Faith/Trust Archives - Heading to Heaven!

A Thoughtful and Thankful Anniversary

April 18, 2026 dbirsch Comments 5 comments

It’s been six years now.

On April 22, 2020, after much prayer and a great deal of work, I hesitantly launched this blog – HeadingToHeaven.com.

It wasn’t a life-long dream or a long-anticipated venture. Far from it! It was actually one of the most unlikeliest of undertakings for me.

That being said, it was also a somewhat spur-of-the-moment thing. I leaped into this ocean rather quickly. However, it was not a rash decision; I felt compelled to do it.

I recognize that sounds simplistic, super spiritual and/or selfish. To which I would reply that it was actually complex … but also simply spiritual. I was convinced the Lord was pushing me.

I was certainly not compelled by ego. Quite the contrary, beginning a blog was beyond overwhelming to me. (Technology is definitely not my forte.) I didn’t know where to start, what to do, or if it would even be beneficial to anyone. I felt completely inadequate for the task. As I reflect back on the beginning, it was all rather stressful,

Still, once the concept of beginning a blog arose in my mind, I couldn’t shake the compulsion. I needed to do this – as strange and unexpected and daunting as it may be.

“Heading to Heaven” was born in the tumultuous times of COVID. COVID, of course, changed everything. The world. Our nation. Politics. Society. Day-to-day life. Medical approaches.

It certainly altered ministry. Pastors and congregations were scrambling to serve their people.

I began the blog with the idea that it would be another “no contact” way to share God’s Word with God’s people whom I served who were sheltered and struggling. I hoped it would provide an avenue for my congregational members to interact with and encourage one another while temporarily separated and isolated.

While that inter-congregational communication never played out quite the way I envisioned, it seemed the Lord had other plans.

Since then, I have been privileged to share almost 300 devotions on “Heading to Heaven.” Today the posts are read weekly by God’s people across our nation, and even by some on the other side of the oceans. The blog has been accessed by people literally around the world. When I timidly began this website, I could never have imagined how God might use it. (Absolutely all thanks, praise, and glory to Him!!!)

Nor could I have dreamed that the posts would serve as the basis for Bible studies in midweek Lenten services and contemporary services in three different congregations over the years.

But the most humbling and uplifting blessing that has come through the blog are the heartfelt responses that have been shared with me after a particular post touched and encouraged someone. My singular goal for “Heading to Heaven” has always been that I might somehow encourage someone, somewhere, in some little way.

To find out that God has done that very thing is beyond incredible.

I want to stress that this anniversary post is NOT about me. I write this post and share it – very reluctantly. The last thing I want to do is to draw attention to myself. However, I definitely DO want to glorify the Lord.

I am fully aware that any blessings brought through this blog were brought by our good and gracious God … to HIS glory.

It’s not about me at all. Yet as we reach this milestone, I can’t help but personally reflect on the past six years. The Lord certainly works in mysterious and wonderful ways. Always! He is so faithful. The older I get, the more I find myself immersed in thankfulness to Him.

On this sixth anniversary of “Heading to Heaven,” I thank the Lord with all my heart. He made it happen, he kept it happening, and he continues to keep it happening. I trust he is indeed using it “in some little way.”

Thanks also to all who subscribe to this blog. Some of you have been with me on all or nearly all of this entire journey. If you do formally “follow” (subscribe to) this blog, please know that you are a great encouragement to me.

If you aren’t yet subscribed, I invite you to do so. I would be honored if you did. (It’s free!) Instructions on how to do so are below.

Additional thanks to those who share the posts with their friends. Doing so definitely extends the blog’s reach. And when you share, perhaps God is using you to reach someone who needs to read that particular devotion at that particular time, and they are drawn closer to the Lord.

Recognizing that various posts are read by non-subscribers is also uplifting. I am humbled and grateful that someone would take the time to do so, and I am prayerful that they are “somehow encouraged in some little way.”

Finally, if you have any thoughts you are willing to share in the “comments” section below regarding “Heading to Heaven,” I would be delighted to read them. Personal responses are always a morale boost.

It’s so hard to believe – it’s been six years now. My thoughts on this occasion are filled with thankfulness to our God for his blessing on this endeavor, and gratefulness for the opportunity to serve him … and hopefully encourage some of his people somehow, somewhere, in some little way.

Because finally, there is no greater message than that there is a God who loves us and who saved us.

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Disconnected ?!?!

April 11, 2026 dbirsch Comments 0 Comment

After the privilege (and pressure) of leading Holy Week and Easter Sunday services for two congregations, I was looking forward to a relatively quiet Monday following Easter. But then I looked out one of our back windows and noticed the floating portion of our dock was twisted sideways and barely hanging on! (See the picture above.)

Which precipitated an immediate change of plans. Especially since the forecast called for high winds later that day. Either I reconnected the end of our dock or I would undoubtedly be retrieving it from the far end of the lake!

The dock is rather old, and I had been monitoring the attachments for a while now. I knew I would need to add a new 2 X 8 board for extra support, as well as new eye bolts. It was a project for the near future. But on Easter Monday, the “near future” suddenly became “immediately.”

As the snow fell and the wind began to pick up, I tied the floating portion of the dock to the anchored walkway. The old and bent eye bolts were removed, a new front panel was installed, and new bolts were screwed into place. (Amazingly, I only dropped one of my tools into the lake. Fortunately, the water was shallow enough for it to be retrieved with a garden rake.) Finally, I reattached the quick links to the eye bolts, and the end of our dock was safely reconnected.

Paddling our kayak to rescue our beached dock somewhere on the lake shore would have certainly been … interesting. But that wasn’t even the worst outcome that could have occurred. If the wind was fierce enough and blowing to the east, it could have potentially blown our dock over the spillway of the dam at the end of the lake, and then down the river below. If that had happened, I may not have been able to retrieve it all! Even if the dock managed to survive the fall.

Becoming disconnected would have led to drastic and perhaps dire ramifications for our little but dearly loved dock.

Connections are important. And especially our connection to our Savior! Becoming disconnected from Him leads to drastic and perhaps dire ramifications to our well-being – both now and forever.

Jesus himself makes this clear.

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.” (John 15:5-6).

We wither when we lose connection to the living Lord – when we become distracted and distant from the source of spiritual life. Without Jesus, the searing heat of stresses and the drought of difficulties in our lives sap the life from us. Or, to mix our metaphors, when we become unmoored from the Savior, we float away and careen toward calamity.

It’s no accident that the concept of remaining anchored in … attached to! … the Lord permeates the Scriptures.

David sang about the unmovable force that is the Lord after he delivered David from Saul’s attempt to kill him. As we read his words, we can’t help but recognize how desperately David clung to his God during those difficult days.

I love you, Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. (Psalm 18:1-2).

Jesus referred to the same concept of God and God’s Word being an unshakable foundation to which the wise are attached:

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.” (Matthew 7:24-25).

If we are to stand through the fierce storms of this world, (and none of us avoid those storms!), it is crucial that we remain connected to the ultimate foundation of our Savior.

Choose whichever illustration you prefer … the living Vine, the unmovable Rock, the impregnable Fortress, the ultimate Stronghold … the point is the same: we need to stay connected to Him. Why? Because the Lord is our spiritual Sustanence, our Strength, our Deliverer, our Refuge, our Shield and our Salvation!

Unplug any rechargeable do-dad … a phone, a speaker, a tool, etc. … and it will operate for a while. But while operating, the charge is slowly draining. Eventually the power is gone.

It’s the same with our souls!

We must be plugged in to the Lord and his Word to be spiritually recharged, and to stay charged.

“… The gospel … is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16). The Holy Spirit “powers” us through the “living, active, and penetrating” word of God. (Hebrews 4:12).

As a pastor, I know this to be true. I have seen this play out, both negatively and positively, among God’s people.

Those who neglect reading and hearing God’s Word slowly but surely lose their spiritual power and become more-and-more disconnected from their God. Their spiritual lights dim, and tragically, sometimes go out altogether.

On the other hand, those who actively read and hear God’s Word become stronger-and-stronger spiritually and more-and-more connected to their God. They almost glow with spiritual light and life; they thrive in their connection to Jesus, the Vine.

It’s a striking contrast.

Faith is dynamic; it is always changing. Either it is growing stronger through our connection with the Lord and his Word, or it is growing weaker through disconnection.

I know which of the two I want happening in me!

Thankfully, our dock is reconnected and anchored. But much more importantly, may every one of us remain connected and anchored in our loving Lord.

There is no better or safer place to be than close to our Savior … clinging to him as he clings to us, and as he fills us with life, joy and security!

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Hebrews 10:22-25
Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Acts 2:42 (A description of the early Christian church)
They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

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Jesus’ Legacy of Seemingly “Little Things” with Large Significance: Jesus Provided

March 28, 2026 dbirsch Comments 0 Comment

Any Christian with even a passing knowledge of Jesus’ suffering and death is well aware of the “big things” that our Savior endured as our holy Substitute. And make no mistake about it, the big things are indeed big!

However, there are many “little things” that occurred along the way – lesser known and lesser noted things – that carry great significance as well. For these weeks of the Lenten season, we’ll take note of some of those lesser things that carry large significance.

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We hear about it every Lenten season in our Passion Reading on Wednesdays. We know about it on the most basic level, but a good share of the background details are not provided.

Matthew, Mark and Luke all record the event to varying degrees of specificity. Of the three writers, Luke perhaps supplies the most information.

Then came the day of Unleavened Bread on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and make preparations for us to eat the Passover.”

“Where do you want us to prepare for it?” they asked.

He replied, “As you enter the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him to the house that he enters, and say to the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher asks: Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ He will show you a large room upstairs, all furnished. Make preparations there.”

They left and found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover. (Luke 22:7-13)

Matthew, Mark and Luke all mention how Peter and John followed Jesus’ instructions and located their Passover accommodations. But not one of them explains how a huge guest room … fully furnished for a large group to celebrate the Passover happened to be available!

Historical experts estimate that Jerusalem’s population during Jesus’ day was normally somewhere between 60,000 to 100,000 people. (It’s impossible to pin down an exact number.) However, all agree that the number during the Passover would double or even triple as scattered Jews would make the pilgrimage to the city!

While those are eye-popping numbers simply in regard to a fascination factor, the point is that any accommodations for celebrations would be extremely limited. Much less a large room capable of hosting Jesus’ sizable retinue! And fully furnished for the Passover Meal, no less!

Yet such a room was available. And it was procured in remarkable fashion. Which fosters all kinds of questions. How did this come about?

Had Jesus somehow personally made arrangements for the room in advance? Perhaps. Yet the disciples who were almost always in his company seemed to know nothing about it. In fact, they pointedly asked Jesus, “Where do you want us to make preparations for you to eat the Passover?” (Mt. 26:17).

Did the Lord miraculously inform the owner of the house – in a vision, a dream, or an angelic appearance (all of which occurred at various times during Jesus’ life) – that the room was needed by Jesus?

Or had whomever the room was intended for found themselves unable to use it, which made it surprisingly and unexpectedly available? And the perfect solution for Jesus and his disciples, who happened to come asking at the last minute.

Matthew, Mark and Luke don’t tell us. Perhaps they never knew the answer. Perhaps they did know but the Holy Spirit simply didn’t inspire them to share it.

Regardless, this leads us to this week’s “seemingly little thing with large significance.” The disciples must have wondered where in the people-packed city of Jerusalem their group would gather. They had no clue, but Jesus provided the solution.

“Follow the man carrying the water jar to a house, talk to the homeowner, tell him ‘the Teacher’ needs to use the guest room, and he’ll lead you to a fully furnished room.” And, wonder of wonders, that’s exactly the way it played out for Peter and John!

But then, Jesus had been providing for them wonderfully through his entire ministry.

He provided the fishermen among them with great catches of fish after their nets had been empty all night. He provided refreshing wine for his new disciples by transforming water at the wedding in Cana. Several times he provided meals for them from a few fish and loaves. (And not just for them but for thousands of others!) He provided the cessation of a violent storm that threatened to swamp their boats and drown them at sea. He miraculously provided the temple tax for Peter and himself through Peter catching a fish and retrieving the coin from its mouth. He even healed Peter’s sick mother-in-law. And after his resurrection, Jesus fed his disciples by the side of the Sea.

Most importantly of all, Jesus provided their souls with an unprecedented amount of time hearing God’s pure word spoken by God’s pure Word! No one has ever been so richly blessed!

Of course, Jesus wasn’t done providing for his disciples. That very night Jesus gave them yet another gift. It was an ongoing meal of remembrance, of miraculous presence, and of forgiveness.

While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.”

Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” (Matthew 26:26-28).

Once again, Jesus provided for his disciples. And not only for his immediate disciples, but for all who would follow him in the years to come. Disciples like you and me!

It was a gift bringing incredible and wide-ranging blessings, not the least of which is forgiveness of sins. It was a gift bringing gifts that the disciples needed that evening and through the difficult times that followed.

It’s a gift we still need as we struggle through life … when we long to be close to Jesus, when we crave the personal assurance that we are forgiven through Jesus, and when we desire the reminder that we are truly children of God and therefore heirs of salvation.

Then the next day Jesus provided yet another mind-boggling gift. The Passover Lamb of God – “the Lamb who takes away the sin of the world” (Jn. 1;29) – offered himself as the ultimate Sacrifice for sinners on the altar of the cross. By doing so, he provided the single greatest and most needed blessing for sinners of all time – full atonement for their iniquities. And this atonement IS provided. Jesus made that clear when he stated from the cross, “It is finished.” (Jn. 19:30).

A few days later yet another blessing was furnished by Jesus. His body which was surely dead came back to life, and the living Savior burst out of the tomb where he had been buried. Peter summarizes some of the gifts Jesus’ resurrection gives us:

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you …” (1 Peter 1:3-4)

Jesus lives again! Therefore we live spiritually already now, and we will live eternally one day. Which imparts upon us a “living hope!”

Jesus provides. He always has provided for his own; he always will.

Not only spiritual blessings to lead us to heaven, but day-to-day blessings to lead us through life. Jesus faithfully preserves his people’s well-being. He provides for them (for us!) and he protects them (us!).

Paul stated with confidence, “My God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19).

Indeed he has! Indeed he does! Indeed he will! It’s what our Savior does; he provides for us.

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Is He the Same God?

January 10, 2026 dbirsch

The God of the Bible is a God of mighty miracles.

The six days of creation filled with God’s creative wonders stand as exhibit number one. But there is a running tally of miracles throughout Scripture’s pages.

For example, the rescuing of Noah, his family and the animal kinds from the worldwide flood, or a bit later in history, the forced introduction of new languages at the Tower of Babel.

Then there was the impressive ten plagues poured onto Egypt, the pillar of fire and cloud that led the Israelites out of captivity, the dry path through the Red Sea and the collapsing waters that wiped out Pharaoh’s army, the daily manna from heaven and water springing from a rock that nourished God’s people while traveling en masse in the barren wilderness.

The tumbling walls of Jericho might also come to mind. Or the miracles God performed through (and for!) Elijah and Elisha or the other prophets. Dead people raised back to life; poisonous water made drinkable; an Aramean army struck blind on a sneak attack; fire pouring down from heaven to burn up a sacrifice and the altar it was on.

Shutting the mouths … and the ravenous hunger … of lions in a lions’ pit for Daniel is also memorable, as is the sparing of the three men in the fiery furnace. The hand appearing and writing on the Babylonian King Balshazzar’s wall is also noteworthy. (See what I did there?)

Then comes the cavalcade of Jesus’ miracles! Turning water to wine, walking on the waves and silencing storms. Healing a host of sickness (some seemingly incurable!), bringing sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf, speech to the mute and bringing corpses back to life. Revealing the hidden thoughts of peoples’ hearts.

Tremendous miracles, all! The miracles pop off the pages. And perhaps we wonder if the Lord has changed his approach in more modern times. Does God still do mighty miracles in our world and in our lives?

Recognize first that the spectacular miracles the Holy Spirit shares with us in the Scriptures typically (but not always) affected only a few in the entire realm of believers. (In other words, isolated incidents.) Recognize secondly that there was often … even usually … a considerable amount of time between the accounts. (Though there may only be a few paragraphs or Bible pages separating them.)

God did fantastic things when fantastic things were called for to accomplish his purposes – whether on a personal or a larger scale. And that remains the Lord’s approach still today.

That is NOT to say that the miracles recorded were the only spectacular miracles God did in Bible times, OR that God only does miracles now and then in our times. The fact of the matter is that all of creation is an ongoing, self-perpetuating miracle. In addition, every living person is a miracle.

God’s miracle of creation occurs every time a new life is formed. Not to mention the miracles of the body – such as functioning organs and self-healing built into every person. We tend to take these blessings totally for granted, but we are experiencing incredible wonders in our bodies every second of every single day … even if we don’t recognize them or acknowledge them.

Furthermore, every Christian is actually also the embodiment of multiple miracles!

Conversion to faith in the Lord is a profound miracle. The spiritually dead are brought to life by God. (Ephesians 2:1-10).

Becoming a new person in Christ is yet another one. (2 Corinthians 5:17-18).

Being endowed with the “fruit of the Spirit” – love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control – can be added to the miracle list. (Galatians 5:22-23).

Then there is God’s gift of at least one special spiritual gift to every believer for the advancement of the God’s Kingdom. (1 Corinthians 12:1-11).

And don’t forget the fact that the almighty Lord also hears and answers our prayers … all of them! (Matthew 7:7-8). Miraculous!

Though primarily spiritual, these are all profound miracles worked lovingly by God in his children. And the ramifications of each spill into the physical realm!

Then sometimes our God does something truly exceptional and unexpected. I’m confident every reader can point to at least one astounding miracle experienced in his or her life that could have only been brought by God. Undoubtedly you can probably recall multiple such miracles!

All of which demonstrates that our God is the same God of the Bible, and he still does incredible things for his people.

As the Apostle Paul assures us, “My God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19).

Which is why the Lord encourages us, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10).

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Psalm 46:selected verses
¹God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. ²Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, ³though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. … ⁷The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Psalm 121
I lift up my eyes to the mountains—where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip—he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.

The Lord watches over you—the Lord is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all harm—he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.

Psalm 91:selected verses
¹Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.²I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”

⁹If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,” and you make the Most High your dwelling, ¹⁰no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent. ¹¹For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; ¹²they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.

¹⁴ “Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. ¹⁵He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. ¹⁶With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.”

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Power Outages Not Possible

January 3, 2026 dbirsch

Here’s a post I shared several years ago … modified and updated. It seems pertinent to many of the folks in our central-Michigan congregations and community who recently lost power through several storms which brought freezing rain and high winds. But hopefully it is a good reminder and encouragement to all!

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My wife and I have experienced power outages before moving back to Michigan, but seldom and they were brief. A few hours at most.

Since we moved to Clare, we have had a number of power losses now. Recently it happened again. Twice! Once for 17 hours (with company and a baby grandson staying with us), and then a few days later for 14 hours. And we recognize that we didn’t lose power for nearly as long as many others. (Whom we felt for and prayed for!).

As far as danger, the house got rather chilly overnight, but we would have been fine for quite a while. We have warm clothes, plenty of blankets, winter gear, and even a camping cooking stove, if needed. But that doesn’t mean it was pleasant or even easy … especially in the heart of the Midwest winter.

If you happen to have had the misfortune of losing your electrical power for an extended time … whether over these past few weeks, or at some other point in your life … then you know firsthand the inconveniences that come along with that. We take for granted that we are plugged in and powered up – until suddenly we aren’t.

If you have never been without power, you’ve probably never considered how many of your daily activities rely upon electricity. You don’t realize how often you automatically flip on light switches when entering a room, or how accustomed you are to having instant light at the flip of your fingertips. You don’t recognize the luxury of clicking on your television set, of working and playing on your computer, or of doing so with the warmth and comfort the furnace provides!

If you have never been without power at night, you’ve never realized how many little lights there are scattered around your house. The modem. The digital clocks on the stove and microwave. The power indicators on various appliances or miscellaneous conveniences. And you’ve never experienced how very dark your house (and your neighborhood) becomes at night without power. Everything looks different by battery powered, hand-held light.

Thankfully, we have our phones to provide information, communication and distraction. But wait! Eventually they have to be recharged – a difficult task if charge (power) is not available!

And I haven’t even mentioned the key role power plays in regard to food storage.

As the length of the first outage continued, it seemed clear it would stretch past the amount of time it was safe to eat food stored in the refrigerator. (The time frame is 4 hours, if you’re curious.) As we approached the safety limit, there was a mad scramble to move what we could to alternate cool storage options. Still, there was much we were forced to discard. 36 hours later, we were scrambling again.

We were also prepared to transition the food from our freezers to suitably cold storage. Thankfully, the power was restored both times before needing to take that step.

How significant (and typically overlooked) is the blessing of electricity! What a powerful impact losing power makes in our lives!

Which caused me to reflect upon how wonderful it is that God’s power in our lives is never interrupted.

And not only is God’s power never interrupted, it’s never-ending! Boundless! The Lord describes himself to Abraham in this way: “I am God Almighty” (Genesis 17:1). King Jehoshaphat praised God by stating that “power and might are in your hand, and no one can withstand you,” and Daniel rejoiced that “[all] wisdom and [all] power are his” (Daniel 2:19).

The Apostle Paul was inspired to describe that power as “eternal” (Romans 1:20). In other words, there are no power outages in our God.

But God’s almighty and unending power is not just some abstract or esoteric attribute demonstrated only in wide-ranging ways (such as creation) and unapplicable to you and me. It’s a power shown to each of us personally and continually through his loving provision and protection. (Matthew 6:25-34).

It’s also and more importantly a power that impacts us spiritually. Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, “as to his earthly life was a descendant of David, and through the Spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power by his resurrection from the dead” (Romans 1:3-4). Or to say it another way, Jesus’ authenticity and substitutionary victory over the penalty of our sin were proven when he, in power, rose from the dead.

Furthermore, our powerful God gave us his powerful gospel which has changed our hearts, our lives, and our destiny “because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16).

The electric company can’t and won’t keep us constantly in power. Thankfully, we have a Power Source in whom power outages are not possible.

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power” (Ephesians 6:10).

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Reminders from the Animals

November 22, 2025 dbirsch

I have always been a lover of nature … a lover of God’s creation. Consequently, I’ve always loved God’s creatures. I find them fascinating, wonderful, and beautiful in their own right.

I also find God’s animals instructive. There is much they can teach us! As I considered sharing a Thanksgiving blog built around God’s animals and the lessons they can impart, it was not surprising to find that the Lord himself used animals to illustrate many things in the Scriptures.

As we prepare to celebrate another Thanksgiving, we can learn a few lessons from God’s creatures. They offer some great reminders to us humans of the blessings we enjoy.

Mountain Goats Move Us to Appreciate Our Birth

“Do you know when the mountain goats give birth? Do you watch when the doe bears her fawn? Do you count the months till they bear? Do you know the time they give birth? They crouch down and bring forth their young; their labor pains are ended. Their young thrive and grow strong in the wilds.” (Job 39:1-4)

All the animals in the world today trace their lineage back to Creation. Through all those thousands of years God has preserved their species since he created them. Year after year the animals have bred and given birth, and they are still here today. What an amazing gift from God!

And when we consider where mountain goats live – along steep cliffs and on treacherous terrain – it’s all the more amazing that they should still be here. And that they are able to deliver their young in such precarious places.

When was last time we gave thanks that we were born? It’s not an automatic, you know. A lot could have happened to keep us from entering this world.

Of course, we have our parents to thank for that. But also the Lord, for he made it happen. He gave us life and preserved us already in our mother’s wombs. He brought us safely into the world … and that’s no small thing!

But more than that. Our gracious God sustains our lives every single day. There was no guarantee we would wake up this morning, or that we would make it this far through the day. Yet here we are.

Our entrance into this world, our very existence, our general health – we tend to take these all for granted. Yet they are all wonderful gifts from God.

The mountain goats remind us to be thankful for our births … and our lives!

Birds Remind Us That God Provides Food

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. … Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” (Matthew 6:25-26)

Not too many of us would do well as a bird.

Besides the fact that we aren’t very proficient at flying, there’s also this: How would we like waking up in our nest each morning, and not knowing where our food for ourself and our young was going to come from that day? And yet, this is a daily occurrence for the birds.

As humans, we want our pantries, refrigerators, and freezers full. And for most of us they are! If we are lacking something, we probably have the luxury of going to one of multiple stores within a few miles of our house to quickly and easily pick up what we want or need.

Think about our Thanksgiving meal. There is undoubtedly no question whether we will have food that day, or even what specific foods we will have. We’ve known for weeks. For months even! And that food was probably safely stored away well in advance.

Why can we be so confident about our Thanksgiving meal? Why are our pantries, refrigerators, and freezers stocked? Why do we have such an abundance of food? Is it because we are such good planners and providers? Or because we live in a land of bounty?

No. It’s because our gracious God provides for us so richly! He provides so much food that we can’t begin to relate to the birds who gather their food day-by-day … and yet are provided for by the Lord just as richly.

We are so blessed! God gives us our daily bread … and all the additional edibles we could ever want or need!

The birds remind us to be thankful for the rich abundance of food God gives us.

Foxes Remind Us We Have Homes

Jesus replied, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests … ” (Matthew 8:20)

God gives all of his creatures a home, and the fox is no exception.

A fox den is typically 30 or more feet in length … and can be as long as even 90 feet. It has multiple entrances and multiple rooms inside. It’s a pretty simple, yet very functional, place for a fox to live.

We all have homes too. They might be large or small, newer or older. They might be houses, apartments, or condos. They might not be all that attractive, or they might be quite appealing. They might have long lists of things that need to be done, or they might not.

It doesn’t matter; we all have a home, and our home is a wonderful gift from God.

How cozy it is for the foxes when they crawl in their den. And how cozy for us when we walk into our own home.

We have embedded our personal touches everywhere throughout our homes. There are the pictures of our loved ones and our many mementos. In the closets and dressers are our clothes; around the house our possessions. There is our favorite chair and, in our bedroom, our own bed.

And God gave it all to us, just as he gives the foxes their dens.

The foxes remind us to be thankful for our homes here on earth. But even more importantly, for our homes in heaven … which Jesus secured for us by leaving his home in heaven and coming to earth to redeem us so we could one day transition from earth to heaven to be with him in our “forever home.”

Deer/Ibex Demonstrate the Guidance God Gives Us

For who is God besides the Lord? And who is the Rock except our God? It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect. He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he enables me to stand on the heights. (Psalm 18:31-33)

If you have ever watched a deer in the woods, then you know how nimble they are. They weave through brushy tangles, step over fallen logs and broken branches, and leap larger obstacles with ease.

In these verses, David is almost certainly speaking about the Nubian ibex, which are native to Israel. (The picture at the top of this post is an ibex.) They scramble up and down mountainsides, and jump from boulder to boulder. God has made them amazingly sure-footed on the most precarious of perches.

In the same way as deer and ibex, we have all kinds of obstacles in our paths. Spiritual challenges. Health issues. Monetary concerns. Relationship struggles.

And yet God promises to guide us through. That doesn’t mean that he always fixes everything or does things exactly the way we want him to do things. But he takes us step by step through the low times, around the obstacles, and ultimately into the heights of blessing.

Sometimes we are convinced the path is too long or too steep. Sometimes we just want to give up. Yet the Lord stays with us, gives us endurance, guides our steps, and leads us forward and upward.

And then suddenly we realize that God has brought us to the heights. With his help we’ve overcome; we’ve conquered our challenges. (We’ll see the ultimate fulfillment of this truth when God guides us into heaven!)

The deer and ibex remind us to be thankful for God’s guidance of our steps through life … and into Life.

Eagles Encourage Us That We Are Secure

Does the eagle soar at your command and build his nest on high? He dwells on a cliff and stays there at night; a rocky crag is his stronghold. (Job 39:27-28)

Eagles, of course, build their nests in the highest heights. In the rocky crags of cliffs or in the tops of the tallest trees.

They build their nests in places that are completely exposed to all the elements. Imagine being on a cliff-side while the snow and sleet are coming down, or in the top of a tree amidst a howling wind and pouring rain.

Yet the eagles feel absolutely secure there. There in the heights they are closer to God, and further away from predators.

Unfortunately for us, this world these days feels anything but secure. There are problems upon problems all around us. Personal problems, as well as societal, national, global, spiritual and moral ones.

It feels like we are extremely exposed to the elements of the world and the enemies of God. Storms are raging about and upon our “nest.”

Yet, like the eagles, we are secure because God is in our foundation, our stronghold. The almighty, all-knowing, loving and gracious God has us wrapped in his protective care. The ever-present, eternal Lord is always taking care of us.

How wonderful to know that no problem, no predator, no difficulty, and no enemy will ever reach us unless God allows it. And if God allows it, he is bringing us blessing through the difficulty! How wonderful to know that the undefeatable, indefatigable God is holding us up … and holding us together.

The eagles remind us to be thankful for our security in the Lord

Wild Donkeys and Oxen Remind Us of Our Freedom

“Who let the wild donkey go free? Who untied his ropes? I gave him the wasteland as his home, the salt flats as his habitat. He laughs at the commotion in the town; he does not hear a driver’s shout. He ranges the hills for his pasture and searches for any green thing.”

“Will the wild ox consent to serve you? Will he stay by your manger at night? Can you hold him to the furrow with a harness? Will he till the valleys behind you? Will you rely on him for his great strength? Will you leave your heavy work to him? Can you trust him to bring in your grain and gather it to your threshing floor?” (Job 39:5-12)

When Job speaks about the “wild” donkeys and oxen, he is talking about the ones who are “free.” They aren’t tied and trained; they aren’t harnessed or put to work by humans. They are free.

Free to go where they want to eat. Free to drink from whatever water they choose, and whenever they choose it. Free to sleep when they want and wake when they want. Free to do as they choose.

This is no small thing!

When was the last time we thanked God for our freedom? For freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of religion, freedom to vote, freedom from unfair punishments, freedom from oppression, and freedom to bear arms. For freedom in so many ways and of so many things!

Besides forgiveness and salvation in Jesus – (which, by the way, is spiritual freedom!) – national freedom is one of the greatest blessings God could give to us. And he HAS given it to us!

The wild (the free!) animals remind us to be thankful to God for our freedoms here in this great country.

Sparrows and Swallows Show Us a Love for God’s House

How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord Almighty! My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young — a place near your altar, O Lord Almighty, my King and my God. Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they are ever praising you. (Psalm 84:1-4)

The Sons of Korah who wrote this psalm noticed birds nesting in the eaves of the temple. They were literally living near the altar of God.

And the birds rejoiced in going there! They rejoiced in staying there. They felt safe there. They were comfortable and secure there. Their needs were supplied there. They were in the presence of God there.

And so it should be for us. How blessed we are to be able to gather regularly in God’s House around God’s Word and Sacraments!

We rejoice in going there and staying there. We feel safe there, and are comfortable and secure there. Our needs are supplied there, because we are in the presence of God there.

In God’s House God heals our hurts. There he comforts the sad, strengthens the weak, energizes the weary, guides the unsure, inspires the despairing, and gives hope to the hopeless. There he soothes our souls.

Of course, God does all these things wherever his Word is present. But God’s Word is always present in God’s House. Therefore, we are so blessed to be able to gather there

The sparrows and swallows remind us to be thankful for the opportunity to worship God regularly in God’s house

Eagles Teach Us to Trust

Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. (Isaiah 40:28-31)

Eagles are amazing, majestic birds.

Have you ever seen an eagle soar high in the air on the air currents? They can do so at up to 15,000 feet or higher!

Instead of fighting against the winds high in the air, the eagles simply glide upon them. They rarely flap their wings when soaring high above the earth. They simply glide, soar, and float on the winds. They don’t need to flap their wings; the air currents keep them aloft.

In the same way, God holds us aloft. Consequently, we probably want to follow the example of the eagles.

Instead of frantically beating our “wings” against the wind to try to get to where we want to go, we would be wise to simply glide on the currents and let the troubles of this life lift us higher by relying upon the Lord. The prudent thing is to simply trust him to keep us aloft and trust him to blow us where he wants us to go

Obviously, this is easier said than done. Yet the more we fly through life, God-willing the more we learn to simply let God lift us and carry us. Trusting in God is far less work, far more relaxing, and a far more productive way to live than relying upon ourselves.

And not only does God lift us above the temporary difficulties we face, but one day he will lift us all the way to heaven. There we will truly be above and beyond all the troubles of this world.

The eagles remind us to be thankful for God’s loving care, for both today and always.

Calves Urge Us to Be Joyful

But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. And you will go out and leap like calves released from the stall. (Malachi 4:2)

When calves who have been cooped up for a long time in a barn finally get out, they leap and run and frolic.

And so it should be for us. We have been freed from unbelief, sin’s penalty, Satan’s power, and spiritual and eternal death.

Besides these spiritual blessings, we have also been freed from so many things that the rest of the world is burdened with. We have life, family, food and a home. We have God’s guidance, and security through the Lord. We have freedom and the opportunity to gather regularly in worship.

We have a God who cares for us, who loves us, and who saved us. Therefore, we have hope, confidence, peace, worth, self-esteem, a purpose and a destiny.

We have everything we could ever need, and so much more. We have it all because our gracious God has given it all to us … freely and abundantly … through his love.

Which means we have every reason to be leaping with joy at all of God’s blessings! And not just at Thanksgiving, but every day!

The calves remind us to be thankful, and to be joyful.

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Psalm 148:1, 7-14
Praise the Lord.

… Praise the Lord from the earth, you great sea creatures and all ocean depths, lightning and hail, snow and clouds, stormy winds that do his bidding, you mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars, wild animals and all cattle, small creatures and flying birds, kings of the earth and all nations, you princes and all rulers on earth, young men and women, old men and children.

Let them praise the name of the Lord, for his name alone is exalted; his splendor is above the earth and the heavens. And he has raised up for his people a horn, the praise of all his faithful servants, of Israel, the people close to his heart.

Praise the Lord.

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The Weather Forecast is … ?

November 8, 2025 dbirsch

It’s not all that unusual. Undoubtedly, you’ve experienced it yourself. But it’s still rather … weird.

The other day I was driving home on the freeway with my wipers swinging to clear the raindrops from the windshield … while just a few miles ahead beamed bright, blue skies.

“That’s Michigan for you,” the locals will say. Nevertheless, it’s disconcerting to be navigating a rain shower while having to reach for one’s sunglasses.

And isn’t that rather like life?

There are almost always dark clouds and rain drops hovering over us. Meanwhile, there are also always blue skies – blessings! – to be seen if one only takes the time to look.

With our sin-infected lives existing in this sin-permeated world … “bad weather” of some kind is a constant. Yet, as God’s children richly loved and abundantly blessed by Him … Son-shine is also always present.

The storm clouds may dominate our view at times, but they cannot stifle the brightness of God’s love, goodness and faithfulness. Both are constants; it’s just a matter of degree. Sometimes it seems as if the storms dominate; sometimes we rejoice in predominately beautiful blue skies.

Yes, it’s weird. And both unfortunate and fortunate too. But it’s the reality of life in a broken world.

Yet, our God is working – always working – though we may struggle to understand his ways. (Isaiah 55:8-9). We may sometimes wonder why certain downpours are occurring. Nevertheless, the Lord has his own holy and perfect reasons. And he doesn’t owe us an explanation.

God makes it clear. “I am the Lord, and there is no other. I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the Lord, do all these things” (Isaiah 45:6-7).

Jesus himself said, “Your Father in heaven … causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous” (Matthew 5:44).

This is true, both literally and metaphorically. Of course, we have no issue with the sunshine in our lives. But we could do with less storms. Which may cause us to wonder, “Why doesn’t the Lord cut us, his believers, a break?”

The Bible is packed with insight on this very thing. Believe it or not, our struggles may be God’s greatest blessings to us!

Besides the fact that sin negatively impacts everything in this world, here are just a few reasons why our loving Heavenly Father allows “bad weather” to affect his children’s lives:

Our Heavenly Father is disciplining us as children he loves

Hebrews 12:7&11 – Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? … No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

God is using our struggles to build our spiritual character …

Romans 5:3-5 – Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

… And refine our faith …

1 Peter 1:6-7 – In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.

… And make us spiritually stronger and more firmly anchored

1 Peter 5:10 – And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.

The Heavenly Father knows that hardships move his children to turn to his Word and cling to his promises …

Psalm 119:67, 71 – Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I obey your word. … It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees.

… And rely upon his holy Son, Jesus

John 16:33 – [Jesus said,] “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

After God has comforted us in our troubles, we are able to comfort others

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 – Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.

The Lord knows that earthly storms make us long for the peace of our heavenly home

Romans 8:18 – I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.

The Father allows storms to come to his children so he can deliver them …

Psalm 34:19 – The righteous person may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all;

… If not in this life, then ultimately in the life to come

James 1:12 – Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.

Black storm clouds and blue skies simultaneously? That’s life in this world for Christians. But we do not despair, for our God gives us some wonderful, all encompassing promises that give us confidence.

The Apostle Paul reminds us that “… in all things God works for the good of those who love him …” (Romans 8:28). And our Heavenly Father himself assures us, ‘“I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future’” (Jeremiah 29:11).

So yes, there are always some “storms” in our lives. But the blue skies of God’s love are also always present, which makes the nasty “weather” much more bearable.

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Romans 8:35, 37–39
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? … No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

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A Seat with a View

October 4, 2025 dbirsch

One of my favorite things is to be safely settled into a tree stand before first light, and quietly experience the awakening of the woods. There’s nothing else quite like it.

After settling into the blind, it’s usually the nocturnal animals you will hear first … the raccoons and opossums making their way to their bedding area for the day. Next, the birds greet the morning with their various chirps, squawks and calls. Then the squirrels begin making their appearances, climbing nimbly through the trees, scooting quickly along fallen trees (which tend to serve as their lower-level highways), or rustling noisily in the leaves on the ground.

And if one is deer hunting and is fortunate, the soft sounds of a deer or two browsing nearby might catch your ear as the morning sky slowly brightens.

Recently as I enjoyed the arrival of another day in one of my tree stands, I marveled at how much I was able to observe while being largely unobserved. The view from above provides much greater visibility of the animals while providing much greater invisibility for the viewer. Instead of trying to see through the tangles of brush on ground level, one enjoys a much better vantage point when higher up.

Since I deliberately build my blinds in areas that provide wide-ranging views – with a bit of special “forest management” on my part (clearing brush, trimming branches, etc.) – I typically can look over almost 360 degrees of the woods immediately around me. So I see a lot of wildlife.

But I know that I don’t see it all. On a recent hunting trip, on two different occasions I had deer approach quite close before I spotted them. (One of the drawbacks of having to watch 360 degrees!) I imagine some have ghosted by without me even noticing. I know some deer have moved past … in the brush within hearing but just out of sight … because that’s what deer do.

And while I see a lot of the wildlife around me, I certainly don’t see it all. Not only do I miss some larger animals, but I miss nearly all of the smaller ones. The chipmunks, mice, and snakes go largely unnoticed. They usually maneuver below the ground canopy. I certainly don’t see the many insects going about their business under tree bark, inside dead logs, or on the ground. I don’t see ANY of the critters below the ground, yet there are many present there.

So while I certainly do see a lot, there’s a lot that I don’t see as well. It turns out my view is actually rather limited, even when up in a tree with cleared area all around.

But here’s what I find astounding: The Lord does see it all!

Every creature around every one of my blinds … large, small, and miniscule. In the air, in the trees, in the brush, on the ground, and in the ground. Brightly colored or brilliantly camouflaged. Moving or still; sleeping or eating; seen by me or not seen by me – they’re ALL seen by God!

And not just in the little woods I hunt in. But every creature everywhere!

Nothing escapes his notice; nothing sneaks past the all-seeing God. While he’s unobserved, he observes all. “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him …” (Hebrews 4:13).

This is tremendously comforting to those of us who know Him, and who recognize that He loves us.

Consider how immense, supreme, unfathomable, awesome – (I struggle to find a sufficient adjective!) – our God is! He sees all, knows all, and understands all. (How can he possibly do that? We can’t even keep track of the immediate circumstances in our personal lives!) But God does. And not just the circumstances in our own lives, but the circumstances in the entire world!

Furthermore, the Lord guides and controls everything in his almighty power and according to his loving will. There are no secrets kept from the Lord, and no surprises to him. What happens is allowed by God to happen, and what he allows to happen is always motivated by his all-encompassing love.

We may not understand (or like!) God’s plans all the time. But then our view is limited; we don’t see the whole picture like God does. Scripture assures us, “We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).

Our God also sees the evil intentions of those who might wish us harm. “The eyes of the Lord are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good” (Proverbs 15:3). Our enemies … whether personal, spiritual, societal, occupational or even international … can do nothing to us that the Lord doesn’t allow. And if the Lord allows it, he has a loving purpose and is bringing blessings through it.

One other sobering application of this truth that God sees all … is that God sees all of our sins as well. We humans might be able to hide things from other humans, but we can never hide them from God. Perhaps that elicits shame, sorrow and fear from us. And rightfully so. God has given us very clear instructions on what is right and what is wrong in his eyes.

But here’s the great news: because the Lord sees our every mistake, that means that there are no mistakes missed through Jesus’ atoning sacrifice and death on the cross. “Jesus Christ, the Righteous One … is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world” (1 John 2:2).

Because of Jesus, our every sin seen by God is no longer seen by God because Jesus removed them from our record. “This is what the Lord says—your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more” (Isaiah 43:14&25).

How comforting it is to know that our good and gracious God sees everything in our lives and in our world, and is actively involved in providing for and protecting us in his immense love for us. How comforting to know that as He sits on his throne in heaven, it’s a seat with the ultimate view!

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Psalm 139:1-10
¹You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. ²You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. ³You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. ⁴Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely.

⁵You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me. ⁶Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.

⁷Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? ⁸If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. ⁹If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, ¹⁰even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.

Romans 8:35, 37-39
³⁵Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? … ³⁷No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

³⁸For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, ³⁹neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

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Where Is Peace to Be Found? Part 2

June 21, 2025 dbirsch

In the congregations where I serve we recently worked through a special Bible study called “The Keys to a Christian’s Peace.” This is such a pertinent and important topic that I’m sharing some of the “keys to peace” here. I pray they are a blessing!.

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Most would agree that finding personal peace in this chaotic world is challenging. And keeping it, even more so!

There are so many things that seem to impact our peace. So many people, problems, situations, and uncertainties that tend to rob us of the peace we long to have – for the peace that God longs for us to have.

But the shocking truth of the matter is that the peace-stealing culprit in our lives is actually … ourselves! Or more specifically, our own minds. (Our thoughts!) We rob ourselves of the peace God wants us to have by how we mentally process things.

In his book, “Finding Peace: God’s Promise of a Life Free from Regret, Anxiety, and Fear,” Dr. Charles Stanley writes about this very thing:

On a number of occasions through the years when I have felt troubled, anxious, or frustrated, I blamed other people for “stealing” my peace. I was wrong. The truth is, nobody else should ever have been blamed for my loss of peace. In each and every case, I was the one who laid it down.

Hear me carefully on this point. Nobody can take your peace from you. If you have lost your peace, you have lost it for one main reason – you surrendered it. … The truth is that no circumstances, situation, person, or organization can steal your inner peace. We lose our peace because we lay it down. We give it up. We concede it. We abandon it. (pp. 34-35).

Where our personal peace is undermined, it is undermined by none other than ourselves. The Lord didn’t remove it. Circumstances didn’t ruin it. Other people didn’t pillage it. We blew it up ourselves!

This goes back to last week’s post where we discussed “The Simple “P” Summary:

The Simple “P” Summary

Where we should NOT focus … but often DO:
our Problems

Where we SHOULD focus … but often do not:
God’s Promises of Provision and Protection

How we think about things affects how much … or how little … peace we feel. If we are focusing exclusively on our problems, peace will be far from us. If centering our thoughts on God’s promises, peace will be much more present.

Again, quoting Dr. Stanley:

You have the control mechanism for determining what you will think. Every person has the ability to say, “I will think about something else” and then refocus the mind on a new topic, task, or problem to solve. Every [Christian] has the ability to say, “I choose to trust God,” or conclude, “I choose to be overwhelmed.” (“Finding Peace” – Charles Stanley, p. 92).

I have come to recognize that the way we mentally process things matters a great deal. Furthermore, the way we mentally process things tends to be deeply ingrained in us.

If unexpected events in the past have brought on personal anxiety, unexpected events in the present and future will do the same. If we have naturally gravitated toward perceiving things in a negative manner in the past, we will continue to perceive things negatively going forward. If crises have caused fear previously, they will also cause fear in the future.

That is, if we don’t alter our thought process!

Changing how we think is absolutely possible. However, some necessary components must be in place to do so.

First, we must recognize that we sometimes (even often?) struggle with “stinking thinking.” Our thoughts aren’t always as positive as they could be or focused where they should be focused – namely, on our loving God and his all-encompassing promises.

Secondly, we have to want to mentally process matters differently. That is, we recognize the peace robber our negative thinking is and wholeheartedly desire to be done with it.

Finally, it is crucial that we are committed to a new mindset. We don’t hope it happens; we make it happen! We embark on a deliberate and intensive process of evaluating our thoughts, exchanging poor focuses for more peaceful ones (the promises of God!), and training ourselves to think differently.

Even secular counselors recognize that this is possible, that it is often beneficial, and that it is sometimes necessary. They lack the source of ultimate peace (the Lord), but they still encourage adopting a different, more positive mindset and maintain that people can indeed train themselves to think differently.

The Apostle Paul actually addressed this very thing in the Scriptures. “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5).

Whether the opposition to God’s truths arise from the world in general, our personal environment or our own sinful natures, we “demolish [those] arguments.” Instead, we corral our thoughts inside the peace-providing promises of our Savior. Our almighty, all-knowing, ever-capable God really does love us, and has assured us he will work everything out for our good! (Romans 8:28).

Embrace the truth that our God will always take wonderful care of us, no matter how alarming our situation may seem at the moment. This is called trust, and it is not only suggested by our God … but commanded repeatedly by him in the Bible. And why? Because the Lord knows how important trusting him is for our personal peace!

The path to inner peace? It actually meanders through our minds. The more we walk in God’s promises, the more peace we experience. Which makes it a path worth walking!

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(John 8:46-47) [Jesus said,] “If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me? Whoever belongs to God hears what God says.”

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Where Is Peace to Be Found? (Part 1)

June 14, 2025 dbirsch

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Virtually everyone in the world longs for more personal peace. The only ones who don’t long for more peace have the path to peace figured out, but they are few. (And when I write “few,” I mean almost no one!)

The rest of us, (that is, almost everyone!), are on a desperate quest to discover this precious treasure.

The people living for the world look to the world to supply peace. They chase wealth, success, power, influence, relationships, solitude, hobbies, and fun to try to find it; they dash down any multitude of paths to try to capture it.

But inner peace can’t be discovered, manufactured, earned, bought, bartered for, grown or created. In fact, the harder peace is pursued, the more elusive it becomes.

And especially when one factors in the uncertainty of life in this world. The longer one lives, the more it becomes evident that there are no sure things. How does one find peace in the face of continual and all-encompassing uncertainty?

Nevertheless, Christians have the keys to inner peace!

Unfortunately, too often we leave the God-given keys to our peace underutilized … or unused altogether! Consequently, our personal peace is compromised.

This is NOT what our Lord intends for us.

Jesus told us, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. [That is, half-way and temporarily! Therefore,] do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:27).

That’s a pretty profound promise followed with a pretty clear and straight-forward command. So what’s the issue?

It’s us! It’s you and me! We do not trust our God to take care of us and the situations we find ourselves in, or the uncertainties we face … despite his profound promises.

God tells us, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5-6).

What are we NOT to do? “Lean on our own understanding!”

What ARE we to do? “Trust in the Lord with all our heart; submit to him in all our ways!”

What does God assure us when we do rely upon him completely? “I will make your paths straight.”

There it is – the single most important key to peace: COMPLETELY TRUSTING OUR GOD.

The Bible is a book filled with astounding and reassuring promises from the almighty, all-knowing, eternal, ever-present and always-loving God. The problem with our lack of peace is not due to a lack of our God’s faithfulness. Rather, it is because of our lack of faithfulness in embracing his promises.

One of the principles we returned to over and over again in our peace Bible study is what I called “The Simple “P” Summary.” It is indeed simple. But it’s also profound, and we need to put it more in play in our lives.

The Simple “P” Summary

Where we should NOT focus … but often DO:
our Problems

Where we SHOULD focus … but often do not:
God’s Promises of Provision and Protection

The point is that all too often our minds become obsessed with the difficulties and uncertainties we face. They dominate our attention … which in turn undermines our inner peace.

What we typically neglect to focus on are the myriad assurances – promises! – our God gives us about how he will take wonderful care of us.

This is not to say that we ignore the logical, practical steps we should take to address the challenges we face. We do what we can. This is Godly, good stewardship.

But what we DON’T do is dwell on them and the what-ifs. We DON’T obsess about them, worry about them, or let them overwhelm us. Rather, we turn our attention to our God and the promises he has provided us.

The better we become at doing this … focusing on God and his promises … the more peace we will experience in our lives.

This is what the very few who don’t long for more peace do. They have learned that relying on their loving God and his promises are the path to peace.

It turns out that the inner peace that seems so elusive … is not so elusive after all. (Though it’s still too rarely found even by believers.)

God grant that more of us join the ranks of the “at-peace people” by casting all our anxiety on the Lord. He really and truly cares for us! (1 Peter 5:7).

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John 16:33
[Jesus said,] “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”