to walk through this study together. Today, we’ll be in Revelation 7, where John sees what comes after the opening of the sixth seal. After the wrath and judgment of Revelation 6, this chapter gives us a picture of God’s people being sealed, saved, and gathered before the throne, where the Lamb who was slain is also the Shepherd who leads His people to living water. This week’s passage is Revelation 7:

After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, that no wind might blow on earth or sea or against any tree. 2 Then I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, with the seal of the living God, and he called with a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm earth and sea, 3 saying, “Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.” 4 And I heard the number of the sealed, 144,000, sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel:
5 12,000 from the tribe of Judah were sealed,
12,000 from the tribe of Reuben,
12,000 from the tribe of Gad,
6 12,000 from the tribe of Asher,
12,000 from the tribe of Naphtali,
12,000 from the tribe of Manasseh,
7 12,000 from the tribe of Simeon,
12,000 from the tribe of Levi,
12,000 from the tribe of Issachar,
8 12,000 from the tribe of Zebulun,
12,000 from the tribe of Joseph,
12,000 from the tribe of Benjamin were sealed.
9 After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” 11 And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.”
13 Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?” 14 I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
15 “Therefore they are before the throne of God,
and serve him day and night in his temple;
and he who sits on the throne will shelter them
with his presence.
16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore;
the sun shall not strike them,nor any scorching heat.
17 For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd,
and he will guide them to springs of living water,
and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”[1]

Keith Harris:     
Greetings, sojourners.

Here we are, back in our The KING Is Coming study, and today we’re in Revelation 7. Jamie, you got anything preliminary you want to say, or you just want to dive right in?

Jamie Harrison:
Let’s just dive right in.

Keith:                  
Let’s do it. So Revelation 7 is following—because, again, it’s been a minute since we recorded—Revelation 6. We see some wrath being poured out.

Jamie:                 
Well, I was sure wondering if Revelation 7 followed Revelation 6. I appreciate you really clarifying that for me.

Keith:                  
You may be joking, but part of what we’re—

Jamie:                 
That is a new development.

Keith:                  
But in looking at this, one of the things that we’re doing—and I said it that way as a sort of reminder—

Jamie:                 
Yes.

Keith:                  
Our point in this study isn’t to answer every question, because every one of our questions is not meant to be answered. The text wasn’t designed that way. We’re seeing what God showed John. And so, when we look at this, we’re looking at what John saw next. And I’ll let you take it from there.

Jamie:                 
Yeah, that’s really important. And I’m glad you went back to chapter 6 just to kind of point out that the last thing we saw was that sixth seal being opened, and this huge earthquake. The sun turns black. The moon becomes like blood. You know, all these different things happen. Stars are falling to the earth. All these things. And every single mountain and island is moved from its place.

So you’re talking about worldwide destruction going on when this sixth seal is busted open. And then the next thing he sees—now, again, it’s very important, just like Keith said—that’s not necessarily the next thing that happens. That’s the next thing he sees.

The next thing he sees are four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, restraining the four winds of the earth so that no wind can blow on the earth or on the sea or on any tree. So, in other words, right after this extremely destructive storm, the next thing he sees is calm. There’s no wind.

Keith:                  
And sees the supernatural reason for why the calm has come. Like, he can see these angels.

Jamie:                 
That’s right. And so what you get here is—you know, we always talk about the calm before the storm—and judgment is coming. And it’s about to come hot and heavy right after this.

And so you kind of get the idea here that everything is calm for a minute because the Lord is about to seal some people who are going to make it through the tribulation. And we can go back to Ezekiel chapter 9. We get the idea of that sealing, what it looks like. Ezekiel has a vision of a slaughter in Jerusalem. That’s going to be chapter 9, verses 4 through 7. I mean, you can read the whole chapter, but kind of where the seal starts is verse 4 there.

And they’re being sealed from judgment. They’re being sealed on their forehead by a mark. So you get the same kind of idea here. Same idea as the Passover, Exodus chapter 12, you know, where they’re sealed by the blood of a lamb from their firstborn being killed there.

And so, in Revelation 14:1, we find out this is the same group of people in Revelation 14. And it says:

Then I looked, and there was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion, and with him were 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads.[2]

And so it looks like that seal is something to do with Jesus’s name and the Father’s name on their foreheads—some type of, what we’re going to learn, spiritual protection from the coming judgment.

Keith:                  
Yeah, and that symbol would have looked like what the Hebrew letter tav looked like at the time of Ezekiel, which some interpret as kind of a cross at an angle or an X. Either which way, it’s obviously pointing forward to Christ and the fact that He—I think it’s John 10, and I think it fits with the end of Revelation 7, not getting ahead—but Jesus being the Good Shepherd, and that He holds His people in His hand, and no one can pluck them from His hand.

The symbolic seal represents the spiritual reality that Jesus has them.

Jamie:                 
Yes and amen. And this group of people that we’re looking at here, they’re being sealed until the number would be completed. Look at chapter 6, verse 11 of Revelation. It says:

So they were each given a white robe, and they were told to rest a little while longer until the number would be completed of their fellow servants and their brothers and sisters, who were going to be killed just as they had been.

Now, you ask, why do we connect those together? Great question. Because in chapter 7, where Keith just read, in verse 14—well, right above, in verse 13—he says, “Hey, who are these people in white robes, and where did they come from?” And he says, “Sir, you know.”

Then he told me these were the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

So each of those connect together to show us that these are the people that are going to be sealed, that are going to be saved, that are going to be persecuted for their faith during the great tribulation, that are going to reach other people for Christ. And when that number is completed, then the Lord’s judgment will be completed directly after.

I hope all that makes sense.

I do want to point out that this is the exact opposite of the mark that we’re going to learn about in Revelation 13, verses 16 through 17, where it says:

16 And it makes everyone—small and great, rich and poor, free and slave—to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, 17 so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark: the beast’s name or the number of its name.

And, of course, it’s commonly referred to as the mark of the beast. And so this is the exact opposite. That mark is going to bring judgment.

Keith:                  
Well, and I mean, when you look in the context of Ezekiel 9 to get the understanding there, it’s those who are faithful to God. And the faithfulness to God—in Ezekiel chapters 4 through 7 preceding that—the faithfulness to God is very important in the context of Revelation.

Your mark shows to whom you’re faithful. And so nobody who is faithful to Christ is at risk of being hoodwinked into getting this other one. Your mark shows your allegiance. I think that’s a very important thing there.

Jamie:                 
Absolutely. No doubt about it.

So now we get into the real controversial part, right? What is this 144,000 number? Is there only 144,000 people going to heaven?

And let’s just go ahead and hit that one right off the bat: no. That’s dumb. I don’t know any other way to say it. And I don’t joke anymore. That’s a very serious statement. That’s dumb. There’s way more than 144,000 people going to heaven, and the Bible is going to tell us that here in just a minute.

Keith:                  
And the danger—and really where the idea of only 144,000 people are going to heaven comes from—the fact that different cults, like the Jehovah’s Witnesses, have gained ground, and people are believing what they’ve heard or what they’ve seen on social media, or some random jake-leg—I’m using my quotey fingers—preacher says.

What the Bible says matters. And so when anybody says anything—us, your pastor, especially Jehovah’s Witnesses and jake-leg internet TV preachers—check it with the Bible. That doesn’t pass the test.

Jamie:                 
Yeah, just a lot of people believe whatever’s on social media is true. If it made it on social media, it’s got to be true, right? And that’s also very dumb. I can attest to that personally.

Keith:                  
I mean, last week I saw a picture of a cloud that was shaped like a soldier, including kneeling at his gun. And no cloud ever was that clear. And people are like, “Oh my gosh, look at this sign from God!” And under it was the city of Jackson that did not resemble the city of Jackson, and nobody noticed because they were looking at the soldier in the sky.

Jamie:                 
Wow.

Keith:                  
Don’t get your theology from social media.

Jamie:                 
Correct.

Keith:                  
Or look for truth there at all.

Jamie:                 
Yeah. Just that. Period. The end.

So with the 144,000, there’s two main approaches to that number. One is that it’s a literal number. One is that it’s a figurative number. And so I think the best way to go about it is, let’s look at both. Let’s talk about the—I don’t want to use the word justification—but I’ll use the verses that people use for each. Okay?

And then read the Bible on your own, and ask the Holy Spirit to guide you, and He will guide you into truth.

So the literal number—we’ll start there—and it comes from, you go all the way back to Numbers, where there was a military census performed at different times. And what they would do, Israel would do, is they would count the military-aged males to see how many people they had that were of age and eligible to fight in a war. Okay?

And in Revelation 14:4—remember, Revelation 14 is also talking about this same group of people—it says:

These are the ones who have not defiled themselves with women, since they remained virgins. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever he goes. They were redeemed from humanity as the firstfruits for God and the Lamb.

So this is talking about males from the tribes of Israel, and they have been counted as a military census would have been counted.

Keith:                  
Yeah, and I think Numbers 31 is the reference there. In that case, just to clarify, it wasn’t 144,000 in the book of Numbers, right? But the book of Numbers obviously contains a lot of numbers and censuses, and they weren’t always clear, round numbers.

Numbers 31:4-5:

4 You shall send a thousand from each of the tribes of Israel to the war.” 5 So there were provided, out of the thousands of Israel, a thousand from each tribe, twelve thousand armed for war.

It’s not always so clear-cut a number.

Jamie:                 
That’s right. And so, again, same thing. Numbers chapter 2, you know, it talks about—it goes through how they camped in the military formation. And this tribe camps here on the east side. This tribe camps on the north side. This tribe on that—the Levites in the middle, where the Ark of the Covenant would have been, the temple would have been—the tabernacle would have been.

And so this, you kind of can go back again to Revelation chapter 14, verse 4, where it says they follow the Lamb wherever He goes. Because as the Spirit—as the glory of God moved, the cloud moved, so the Israelites followed.

And I do think it’s very interesting that Judah is the first tribe listed, and that in Numbers chapter 2, Judah is the first tribe listed. And so there is a connection to who is the Lion of the tribe of Judah, and that would be Jesus. So that is a pretty cool correlation there, where you look at it and go, “Hey, regardless of whether this is an exact number or a figurative number, they’re following the Lion of the tribe of Judah.”

And we’re going to come back to that thought in just a minute. A lot of people also look at Ezekiel chapter 37, where the dry bones become an army. The Lord puts His Spirit in them. That would be the thought of salvation. And so the idea is that this 144,000 number gets saved.

Keith:                  
Well, and I think we need to pause there, because so much conversation—again, a lot of it from these random social media snippets that people put pictures up there and stuff—there is nobody, no matter what their ethnicity, who is going to heaven unless they’ve been saved.

Jamie:                 
Correct.

Keith:                  
In the Old Testament, it was still by grace through faith. Jesus, God in flesh, had not yet become incarnate. But think about Abraham. Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.

Everyone who trusted and called upon the name of the Lord showed faith in Him. And every Israelite who’s ever walked the earth hadn’t got saved.

Jamie:                 
Right.

Keith:                  
Every son of Adam, daughter of Eve, as C. S. Lewis says it—they’re not in heaven. Those who have faith—You look in the book of Numbers. The ground opened up and swallowed thousands. It didn’t catapult them up to heaven. They were in open rebellion.

I think the reading we’re currently looking at, Seeing Jesus in the Old Testament, in our Bible reading plans—yesterday, they were—it was where Phinehas, the Priest came up and literally skewered people who were taking their cult prostitutes and trying to go into the tabernacle with them. And Phinehas is like, “That’s enough.”

And then when people are like, “Dude, why are you acting like this?” God audibly spoke from heaven. He’s like, “Hey, y’all need to be glad he killed those two, because he’s jealous with My jealousy.”

You have God’s people, generically talking about Israel, but you have God’s people—those who, by grace through faith, are saved and, I guess in the context, we say sealed to Him. They belong to Him by grace through faith. No other way.

And so, in any understanding of the 144,000, there’s nobody getting in because they descended from Abraham.

Jamie:                 
Correct.

Keith:                  
Not a one. Zero.

Jamie:                 
Only by the blood of the Lamb.

Keith:                  
Amen.

Jamie:                 
So, just to really briefly, I guess, quickly finish the Ezekiel thought: you know, God puts His Spirit in them to salvation. And then, in Ezekiel 36:24 through 28, Ezekiel 37:24 through 28, you have the Jewish people coming under the new covenant, which would be salvation. But it very distinctly says they will be under one King, and that’s a reference directly to Jesus.

And so, the idea of witnesses—how do we, what makes us think that they’re witnesses? Because this just looks like a list of 144,000 people.

Well, in Revelation chapter 14, again, what we get is that—let’s start in verse 4:

4 These are the ones who have not defiled themselves with women, since they remained virgins. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever he goes. They were redeemed from humanity as the firstfruits for God and the Lamb. 5 No lie was found in their mouths; they are blameless.

6 Then I saw another angel flying high overhead, with the eternal gospel to announce to the inhabitants of the earth—to every nation, tribe, language, and people. 7 He spoke with a loud voice: “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship the one who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water.”

So you have this proclamation of the gospel, and right before it, we’re told that these 144,000—this number—are the ones redeemed from humanity as the firstfruits. Okay? Firstfruits infers that there’s more fruit.

Keith:                  
Or at least last fruits.

Jamie:                 
That’s right. And so that’s where the idea that they’re witnesses comes from, is that they will be sent forth as a quote-unquote army of witnesses to reach people for the name of Christ.

Keith:                  
And that makes sense because you were talking about—I just found the verse I was looking for—you were talking about until the number has been completed. Matthew 24:14:

And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

And that’s red letters. That’s Jesus.

Jamie:                 
Yes. So then, let’s talk for a second about, all right, is this a symbolic number? Is it just a number? We know that 12 is the number of completion in the Bible: 12 tribes of Israel, 12 disciples, on and on and on.

Revelation 21:12 through 14, you have that same number 12 come back around with the foundations and things. And so you get the idea that number 12 is just the perfect unity of God’s kingdom.

And I think that Revelation 21 is really important there, because in verses 12 through 14, this is talking about the New Jerusalem:

12 The city had a massive high wall, with twelve gates. Twelve angels were at the gates; the names of the twelve tribes of Israel’s sons were inscribed on the gates. 13 There were three gates on the east, three gates on the north, three gates on the south, and three gates on the west. 14 The city wall had twelve foundations, and the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb were on the foundations.

And so the idea there being is that the church is unified. It is one in heaven. There is no distinction of male or Greek, Jew or male or female. Do you agree?

Keith:                  
Yeah.

Jamie:                 
Wow. Okay. There’s that. And so, again, is this a symbolic number? Is it a literal number? You know, you walk through it and you look and you go, “All right, 12 is the number of completion. That makes sense to me. I get that.”

We know that the Lion of the tribe of Judah will be leading this group of people. And I want to point out something very important here. And, and, and hopefully this makes sense. If it doesn’t, you can leave Keith a comment and let him know, because I will not be looking at the comments, but Keith will.

Revelation chapter 5—chapter 6. Excuse me. I don’t know what I’m talking about. It is chapter 5. I’m just—wow. Maybe we need to hit the pause button and take a break.

Keith:                  
No, you got it.

Jamie:                 
Okay. So Revelation 5:5, same place it’s always been. This is one of mine and Keith’s favorite Scriptures. It says:

Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep. Look, the Lion from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered so that he is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.”

Now, who leads the 144,000?

Keith:                  
Jesus.

Jamie:                 
Jesus, the Lion from the tribe of Judah.

Look, the Lion from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered so that he is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.”

Okay, so this is what John hears the elder say. He hears him say, “Look, the Lion of the tribe of Judah.” And we know that the 144,000 is led by the Lion of the tribe of Judah.

And then he looks, and in verse 6 it says:

Then I saw one like a slaughtered lamb standing in the midst of the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent into all the earth.

And it goes on. He takes the scroll, and He unseals the scroll, and then they have this awesome praise moment there together.

And so the “he hears, and then he looks and sees” connects right together with chapter 7, because watch this: in verse 4 he says, “I heard the number of the sealed.” But watch this in verse 9: “After this, I looked.” So he hears the number, just like he heard, “Look, the Lion from the tribe of Judah,” but he saw one like a slaughtered Lamb. So he looks—or, excuse me, he hears—144,000, 12,000 from each tribe. But he looks, and there’s a vast multitude from every nation, tribe, people, and language—which no one could number—standing before the throne and before the Lamb.

So first off, there goes your 144,000 people are going to be saved, and that’s all.

Keith:                  
Well, and also, this numberless multitude—if it’s all tribes and peoples and languages—there are obviously Jews in there.

Jamie:                 
That is correct. And so the last part of this is, we look and we go, okay, he sees this number. He sees—or sees this group of people that nobody can number standing before the throne. They’re clothed in white robes with palm branches in their hands.

And in verse 14—again, back to the same verse we talked about earlier—he asks, you know, “Who are these people?” And he says they’re the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They’ve washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

So this innumerable number of people are people that come out of the great tribulation, who are persecuted for their faith, most likely killed for their faith—not necessarily all of them, but most likely killed for their faith—persecuted for their faith. They came out of the great tribulation.

In other words, there’s a seal placed on their forehead, and once that number is completed, the Lord’s judgment will come. And so I think we, when you put all these things together—

Keith:                  
Well, I think there’s one more Scripture that goes with that before you put it all together. Romans 11, which talks about the remnant of Israel coming to Christ. Romans 11:25. And I think—and I think the wording of this is particularly helpful for when we put this all together:

Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.

So we’re seeing all these places—Old Testament, New Testament, with future vision for John—talking about till the number has become complete. Now we see the number, and then we see the numberless. Like, it does seem that when we put all this together—again, this isn’t like, there are way more popular theories—

Jamie:                 
Right.

Keith:                  
But sticking with what the Bible says, it seems to reason, “lest you be wise in your own sight,” that where there is a lot of clear evidence in Scripture—a good rule of Bible interpretation is the clear things are important, and the important things are clear. Or, as Alistair Begg says, “The main things are the plain things.” So when Jamie puts all this together, this is coming out of a volume of Scripture.

Jamie:                 
For sure. And again, I go back—I guess the word is, I guess, to say, to put all this together—we have this group of people. And again, it says these are the ones coming out of the great tribulation.

And in verses 15 through 17, you get all these things that they’re going to be protected from. But in verse 15, it says, “For this reason, they are before the throne of God.” For what reason? For the reason they were persecuted for their faith, and they came out of the great tribulation.

So we know this is an innumerable group of people that was persecuted for their faith, and for that reason, they’re before the throne of God and serve Him day and night in His temple.

Which, first off, that’s just—that’s an incredible thought. You know, I was listening to a song—maybe it was yesterday—a song came on, and one of the lyrics were—I can’t remember the exact wording now that I brought it up—but it’s basically that we get to join a song they’re already singing when we get to heaven.

Like, just think about that for a minute. There’s these awesome worship sessions going on in heaven right now as we speak, and one day we’ll be part of the choir.

Keith:                  
And I think we lose sight of that sometimes. And again, the reason for us doing this—we’re not trying to be relevant, not trying to be cool, not trying to be any such thing.

It’s so easy to try to have religion outside of relationship with Jesus. And none of these people who are standing around the throne are there for some religious experience. Religion does not withstand persecution. Right now, around the world—and I was looking at something else Jesus said in Matthew 24:21:

For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be.

Y’all, persecution has been increasing and been going on since Jesus ascended into heaven. You’ve got Stephen, the first martyr, all the way up through—you go through the Roman Empire where they were killing Christians.

Finally get to the point where they realize, “We’ve got to burn this book that they’re preaching from, because killing the folks ain’t stopping it.” And then God puts an end to that persecution.

They meet together. You get the canon of Scripture going. And then every so often, all over the world—like even right now—there are countries in the world where you will be imprisoned for the rest of your life for the preaching of the gospel, be shunned and never be a part of your family again because of the preaching of the gospel.

There are places right now on the continent of Africa where they are killing Christians by the hundreds and thousands. And none of these people are sitting there begging for their life. They’re being witnesses.

Literally, the word that we see for witness in the New Testament—that Greek word is martyrion, where we get our word for martyr. They gave their life to point to the eternal life that comes from the life of Jesus Christ.

They’re not resentful that when they see Him in glory, after they lose their life for Him on earth, they see fulfillment. They see not personal achievement, but their personal Savior.

And y’all, I think we lose that when we spend too much time trying to figure out what exactly is the 144,000. I’m fine if it’s literal. I’m fine if it’s figurative, because I’m going to be standing before Jesus. And I might have a lot of questions when I get up there, but I don’t think they’re going to come to mind as readily.

Jamie:                 
Nope.

Keith:                  
Like, yeah, I don’t—you know, it’s going to be eternity, but I think I’m going to have better things to do.

Jamie:                 
Yeah, I think verse 11 there says:

All the angels stood around the throne, and along with the elders and the four living creatures they fell facedown before the throne and worshiped God….

I think that’s—I think that’s going to be what we’re doing.

Keith:                  
It does say, “forever and ever, amen.” That’s good enough for Randy Travis. That’s good enough for me.

Jamie:                 
Amen. I was going to go into some other things here, but I think, instead, just to close this out, I think to look at—it says back in verse 15:

15 For this reason they are before the throne of God,
and they serve him day and night in his temple.
The one seated on the throne will shelter them:
16 They will no longer hunger;
they will no longer thirst;
the sun will no longer strike them,
nor will any scorching heat.
17 For the Lamb who is at the center of the throne
will shepherd them;
he will guide them to springs of the waters of life,
and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.

Now, there’s all kinds of correlations to the Old Testament and Israelites and Greeks being brought together. But I think here’s what I want to point out, is that all of these things that it just listed are judgments that are going to happen. And some of them will affect these people to an extent.

I mean, they’ll no longer hunger—they’re going to be hungry, right? They’re going to be thirsty. The sun’s still going to be hot while they’re here on earth. But all of these protections, all of these things that will no longer happen, happen after they have died for their faith.

Keith:                  
Yeah, the division between the sixth seal and the seventh—that, I mean, you think about—and just as reference for the fact there were those sealed who didn’t go into exile, but that doesn’t mean that no one who went into exile had faith in God.

Look at Daniel, Hananiah, Azariah, Mishael. Like, but when God’s ultimate wrath is poured out, God’s not unjust. If Jesus has borne the wrath, there’s no need for His people to bear the wrath. It’s been borne.

And so I think it’s important, as we close out, to kind of just look at the paradox here. Because the beauty of this—more beautiful than a symmetry of numbers. I know, to some people, numbers and understanding and clarity, it just resonates with their soul. “For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd. He will guide them to springs of living water. God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” When you look at all this language, it’s Revelation 21. The beauty of eternity being outside of time—you skip, you skip things.

And I think that paradox right there, that thing that doesn’t make sense from an earthly perspective: lambs aren’t shepherds; shepherds are. But Jesus, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, will be their Shepherd. He’ll be the Shepherd of all who, by grace through faith in Him, are saved by Him from the wrath of God.

And I think the beautiful thing here is what you need to be asking yourself, more so than anything about a number, more so than anything about anything else, is: Who is your shepherd? Who is your Savior? Is your hope in the Lamb?

If thinking about heaven being forever and ever, amen—standing around the throne, around the Lamb, waving palm branches, singing hosanna—if that bores you, you’ve got eternal problems. In fact, as we record this today, the next day is Sunday, the Lord’s Day, when we’re supposed to gather. If the thought of gathering in worship of Jesus tomorrow bores you, you might want to look at the eternal forecast. If you are bored gathering around the Lamb now, maybe you need to analyze, more than you need to theorize, whether you are covered by the blood of the Lamb. And I don’t mean a momentary lapse, or you’ve got something else to do. I mean, you really need to look and see if practicing for heaven here on earth is something that you just can’t stand.

You’re either with Him or you’re not—sealed and saved, or you ain’t.

Thank you. God bless, and we’ll see you next time with Revelation 8.

[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2025), Re 7:1–17.

[2] When Jamie quotes from Scripture, he uses the Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), Re 14:1.

Musings on Marriage, Missions, and My Walk with Christ — Refresh & Restore

1 The words of Agur son of Jakeh. The oracle. The man declares, I am weary, O God; I am weary, O God, and worn out. 2 Surely I am too stupid to be a man. I have not the understanding of a man. 3 I have not learned wisdom, nor have I knowledge of the Holy One. 4 Who has ascended to heaven and come down? Who has gathered the wind in His fists? Who has wrapped up the waters in a garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is His name, and what is His son’s name? Surely you know!

5 Every word of God proves true; He is a shield to those who take refuge in him.[1]

Proverbs 30:1-5

Greetings Sojourners,

What a joy it is to get to write to you today and share a bit of testimony with you. I must admit that I find myself joyful today – as joyful as I am tired, which, as you will see, is quite a lot.

Let me begin by saying, “GOD is good!” He is good because that’s who He is (Psalm 34:8, Psalm 100:5, James 1:17), and His goodness is not contingent on whether or not I feel like He’s been particularly good to me in a given moment; He’s good – all the time! These past few weeks have given me the opportunity to reflect and look at God’s goodness as well as His consistency and character and how I have seen Him work and move in my life, and as I’m not particularly special, I can say with confidence that He can and will work in your life as well.

The passage we open with is one that always tickles me as much as it humbles me. So, before we hit the musings I have prepared, let’s meditate on the Word to set us off.

Firstly, we don’t really know who Agur son of Jakeh is, to whom Proverbs 30 is attributed. But as neither he nor the Lord saw fit to tell us much about him, we will look instead to the Lord he introduces us to.

Secondly, it’s okay if the way Proverbs 30 begins makes you chuckle a bit. Lord willing, we will all grow up enough to be able to laugh at our own mistakes and ignorance. I’ve surely been weary, and I’ve definitely been “weary” and “worn out” because of my own stupidity. So, when Agur declares both his weariness and that he is surely “too stupid to be a man” and that he has “not the understanding of a man,” that is actually a good place to begin in wisdom. Sometimes people begin with their résumé, trying to prove why they are wise and why their wisdom should be heeded. Agur’s résumé is that he learned wisdom the hard way – through lessons bought rather than merely taught.

If you don’t think Proverbs 30 is particularly humorous, I would wager that you might be a young or thick-headed man or a woman who is having to deal with one or the other. I’m kidding – mostly. What I want you to see here is the basis for what comes next, namely, the way Agur’s words in the Old Testament point us to Christ.

He admits his ignorance and the weariness that comes from it. And he does so in order to show that what he knows of God, “the Holy One”, does not come from himself but that it has been revealed to him by God Himself. That’s an important distinction, and that leads us to our third point from Proverbs 30: God reveals Himself to man through His Word (Psalm 19:7-11, 2 Timothy 3:16-17, Hebrews 1:1-2).

Look at the series of rhetorical questions that Agur asks and see how they build on the magnificent power of God, the mighty Creator who has graciously made Himself known to lowly folks like me and you and Agur. The beauty to me is how each of these rhetorical questions can, and ultimately should, be answered with a clear “the Lord JESUS”.

  • Who has ascended to heaven and come down? The Lord Jesus. Jesus Himself told Nicodemus in John 3:13 that “No one has ascended into heaven except He who descended from heaven, the Son of Man”, and He gave that information as part of the invitation to see Him lifted up, “that whoever believes in Him may have eternal life” (John 3:15).
  • Who has gathered the wind in His fists? The Lord Jesus – God Himself – is the only One with such power. The very same God who can measure “the waters in the hollow of His hand” (Isaiah 40:12) is He who “was pierced for our transgressions” (Isaiah 53:5).
  • Who has wrapped up the waters in a garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth?  The Lord Jesus – the God who invented water – is the only one who can make it do what He commands (John 1:1-3, Colossians 1:15-17, Hebrews 1:3). This is seen in Job’s reply to Bildad when he speaks of the might of God, who binds up the waters in His clouds and controls the boundaries of sea and sky (Job 26:8).
  • What is His name, and what is His son’s name? Surely you know! JESUS!

His name is Jesus, and that’s the beauty of making Himself known to us and offering salvation to all who trust in Him. It’s seen clearly in Proverbs 30:5: “Every word of God proves true; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.” Every promise He makes is kept. Every prophecy He gives is fulfilled. He is who the Bible says He is, and we can trust Him, take refuge in Him, and know full well that He will take care of His own (John 10:27-30, Romans 8:38-39, 1 Peter 5:6-7).

That’s why Agur’s words are such a fitting place for me to begin. Weariness has a way of exposing how little we understand, but the Word of God lifts our eyes from our limits to the Lord who makes Himself known. That’s exactly what I’ve needed this past year: for the Word of God to lift my eyes from what I couldn’t understand to the God who has made Himself known and proved Himself faithful.

Ultimately, that’s what I want to talk about today – a testimony of the trustworthy God, not because my experiences prove Him trustworthy, but because He has told us who He is in His Word. What I share today does not add to the Word, but it does my heart good to look back and be able to say, “Look! Here is where Jesus shielded me! Here is where He proved Himself to be true and loved me!” If you don’t listen to a single word past here, you’ve lost nothing because His Word in Proverbs 30:1-5 is more than sufficient to point you to Him. What comes next is likely more for me than you anyway.

To segue into these musings, I’m going to, as my father-in-law says from time to time, “put a little English on it”. What I mean is that I want to set out with a clear thesis to keep me on track and, hopefully, help me muse more than ramble as I share about how God has cared for me over this past year (and ultimately over the course of my life).

This past year has reminded me that God is good when I am weak, marriage is deeper than romance, His mission is bigger than my strength, the church is a gift, and hope in Jesus does not fail – even while I am still learning how to walk forward (2 Corinthians 12:9-10, Ephesians 5:31-32, Matthew 28:18-20, Ephesians 4:11-16, Romans 5:1-5).

So, let me begin where the Lord has so often shown me His goodness most clearly: my marriage.

Musing on Marriage

This may sound weird coming from a man, but I like romance. I enjoyed – and still do enjoy – pursuing and wooing Candice like I did when we were dating. I liked learning about her while we were dating and found it kind of exciting to get to chase after the woman whom I thought then was the most magnificent person I’d ever met. After 22+ years of pursuing her, I have found that she is indeed more than my 19-year-old brain could have fathomed at the time.

Over the years, the pursuit waned as, well, I got lazy and convinced myself that once I had married her, I had caught her. That’s true in a sense, but a lasting marriage doesn’t quite work like that. We were grown when we started out, true. But we’ve been growing and changing, individually and together. Sometimes these changes are for the better; other times, well, let’s just say they are changes.

Thankfully, God has let me realize, like Agur, that I’m too stupid to be a man. The wisdom I have doesn’t come from some sage source of me just being smart; it comes from the Lord being gracious enough to let me outlive my ignorance. I joke often when I preach or teach and marriage comes up that Candice had a stupid and lazy husband the first ten years she was married, and she has had a better husband for the second ten years – and she’s had the same husband the whole time. God convicted me of my ignorance and has allowed me to see the error of my ways, with Candice loving me enough to hold me accountable to the man she knew I was supposed to be. She paused long enough for me to catch up, and the pursuit is on. Lord willing, it will continue until death parts us.

This time last year, Candice had her hands full. She had been waiting on me hand and foot for about a week before I ever made it to the hospital last June. It was scary for me to find myself unable to walk or even feed myself, but it was probably scarier for her as every added thing she took on to do for me that I couldn’t do for myself likely looked like something she’d have to do for the long haul. The first post that I wrote on the subject, “Reflections on the Goodness of God from My Hospital Bed”, was actually our first collaboration – Candice typing and me looking over her shoulder to try and say what we were writing. I felt humiliated and emasculated at the time, but looking back, it was such a beautiful picture of the love Christ has for His bride, the Church, in that He is strong where we are weak and cares for His own selflessly because He loves her (Ephesians 5:25-32, 1 John 3:16-18).

Once I finally got home, I thought everything would magically fall back into the way things were, but that’s not how life works. Sometimes the way things were is simply in the past. I still needed help, and she was adamant that I would take the help whether I was smart enough to realize it or not. This is honestly the first time that I’ve thought about it, but as tired and scared as she was, I can’t remember a time when she complained about it. The strength I needed, she had, and that added strength came from the Lord – given to my wife, my helper, to love me and help me when I could not help myself (Genesis 2:18, Ecclesiastes 4:9-10).

Rather than focus solely on the past, I think it’s helpful for us to move forward to more recent times. Yes, there were new firsts – walking hand in hand without me needing to be guided, dancing without me having to hold on to her for support. Little by little, all those firsts became regular. The most recent memorable moment to muse on was actually a second rather than a first, though.

We celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary on June 17. We already knew it wasn’t going to be our typical “go somewhere to eat and do date-stuff” kind of anniversary in Oxford or Jackson or Memphis. For our 10th anniversary, we flew out to Colorado, and it just wasn’t going to work out to do something like that this year. We snuck in some time while I worked in Jackson for a week, and we were planning on getting in a date when we went to Hattiesburg to see Keri at the end of drum major camp. But, as far as the actual anniversary went, it was going to be us and Xander – not because we couldn’t get someone to watch him but because I’d been away for a week and we were glad to spend that time with him.

The morning of our anniversary, I had an appointment and Candice had summer school. We had planned on the three of us going out to eat for lunch and then going to church later that evening since it was Wednesday. I had quite a surprise when I picked them up for lunch. For weeks, Candice had been secretly working on her wedding dress, and she was wearing it – the very same wedding dress from 20 years earlier – when I picked them up. One of my core memories is seeing her in that dress when the doors opened during our wedding, and I was transported back there. Rather than being trapped in the past, though, I was transfixed by the timeline in between – the tears, the laughter, the pain, the pleasure, the kids, the houses, the jobs, the life. Most surprisingly, she was worried I’d be embarrassed. Never. She’s my bride. We went to eat and then to the church for an impromptu vow renewal – no pomp or party, but a genuine renewal of the covenant we had made with each other. The difference was that we know now what we didn’t know then, and we still responded with “I do” – (special thanks to John and Sara Goldwater, Michael Curry, Sammy Carollo, and my best man and wingman, Xander, for helping us make that happen).

I understand more of Ephesians 5:32 than I did at 19 years old: “This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.” I understand the love Jesus has for His bride more because I’ve begun learning what it is to live for your bride rather than merely being willing to die for her. Candice’s care for me showed me love received, and this season has pressed me to consider more deeply what Christ-like love requires of me as her husband. I know what it is to be willing and eager to hold fast to your wife. And, in my weakness, I have also learned more of what it is to be the church: loved, served, held, and helped by Christ when I cannot help myself. I’ve learned the depths of love that I couldn’t know without relationship with Christ and without relationship with Candice.

I’ve found a good and excellent wife and obtained favor from the Lord (Proverbs 18:22, 31:10-12). I rejoice in the wife of my youth more today than I did 20 years ago (Proverbs 5:18-19). And I understand love more deeply than I ever could from romance alone because what the Lord can build and show in relationship is deeper than what we can manufacture on our own.   

Marriage is deeper than romance, but that does not make romance less beautiful. It gives romance roots. It turns affection into faithfulness. It turns vows into a life. And, by the grace of God, it lets a husband look at his wife after twenty years and say with assurance, “The Lord has been good to me.”

And just as the Lord used marriage to remind me that love is deeper than romance, He used missions to remind me His work is bigger than my strength.

Musing on Missions

One of the things that bothered me the most about having to go into the hospital last summer is that I was missing a mission trip with our Christ Community youth to go to New Mexico and help a church with their VBS. When the swelling first started in my feet and joints, I was convinced that I would go to the doctor, get some medicine, and essentially walk it off in time for the mission trip. Actually, that’s the only thing that convinced me to go to the doctor in the first place, as I had a little over a week from the onset of symptoms to when we would leave on the trip. Needless to say, once I got admitted into the hospital, I was starting to think I wasn’t going to get to go – as I said, I’m too stupid to be a man, or in this case, just stupid enough.

The plan had been for the four of us to go, but no amount of convincing was going to make Candice go. She was determined to stay with me. So, we sent Keri with our church family to go farther away than she’d ever been from us. We watched Life360 doggedly – not because we didn’t trust the chaperones, whom we know love her as if she were their own, but because we simply weren’t there (although the amount of pictures Shonna and Sara sent of Keri made us feel like we were). Even those pictures were part of God’s gift of the church to us. We could send our daughter farther away than she’d ever been because we knew she wasn’t going alone. She was with family – not by our blood, but by the blood of Jesus (Mark 3:34-35, Ephesians 2:19, 1 John 3:14-18). Shonna and Sara sharing pictures with us did more than help us feel included; it reminded us that the Lord has given our kiddos spiritual aunts, uncles, brothers, and sisters who love them because they love Him.

The first night they called during their worship time slayed me. Sara Goldwater FaceTimed, and I got to see all of my church kiddos and Keri one by one, and they had picked songs to sing that night for worship that they thought would minister to me. They were right. “Battle Belongs” reminded me that God is my fortress and mighty to save; “Firm Foundation (He Won’t)” reminded me that Jesus is my rock and foundation who will never fail; and “Because He Lives” reminded me who holds the future. I wept as I worshiped.

That night was one of the clearest reminders I’ve ever had that the church is a gift. I already knew that doctrinally. I had preached and taught that the church is the body of Christ, the family of God, brothers and sisters joined together in Jesus. But that night, it was clear. I wasn’t in the room (or even the same state) with them. I wasn’t useful to them in any way. I wasn’t leading or serving them. I was a thousand miles away in a hospital bed, weak and weeping, and the Lord used His people to carry me. Their voices became a mercy to me. Their love became a reminder that Candice and I weren’t alone. Jesus was with us, and one of the ways He made that plain was through His church (Galatians 6:2, 1 Thessalonians 5:11, Hebrews 10:24-25). But as grateful as I was for that gift, I was still hurting.

The next night I was in my feelings – which honestly was understandable – and I asked to talk to John after their worship time. I laid out my struggles, and he gave me some tough, pastoral love by telling me that while I wasn’t on the mission I had planned to be on, I was still on mission. He also told me I needed to ask God to help me figure out how to join in with His mission where I was.

Praying with nurses and phlebotomists, preaching Sunday worship in the cafeteria of the rehab, and looking for ways to minister from a walker or wheelchair was definitely not the mission I had signed up for, but it was where God had me – and where He hadn’t sent anyone but me.

That was last summer’s mission field. This summer, by God’s grace, the mission field looked very different.

The past eight days have been spent with some of our Christ Community kiddos and adults on mission in South Dakota. And this year, by God’s grace, I got to go. We drove over 1,200 miles there over two days. We partnered with Redemption Church in Piedmont, South Dakota to do VBS/backyard Bible club in the mornings and soccer camp in the afternoons at a park near the church. It was beautiful to get to see our people serve the Lord.

Now, don’t get the illusion that I’m about to say that I was some vital part of this; I wasn’t. This past year has shown me clearly that I am not necessary for ministry or missions to happen; Jesus is. He equips those He sends for the mission they have.  When I started in pastoral work at Christ Community, one of my goals was for me not to be in a position to be indispensable. I didn’t want there to be anything that couldn’t be done if I were to fall off the end of the earth. Well, for all intents and purposes, I might as well have last summer. No area where God has called me to serve at CCC went without. People stepped up and did the work by God’s grace and power. Just as the mission trip went on without me, so did our weekly worship gatherings, and what a beautiful thing to behold because Jesus is better than anything I’ve got to offer. That’s part of why the church is such a gift: the work doesn’t rise and fall on any one person, because Jesus Himself is the Head, and He gives gifts to His people for the building up of the body (1 Corinthians 12:4-7, 12-27; Ephesians 1:22-23, 4:11-16).

I even got to see a beautiful picture of love in the midst of the mission. I got to be the one to do the Bible teaching at the backyard Bible club, and during the second day, a chicken showed up. Now, that might not seem like a big deal to you, but let me tell you, it’s hard to be more interesting to kids than a chicken randomly walking up in the middle of town. The third day was the gospel emphasis where we wanted to make sure we were very clear with the kiddos about who Jesus is, what He has done, and how to be saved. I had semi-jokingly told the other adults that, if that chicken showed back up, I was going to take the kiddos over to a shade tree and teach the lesson Sermon-on-the-Mount-style and that I didn’t care which one of them got rid of it, but that they were to relocate it somehow if it showed back up.

And show up it did!

I led the children over to the tree, and my bride took a poster we had made for soccer camp with the Lord’s Prayer written on it and fought that chicken back the whole time I was teaching God’s Word to the kiddos. If you had told me 20 years ago that part of God’s mission or my wife’s love for me or for the Lord would involve beating a chicken back with the Lord’s Prayer, I would’ve lacked the scope or imagination to understand. But now I know!

One of the evenings of the mission trip, this became real to me in a powerful way. I got to come home from the hospital on June 25, 2025, after having been in there 18 days and 19 hours. Candice videoed me going from the car into the house that day, legs emaciated and wobbly with her afraid I was going to topple over and me afraid I wouldn’t make it up the steps and in the door. On June 25, 2026, I was walking up and down a trail in the shadow of Mt. Rushmore, tears filling my eyes at the goodness of God and a testimony of what He can do (“Hope in Jesus Does Not Put Us to Shame”).

That’s getting at the heart of missions anyway. It’s not about having the strongest people in the right places; it’s about a strong Savior sending weak people to tell other weak people where life, forgiveness, hope, and rescue can be found (Matthew 28:18-20, Acts 1:8, 2 Corinthians 5:18-20).

No, I’m not necessary for any bit of God’s mission to be carried out. He is essential, and I’m an accessory. But praise be to God, He lets me participate. He doesn’t need me, but He wants me. And if He can use me in a hospital bed, a rehab cafeteria, a backyard Bible club, a soccer field, or even under a shade tree while my wife battles poultry with the Lord’s Prayer, then surely He can use whatever weakness, circumstance, or opportunity He places in front of any of us to point people to Jesus!

And that brings me to the thread running underneath all of these musings: my walk with Christ. Marriage and missions have both reminded me that Jesus is faithful, and this past year has helped me see anew that He has never left me, never forsaken me, and never wasted a step.

Wrapping Up by Musing on My Walk with Christ

When I was a kid, there were certain things that were always around my great-grandmother Grandma Simmons’s house. One of them was the “Footprints in the Sand” poem, which hung in several places. I’m not going to quote it here, but you probably know the gist. A person looks back over the course of their life and sees footprints in the sand. Sometimes there are two sets. Other times, there is only one set. When looking back, they cry out to God feeling as if those times with one set of footprints were Him abandoning them, but they find out that the Lord had never left them – those were the times He was carrying them.

I think about that poem differently the older I get. Part of that is because I remember Grandma Simmons’s testimony. She had lived long enough, struggled enough, prayed enough, and seen enough of the Lord’s kindness to consistently counsel her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren that God had sustained her, cared for her, and taken care of her all the days of her life.

Looking back over the past year – and the thirty-nine years before that – I can say the same (“God Hears, God Sees, & God Knows”).

I don’t care if the footprints were side-by-side, if there was only one set because He was carrying me, or if, as John Goldwater says, there were drag marks where the Lord just took me and put me where He would have me. I am thankful that I can look back and see His footprints throughout my life. I am thankful that He cares for me. I am thankful that He has a plan for my life. And I am thankful that one day, when this life is over, the same feet I have followed will be the feet where I bow in worship (Deuteronomy 31:8, Psalm 37:23-24, Hebrews 13:5, Revelation 5:9-14).

That’s where I find myself right now in my walk with Christ. I’m trying to make sure I’m where He would have me to be, doing what He would have me to do, and pursuing Him above everything else – or at least striving to pursue Him above all else (“Thankful: Learning to Number Our Days”).

Back in 2015, I burned out and quit ministry because I let my identity get wrapped up in what I did – in being “Pastor Keith”. I don’t want to do that again. I don’t want to confuse calling with identity. I don’t want to confuse serving Jesus with being seen serving Jesus. I don’t want to wrap my identity up in ministry, writing, preaching, teaching, leading worship, or any other good thing Jesus lets me do.

My identity must be wrapped up in Jesus (Galatians 2:20, Colossians 3:1-4, Philippians 3:8-10).

Now, that does not make those callings unimportant. God has clearly called me to be a husband, father, brother, uncle, son, teacher, pastor, worship leader, and writer. I want to be faithful in all of those things. I want to be the husband God has called me to be for Candice and the daddy Keri and Xander need. I want to be a pastor among the flock God has called me to serve. I want to disciple well. I want to work at my job in a way that honors Him. I want to write and teach and sing and serve in ways that point people consistently to Jesus.

But I want to pursue Jesus while being those things, not pursue those things in place of Jesus (Matthew 6:33; John 15:4-5; Colossians 3:17, 23-24).

There’s a quote often attributed to William Carey that hits me hard: “I’m not afraid of failure; I’m afraid of succeeding at things that don’t matter.” I don’t want to build a busy life, or even a visibly fruitful ministry life, only to realize that I succeeded at things Jesus wasn’t calling me to chase. I don’t want to succeed at the wrong things. I don’t want to gain attention and lose faithfulness. I don’t want to be impressive; I want to be faithful to my Lord.

So, I find myself at a crossroads of sorts. Is God calling me somewhere else? Is He calling me to dig in where I am? I don’t know. And, honestly, it’s okay that I don’t know yet.

I know Him.

I know His Word is true. I know He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.

I know He is good when I am weak. I know marriage is deeper than romance. I know His mission is bigger than my strength.

I know the church is a gift — not a building, not a program, not a place for religious spectators, but a blood-bought family where burdens are borne, prayers are lifted, children are loved, the gospel is preached, and weak saints are carried by God’s grace (“Light Momentary Afflictions, Eternal Weight of Glory”).

I know hope in Jesus doesn’t fail, even while I’m still learning to walk forward.

Right now, I’m leaning into Him. I’m digging into His Word, not merely to study to preach or teach, but to spend time with Him. I’m seeking His strength to be faithful in the life He has given me, even while I’m still learning what that looks like.

And because this is not merely my story, maybe that is the challenge for you, too, dear Sojourner.

Are you pursuing Christ, or only the life you hope He will bless? Are you seeking His Kingdom, or asking Him to strengthen your own? Are you resting in your identity in Jesus, or trying to build one out of your roles, productivity, ministry, family, reputation, or success?

Are you where He would have you to be? Are you doing what He would have you to do?

And if you don’t know the answers to these questions, are you leaning into Him while you wait (Psalm 27:14, Proverbs 3:5-6, Isaiah 40:31, James 1:5)?

I don’t know what the next year holds. A year ago, I couldn’t have imagined much of what this year would bring. But I know the One who holds it. I know His name. I know His Son’s name. Surely you know….

His name is Jesus!

He has carried me, corrected me, humbled me, strengthened me, and loved me. He has shown me His goodness in hospital rooms, in my marriage, through His church, carrying out His mission, in weakness, in recovery, and in all the steps in between. And if He has taught me anything through this past year, it is this: He is worthy, He is faithful, and He is enough.

Lord, may my life be in pursuit of You.

[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2025), Pr 30:1–5.

Songs for Sunday, January 4, 2026 @ Christ Community Church

Tomorrow is Sunday — and I’m grateful to start 2026 gathered with my faith family at Christ Community Church.

Hebrews 10:23-25 reminds us why we gather. We come to “hold fast the confession of our hope” — that Jesus is Lord — and be encouraged by others who have been saved by the same grace. We gather to “stir up one another to love and good works”, not as spectators but as participants in what God is doing among us. We gather often, because the Lord has given us a church family and lovingly warns us against “neglecting to meet together”. We gather to “encourage one another”, lifting weary hearts with the reminder that this broken, fallen world isn’t all there is. And every time we gather, we are being prepared for a greater gathering that is coming — shaped week by week into a people ready for the presence of the Lord — the day Revelation 7:9-10 describes when a numberless multitude stands before the throne of God, praising and glorifying the Lamb.

That’s also why we do these “Songs for Sunday” posts. They are a simple invitation to prepare — to read the Scriptures we’ll read aloud in worship, to sing or listen to the songs we’ll sing together, and to come ready to worship with full hearts and clear hope. Preparation doesn’t replace worship; in this case, it deepens tomorrow’s worship it because the preparation itself is worshiping Jesus today.

Sunday’s coming. Let’s come ready to hold fast, encourage one another, and make much of Jesus — together.

Won’t you gather with us?

Here are our Scriptures and songs:

17For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.
18Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. 19For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous. 20Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, 21so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

19Remember my affliction and my wanderings, the wormwood and the gall! 20My soul continually remembers it and is bowed down within me. 21But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope:

22The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; 23they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. 24“The LORD is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in Him.”

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

“Sin Whispers, But God’s Love Shouts!” from Psalm 36 (#dailyPSALMSchallenge)

How precious is Your steadfast love, O God! The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of Your wings.

Psalm 36:7

Psalm 36 presents a striking contrast between the wickedness of sinful man and the steadfast love of God. David opens the psalm with a sobering description of human sinfulness (which describes every one of us at some point). The wicked are deceived by their own arrogance (v. 2). Their words bring trouble and deceit (v.3). And they “do not reject evil” (v. 4). 

What is at the root of all of this sin? David clarified that back in v. 1: “There is no fear of God before [the wicked’s] eyes”. Sin speaks to the hearts of the wicked because they do not fear the Lord and leads them further and further into wickedness and darkness.

But, in contrast to the darkness, the love of God shines brilliantly! David exalts God’s steadfast love, faithfulness, righteousness, and justice (vv. 5-6). These attributes of God are described in magnificently limitless terms in v. 5: “ Your steadfast love, O LORD, extends to the heavens, Your faithfulness to the clouds.” God’s righteousness is described as firm as mountain, and His judgments as deep as the oceans (v. 6). 

This steadfast love is at the root of His covenant with His people, leading Him to offer abundant blessings to those who trust in Him. Those who trust in Him “feast on the abundance of [His] house” and drink deeply from “the river of [His] delights” (v. 8). This is a picture of deep satisfaction found only in relationship and refuge in the Lord. He Himself is the “fountain of life” (v. 9), the source of all true joy, meaning, and fulfillment.

David closes Psalm 36 with a prayer for God’s continued love and protection for His people (vv. 10-12). He asks that pride and wickedness – that he understood was a danger to his own sinsick heart – would not overtake him and that God’s enemies would ultimately fall.

This leaves all reading Psalm 36 with a clear choice: will we walk in the way of the wicked, or will we seek shelter under the wings of a loving God?

Seeing Jesus in Psalm 36

Jesus is not only the fulfillment of Psalm 36 but the perfect embodiment and demonstration of God’s steadfast love. The apostle John showed this clearly in 1 John 4:9-10 – that in Jesus the love of God is illustrated, illuminated, and literally embodied:

“In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent His only Son into the world, so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation of our sins.”

Not only does Jesus encapsulate the love of God, but He is the fullest expression of the way God’s love was shown throughout Psalm 36. He is the Good Shepherd (John 10:11), the Bread of Life (John 6:35), the Fountain of Living Water (John 7:37-38), and the Light of the World (John 8:12). It is in Jesus alone that we experience the inexhaustible and ever-present satisfaction that David spoke of in his deepest longings. 

Refection

What David prayed for, we can know fully in Jesus. The world offers temporary pleasures, but Jesus not only embodies David’s longings but offers His fulfillment of them to all who trust in Him. That’s good news!

As you meditate on the beauty of God’s love in Christ, consider the following questions:

  • Do you recognize the voice of sin whispering in your own heart? How can you guard against it?
  • What does it mean to take refuge in God’s steadfast love? Where are you seeking satisfaction apart from Him?

The world offers fleeting joys, but true and lasting joy is found in His presence – presence that we can experience through His Spirit within us. 

Run to Him.

Take refuge under His wings.

Rest in the promise of His never-stopping, never-failing, never-giving-up steadfast love.

Here’s a song inspired by Psalm 36:

The #dailyPSALMSchallenge gives us the opportunity to start 2025 in God’s Word by digging into a psalm a day. Each day will identify a key passage for us to meditate on as well as seeking to help us see Jesus in the psalm and reflect on what we have read.

Won’t you take the challenge?

“Finding Refuge in the Arms of the Good Shepherd” from Psalm 28 (#dailyPSALMSchallenge)

The LORD is my strength and my shield; in Him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to Him.

Psalm 28:7

Psalm 28 begins with a cry for help and ends as a song of praise. David again finds himself in a desperate situation, pleading with God to hear, deliver, and protect him from the wicked people. His journey from lament to joy is an example for believers to be able to bring their burdens to God with confidence in His faithful provision.

David starts out by crying out to God: “To You, O LORD, I call; my rock, be not deaf to me” (v. 1). His plea is urgent – he lifts his hands toward God’s sanctuary, pleading for mercy and divine intervention (v. 2). He fears being counted among the wicked, whose outwards show of peace is meant to mask the evil in their hearts (v. 3). These workers of iniquity disregard God’s works and will ultimately stand under His judgment (vv. 4-5).

In v. 6, David shifts from lament to praise, declaring, “Blessed be the LORD! For He has heard the voice of my pleas for mercy”. David  proclaims that the Lord is his strength and shield, the source of his help and joy. Trusting in God brings him peace, and his gratitude moves him to song (v. 7).

As king, David concludes Psalm 28 with a prayer for his people: “Oh, save your people and bless Your heritage! Be their shepherd and carry them forever” (v. 9). This prayer reflects his role as a representative of the nation of Israel as well as his dependence on God as his faithful Shepherd who guides and protects His people.

Seeing Jesus in Psalm 28

Psalm 28 points to Jesus as the ultimate fulfillment of David’s prayer. Jesus is the Good Shepherd who carries His people in His arms (John 10:11-18). He is our strength and shield, providing eternal salvation and protection for those who trust in Him.

The cry for justice in vv. 3-5 finds its resolution in Jesus, who perfectly executes righteousness and will one day judge the wicked (2 Timothy 4:1). The final prayer in v. 9 echoes Jesus’s role as the Shepherd-King who leads His people. Through Him, God’s people are not only saved but also blessed and carried into eternal joy and rest in Him (Revelation 7:17).

Reflection

Psalm 28 teaches us to bring our desperation, pleas, and fears to God, trusting that He hears us and will respond. Reflect on the following questions.

What burdens or fears are you carrying today? How can you bring them to God in prayer?

How has God demonstrated His faithfulness in your life in times of difficulty?

In what ways should you respond to God in gratitude and worship?

Take some time today to cry out to God with your needs and concerns, trusting in His strength and protection. Let David’s prayer here remind you that God is faithful to hear, help, and carry us through every trial. As you reflect on His goodness, allow your heart to overflow with thanksgiving and song!

The #dailyPSALMSchallenge gives us the opportunity to start 2025 in God’s Word by digging into a psalm a day. Each day will identify a key passage for us to meditate on as well as seeking to help us see Jesus in the psalm and reflect on what we have read.

Won’t you take the challenge?