Sharing From Our Experiences with the Lord

Posted on May 24, 2026 by Barbara Harper

When I was in college, the dorm rooms were formed into smaller prayer groups, usually three dorm rooms to a group, that met almost every night for devotions. The people in the rooms took turns sharing a devotional each night, then we spent a few minutes in prayer before getting ready for bed.

One of my roommates got extremely nervous when her time to share was coming up. She stressed over not knowing what to say. “How am I supposed to know what other people need to hear?’

We tried to encourage her to just share something God had been teaching her. It didn’t have to be a sermon. It didn’t have to be the last word on a given subject. If God wanted her to share something for Him, He’d give her what He wanted her to say.

When our ladies’ Bible study group was going through True Woman 201: Interior Design–Ten Elements of Biblical Womanhood, one section stood out to me. The authors emphasized that mentoring “simply means drawing on your life experience, in the context of everyday life, to provide encouragement and exhortation to those who are younger” (p. 219).

Of course, the whole book talks about being a godly woman by spending time with Him, in His Word, and reflecting Him. So we’re not just drawing on our personal life experience, but our experience within the bigger picture of our walk with God–what we’ve learned along the way.

It’s the same with any kind of ministry to each other. We draw out of our own experiences with God. We can’t teach or model or share what we don’t know. That is another reason for growing in grace and knowledge of Him–not just for our own benefit, but to have to minister to others.

This doesn’t mean that only women who have miscarried a child can minister to a woman in that situation, or only a single woman in the business world can mentor a younger single businesswoman. There are some truths of faith and practice that can be applied across the board.

Sharing with others from our lives also doesn’t mean that we have to have everything together and know all the answers. That would eliminate everyone. Sometimes sharing from our failures encourages others that there is hope and forgiveness and grace

Ministering to others also isn’t restricted to official, formal, or even church-related venues. It’s amazing how often in my life, a seemingly chance, off-the-cuff statement from someone else was just what I needed to hear that day.

I’ve often been encouraged by this excerpt from a hymn by Fanny Crosby:

Now just a word for Jesus:
Your dearest Friend so true,
Come cheer our hearts and tell us
What He has done for you.

Now just a word for Jesus-
‘Twill help us on our way;
One little word for Jesus,
O speak or sing or pray.

—Fanny Crosby

God can use each of us as we interact with each other in everyday life to encourage and uplift. As we ask Him to fill us with His Holy Spirit, seek His guidance, and pay attention to the needs of others, He can work through us to point them to Him.

(Updated to add: The day after posting this, it occurred to me that it could be taken in a wrong way. I’m not exalting experience above the Word of God. I’m talking about sharing from our own walk with God and our time in His Word–how we’ve found Him faithful, how He helped us through various trials, how He kept His promises to us.)

(I often link up with some of these bloggers.)

Laudable Linkage

Posted on May 23, 2026 by Barbara Harper

It’s probably time for my occasional reminder that these links do not imply complete endorsement.

The Faith of Jacob. “I want to be like Jacob. That might seem like a strange statement if you know the story of Jacob.”

Nathanael, HT to Challies. “On a quiet Friday in 2016, Wanjiku’s world was shattered when her young son, Nathanael, suddenly passed away despite her desperate ‘decrees and declarations’ for a resurrection. In the aftermath of her loss, she was met with a theology that blamed her for ‘opening a door to Satan,’ forcing her to confront a terrifying question: Is God so weak that He can be outmaneuvered by human error?”

What God Is Healing While Not Healing My Health Problems. A number of fellow bloggers have recommended this. “I’ve been praying for the Lord to heal me from significant chronic health problems for a long while now. I will continue to. In the meantime, I marvel at what He IS healing me from through this course of pain…”

Raise Kids to Be Reality Respecters, HT to Challies. “Years ago, my coworker and I were sitting at our desks with the office door open. One of our colleagues walked by with his young daughter, and we overheard him say to her, ‘You can be anything you want to be.’ Instinctively, my office mate and I turned toward each other with our eyebrows raised. Although the fatherly intention behind the inspirational pep talk was good, it just wasn’t true. We can’t be anything we want to be.”

How to Raise Curious Kids in a World Designed to Distract Them, HT to the Story Warren. “Curiosity helps kids learn, adapt and think deeply. Here’s why it matters more than ever and how parents can help it grow.”

Advice for College Graduates, HT to Challies. “For all the full schedules, not everyone who walks across a stage and receives a diploma is entirely settled. The season can bring about a lot of anxiety. Graduates might wonder if they’re the only ones in their class who haven’t figured out what comes next. While others are starting jobs, heading off to graduate school, or embarking on what appear to be clearly defined new paths, there are far more graduates than we might imagine who are quietly asking themselves the same question: What am I supposed to do now?“

The Pastoral Virtue of Avoidance, HT to Challies. Though this is written to pastors, it is good for all of us. “At least seven times in the pastoral epistles, Paul directly charges Timothy and Titus to ‘avoid’ and to ‘have nothing to do with’ ideas and people who pose a threat to their flock. This is jarring since one of the main purposes for these letters is to encourage Timothy and Titus to engage false teaching and teachers. Yet here is where the paradox emerges: Paul teaches a pastoral virtue of avoidance—showing that sometimes the wisest form of engagement is careful restraint.”

This is what detransitioning looks like. Eight stories of regret, HT to Challies. This is from a secular source, but shares that transitioning sexuality didn’t solve people’s main issues.

Encouragement Through Letter-Writing. Writing letters has almost become a lost art. But a timely note or letter can be a great encouragement.

What if God ruined your plans so your plans wouldn’t ruin you? J. C. Ryle

Weariness in Serving God

Posted on May 17, 2026 by Barbara Harper

Do you ever get weary serving the Lord?

It’s possible, because Paul encourages us in Galatians 6:9, “Let us not grow weary of doing good.” He shares one reason not to grow weary: “In due season we will reap, if we do not give up.”

We can get weary of laboring without seeing results. But Paul says we will reap. We may not see the results we’d like in our lifetime. But God promises His Word won’t return to Him empty; it will accomplish what He purposes (Isaiah 55:11).

We can also get weary just because we’re tired. Spiritual work does take a lot out of us. Plus our physical lives can make us weary: if we’re not getting enough sleep because of a new baby in the house, or we’re working two jobs to make ends meet, or we have a lot of obligations on our plate, naturally we’re going to feel worn out.

And we can too often feel weary because we slip into doing things in our own strength instead of relying on God’s.

Jesus’ welcome invitation is, “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.”

But there is a type of weariness that’s dangerous. In the book of Malachi, God rebuked the priests for giving “polluted” offerings.” God had given them specific instructions for the type of sacrifices they were to offer: the animal being offered needed to be in the best condition: not lame or sick or attacked by another animal and on its way to death anyway. There is a lot of symbolism to the sacrificial system that we can’t go into completely here, but some of the sacrifices representing Christ had to be perfect. Yet the priests weren’t offering the kind of animals God had told them.

Even worse, they said, “What a weariness this is.” Some translations say “nuisance.” or “tiresome.” Then they “snorted” at it–other translations say “turned up your nose” or “sneered.”

When God’s service seems tiresome, wearying, even a nuisance, our hearts are in trouble.

Jesus said, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (John 14:15). We don’t keep His commandments to earn His favor or to go through the outward forms of religion. We keep them, and serve Him, out of love.

John repeats this truth in 1 John 5:3, “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments.” But he adds this statement: “And his commandments are not burdensome.” (“grievous” in the KJV).

God’s commands may not be easy to keep. We may not always understand them. But because we know Him, we know His character, and we love Him, we want to do what pleases Him.

Malachi’s prophecy holds out hope, though. In chapter 2, verse 1, God tells the priests, “If you will not listen, if you will not take it to heart to give honor to my name,” then He lists the punishments that will come upon them.

But notice that little word, “if.” That indicates it was possible to listen and take His word to heart. Throughout the Bible, God’s warnings are to encourage people to reconciliation, to a right heart.

And if our heart’s desire is to honor and love Him, then He promises:

Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
his understanding is unsearchable.

He gives power to the faint,
and to him who has no might he increases strength.

Even youths shall faint and be weary,
and young men shall fall exhausted;
but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not faint. (Isaiah 40:28-31)

May God give us grace to serve in love with with the strength He gives.

(I often link up with some of these bloggers.)

What I’ve Learned About Ministry

Posted on April 19, 2026 by Barbara Harper

I didn’t attend church regularly until I was about sixteen. When I started participating in various church ministries in the next several years, I didn’t realize I had some mistaken expectations about how church ministry should go.

By “ministry,” I don’t mean just “full-time” ministry: pastor, missionary, evangelist, etc. Many are called to those positions. But every Christian is called to minister to others in some way. God has gifted each of us with spiritual gifts and talents to use in serving Him and each other.

Though I’m mainly talking about ministries within the church, there are also plenty of ways we can minister to one another outside of official church groups.

Here are some things I’ve learned in nearly fifty years of ministry in and out of church.

Try different things. As a young person, I had no idea what my gifts and abilities were. I was asked to work in the nursery and participate in children’s ministries, eventually teaching Sunday School and children’s church. I learned to do those things–but I dreaded them. Then one year, our Awana secretary asked me to be her assistant–keeping score in games, tallying points for team events, ordering supplies, getting the awards ready for the close of each night. I felt like I’d come home, like I had finally found my niche. Later I tried other ares of ministry within the ladies’ group and helping missionaries. As we pray and try different things, we’ll get a sense of where our gifts are. Feedback from others will help confirm where they see God working in your life.

Some things will go wrong. I used to think anything done for the Lord should go smoothly. I was mystified when it didn’t. Sometimes the devil actively attacks. However, often our troubles stem from living in a fallen world. Equipment will break down, weather won’t cooperate, etc.

We won’t always agree. I used to think that any group of people who loved the Lord and wanted to serve Him would be able to work together in perfect harmony. Experience shows otherwise, but I should have noticed that even people in the Bible didn’t always agree on what or how things should be done. Sometimes differences occur because we’re all sinners. Other times, our different backgrounds and experiences will form our views. It’s good to hear each other out. Sometimes different ideas will shine a light on an area we hadn’t thought about. We shouldn’t be overprotective about our proposals and methods, but hear each other out. Even when we need to stand firm about how something needs to be done, we can be gracious towards others’ opinions.

People will let you down. Once I was to meet another lady at church to put up a bulletin board together. I had a nursing baby at home who wanted to be fed every two to three hours and who would not take a bottle. But I felt I could get back home in time if my coworker and I got as much done ahead of time as possible–all the letters cut out, etc. When we arrived at the church, she did not have all of her pieces ready. I was so frustrated.

When we work with others, we’ll see they have feet of clay–and they’ll see the same about us. Someone will forget their turn in the nursery, not show up when needed, not complete the job they agreed to do. None of us is perfect. We’re all sinners. That’s one reason all those verses about forgiving one another and forbearing with one another are there in the Bible. We might need to have a discussion with them. We shouldn’t hold grudges or gossip about each other’s failures, but rather forgive and do our best to smooth things over.

People will surprise you. One time I asked someone who looked to me like she had plenty of time to help with a committee, but she said no. Then another lady that I would not have asked because she was so busy volunteered. We don’t know everything going on in another’s life, so we shouldn’t make assumptions about whether they are able to help. We need to pray before seeking coworkers and trust God to lead us to the right people.

Then there are dear people who just happen to be around and pitch in when needed–cleaning up after an event, going for needed supplies, stepping in the nursery when someone is home sick or has forgotten their turn, sharing a word of encouragement , etc.

I won’t always feel joyful in ministry. There are times we feel defeated, discouraged, overwhelmed, and wish we hadn’t agreed to help. There are even times I’ve locked myself in the bathroom, crying, before an event where I had a big responsibility. It helped me to realize that I feel that way in other areas of life as well. A lack of joy may indicate a heart problem, or it may mean it’s time for a change. But usually it just means we’re human. We remind ourselves we’re doing what we’re doing as unto the Lord. And I’ve often found that the joy does not often come before a task, but sometimes during and usually after it’s over.

I shouldn’t say no unless I pray about it. This was drilled into us by the head of our ladies group in the church my husband and I were in when we first married. I was asked to be on the committee that did monthly bulletin boards featuring a missionary each month. Bulletin boards had been the bane of my existence in college, where students had to do bulletin boards for various classes. But as I prayed, I didn’t feel I should say no. The next year, I was asked to head that committee for the following year. I didn’t look forward to it. But all that I had learned in school and on the committee the previous year finally came together, and God gave me some wonderful ideas for boards.

There are times to say no. In my early Christian life, I thought I should do anything anyone asked me to do. I quickly got overwhelmed. After we pray about it, we should feel no guilt saying no if we feel that’s God’s answer. If He doesn’t want us in a certain position, He has someone else in mind. In fact, one time when I did have to say no, the person who said yes did a much better job than I could have. I realized that saying no sometimes makes way for another to step into that place.

There are times a ministry has to shut down. When we lived in GA, we had a wonderful, active homeschool support group. One mom started it simply, but then it grew to hundreds of people. When the coordinator was pregnant with her seventh child, she just could not handle the group any more. We did without the group for about a year. But then one woman volunteered to do the newsletter. Another agreed to coordinate the monthly meetings. One by one, the various aspects of the group were taken on by others. It took that year of being without the group to make everyone realize how much they wanted it and to be willing to structure it differently.

On the other hand, sometimes a particular ministry lasts for a time and then gives way to something new as the times or the needs of the group change.

I won’t always feel sufficient. Like Moses when God called him to lead the people of Israel, I often feel insufficient for a job before I start. But even when I do something that I feel God has equipped me for, at some point I often feel overwhelmed. That’s a good place to be, though, because we learn by experience that His strength is made perfect in our weakness.

Ministry will stretch us. If we never venture out of our comfort zones, we’ll never grow. It’s scary, but God will meet us in our need.

Keep first things first. Like Martha, we can be “cumbered about much serving” and forget the one needful thing: fellowshipping with our Savior and getting to know Him better. Serving is no substitute for growing in love for Him and His people.

There’s nothing like seeing God provide strength and ideas and even tiny details that make us marvel at His attention and love and care.

There is nothing like being used of God. That’s what ministry comes down to: allowing God to work through us in others’ lives. When someone lets us know that they were blessed, encouraged, instructed, or helped by some small thing we said or did, and we know it was only because of God’s grace, our own hearts rejoice and are encouraged.

The Bible tells us, “If anyone speaks, let it be as one who speaks God’s words; if anyone serves, let it be from the strength God provides, so that God may be glorified through Jesus Christ in everything. To him be the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen” (1 Peter 4:11, CSB). That’s our ultimate purpose in all we do: to glorify God with the strength He provides.

There is much more that can be said about ministry: there are whole books written on the subject. But I hope some of these thoughts help encourage you in your ministry for the Lord.

What have you learned about ministry along the way?

Revised from the archives.

(I often link up with some of these bloggers.)

Laudable Linkage

Posted on April 18, 2026 by Barbara Harper

Some of the thought-provoking reads found this week:

The Heavens Are Still Declaring–and Not Just to Astronauts, HT to Challies. “What seems to happen for the astronauts is that they gain enough distance from the distractions that it interrupts their internal suppression. They move far enough away from the static of everyday life that God’s signal can once again be heard with clarity. And what they hear profoundly changes them.”

Don’t Skim the “Minor” Bible Stories. “While the amount of ‘real estate’ given to a particular story in the Bible is worth noting, it doesn’t give us license to ignore or rush past the little moments. All of it is included for our ‘teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work’ (2 Tim. 3:16–17). This truth opens the door for the ‘smaller’ (and sometimes more confusing) stories to come alive.”

When Christian Formation is Tough, What Will Keep You Going? HT to the Story Warren. “Walk long enough with believers who are seeking the Lord through prayer, Bible reading, and service in the church, and you’ll hear comments like this. Words of weariness. Fragments of discouragement. Maybe you’re there right now—demoralized by division in your church, disillusioned by unanswered prayers, disinclined to open God’s Word when carving out time already feels impossible. What will keep you praying in circumstances like this? What will keep you going to God’s Word? What will keep you in the church?”

6 Arguments Satan Uses to Tempt You and 6 Responses to Use When He Does, HT to Challies. “We often want to change the consequences of sin but not the sin itself. We want to do something about the guilt, the fear, the damaged relationships. These outcomes can be a strong motive for seeking help, but in our heart of hearts, we still desire the sin itself.”

Once a Promiscuous Woman, Always a Promiscuous Woman, HT to Challies. “Tell me you don’t understand the gospel without telling me. I really wish this was a niche belief . . . It seems there are a lot more Christ-proclaiming men and women who don’t understand how far the grace of God can reach. They don’t understand how far it had to reach to save them, too.”

Nothing to Hide: Encouraging Transparency in our Relationships. “Here I was, a biblical counselor, helping others with their problems, and yet I was struggling, too. Should I share this with the women at the study? The study I was leading? What would they think of me? Or should I push through, pretending to be someone I was not? I stayed with my conviction to confess these things from my heart.”

Christians must make dating great again, HT to Challies. “In response to the excesses of ’90s hookup culture, many well-meaning parents and churches told their children to ‘kiss dating goodbye.’ The intention was good: avoid sexual sin, take relationships seriously, aim for marriage. But the unintended consequence was that many young adults stopped dating altogether.” I think the advice here is good not just due to lower birth rates, as seems to be the author’s main emphasis, but to encourage young people in their relationships and to help counteract some of the wrong advice from the past.

“I Just Want You to Be Happy” and Other Things I Don’t Tell My Single Friends. “Proverbs 27:6 says, ‘The wounds of a friend are trustworthy, but the kisses of an enemy are excessive.’ An enemy, literally ‘one who hates,’ may appear to be a friend because she doesn’t offer criticism or rebuke. Yet, ironically, a true friend is more loving because she is willing to offer wise correction, even if it stings in the moment or isn’t what the other person wants to hear. That’s why I’ve stopped using these three statements with my single friends.”

Look for the Light. “My children carefully observed all that was going on that day. They saw my grandmother’s frailty and despite her inability to connect, they loved her without condition. Then, they generously shared their joy with another man they barely knew. How can one not see God at work there?”

“The name of Jesus Christ is hell’s terror, heaven’s delight, and earth’s hope.”– Charles Spurgeon

When People Act Like Jerks

Posted on April 12, 2026 by Barbara Harper

You’ve probably seen those lists people post on social media from time to time–the ones that say something like, “The man speeding on the highway? Maybe his wife is in labor and they are racing to the hospital. The woman who passed you in the hallway without speaking? Maybe she’s worried about a sick child at home.”

On the list goes with various scenarios in which we tend to jump to conclusions and misjudge people.

It’s true, we don’t usually know what’s motivating someone’s actions. We do tend to be quick to judge. As someone has said, we never know what kind of battles people are fighting. In Scriptural terms, we’re to be “quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger” (James 1:19).

One day as I was driving on the highway, a man in another car cut me off and proceeded to speed in and out of traffic for as far as I could see him.

I thought, “Well, maybe he’s trying to get home to an emergency.”

Then I thought, “Or maybe he’s just being a jerk.”

Because people are sometimes, especially while driving.

So what do we do with jerk-like behavior?

Well, my usual responses to call names or rant about the wrongness of the other person’s actions are not good ones. I don’t do these things in person, but in the solitude of my own car or home–unless I am venting to my husband about my encounters.

I have gotten so steamed at other people’s unfair or thoughtless or just plain wrong actions that my heart starts racing and I worry about my blood pressure.

It doesn’t help to fixate on the situation or repeat it over and over in my mind. Those actions only escalate the situation and my wrong responses.

One of my college professors used to say, “Don’t let other people’s problems become your problems.” He wasn’t saying we shouldn’t care about people’s problems or try to help them. He was saying, in this context, don’t let someone else’s wrongdoing cause you to react wrongly or to sin.

It doesn’t do anything to correct the matter if I work myself up into stroke-levels of blood pressure when someone drives crazily. It only does me harm. So I need to just let it go and not stew over it. Maybe I could pray for them not to hurt anyone or for a policeman to stop them.

What about when jerk-like behavior is closer to home? When a boorish person is a relative or neighbor?

Abigail in 1 Samuel 25 is a good example. Her husband, Nabal, “was harsh and badly behaved.” While David and his men were on the run from Saul, they acted as security or bodyguards to Nabal’s shepherds. When Nabal was shearing his sheep near a feast day, David sent a few of his men to ask Nabal if he could spare some food for them.

Nabal not only said no, he insulted David.

So David called 400 of his men to strap on their swords and head to Nabal’s house.

In the meantime, one of the servants told Abigail what had happened. She hurriedly gathered up food and sent it ahead, and then she got on a donkey and headed to David. When she found him, she humbled herself before him. She admitted her husband was foolish. She asked for forgiveness for him. She appealed to David not to make things worse and cause bloodshed against innocent people by “working salvation himself.” She acknowledged that David was God’s chosen.

David thanked and blessed her, realizing she “kept me this day from bloodguilt and from working salvation with my own hand!” He told her to go home in peace.

Abigail did so, and found Nabal eating, drinking, and making merry. She didn’t tell him about her interaction with David until the next morning, when Nabal was clearheaded. “His heart died within him, and he became as a stone.” Ten days later, “the Lord struck Nabal, and he died.”

Abigail acknowledged what kind of man her husband was; there was no hiding it. But she used wisdom and discretion to protect him and the entire household.

Of course, an even better example is our Lord Jesus. He had the authority to rebuke people when they needed it. But He endured a lot from stubborn, rebellious, foolish people. When it came time for Him to give Himself to die for our sins, He did so without fighting back. “For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly” (1 Peter 2:21-23).

He taught us not just to endure, but to go the extra mile, to turn the other cheek, to love our enemies:

You have heard that it was said, “You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.” But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect (Matthew 5:43-48).

The Bible acknowledges there are some people we can’t live peaceably with despite our best efforts.

Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good (Romans 12:17-21).

There are times to confront people or to appeal to an authority to deal with them. There are times to leave an abusive situation. There are other times to let the situation go. We exercise wisdom, show love, and trust “him who judges justly.”

(I often link up with some of these bloggers.)

Sure-Footed Confidence

Posted on April 5, 2026 by Barbara Harper

The book of Habakkuk might seem an unlikely place to draw inspiration for Easter. But my study from Habakkuk last week gave me food for thought this Easter week.

Habakkuk is my favorite of the Old Testament “minor” prophets. His book is just three chapters long and seems to be a lot more understandable than some of the others.

First, Habakkuk laments the violence, destruction, iniquity, and injustice he sees around him. He asks God how long he’ll cry for help without God answering.

God answers that He is sending the “dreaded and fearsome” Chaldeans.

Habakkuk’s response in our day would sound something like, “Wait–what?!” He wonders how God in His holiness can send a wicked nation against His own people.

God’s answer is the longest part of the book, too long to delineate here. But He begins with “The righteous shall live by his faith” and ends with “But the Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before him.”

In other words, “I know what I am doing. Trust me.”

In-between those truths, He promises He will deal with the Chaldeans.

His answer satisfied Habakkuk, who praises Him and prays for revival. In what’s probably the most well-known part of the book, next to “The just shall live by His faith,” Habakkuk proclaims that, “Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls”–

In other words, through economic collapse, need, everything going wrong–

“Yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation.”

That passage has rebuked and inspired me many times. But what stood out to me on this reading was the next verse: “God, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer’s; he makes me tread on my high places.”

The ESV Study Bible notes say of this verse, “Habakkuk can have sure-footed confidence in God and can live on the heights even amid extreme circumstances.”

Have you ever seen deer or mountain goats walking and leaping in areas where it looks like they’ll take a tumble at any moment? They are much more sure-footed than I would be in their place.

Our day is not unlike Habakkuk’s. Violence, injustice, and iniquity abound. We know from later books in the Bible that things will get worse before the end.

But because Jesus came, lived a totally righteous life in our place, died for our sins, and rose again:

We can be forgiven.

“And 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, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him” (Colossians 2:13-15).

We can have everlasting life.

“I am the resurrection and the life.Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25).
“But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Philippians 3:20).
“For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens” (2 Corinthians 5:1).

Jesus lives within us.

“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).
“To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27).

We have access to God.

“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 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” (Romans 5:1-2).
“Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4: 14-16).

We don’t have to fear death.

“Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery” (Hebrews 2:14-15).
“When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: ‘Death is swallowed up in victory.’ ‘O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?’ The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:54-57).

We have comfort in sorrow.

“But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).

We have meaning in our work.

After 57 verses about the resurrection, Paul writes, “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:58).

We have perspective in our suffering.

“So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison” (2 Corinthians 4:16-17).
“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us” (Romans 8:18).

We have focus for our daily walk.

“We look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:18).
“But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13-14).
“We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4).

God has graciously given us more Scripture than Habakkuk had. But the truth remains: “The righteous shall live by his faith” and “The Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before him.”

We don’t know how everything will work out before the Lord comes again. But we can have “sure-footed confidence in God” and “live on the heights even amid extreme circumstances.” Our souls can be stable even when our circumstances are not.

(I often link up with some of these bloggers.)

Laudable Linkage

Posted on April 4, 2026 by Barbara Harper

I have just a short list to share today:

Easter Week in Real Time, HT to the Story Warren. Russ Ramsey has put together the Bible accounts of the last week of Jesus’ earthly life in chronological order.

The Day Between Loss and Glory, HT to Challies. “Easter weekend has always been one of contemplation for me; and much more so over the last three years as we continue to navigate what life is like after the death of our eldest son, Ezra. I often think about Friday and Christ’s crucifixion; the incredible sacrifice he made for sinners like me. I love to celebrate on Sunday; the glory and hope of the resurrection. In recent years, however, I find Saturday is much more dear to me.”

All Thinks Considered. Thinking about overthinking. “Overthinking, on the other hand, is getting stuck in woulda, shoulda, what-ifs, and whys, analyzing and reanalyzing the same thoughts, situations, and interactions—past, present, and future—and obsessing about the outcome. It’s that kind of overthinking that can trap us in all kinds of worry and the highest anxiety. It can freeze up our decision-making abilities.”

Spirit-Empowered Growth. “Spiritual growth is possible because of the ministry of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit actively works in our lives to make us more like Christ. He accomplishes His sanctifying work in a number of different ways.”

Why Did God Reject Cain’s Offering? “The second sin in the Bible is Cain’s anger at and murder of his brother. This story is both incredibly relatable, as is seen from the scores of families that have been strained, divided, and ultimately ripped apart from envy, anger, and jealousy. Yet it is also confusing. It’s confusing because it isn’t immediately obvious why God is displeased with Cain’s offering. Several theories have been proposed, and I have a theory of my own to throw in at the end. I want to work through each of these and examine the strengths and weaknesses of each position.”

Grace in the Struggle: 5 Truths from Life with Fabry. Ashley writes about what she’s learned from a chronic illness called Fabry disease, but these truths are applicable for other conditions as well.

The devil thought he was defeating Christ, but Christ was reconciling us to God, defeating the devil and delivering us out of His clutches. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

Who Is Responsible for Jesus’ Death?

Posted on March 29, 2026 by Barbara Harper

Every now and then, the question comes up: Who killed Jesus? Who is responsible for His death?

Let’s look at the possibilities:

Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea. Even though Pilate said he did not find in guilt in Jesus (John 18:38; 19:5), and tried to have Jesus released (John 19:12), he still delivered Him over to be crucified (John 19:16). Even though Pilate washed his hands, proclaiming his innocence of Jesus’ blood (Matthew 27:24), he is still responsible.

The Roman soldiers. One could say they were just following Pilate’s orders, that they didn’t authorize Jesus’ death. Yet they were the ones to actually nail Him to a cross. And they went beyond orders to mock and beat Him (Matthew 27:27-31).

The Jewish officials. The chief priests and elders “plotted together in order to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him” (Matthew 26:3-5). They paid Judas to betray Him. They sent people to seize Jesus (Mathew 26:47). They accused him before Pilate (John 18:28-32; 19:12-16). When Pilate offered to free Jesus as part of his tradition of freeing a prisoner during the Passover week, they urged the people to ask for Barabbas to be freed instead and to call for Jesus to be crucified Matthew 27:15-23).

The Jewish people. When Pilate washed his hands, saying he was innocent of Jesus’ blood, “all the people answered, ‘His blood be on us and on our children!’” (Matthew 27:24-25). This is not a reason for antisemitism, nor is it saying that all Jews of all time are guilty of Jesus’ death. It’s just saying that the people who had rejected Jesus during the time of His ministry called for His death and willingly took responsibility.

Judas. Judas betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver and led those seeking Him straight to Him. I don’t know if he realized his actions would result in Jesus’ death. But whether he intended it or not, he had a hand in Jesus’ crucifixion.

God the Father. None of the above could have happened if God did not allow it. But God the Father did not merely allow events to happen that resulted in His Son’s death. He gave His Son to die for our sins. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). “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” (1 John 4:9).

Jesus Himself. Jesus was not an unwilling pawn in His death. He said, “I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father” (John 10:17-19). “Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. . . Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.” (Ephesian 5:2, 25-27).

Us. How can we be responsible for Jesus’ death when we didn’t live at the time of His crucifixion? He died for the sins of the whole world. “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). “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. 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” (Isaiah 53:5-6). We may not have held the hammer that drove the nails or shouted for His crucifixion. But he was on the cross to pay for our sins.

So–who was ultimately responsible?

Well, the disciples said in Acts 4:27-28 (NKJV), “For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose determined before to be done.” The Roman officials, the Jewish people, and even the Gentiles are mentioned–but so is God’s plan and purpose.

Likewise, Acts 2:23 says, “This Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.” The Father and Son planned this ahead of time, but it was accomplished “by the hands of lawless men” (some translations say wicked men).

Somehow God’s rule and man’s will worked together to accomplish God’s purposes. It’s like what Joseph said of his brothers’ wrongs committed against him: “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today” (Genesis 50:20).

The good news is that Jesus didn’t die just to heap guilt on us. He died to save us from our sins. He prayed for forgiveness even for the men who killed Him. “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). And His desire is that people believe on Him and accept His forgiveness.

“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

“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. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved” (Romans 10:9-10).

He died for us. He died for you. Please don’t neglect this wonderful gift of love.

(I often link up with some of these bloggers.)

Spring for the Soul

Posted on March 22, 2026 by Barbara Harper

After Noah and his family finally got off the ark, God promised, “While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease” (Genesis 8:22).

One of the things I loved about moving from TX to SC and TN was having four distinct seasons. Winter has its charms, but it’s not my favorite. Our winters aren’t as severe as many of our northern neighbors, but the cold can still pack a punch.

Early spring can still host a snowfall or two. We don’t usually plant anything until well into May, so young seedlings aren’t killed by a late frost.

Still, by and large, signs of spring increase day by day. Light stays longer. Trees begin to bud. Spring flowers start sending their shoots above ground. And many of us feel a new hope and energy with the return of color and light into our worlds.

Souls have seasons, too, though they are not as predictable as the physical realm. I’ve often been inspired by John Newton’s “Waiting for Spring.” The whole poem, along with some of his journal entries at the time, can be found here. I’ve shared it many times before, but it always speaks to me this time of year. In the first three stanzas, he talks about the change of seasons as part of God’s decree. Then he writes:

Such changes are for us decreed;
Believers have their winters too;
But spring shall certainly succeed,
And all their former life renew.

Winter and spring have each their use,
And each, in turn, his people know;
One kills the weeds their hearts produce,
The other makes their graces grow.

Though like dead trees awhile they seem,
Yet having life within their root,
The welcome spring’s reviving beam
Draws forth their blossoms, leaves, and fruit.

Then he prays in the last stanza:

Dear Lord, afford our souls a spring,
Thou know’st our winter has been long;
Shine forth, and warm our hearts to sing,
And thy rich grace shall be our song.

Another of his poems, or hymns, “Pleasing spring is here again” captures evidences of spring.

What a change has taken place!
Emblem of the spring of grace;
How the soul, in winter, mourns
Till the Lord, the Sun, returns;
Till the Spirit’s gentle rain,
Bids the heart revive again;
Then the stone is turned to flesh,
And each grace springs forth afresh.

Lord, afford a spring to me!
Let me feel like what I see;
Ah! my winter has been long,
Chilled my hopes, and stopped my song!
Winter threatened to destroy
Faith and love, and every joy;
If thy life was in the root,
Still I could not yield thee fruit.

Speak, and by thy gracious voice
Make my drooping soul rejoice;
O beloved Saviour, haste,
Tell me all the storms are past:
On thy garden deign to smile,
Raise the plants, enrich the soil;
Soon thy presence will restore
Life to what seemed dead before.

Both of these hymns were in Newton’s Olney Hymns, Book 2.

Unlike dormant spring plants and trees, we don’t have to wait for the Son to shine. We can go to His light: “The unfolding of your words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple” (Psalm 119:130).

“For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness, has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6).

“Let us know; let us press on to know the LORD; his going out is sure as the dawn; he will come to us as the showers, as the spring rains that water the earth” (Hosea 6:3).

“But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall” (Malachi 4:2).

“To give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the way of peace” (Luke 1:77-79).

“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone” (Isaiah 9:2).

When winter hangs on in our souls, we need God’s light to warm, nourish, and revive us. We can pray with John Newton:

Dear Lord, afford our souls a spring,
Thou know’st our winter has been long;
Shine forth, and warm our hearts to sing,
And thy rich grace shall be our song.