Encouragement

From Despair to Fullness

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Sara and I were recently in a religious environment that pins all its hopes on miracles. And although they have the occasional story to pull out that seems to prove the point, you ignore the hundreds of other people whose needs persist despite the same kinds of prayers and devotion. So when someone experiences a miracle, it’s touted as normal, and when people struggle with sickness, trauma, or challenging circumstances, they are looked down upon.

As we were leaving one of those meetings, I turned to Sara and said, “This would not be a safe place for anyone with a  need.”

“No, it wouldn’t,” she responded with a sigh.

I used to be part of groups like that, even leading them, until love began to change my heart. God does do miracles that change people’s circumstances, but those are few and far between. Mostly, the miracle he wants is inside of us, not outside of us. Sickness, or overwhelming need, does not prove you’re unloved or that you’re not trying hard enough. It just means you are caught in the chaos of this age, often through no fault of your own, and his love in you is even more valuable in such times.

The celebration of Christmas can bring this into sharp contrast. For those whose circumstances are wonderful, it is a time of great joy. For those who have lost a loved one this past year, are battling a life-threatening illness of their own,  dealing with toxic family members, or suffering financial stress, these days can only seem more lonely and lifeless. They don’t have to be.

If you’re facing dire difficulties, just remember God is with you to reveal his glory in the midst of whatever struggle you’re facing.

Sara and I read Psalm 23 yesterday morning. It begins with the sheer beauty and joy of God leading us to green pastures and quiet waters. But it also affirms his ability to lead us through the valley of the shadow of death and to set a table before us in the presence of our enemies. No one should be made to feel unsafe because the events in their life are not easy and joyful. If God isn’t as real in our darkness and fears as he is in easy times, then we’re missing who he really is.

So, wherever you find your life this Christmas, Sara and I pray that you’ll be at rest in this simple reality: Christ dwells in you, and he alone is your hope for the glory of God to be revealed in you. And that will surely happen. If the miracle you’re praying for doesn’t come, find the miracle of his life within you. He is surely there with encouragement, hope, strength, and wisdom.

Especially for those of you in challenging times, Sara and I hope you find his sweet presence deep inside your heart. We hope that allows you to give way to the joy of Presence, instead of letting your struggles define your day. You can know sorrow, fear, and confusion, and still know his fullness growing within you.

A few years ago, I got a letter from a woman named Ruth, who is a CEO in the health industry. Here’s what she wrote:

There is always this thing that pulls me down into despair and a helpless state. My joy doesn’t last. I don’t know how to get out of this!!!!! I don’t have any more strength to go to work tomorrow. I want to rest, but there is this… I honestly don’t know what to call it—constant pain, sadness, despair, exhaustion. It sucks the life out of me and leaves me empty even when I’m holding on to my faith that God is good to me.

I can’t be alone…. I can’t stand me…. It’s been like this for years now!!!!

I realized that all my life (33 years),  I was expected to believe what others believe. I lived for what others wanted for me and expected from me; it made me stop and think! So now I think this is the cause of my problem. I always wanted to keep the peace of my surroundings just for the sake of making everybody happy, but now I realized that it is at the cost of losing what God has in me, I guess! Help.

She’s not alone. I’ve met many like her on this journey, who write me from the end of the rope.

I told her it isn’t usually helpful to resolve these questions by getting a plan in our heads and pursuing it. “I think Father’s will for us unfolds in the circumstances we are in and how he nudges us in the coming days. So don’t think you have to have a plan, or even know which way is best. The restlessness in your heart is a good sign that Father has something different for you. So, keep your eyes open. Explore. But just keep walking ahead until greater clarity comes.  He probably won’t give you a fully-formed plan, which may be preferable for a CEO, but he will give you an open door.

“You can stress too much trying to get it exactly right. Relax. God’s best isn’t a certain direction or vocation; it’s his unfolding glory in you, regardless of what circumstances you’re in.

It’s not either/or, it’s a dance. His insight in you, you responding to him, more insight, more following, and out of that beautiful dance, you’ll find yourself in the best place for you to be.  He won’t scoop you into it; you don’t have to find it on your own.”

Imagine my joy at hearing back from Ruth a couple of weeks ago:

I’ve wanted to write to you for some time to express my gratitude. A few years ago, I reached out to you, not really expecting a response, asking for guidance because I was in a season of deep distress. To my surprise and blessing, you wrote back with such love, wisdom, and heartfelt advice.

You encouraged me to rest in the love of God and to let go of the burdens of religion. That simple guidance has stayed with me and has been transformative. Slowly but surely, the Lord has been faithful in delivering me from the shackles that once weighed me down, showing me the root causes of much of my trouble, and bringing me healing and freedom.

 Today, I can truly say that I live in the peace of God that surpasses understanding and with a constant joy bubbling from within me! While true transformation can bring changes in circumstances (which it did), my transformation is mainly because I myself have changed. I am no longer tossed to and fro! I am stronger. The Lord has made me stronger, and the burden that once weighed heavily on me has truly been lifted. There is a rest in my mind that slowly grew through the renewing of my mind.

Enduring miracles happen on the inside, when we are no longer tossed to and fro in times of pain. Finding our comfort in an outside miracle will only endure until some other difficulty comes. Finding God-with-us as powerful in the presence of our enemies as in the green pastures will serve us for a lifetime. Notice it took some time for Ruth to find this transformation, as it will for you, too. But what she has discovered will last her a lifetime.

That’s our prayer for you this Christmas: that whatever difficulty you face will not beat you down. Instead, it will invite you deeper into the well of God’s life already bubbling up within you. So that in this season, your heart can be at rest in the hope that all will be well because he is with you.

As Sara and I look forward to our holiday, with all the challenges we’re in the midst of, our hope is firmly anchored in Father’s love and goodness. We are grateful for all the relationships God has given us around the world that support and encourage us. We are blessed to know that through books, podcasts, and blogs, others have been enlightened on their journey and encouraged in their faith.

With blessings and love this Christmas,

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Affection, Presence, and Fullness

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Since posting Graham Cooke’s words a few weeks ago about seeing God as our habitation, I’ve been thinking a lot about the progression of how that came to be in my own life. Three words have risen in my meditation on that, which I first shared in Greenville, SC, a few weeks ago.  They have been growing in my heart ever since, especially the last one. They are providing a valuable focus in my daily life, and I find myself grateful this Thanksgiving season for all three of these.

Affection:  Talking about God’s love is easy on the tongue, even for those who think they have to earn it by their good behavior. That’s why I like the word affection better to speak of what is in God’s heart for us. For some, love is a commitment, often bereft of feeling. But affection occupies a tender place in the heart that speaks of delight and desire. Paul writes that our engagement with him is like a young child crying out, “Abba.” he’s talking about that kind of affection a young child has for its parent. Scripture also talks about the deep affection a groom and a bride share. Ask God to reveal his affection for you so that you, too, can know how deeply loved you are by God.

Presence: God-with-me is not just a theological fact, he also wants it to be a discernible reality. Often during the day, I pause long enough to surrender my heart to that reality. I don’t control when or how he makes himself known to me, but I am constantly cultivating an awareness of presence and watching for his fingerprints. That awareness can come with waves of delight or the simple tenderness of knowing I’m not alone. I enjoy touching a presence greater than myself and surrendering to his desires. Often it comes with a word of affirmation, insight into something going on in my life, or fresh courage to stay the course. I find that connection more precious than anything I might want him to do for me.

Fullness:  It’s easy to look for fullness outside of Jesus-in-us. Most of my life, I’ve looked for it to come from my circumstances—health, friendships, provision, and pleasure. But affection and presence have changed that for me. This is the life of abundance he promised, the fullness of joy, and the peace that makes no sense to the rational mind. I notice a marked difference in my life when I am living for fullness, seeking things to make me joyful or safe, and living from fullness because I’ve found my joy and safety in him. When I need any circumstance to come out a certain way for me to be content, I know I’m seeking fullness outside of him. But when he fills me up, it doesn’t matter what else is going on around me and I can live with others in mind.

Without these, it is easy for any of us to settle for a Christian life that is made up of beliefs, programs, and ethics, instead of a real and holy connection to the transcendent God. His desire is to live in us and to interact with us as we navigate life.

Cultivating an awareness for his affection, an attraction to his presence in us, and an appreciation of his fullness allows us to live in “the glorious riches of this mystery—Christ in you, the hope of glory”  (Colossians 1:27).

 

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A Government I Can Embrace

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When I pray for the world and hold before God the agonies and travails of war, slavery, starvation, natural disasters, and darkness, I am usually in front of this globe in my studio. I try to see it as God sees it, in its totality first, then in specific hotspots around the world, and finally think of how God is meeting individuals who are navigating the ever-increasing horrors of our age. I often sense a bit of what God might be feeling as he sees his creation in chaos, and his joy as he pours his love and redemption into human brokenness and as he moves resolutely to bring it all to a redemptive end

These days, I’ve been praying that the words of Isaiah 9 will finally come true:

For to us a child is born,
    to us a son is given,
    and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
    Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the greatness of his government and peace
    there will be no end.

I can’t wait for the government to be on his shoulders. It seems humanity is incapable of managing a just and honest society without corruption, exploitation, and hoarding power for the elite. In time, however, he will make all things new, and he will be the one to govern humanity’s affairs in his love and his justice forever. And while I look forward to that day that happens, I get to yield to his kingdom today and live under his government in the face of the chaos in my world. That’s what love is teaching me to do, and why I wrote It’s Time: Letters to the Bride of Christ at the End of the Age.

I know people are reticent to pick up a book about the end of the age because most provoke fear, set dates that never come to pass, or twist Scripture to apply them fallaciously to current events. This isn’t that book. This is a book of hope and courage for those who want to live under his government. The creation waits for the sons and daughters of God to be revealed.

So, I’m delighted that people are responding to this book exactly as I hoped they would. Here are two emails I got this weekend, sharing how the book touched them.

Elara

“Wayne, let’s be honest, we’re all juggling a million end-of-the-world scenarios every morning, and yet here you are, calmly handing us a roadmap for courage, love, and faith without making us feel like we need to start building bunkers. That alone deserves a slow clap.

It’s Time isn’t about fear-mongering or doom scrolling through life waiting for the apocalypse. It’s a call to actually live deeply, intentionally, and with a hope so solid it could probably survive the next global crisis. I love how you take decades of pastoral insight and turn it into letters that feel like someone just sat down and said, “Hey, here’s how you can breathe again, even when the world feels upside down.”

What’s brilliant is how you make faith practical. God’s love isn’t just a headline on a Sunday, it’s a power source for real-life courage. Hope isn’t a motivational poster; it’s confidence that we can still do meaningful things today. And yes, even for those of us who sometimes confuse panic for productivity, there’s room for peace, clarity, and maybe even a little joy.

This book is a reminder that life isn’t about waiting for the end. It’s about showing up, walking in light, and loving with purpose, no matter what crazy twists history throws at us. If anyone wants a fresh wake-up call to live as if God’s Kingdom is happening right now, without freaking out, this is it.

I’m grateful for the way your words and your work draw us closer not just to clarity, but to Christ Himself. It’s rare to find someone who speaks hope without minimizing struggle, and peace without dismissing the chaos we’re all navigating. It’s Time isn’t just a book; it’s a steadying hand in a season where so many feel unanchored. I’ll be returning to its pages again when I need reminding that faith isn’t fragile, it’s fuel.

 

Kyle (No, not Rice):

I wanted to send an overdue thank you for the gift, It’s Time has been. This work has been so helpful and encouraging to me. I am grateful for the insights with which you shared a radically different view on the end of the age. Like many of your readers, I grew up in fear of the end times (and lots of other things too). Your message of hope and the enduring love of our Father in this book has made the end of the age exciting and something to look forward to rather than dread. You haven’t steered clear of the challenges of our age or whenever the final age is to come. However, you beautifully expressed love as the motive for all God is and will do.

And over the last decade, as it has become clearer we might be heading towards the end in my lifetime, I have often wondered what I should do to prepare. Your focus on strengthening the connection and relationship with Christ and others as the key was very encouraging. It was also a reminder of the simplicity of God’s way. I am now less preoccupied with doing something rather than enjoying the friendship with Papa and letting him lead each day. And I am learning that he will show me what I need to do, whether this is the end of the age or not.

Thank you for your wisdom, courage to write in this mine field of a topic, and generosity in giving it away in the blog format. In a world where people try to monetize everything, it is so refreshing to have someone share so freely.

I never felt like I wanted to be there on the morning when the new world would be revealed because I was too afraid of walking through the times that would take place before then. Your inspired writing has helped make space in my heart for a hope and desire for God to reveal that new world and to have me be a part of that transition.

Thank you, Elara and Kyle, for summing up what this book meant to you and passing it along to me. I pray that many others will find the same hope and joy in watching God bring his redemption to creation, whether it is in their lifetime or at some future date.

If you’d like a copy, you can order it here in paperback, e-book, or audio.

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Finding the Trailhead to Love

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I just returned from a weekend in the South, meeting with many people in Atlanta, GA, and Greenville, SC, who had recently left the religious group they were part of for multiple generations. What a weekend! So many amazing people who were ready to honestly process their journey and sort out what was real from their past, and what was not. I sat among them with a tender heart for what they are going through. Many of you reading this have been through it as well.

It is a journey out of fear and threat, into a life of love and peace. For most of Christian history, fear has been used to motivate people to live for God. It begins with the fear of hell, and then moves to whether or not you can do enough to maintain your salvation. Many in this sect told me that even following all the rules didn’t even guarantee your salvation; no one knows that until they stand before God.

It’s disorienting to give up a lifetime of religious lessons, even when they have failed you. What guarantee do we have that God’s love will win the day? Moving from a fear-based environment to an affection-based one, especially with the fear of hell hanging in the background. The struggle is not so difficult for those who have not been ensnared by performance-based religion. Trying to earn a love we already have. But those trails run deep in our brains, and it takes some time for God’s spirit to renew our minds to think inside his love, where we can live from fullness instead of our fears.

The path of fear does not lead us to God’s presence. Sadly, it leads us away from him. You cannot love the one you fear. Certainly, God can break through it, and he often does, but living under constant threat makes it difficult for us to recognize his love as he reveals it to us. I do realize how easy it is to miss his nudges into freedom because the fear of the eternal consequence of getting it wrong looms large. That’s why I’m blessed by people who are willing to risk a different journey. To even consider another path takes tremendous courage, especially when family and friends tell you they will lose their hope of your salvation if you take it.

Jesus offered us a different path, where God is revealed in us and we become responders to his insights and nudges. That all begins with learning to relax into his love, which can take a few months or even a couple of years. So don’t press yourself. Religious performance always begins with what we do; living by affection begins with what God does.

So, how do you find the trailhead? I encourage people to ask God every day for him to reveal his love to them. Then watch for ways he does that, not by fulfilling your desires, but by showing you that you are not alone and by revealing himself to you. That’s the trailhead. Go down that path, and he will teach you how to rely on his love, recognize how he makes himself known to you, and how to respond to him. That is the essence of what it means to follow him, not from obligation to religious activity or beliefs, but to a connection of endearment to the presence of Jesus at work in you.

I pray for them, and all of you reading this who desire a better journey. I know it is scary to leave the familiar, but if it isn’t fulfilling your hunger to know him, it is worth the risk. If you need help with this transition, please check out He Loves Me, or even make use of the Engage videos to coach you into recognizing how God wants to build a relationship with you.

Tomorrow, Sara and I are off to Tulsa for our 50th college reunion. Can you believe it? We have some great friendships that we’ve treasured over the years, and who will be there as well.  Hopefully, our flights won’t be cancelled by the crazy government shutdown over here. It worked last weekend; we are hoping it will work this weekend, too.  We’ve checked in, and so far the flight is a go!

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Abiding in God as our Habitation

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On last Friday’s podcast, I read a Facebook post by Graham Cooke, which a good friend in Calgary shared with me. Since that aired, many have requested a copy of what I read. It’s not easy to find Graham’s original post on his Facebook, so I am reposting it here.

If we could get this one reality to settle in our hearts, it would decisively change how we embrace God’s presence in us and set us free from the need to seek tricked-up encounters that fade away without transforming our hearts inside his love.

You’re not trying to get into God’s presence—you’re practicing His presence that never leaves. Abiding isn’t visiting Him occasionally; it’s recognizing He’s made His home in you permanently.

This completely transforms how you approach spiritual life. Instead of seeking encounters, you’re acknowledging habitation. Instead of trying to feel His presence, you’re trusting His promise: “I will never leave you or forsake you.”

Abiding is habitational, not visitational. You don’t abide by working harder to connect with God. You abide by resting in the connection that already exists. He lives in you permanently—not sometimes, not when you’re spiritual enough, but always.

Kingdom routine: Habitation – When blessings feel temporary or His presence seems distant, practice abiding by making His presence your permanent habitation. This isn’t about feeling Him constantly; it’s about knowing He’s constantly with you, whether you feel it or not.

Here’s what changes when you understand abiding:

  •  You stop chasing what you already have
  • You rest in relationship instead of working for relationship
  • You practice awareness of existing presence instead of creating encounters
  •  You live from His promise, not your feelings
  • You make His presence your dwelling place, not your occasional destination

Abiding isn’t a spiritual discipline you perform—it’s a reality you acknowledge. You don’t have to maintain His presence; you simply recognize it. You don’t have to earn His dwelling; you just accept it.

The goal isn’t constant feeling but confident knowing. Some days you’ll sense His presence strongly. Other days you won’t feel anything. But abiding means your spiritual stability comes from His faithfulness, not your feelings.

You are His permanent address. He is your permanent habitation. That’s not something you achieve through spiritual effort—it’s something you receive through His love.

—Graham Cooke

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Voices from the Road

Encouragement /

Sara and I have arrived in Seattle for a brief stop, then we’re on to Portland for the weekend. After that, we’ll be taking a pretty direct route through California to our home. It is time to return and see what Father has for us there.

The conversations I have with people on the road are rarely recorded, but our time with UChurch in Calgary on September 21, 2025, was. So, if you want to listen, here are the links, and how they described the sessions on their website:

 

We were so glad to welcome Wayne Jacobsen to UChurch. In this first part of his time with us, Wayne talks with Brant Reding about what it means to live loved by God instead of striving to earn His approval. He shares from his own life about betrayal, illness, and seasons of uncertainty, showing how God’s love brings trust and freedom even when circumstances are painful.

The conversation also touches on:

  • How God gently unravels illusions and old religious habits.
  • Why authentic community grows out of love rather than programs.
  • Honest questions from the UChurch family about family conflict, friendships, work life, and being real with neighbors.

This episode invites us to rethink faith as a daily trust in God’s love, not a performance.  >>>>>Listen Here

In Part 2, Wayne is joined by his wife, Sara, to share their deeply personal journey of walking through trauma, separation, and healing. Together they tell the story of how Sara’s hidden childhood trauma surfaced decades into their marriage, leading to a season of distance, grief, and struggle. What could have ended their story became the place where they discovered what Wayne calls “the deepest love in the darkest place.”

They talk about:

  • How trauma shaped Sarah’s life and the long road of healing they’ve been walking together.
  • Why God doesn’t stand at a distance but meets us in the middle of our darkest places.
  • The role of safe community, patience, and tenderness when walking with someone through pain.
  • How God’s love reshapes even the most broken parts of our lives.

This conversation is raw and courageous, offering hope that no darkness is beyond God’s reach.  >>>>>Listen Here

 

As much as we have enjoyed the incredible beauty of nature on this trip, we’ve also enjoyed how God is taking shape in so many of his children. We’ve been with a lot of people who have lived in the darkness of legalism, trying to make sense of how their hard work was not meeting their desire to know Jesus. I cannot believe how widely they have opened their hearts to us. What we share has to be light-years from what they have known, and yet they have listened and processed their journey in light of the love that legalism only gave lip service to.

I asked a couple after one session how they think through what they’ve heard. Does it resonate with them, or is it so foreign they are tempted to discard it?

The husband responded, “No, it resonates. When I hear you talk about relaxing into God’s love, I know that somewhere deep inside, I already knew that. I didn’t realize it until you put it in words. That allowed me to recognize what I already knew.”

I love it when people say stuff like that. It confirms to me what a work of the Spirit his truth is. It doesn’t hit us out of the blue, but comes as a recognition of what he has already been seeding deep inside our hearts. I am so honored to have such conversations with people like I’ve met on this trip, and watch the eyes of their hearts pop open as his truth rises in their hearts.

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On Our Way to Calgary and Coeur d’Alene

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Having traveled from California to Denver, Rapid City, SD, Sheridan, WY, Bozeman, MT, we have arrived on the doorstep of Glacier National Park to spend a few days together. We are in the most magnificent RV Park we’ve ever seen.

Last weekend we were in Yellowstone National Park, and yesterday we drove the Going-to-the-Sun Road (see above) through the heart of Glacier National Park. Such beauty is hard to contain, and we have felt wonderfully detached from all the political fear and animosity driving our world to deeper conflict and anguish. It truly is time for those who are at rest in the love of Jesus to be revealed in the way they treat others, especially those who are lost in darkness.

We saw breathtaking views around every bend and have reflected on the immensity of our Creator. It’s also quite a contrast between the beauty of what he made and the constant conflict among humanity that despoils his work.

We got into an interesting discussion in Bozeman, MT. Helping people discern between true and false ministries, we talked about the difference between those who give you the agency to follow Jesus and those who rob you of the freedom to do so. Misguided leaders would rather tell you what to do—what you can read, who you can associate with, what meetings you must go to, and even what to wear, or even what to eat. In Colossians 2, Paul warned us that those who tell you what to do have lost connection with the Head. Since they are no longer following him, they don’t think you can either, so they make you dependent on their rules.

One of the major causes of embedded trauma is that the person did not have the agency to manage the tragic events happening to them. They didn’t have the internal resources to deal with the pain, nor did they have someone to turn to for help. Those who represent Jesus will in the world help others find their agency by equipping others to discern and follow the heart of Jesus. They are not troubled by your mistakes, but encourage you to think and listen for yourself. (In this week’s podcast, Kyle and I will discuss how Scripture in the hands of a bully can weaponize passages that were meant for our healing and freedom, and how that devastates people. It will air this Friday.)

Tomorrow, we head north to Canada. This weekend, we will be with the folks of UChurch in Calgary, AB. They are meeting at a community center in a park at 10:00 am and again at 2:00 pm, with a lunch break in between. They are providing hot dogs and burgers, and asking everyone else to bring side dishes to be shared.  8551 Bowness Road NW  •  Calgary, T3B 0H8. If you live nearby come and join us.

Next week, will visit Banff National Park before we head back to the U.S.

Our first stop when we are stateside again will be Coeur d’Alene, the weekend of September 27-28. We are hosting a meet-up on Saturday, outside Coeur d’Alene, in Liberty Lake, WA.  Saturday, September 27, from 1 pm to 5 pm. We’ve had a lot of interest, so please RSVP and get more details by signing up here.

 

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Caught More Than Taught

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I am in Boise, ID this weekend sharing some of what it means to live loved through some of the brutal crises of life. We have some people here hurt from their association with a religious group that was overtly legalistic and has a significant number of their leadership involved in sexual predation of children. It’s horrific, but the people who are finding freedom from that that group are amazing people with hearts still leaning toward the love of God through all that pain.

There are others here as well who are just readers of my books or listeners to The God Journey. This is my first trip without Sara in three years. It feels weird, but we both felt this trip was something God wanted, while Sara stayed home to enjoy a visit from her college roommate.

As The God Journey approaches our 1,000th episode since its inception in 2005, we have asked listeners to share with us what the podcast has meant to them. We are going to read some of them on that podcast as Brad and Kyle both join in to celebrate the journey.  This morning, I woke up to this email.  It touched me deeply, encouraging my heart with gracious words, but more importantly how it shows that the life of Jesus is something we catch through a variety of inputs, rather than following a prescribed program from a seminar or book. That’s why we’ve put out so many different tools here, and why I’ve traveled to Boise this weekend, to help people see facets of a life born of love, so that they can discover more clearly how Jesus is making himself known in them.

I love this email, from someone in Austria enmeshed in a legalistic religious group, finding her freedom in the life of Jesus:

As an enthusiastic podcast listener from Austria, I am pleased to be able to speak up. A few years ago I read your book He Loves Me. It had appealed to me, but my heart was still so caught up in legalism that the truths could not fall on prepared ground. Seven years ago, after many years of legalism and serious but desperate discipleship, I found myself in a desert. I was totally burned out, taken out of the race and I just had to capitulate.

There, I had only one question: “Who am I?” Over the course of several years, Jesus took me by the hand and taught me step by step who Heavenly Father was and who I was. I came across the book: Finding Church and was shocked. It accurately described my situation and that of my very legal church. Suddenly I noticed that this book was by the same author as the book He Loves Me and So You Don’t Want To Go To Church Anymore.

My curiosity was aroused and went online in search of sermons from you, Wayne. That’s when I came across Transition and I was totally moved. These lectures helped me so much. And then I searched your website and came across The God Journey. I was so hungry for these truths and wanted to know about people who lived what you had talked about in the talk. I didn’t know any Christians around me, and I was so grateful to see you, Wayne and Kyle, who talked about it and lived it in their lives. I then listened to your podcasts and soaked up everything that tasted like life and freedom – and there was a lot of it!!!

It was my provisions and my comfort in my legalistic environment!!

I have been able to learn so much through and from you in the last few years. I experienced your crises and victories a bit and you were role models for me! THANK YOU!!!

And what was one of the most exciting things for me: not only did I experience change, but I was able to experience “live” in the podcast how you changed under the loving gaze of the Father. I felt how you, Wayne, just in your brokenness due to your marital crisis, became softer and gentler. I think you can even see that in your voice and in your warmth. And you Kyle, through the years that I “follow” you, you have learned so many valuable insights and above all pastoral help yourself and passed it on to me/us.

Without your podcast, my life would be a lot poorer and more joyless. Every Friday I look forward to the new episode and often listen to it more often until the new one is broadcast again. I am fascinated by the fact that God can connect hearts with each other over so many kilometers and from such different cultures. But that’s what the Bible says. What a privilege that I can experience it in my life.

I thank you and I am happy that you have such a big heart for brothers and sisters who have also set out on the God journey!

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!

 

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When God Is Silent

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I probably get the question in various forms two or three times per month. “Why is God silent?”

I understand, having had that same question in my younger years. I cried out in excruciating pain to hear anything from God and felt like I was all alone in the universe. Why is he sometimes silent, especially when we’re most desperate to hear him? Even the Psalmist complains about how long God will hold his silence.

All that angst, however, is sorely misplaced. Just because we can’t hear him doesn’t mean he is silent, and if you think he is, that will become self-fulfilling. Over the last few decades of learning to live loved, I have concluded that he is never quiet, and Jesus seemed to say the same thing when he said his Father is always working (John 5:17).

When he seems silent, it’s because our perception is off. He’s speaking; it’s just that we’re not tuned to the frequency he’s using. Something about how we view our circumstances is making it difficult for us to recognize him.

Last week, I was conversing with a friend. We were talking about the mob mentality that can form among a group of Christians when they give themselves to an agenda to change the world that doesn’t include his love. “I have been on the road they are on. And I have met that god and it bears no resemblance to Jesus.”

Having received an email yesterday about God’s silence, I saw a connection with my friend’s words. If we look for the voice of the religious god in our crisis, that god will be silent. That’s a good thing; he would come with blame and condemnation. When we look for the fairy godmother to fix all our frustrations, that god will be silent because she doesn’t exist. Instead of believing the true God is silent, re-tune your heart to him.

How do you do that? Remember how much you are loved, and let your heart go to him. In his love, surrender to whatever God might have in mind for you. Trying to force God to give you your desired outcome or to meet your expectations will limit your ability to hear him. Find that place of rest and trust where you can seek him with an open heart. And if you’re having trouble finding that place, invite a loving and wise friend alongside. Getting a perspective outside of your emotions can make all the difference.

When you find that place of trusting surrender, you’ll be able to hear what he’s been saying to you all along.

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For Such a King

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This quote popped in my inbox this morning from The Plough, taken from an article by Kelsi Folsom:

I am ignited with my own litany of longings: For a king whose miracles aren’t only for those who can afford them. For a king who will shut down hospitals because our healed bodies don’t need them. A king who will stabilize energy grids, food supply, and erratic weather systems. A king whose beauty and bounty dismantle the appeal of terrorist organizations and boundary demarcating. A king under whose rule no innocent would perish. A king whose everlasting peace marks the end of evil.  For such a king, I too have waited all my life.

That quote made me want to shout, “Me too!” I await a king just like that who does these things and so many more. Isn’t this what Isaiah meant when he said the government would be on his shoulders?

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6

We are celebrating the very season where that King has already come to this earth—as an infant, a young man of tremendous power and wisdom, then offering himself as a sacrifice to win us into Father’s love against all the lies and lures of darkness, as the Resurrected Savior who can live inside each of us, and the soon-coming King who will subdue the evil in this world and make the kingdoms of this world his own. I have pledged my life, my honor, and all I possess to such a king.

For now, we can each allow that King to win this place in our hearts. He can have his way in our bodies, guide us through the horrors that the chaos of this age brings us,  draw us to himself with such beauty that no other earthly affiliation holds sway over our hearts, and lead us to rescue any innocent around us that our generosity and love might aid. In short, he can give us his Life internally, even amid the chaos of this age.

Soon, he will return to take the governance of his Creation on his shoulders, and those things we most long for will be true for all the world.

And the Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.”

 

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The artwork above is from Wayne’s book, A Man Like No Other, in collaboration with Brad Cummings and Murry Whiteman. It is our featured book this week at Lifestream this week, so if you’d like to get it at a unique discount, look here.

Kyle and I will have a new podcast entitled Survival Mode and Redefining Salvation tomorrow morning at The God Journey.

Medical update:  I had a great day yesterday and some good news on all fronts. My back continues to feel better every day. I can now walk a mile daily, which surprises my doctors. My oncologist is “very happy” with my numbers as we are halfway through the intense part of my chemo. I have two new book projects that have captured my heart, and I can work on them for 4-5 hours per day without growing weary. I still have a long way to go, and a hundred things could go wrong, but at the moment, everything looks very good, and Sara and I are grateful. Thanks for all your love, concern, and prayers.

I can also do almost everything to care for my own needs, so the load is growing lighter on Sara. She is exhausted, however, from the very demanding last two months. I pray for God to restore her strength and joy and get her back on her own track for healing from the trauma she suffered. Our neighbors have also blessed us tremendously. Even though we have only lived here for 17 months, the neighborhood is one of our communities. They keep an eye out for us, cheer me on toward greater healing, and come by to offer some delightful conversations that distract us from the challenges and renew us with words of love and joy.

 

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