How To Hold Onto Hope Through Life’s Hardships

That longing we have for more? That dissatisfaction we feel? Those questions that we ask? Those are tugs from God pulling us toward him. Imagine it this way. One night as you were sleeping, a string was tied around your big toe. You detected the tying of the knot but were too sleepy to respond to it. As you continued to slumber, someone started tugging the twine. Somewhere in your subconscious you felt a pull.  Still, you slept. You slept until your foot fell off the side of the bed and landed on the floor. It’s a wonder you didn’t do the same. You awoke with a start and looked down at the string. As you did, someone gave it such a yank that your foot popped forward as if your knee reflex had been tapped. What would you do at this point? Ignore the pull and go back to sleep? Many people do. Someone from somewhere is drawing them out of their slumber, but they refuse to respond. They cover their head with a secular pillow and try to go back to sleep. But then comes a super-yank. The death of a friend. The warning of a doctor. A birthday cake with too many candles. This pull is too hard to ignore. So you follow the string. It winds you down the hall, through the living room, and into the kitchen, where your family awaits you with a surprise birthday party. God has tied a string on every person, not to the toe, but to the heart. He pulls. He pulls with the glory of a sunset or the pain of a chemo treatment. He seeks to awaken us. And every so often, he succeeds. Someone wakes up. Someone follows the string down the hall, through the rooms… They do what Paul said: they “seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above” (Col. 3:1-2 NKJV). Paul used two stout verbs here. The first, seek, means “coveting earnestly, striving after.” The idea is to seek heaven the way a sailor seeks the coast or a pilot seeks the landing strip.  If, perchance, we too quickly read the word seek, Paul also employed the verb set. “Set your mind on things above” (Col. 3:2 NKJV). This verb emerges from a Greek term that means “to set one’s mind on, to be devoted to.” I obeyed this passage in an earthly fashion. In 1988, we moved from Rio de Janeiro to San Antonio. Months before our departure, friends sent us a picture of a house that was for sale. It was a brick residence with a brown door and a large front lawn. With one look, I was sold. I posted the photo in our kitchen and gave it multiple gazes a day. I studied its exterior and pondered its interior. I showed the photo to the girls and examined it with my wife. By the time we moved to San Antonio, I could have picked out that house from a dozen others. I was acquainted with my home before I reached it. Christ wants you to do the same. He has changed your permanent residence. “Think only about the things in heaven” (Col. 3:2 NCV). “Keep your mind on things above” (GW). “Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth” (NLT). “Pursue the things over which Christ presides” (MSG). These translations combine to declare in one verse: live in the light of heaven! How heaven-minded are you? Are living and dying equally appealing options?As you dream about your future, do you dream beyond the grave?Do you ever look into the face of a fellow believer and think, In a billion years, I’ll still know you?Are you to the point where a walk through the cemetery leaves you jealous?Do you plan more for your heavenly home than you do for the construction of an earthly one?Have you ever not bought something because it will have no value in heaven?Have you ever heard thunder and thought Christ was coming?Do you daydream about the moment you’ll see your loved ones? A day with no thought of heaven is a day poorly used. The soul needs hourly gazes into the life to come. You need to know what your departed loved ones are doing. We need to envision the rapture and the millennium. Let’s imagine the New Jerusalem and the face of God. Heaven is the green vegetable on the spiritual diet. Be consumed with the things above. One of my sermon-illustration books contains a story about a missionary and his little son. They moved from England to Central Africa in the company of four other adults. Three of them died. The health of the father began to fail, so he resolved to return to England. He and his boy bounced for days across Africa in an old, broken-down wagon. Upon reaching the coast, they embarked for England by sea. Within a few hours they encountered a brutal storm. The waves and wind combined to make the sound of cannon blasts and shake the ship from stem to stern. During a lull in the tempest, the father held and warmed his son. Presently the boy asked, “Father, when shall we have a home that will not shake?” I can’t vouch for the story. The book provides no source. But I can most certainly vouch for the question. I’ve asked it. You’ve asked it. Each and every person has felt this world with its troubles and tremors and asked, “God, when shall we have a home that will not shake?”  His answer? “Soon, dear child. Very soon.” In C. S. Lewis’s Voyage of the Dawn Treader, Reepicheep, the valiant mouse, resolves to discover Aslan’s country. “While I can,” he declares, “I sail east in the Dawn Treader. When she fails me, I paddle east in my coracle. When she sinks, I shall swim east with my four paws. And when I can swim no longer, if I have not reached Aslan’s country, or shot over the world in some vast cataract, I shall sink with my nose to the sunrise.” May God stir identical hunger in us. May we sail, paddle, swim, and, if need be, die with our noses to the sunrise, savoring the day we will be finally home.       To keep reading, click here to grab a copy of Max Lucado’s book, What Happens Next.

THE WORLD’S MESSAGE IS SIMPLE: YOU ARE ENOUGH. ALL ON YOUR OWN, you are enough. But that mantra fails us—either because, deep down, we know we aren’t enough or because our self-esteem inflates us to the point that we charge through life independent of God and people. Either outcome leaves us lonely and disappointed. Self-esteem is not the answer. So why are we working so hard to do life, to make a difference, and to be great all on our own? Scripture describes Jesus as the light shining into the darkness and becoming the light of men.1 When I think about light, I realize that every single light humans have ever built requires energy or some force to light it. Flashlights, car lights, lamps—they all pull energy from some other source that can become drained or depleted. Then I think of the light God creates. Fire, the sun, the stars all burning with great force—all the light He creates needs nothing to exist. It needs no other energy source. It just is. When we find ourselves striving so hard to make a difference, to be enough, and to be important, it’s as though we’re trying to produce light on our own. And guess what happens when people try to produce anything in their own strength? We get tired. We experience a drain of energy, just like every man-made light that has ever been created. So what if instead of trying to create light, we simply received light? That sounds so much more fun to me—and so much easier. We make lousy lights because we were built to enjoy and reflect light, not to produce it. The vision of God for our lives is that we would receive His light and then give light to the world. In Matthew 5:14, Jesus says, “You are the light of the world.” Most of the time the New Testament refers to Jesus as being the Light, but when His Spirit lives in us, we are the light of the world. We receive who Jesus is and then give that away. The degree to which you believe and embrace your identity as a Spirit-filled child of God will be the degree to which His light shines through you. You are God’s and He is yours. He is in you and through you and with you. That is your identity. And when you choose to embrace it, it changes everything. If you embraced your true identity, you wouldn’t just be able to rest from striving to do impossible things; you would be able to sit in awe of this fierce, crazy, awesome, and uncontainable Light that is fully accessible to you. With Jesus as your light source, you can stop spinning, and simply reflect the light He gives. MEDITATE The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. (John 1:5) REWIRE THE SPIRAL I can rest from striving, and God can still move through me. PRAYER God, I want to know what it is to enjoy and reflect Your light, rather than trying so hard to create my own. Please shine on and through me today. Amen.”   To grab your copy of Jennie Allen’s devotional, Stop the Spiral, click here. Excerpted from Stop the Spiral Devotional by Jennie Allen. Copyright © 2024 by Jennie Allen. Published by WaterBrook, an imprint of Penguin Random House, LLC. Used by permission.

Sometimes, the Christmas season can come across as pure sentiment and nostalgia. Eventually, however, it passes, and we move back to the reality of life. Nowhere is this more true than the day after Christmas. The adrenaline of the new toys and presents fades. And left in its place are kids who say they are bored and don’t have anything to do. This is where parents suffer. This time can feel like the middle: not Christmas anymore, but not the excitement of the New Year. The middle has historically been a place of trial and tribulation. It’s in the middle that we begin to feel the weight of exhaustion. It’s in the middle that we long for resolution (or a New Year’s Resolution). It’s in the middle that we become aware of our weaknesses and vulnerability. It’s often in the middle that we suffer. This is why it’s so important that we recognize the importance of Advent. If we allow it to do its work in us, we slow down and are prompted to be patient. Advent is important because it counterbalances the overemphasized “It’s the most wonderful time of the year.” What if it’s not that wonderful? What if it’s painful? What if there is hardship? What if there are struggles? What if there is suffering? Is there hope in this place? There is, and advent reminds us of this hope. This line by Fleming Rutledge reminds us of what happens if we miss the importance of Advent and search for meaning within the decorations and festivities. Rutledge says, “The church can’t survive on sentiment and nostalgia. Sentiment, nostalgia, optimism – these are weak thin fuels.” What we need is truth—truth that is found in the Scriptures. Truth embodied in the life, death, burial, resurrection, and ascension of Christ. When we know the truth and live the truth, it changes everything. This is where Advent is helpful. The word “advent” comes from the Latin word “adventus,” and it has a double meaning. It refers both to the past coming of Christ in the incarnation and the future return of Christ. The incarnation was marked by suffering; the final return would be marked by the presence of Christ as victorious King. Advent is a time to reflect deeply on all that is hard and holy—to face the tension of our fears and not cover them up with Christian platitudes. During Advent, we ask real and hard questions. Where is Jesus in the midst of my suffering? Does God actually care, or is this life a sick and cruel joke? Our hearts want to rush to the answer. Advent invites us to wait with patient endurance to grasp the true magnitude of the pain so we can celebrate the magnificence of the Prince of Peace. As we embark on Advent, I can’t think of a better guide than the prophet Isaiah. Isaiah found himself sitting in the middle of patient endurance and was told about future hope. Rather than experience immediate help, rescue would come through the reality of the suffering servant. Isaiah then gives us a vision of the suffering servant in Isaiah 53:1-12. In a shocking turn of events, as we turn the pages of the New Testament, we realize that the suffering servant of Isaiah is none other than the great King of heaven and earth, Jesus. And what does Jesus do through his suffering? Ultimately, He secures our freedom. How does He do this? First, Isaiah 53:1-3 tells us that Jesus is the “arm of the Lord.” This phrase is used throughout the Old Testament as a metaphor for the strength and power of Yahweh. Surprisingly, Isaiah 53 points out that the strength of the Lord would be seen from a position of weakness, not power. The outcome of this power? Our healing and wholeness (Isaiah 53:5-6). We are healed through His stripes. We find peace through His persecution. Jesus “bore” the iniquity of humanity on the cross so that we may receive His righteousness. The idea of the suffering servant “bearing” our burdens recalls the image of Samson carrying the gates of Gaza to the top of the mountain (Judges 16:1-3). The people of Gaza wanted to kill Samson. But he escaped death by ripping off the gates of Gaza and carrying them up a mountain. In 1 Corinthians 2:8, we are told the rulers of this age would have never sent Jesus to the cross if they had known what would happen. These evil forces wanted to kill Jesus. Jesus doesn’t escape death. Rather, He endures death and conquers death through death. Jesus, the greater Samson, carries a weight so much more significant. He carries the weight of sin and death and does so, carrying up Mt. Golgotha. Jesus didn’t suffer for his blasphemy; He suffered for ours.Jesus didn’t suffer for his rebellion; He suffered for ours.Jesus didn’t die for his sins; He died for ours. And maybe the most spectacular part of all of this is the silence of the suffering servant through all of the injustice He endured. Yahweh, the maker of heaven and earth, “spoke” when He brought all creation into existence. Jesus, the Son of God, the spotless and innocent lamb, stays silent as He suffers and secures freedom for creation. As we wait and endure and even suffer sitting in the uncomfortable middle of our lives, we do so looking back at the cross. We remember all the suffering that the servant endured. And in so doing, we can endure now with confident assurance of His future return—not as a suffering servant but as victorious King. Recommended Resource: Where Do I Belong? Finding Our True Home Through the Study of Exile in the Bible.    There is an important connection between the themes of exile and advent. In exile, we wait for our return home. During Advent, we wait and remember when Christ first came and reflect on when Christ will return again. Both are interconnected because when Christ comes he will bring the fullness of the Kingdom of God which is in fact our eternal home in the new heavens and earth. This study through the Biblical theme of Exile reminds us of our true home and the hope found in the waiting.

“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” (Hebrews 11:1, NIV) Recently, a sweet gal sent me a message on Instagram. She wanted me to know more about her story. She thought she’d been obedient to God for the past decade after an immense heartbreak, but she was questioning that now because her life was still really hard. She wanted to know if I would be so positive and confident in trusting the Lord if I hadn’t met Chaz, who I’m now married to. Such a fair and understandable question. Trusting God without seeing the redemption we thought we’d get to see by now can feel like the deepest betrayal of all. It’s also what builds our faith, but sometimes we’d rather have relief than another learning opportunity. I sat with her question for a while. I don’t hang out in my DMs often and rarely get to respond as much as I would like to. But since I read this message, I knew I needed to respond. And I didn’t want my answer to just gloss over her deep pain with a few cliché sentences and a Bible verse. She deserved more than that. And so do you as you may find yourself navigating something similar. This is what I wrote back: I’ve spent many nights staring up into the sky, bewildered as I felt my disappointment turn into grief turn into numbness turn into distance from God. There were so many times when I thought God was about to turn everything around, but then things got worse, not better. Some of my darkest days were when I could not make sense of what God was allowing. And my fear was: Because God allowed all of this, what else might He allow? Slowly, I have realized I cannot attach my hope to God making things feel fair. And I certainly can’t attach my hope to the outcomes I desperately want. I have to attach my hope to who God is. He is good. He is faithful. He is my Father who loves me. God’s character, which never changes, is His personal promise to me. And to you. We can stand with assurance on who He is even when we don’t understand what He does or doesn’t do. There are still hurtful things happening surrounding my divorce too. I wish this wasn’t the case for either of us. I am grateful God has brought a man who loves Jesus into my life and grateful for all the joy that comes along with being in a healthy relationship. But even this gift comes with its own fears and uncertainties. So my challenge now is not to tie my hope of a better future to this new man. It’s the same lesson I was learning during the many years of feeling so very alone. It’s the same lesson once again, just with different challenges. I’ve asked the same question when my friends found new love while I was still in the midst of intense loneliness. It’s so hard. I understand and so wish I could look into your future and whisper back to you all the wonderful things ahead of you. While I can’t do that, I can promise God is at work. Hang on, beautiful friend. I wanted to make more concrete promises to her about what God is working on. I would have loved to give her a time frame to help ease her angst. I would love for there to be a way to make this possible for all of us. But I guess through my own journey, I’ve come to terms with the truth that if it was good for us to have this information, God would surely give it to us. So the fact that He isn’t allowing us access to these specific details lets me know that having that information isn’t what’s best. I rarely like not knowing or not having my “why?” questions answered. I don’t always want to leave room for the mystery of God. I’m not usually eager to claim verses like Hebrews 11:1 to be my favorite: “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see” (NIV). I want faith to operate with the speed of my eyesight. I am desperate for visible evidence, so faith doesn’t feel so risky. But faith doesn’t work that way. Faith will always make us anxious and unsure unless we are confident in the goodness of God. If we stand firm on His goodness and know everything He allows is somehow flowing from that goodness, then we will have a lot less fear in trusting Him. Faith in God means to be assured of His goodness even when what He allows doesn’t feel good, seem good, or look good right now. This is a lot to sit with, but I hope you feel a little less alone today as you walk through your own hard situations right now. Like the sweet friend who sent me a message, we all have “what-if” questions we’re carrying around. But I’ve found the best way to fight through our toughest questions is to create space in our thoughts for more of God’s perspective. Prayer Father, I believe that You care deeply for me and know what is best for my life. Even in the moments when I don’t understand what You’re doing or why I’m walking through a certain situation, I will continue to be obedient and follow after You. In Jesus’ name, amen.   Have you ever thought, how can I trust God when I don’t understand what He’s allowing to happen right now? Lysa TerKeurst has been there. In her new book, I Want to Trust You, But I Don’t, Lysa will help you release the heavy mental and emotional weight of what you don’t understand by learning how God’s justice will always prevail. To grab a copy of Lysa TerKeurst’s book I Want to Trust You, But I Don’t, click here.

This is part two of “How to Know If You’re Called to Work for the Church.” To read part one first, click here. Key Point #3 – Must-Have Characteristics of Church Workers The third key point to consider if you are prayerfully discerning a call to vocational ministry is to ask and truly answer if you are willing and wanting to embrace the characteristics necessary of any man or woman who holds such a role. I do want and need to be careful with this key point because while the characteristics to follow are consistently lauded throughout the Scriptures, I will be the first to admit that there is no Biblical “spiritual checklist” that any person who desires to work for the Church must complete.  Neither is there, as was already said above, a demand for perfection in these following characteristics as a precursor to vocational ministry. One of the most humbling and challenging aspects of working for the local Church is that you are actively participating in strengthening and supporting the body of Christ alongside people who are similarly still undergoing sanctification—people who are still daily, or minute-by-minute, fighting to be more truly conformed with the image of Christ. In this vein, we will see that a conviction to fight for personal godliness and growth in each characteristic is vastly more desirable and necessary than a type of self-proclaimed perfectionism. The four characteristics I want to focus specifically on are unity, maturity, humility, and a serious commitment to living above reproach—that is, living a life worthy of the calling that you have received. You may look at the following characteristics and think, “Aren’t these necessary for any believer in any role or any job?” and the answer would be yes, to a degree. I believe there are specific and pointed attacks of the enemy for those who work within vocational ministry, attacks by which the enemy not only causes us to stumble but damages the reputation of our corporate and collective witness. You need only ask someone who has been hurt by the church to share their story, and you quickly begin to see the implications of our personal compromises in these characteristics spilling out into our corporate wounding of other’s hearts and souls.  While the bank, gym, or classroom suffers when believers fail to align their hearts with the Spirit, the one who sits in vocational ministry threatens to damage the perceived credibility of the entire body of Christ. Praise God that we are not the primary agents in the defense and proclamation of His glory, nor are we the sole agents of His salvation. This responsibility belongs to him and him alone. Therefore, our shortcomings are not the eternal nails in the proverbial coffin. However, I do think it is befitting for someone who is seeking a vocational position within the Church to weigh and consider their commitment to these particular characteristics. So, for those who are discerning a call to vocational ministry, I would encourage you to ask yourself these questions: Am I highly committed to the unity of the saints (Eph. 4:3-7), particularly those who would be working alongside me in the scope of ministry? Am I committed to their good and their growth, not utilizing gossip or slander, but using my words to build others up, using my hands to lift others, using my mind and intellect to serve others, all for the glory of God? Am I committed to rooting out comparison, jealousy, and selfish ambition?Am I highly committed to maturing up into the fullness of Christ, realizing that I am no longer able to simply settle for a lower common denominator of Christianity, but that I must press on to make the resurrection my own (Phil. 3:12), seeking continuously to be transformed from one degree of glory to another (2 Cor. 3:18)?Am I highly committed to the humility necessary of those who seek to strengthen and support the body of Christ, knowing that I am not the head and that every part of the body has a role to play (1 Cor. 12:14-25) in growing up in love into Christ, who is the head (Eph. 4:15)?Am I highly committed to living my life in a manner worthy of the calling that I have received (Phil. 1:27)? Am I willing to not just meet the line of “Christian” standard or ethic, but will I joyfully and consistently go beyond what is expected in purity, accountability, and personal holiness, not to, through legalism, achieve a type of works-based righteousness, but to live in such a way that even those who criticize and condemn Christianity would be moved to reflection by your character (1 Pet. 2:12)? These are essential characteristics of anyone who would serve and labor in the local Church for an extended period of time. If you are unwilling to grow in, or even further, are unwilling to entertain the ideas that you must be growing in these characteristics, then I would implore you not to work for the local Church. The body of Christ is not well served by divisive, immature, prideful, and ethically ambiguous men and women.  Lastly, a final characteristic that is necessary for someone who wants to work for the Church vocationally is a willingness to embrace the cost of such work. By this, I mean that it is a wild fantasy concocted by a Western world obsessed with self-power and self-image that we can choose to work for the Church and suffer no material or personal cost. We should not be tricked into believing that it is a sign of success for those who build the church to also have the West Elm living room staples; that Church work must afford the luxury of international vacations and the highest quality goods. Christ was clear in his Sermon on the Mount that for those who prioritize the kingdom of God, seeking God and his character first, that which they need would be added to them.  Likewise, embracing the cost of working for the church vocationally means that you put to death any desire that seeks to implant in your heart for fame, recognition, and societal praise and notoriety. There are many careers through which a person could seek to reach a certain level of prestige and cultural awareness. The Church should not be one of those callings. Throughout the Scriptures, the call inherent to all believers is to prioritize being last, lowest, and in most ways, hidden in Christ. That does not mean that those in other professions who excel and are well-known are sinning. But it does mean that within the context of the vocational Church, there is no room for ambition that aims at celebrity, fame, or worldly recognition. There is a reason that one of the three temptations the devil put before Christ in the wilderness was the fame and “rule” of the kingdoms of the world. In light of this “costliness” here and now, those who desire to work for the Church should be confident and compelled in their assurance of a coming, future reward. Paul often wrote of how he was looking forward to the coming reward, the crown of righteousness (and Paul didn’t technically work for the Church vocationally, or at the very least, he was bi-vocational). A deep confidence in the coming treasure of Christ will help embolden the Church worker to pass over the lesser trinkets of this world in favor of that great and coming glory. Next Steps and Encouragement My goal in writing these points is not to severely discourage the spirit of someone wrestling with a calling to Ministry, but I hope to share a glimpse into the gravity of the calling to build the Church. Too often, men and women accept a vocational role within the Church out of naive excitement, out of a desire to find Christian community, or out of a compulsion to do “holy” work. None of these are intrinsically wrong—working for the Church should be exciting, it should be a place of rich and fruitful community, and the work should be sanctified unto the Lord as your hands are daily and often directly serving those who are finding or growing in salvation. But left alone, these reasons are too shallow to support a call into vocational ministry. The call to work for the Church should ring deep and true in your Spirit. It’s been said by many church leaders that “if you can see yourself doing anything else other than working for the Church, go and do that.” I think this is a bit too obtuse and limiting; many talented Church workers could apply their skills to a wide variety of different avenues. However, there is some truth beneath the words in that being called to the Church vocationally should be distinctive and marking. There will come a time when you will be faced with the reality of your decision to build the Church, and instead of fleeing from those temptations, you must be so convinced of your calling that you double down and stay. So, these words are meant to communicate some of this gravity and weightiness, lest you step too quickly into this. And yet, with all things discovered, there will always be a journey to navigate, and some will start further ahead than others. Exploring and evaluating the realities of working for the Church is not sinful, nor should you be shamed if you think you are meant to work for the Church and then later come to find out that God has you moving in a different direction. There is a reason that the Scripture says in James 4:13-15, “Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” This is the posture each of us should seek to emulate. Ultimately, how can you know if you are called to work for the Church? Walk with Jesus. Stay in step with the Spirit. Ask the Father for wisdom and guidance, and believe that he will show up and lead you where he would have you go. Practically, start serving in your local Church. It doesn’t matter what ministry, but pick one and get involved. Show up regularly. Get to know the people in your orbit and give yourself to the Christian Community. If the harvest is plentiful and the laborers are few, the best hire a Church can make is to bring someone on who is already laboring for the sake of the Gospel in the seams of the day-to-day rhythms of the Church. No Church needs to hire people that they then have to convince to be laborers. So if you’re feeling stuck in the wrestling, start serving. If you are serving, keep serving, and look for opportunities to talk with the leaders of your ministry or to take on more responsibilities with joy and excellence. Ultimately, trust God with the timing. There is no model life for the Church worker to follow and emulate outside of Christ. You don’t have to start when you’re twenty-two, and you don’t have to end when you’re sixty-five. You don’t have to have gone to seminary, although seminary is, in my opinion, extremely helpful when done with wisdom. You don’t have to be single. You don’t have to be married. Remember 1 Corinthians 1 as quoted above—God calls the foolish, the weak, and the low and despised. He calls you and me, even when we had no merit of our own, to support and strengthen his body. But that is his grace in motion, and it’s the gift known to those who devote a portion or all of their lives to building the Church vocationally.

If you have ever wrestled with the question, “Is God calling me to work for the Church?” you’re not alone. From the birth of the Church and throughout every century since, people, young and old, who have felt the tug of ministry on their hearts have struggled to find clarity in discerning this assignment. So, while this is not a unique tension to today, there are distinctive characteristics of our Western culture and Church structure that tend to muddy the process of determining a call to ministry. This article, therefore, aims to speak to these unique characteristics while providing a clear and simple framework for approaching and eventually making this weighty decision. It will be said repeatedly throughout this article, but, to my knowledge, there are no silver bullets for determining a call to ministry. This framework is not the script for an infomercial promising a guaranteed solution. Because the assignment of vocationally building the Church is ignited and sustained via the Holy Spirit, and the Spirit is God and is both intimate and unsearchable, a level of holy mystery accompanies this decision, similar to anything related to walking with God. Because of that, this article should be treated less like a GPS giving you turn-by-turn instructions and more like a survival guide, which outlines key equipment, addresses critical tensions, and points you to key resources.  For some, this framework will help bring confidence, as it will help even further illuminate the stirring of the Spirit in your heart to build Christ’s Church vocationally. For others, this might begin the process of finding further clarity, but the answers you are looking for may still be a good distance coming. This isn’t a loss. From the Scripture, we see that, while a teenager, David was anointed as the future King of Israel. Yet, it took years and a whole host of complicated, discouraging, and difficult circumstances until he stepped into that position. Wrestling with and waiting on God is never wasted; He is always doing something in us that He will later bring out and bear through us.  Lastly, for some others, this article may help shed light on the reality that working vocationally for the Church is not the next step in your professional journey. That is also not a loss. We have all been given different measures of grace and gifts for building up the body of Christ, some of which some of us will use in a professional, vocational context. However, the Scripture does not equate faithful service to Jesus with a particular vocation or calling. Consider that Jesus called some fishermen to follow him as his disciples and left others on their boats. He invited some tax collectors to leave their stations but left others to collect revenue for Rome. He brought in one zealot but not all the zealots; this is still his pattern today. The Spirit will draw some to carry that same mantle of the early Church builders in providing a communal space for worship, edification, community, and prayer. Others, just as equally important, will be invited to stay or step into all spheres of work and life carrying the mantle of the Christian commission to go and make disciples of all nations. So, I pray this is helpful to you wherever you land and that through these words, the God who searches hearts and knows what is the mind of the Spirit would intercede on your behalf in accordance with the will of God. When done properly, it is a a true honor to participate in such a weighty and joyous wrestling. Key Point #1 – Understanding the Nature of Calling In attempting to discern and wrestle with this question of being called to work for the Church, it is important first to take a step back and look at the idea of calling. The Scriptures provide us with numerous examples of someone being called by God, some more dramatic and vivid than others. We’ve already referenced the way that Jesus called many of his disciples. Andrew and Simon, known as Peter, were fishermen and were actively tending their nets when Jesus walked by and invited them to become fishers of men. Moses was a runaway, exiled prince of Egypt who had a face-to-face encounter with the presence of God in a bush that burned but was not consumed. As discussed earlier, David was brought in from tending his father’s sheep in a field to be anointed as the future king of Israel. Paul had a revelation of seeing Jesus on the road to Damascus. Joshua was commissioned by Moses, Elisha was commissioned by Elijah, and Timothy was commissioned by Paul.  Many of these leaders had a direct, God-initiated moment of calling into the work of ministry. Yet few of these people actually exclusively worked in a vocation of ministry, and even fewer still worked for what we now call the “local Church.”  So, we must first be careful to separate and distinguish the very real differences between the general calling of all believers to follow Jesus and the vocational calling for some to work within a local church context. This first and more general calling for all believers includes our mandate to make disciples, love the body of Christ, and grow up in maturity and sanctification, becoming more conformed to the image of Jesus as we begin to look more like him and less like this world. There should be no Christian on Earth who releases their responsibility for these Scriptural markers of the faith simply because they do not work professionally for a local church. In fact, Paul would write to the Colossians in chapter 3, “Whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” It is quite possible that the will of God for your life can be boiled down to that one word, “whatever,” and that, for many, it is not a particular vocation that underlines God’s path but the invitation to abide and reside in the root of Christ.   If you find yourself waiting to practice the responsibilities of your general calling of believing in Christ until you are effectually working in a spiritually vocational setting, you are likely diluting the effectiveness of the ministry of the Church you work at. This can lead to a dangerous struggle of misplacing your identity in your vocation rather than your secured and established position in Christ—as a son or daughter of God. For those who know Christ, deepen your pursuit of your general calling to love him with your whole heart, mind, soul, and strength and to love others as yourself first. The Church doesn’t need more hard workers looking to build their identities. It needs more healthy followers of Jesus looking to lay their lives down for the advancement and deepening of the Gospel. The brief counter to this is that no man or woman called to work for the local Church will be perfect in their pursuit of Jesus at the time of their calling. There is no exact spiritual bar or standard that must be met to “qualify” for Church work. I’ve heard it said that if the men and women in the Scriptures submitted their resumes to a local church today, many of them would not be hired. Moses was a murderer. David was an adulterer. Paul, as Saul, was a persecutor of the Church. This is why Paul would go on to write to the Church in Corinth this encouragement: “For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God” (1 Corinthians 1:26-29) There is no boasting in our spiritual position (or lack thereof) before we are called. This is wonderful news because it means that the roles for working for the Church aren’t reserved for the Spiritual giants of the faith, but that everyday, ordinary people like you and me can be used by God, vocationally, to build his Church and to carry his kingdom forward. We must first aim to live a life worthy of our general calling. Then, if and as the Spirit prompts, often through means such as Scripture, prayer, and community (we’ll discuss this further down), prayerfully consider the invitation to step into the local Church vocationally.  Are you actively embracing the general calling of faith in your life? If so, do you also feel a tug in your heart towards a vocational ministry? Where and how have you most strongly felt this tug? Key Point #2 – Indicators You’re Being Drawn to Church Work If, after wading through key point #1, you still feel compelled to press into the possibility of working vocationally for your local church, I want to help identify a few indicators that may illuminate your metaphorical dashboard as you continue down this path. The first is that of a deepening and lingering desire to spend your working efforts engaged in this domain. Both adverbs are intentional and should be weighed with purpose in your processing. For many who were raised in Christian or faith environments or who know a family member or close family friend who worked in a church ministry context, a type of desire by association may find root in your heart. For some, this proximity to ministry actually acts as a repellent of any such desire, but for others, there is almost an unintentional acceptance of a way of thinking that says, “This (vocational church work) is just what ‘we’ do.” There can be a particular reverence in these circles for the office of the ministry, often at the expense of the One around whom the whole ministry is meant to orbit. And so, be guarded against such desires by association or any similar desires which have shallow roots. If you feel the Spirit guiding your heart to weigh this matter of vocational Church work, ask Him for a deepening of that desire in that it becomes more fervent, more pressing, and more vivid.  Ask that this desire also linger and not diminish with the passing of time or the opinions of others. There will very likely be some who do not understand your fascination with and eagerness to explore this avenue of vocational work; you must, with a humble unconcern, outlast their confusion. The enemy also will sense if you are seriously pondering spending your life, energy and talents to advance the mission of the Gospel through the structure of the local Church, and he will aim to derail this pursuit by putting all manner of questions before you. “Couldn’t you make more money elsewhere?” “Wouldn’t you be better off without seeing behind the curtain?” “Are you qualified to even truly consider this?” These, too, you must outlast, and you will, if the invitation to pursue ministry is truly instigated and sustained by the Spirit of God. The second indicator of being drawn to work vocationally for the Church is the affirmation of your spiritual community. Note that I said your spiritual community because, as stated above, for those who do not follow Christ (and even some who do), a vocation of Church ministry likely seems, at best, foolish and, at worst, irresponsible. But take heed of the words spoken by Godly mentors or Godly community. Look at 2 Timothy 1 as an example of this affirmation. Paul says of Timothy in verses 5-6, “I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well.  For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.” Do not be afraid to ask, within the right context, for the opinions or discernment of your spiritual community if you do not feel that you are organically receiving that counsel.  Be wise and discerning in this process, however, to not put so much stock in the words of one or a few human beings when the words of God are meant to carry a far greater weight in our souls. Affirmation is beneficial as an indicator, but it is not the only indicator, nor is man’s opinion the barometer for truth.  The third indicator of being drawn to work vocationally for the Church is a wide door for effective ministry. This concept comes from Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 16:8-9, when he said, “But I will stay in Ephesus until Pentecost, for a wide door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.” This indicator is perhaps the most mysterious of the three as there are no real identifiers of what these wide doors are or when they open, but we do know how they open, exclusively through the power of the Spirit. We know that a “wide door” is a particular favoring by the Spirit on a particular expression or moment of gospel advancement, but this “wide door” has very little to do with numbers, converts, or attendance.  Rather, a wide door for effective ministry could be a particularly rich and fruitful small group that you lead that the Spirit’s favor is on. It could be a particular project you take on within the area of your Church where you volunteer that is aligning supernaturally well with your talents and gifts. It could be a persistent conversation with an acquaintance who continually, and almost strangely, advocates on your behalf to the local church staff. Aiming to determine the exact application of your “wide door” could be a fruitless exercise; however, it is not unproductive to ask the Spirit to help you see and then step through the unique doors He is putting in your life. Lastly, when considering indicators that you are being drawn to vocational work within the Church, it is beneficial to summarize the categorical “types” of work that most often accompanied the local church in the early years surrounding Christ’s resurrection. These “types” of work, when compared to your respective passions and giftings, may give the most general guardrails for determining if a role in vocational ministry is your best next step. While there are likely far more than three categorical types of work, the three that I see most often represented in the Scriptures are preaching, pastoring/caring, and supporting.  Today, our local church structures have grown so much and have become so enmeshed with business ideologies that it is difficult to overlay the first-century church with the current Western Church. I do believe that while these categorical types are still present in today’s structures, there are now many more expressions of vocational ministry within the local church context. So, if you feel as if your strongest giftings are not in line with any of these three primary categories, know that that does not disqualify you from vocational ministry. Click here to read part two of  “How to Know If You’re Called to Work for the Church.”

When you’re under thirty, it’s easy to think you are always on your way to someplace else. You plan to graduate and move on. College is just what you’re doing for a set of semesters. Working as an assistant isn’t the career goal—this is what you’re doing until you have an assistant of your own. Someday, when you’re the boss or married, you’ll settle down and make an impact. Someday, you’ll finally reach the place where God can use you. But if you focus only on the future, you could miss what God is doing right now. God had a purpose for putting you in your current workplace, with your current roommates, in your current sorority, or on your current team. Right where you are, people need Jesus, and they could encounter his love, compassion, and grace through you. You are not where you are by accident. He chose this place for you and you for this place. In Jeremiah 17:7-8, the prophet describes an opportunity—a choice, to thrive by trusting in the Lord. “But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” (NIV) In this passage, let’s find the vision to believe your present place is as essential as the down-the-road destination. You have been planted right where you are—for a purpose. Planted So People Can Watch You Love Jesus The star of the Jeremiah passage isn’t the tree; it’s the water. After all, the gospel life isn’t, “Try hard to be a better tree.” The gospel life is, “Send your roots into the stream.” Jesus is our living water. Delight yourself in the Lord. Abide in him. Soak in his word and spend time in worship. Then, show up to the meeting, apartment, or rehearsal with a full and satisfied heart. Mention how glad you are to know Jesus. Give him credit for answered prayer. Openly love him, thank him, and live the truth of Colossians 3:4, that Jesus is your life. Find your confidence in him and grow like Jeremiah’s tree—tall and healthy, a spreading canopy loaded with leaves, heavy with fruit. Planted So People Can Watch You Endure Heat Plans change, layoffs happen, rent goes up, and cars break down. Do not fear when the heat comes. With Jesus, nothing is wasted. A challenging season can be a fruitful season. If life takes a turn, be real about the disappointment while showing how a Christian holds on and endures. The scripture promises that the stream keeps the leaves green. Your green leaves become shade for others going through their own experience of heat. So, if things at work go sideways, or if a roommate announces they are moving out, do not fear. Quiet trust and steadfast hope persuade those watching that heat hits differently for followers of Jesus. Bad things still happen, but the foundation holds. Maybe God planted you where you are to give hope to those who will see him carry you through. Planted So People Can Watch You Trust God in a Drought A drought means waiting for much-needed rain. Waiting on God is difficult. It’s tempting to drift toward worry and panic, but God has a purpose in the delay. Your drought might be waiting to secure the internship required by your major. Or you’ve been waiting for that first promotion since getting hired. Or you’re waiting for your forever person, without a cloud in the sky, to suggest the dry spell will end soon. When your confidence is in the Lord, and you work to stiff-arm worry and resist panic—God is glorified. Let people around you see contentment and peace with God’s timing and plan. Many are also on their way to a future beyond graduation, into family life, and ascent through the workforce. Talking about your trust while waiting could help them meet Jesus. Planted So People Can Enjoy the Fruit God Produces This is the final part of our Jeremiah passage. The one who trusts in the Lord, whose roots rest deep in his life, becomes a bountiful source of good. Abide in the Son and keep in step with the Spirit where the Father has planted you—then watch him produce the fruit (John 15:5,8; Galatians 5:22-25). Fruitfulness glorifies God and blesses fraternity brothers, coworkers, group project teammates, and your weekend friend group. Part of why God planted you is to let others taste the goodness of what his life produces. So serve them, humble yourself, and do good for them. Demonstrate the unselfish love Jesus is growing in you. Show them honor—let them go first and choose to go last. Be generous and self-sacrificing—give them a ride, help them move, or cover this month’s grocery bill. If they share news of some difficulty, show up as a friend with care and support. And pray for them. Let them know you will ask God to respond to their needs. The Time is Now Kingdom influence and gospel impact are not someday opportunities. God wants to use you before you get the degree, the official title, or your own family. Trust Him. He will shepherd your steps into the future and work through your relationships right now. Put your confidence in him. Partner with the Father to bring glory to Jesus and to see lives change. Give thanks for this current season and thrive where you’ve been planted, making the most of every opportunity.

Click here to listen to this week’s episode of Further In, in which members of the Passion City Church DC team discuss the passage of scripture we’re studying and consider how to apply the truths of God’s word to our lives.     This Week’s Reading: Daniel 10, Revelation 1, Acts 9, Ephesians 6   Daniel 10 offers a rare and breathtaking glimpse into the connection between our earthly struggles and the spiritual reality behind the scenes. As Daniel mourns, prays, and fasts for his people, he is drawn into a divine encounter that shakes him to his core. This chapter reminds us that God sees, hears, loves us and moves Heaven on our behalf.   1. Fasting & Prayer – Read Daniel 10:1-4 –    The chapter begins with Daniel (around 85 years old) burdened by the challenges facing his people, committing himself to three weeks of mourning and prayer. He abstains from rich food, wine, and personal comforts, choosing instead to focus entirely on seeking God. This act of fasting and prayer reveals Daniel’s intense desire to align his heart with God’s purposes during a season of discouragement.     Daniel’s example invites us to deny our everyday comforts and wholeheartedly seek God in our moments of uncertainty. His disciplines of prayer and fasting remind us that intimacy with God often requires setting aside our pleasures to pursue Him more deeply.     Reflection: Is there something weighing on your heart that you need to bring before God in focused prayer?     2. A Radiant Encounter – Read Daniel 10:5-9 –  While standing by the Tigris River, Daniel has a vision of a heavenly figure whose appearance radiates divine majesty. Dressed in linen (a symbol of purity and priestly service), with a golden belt (denoting royalty or judgment), this figure’s description emphasizes both holiness and authority. Most scholars suggest this figure is an angel, perhaps Gabriel, given his role in earlier visions. Others note how the overwhelming effect on Daniel and the description of this man closely relate to the description of Christ Jesus in Revelation 1:12-16.   Only Daniel sees the vision. But his companions feel the supernatural presence so strongly that they flee in terror. This encounter echoes Paul’s encounter on the Damascus Road, where only Paul saw Christ, while others experienced his power indirectly (Acts 9:1–7).     This moment reminds us of the vastness of God’s glory. His presence–as well as his messengers’ presence–shake us, humble us, and leaves no room for pride. Yet, it also reveals the beauty of encountering a God who is beyond our comprehension.     Reflection: How does the majesty of God inspire awe and reverence in your relationship with Him?     3. Loved & Heard – Read Daniel 10:10-14 –  As Daniel lies face down, a heavenly messenger touches him and reassures him that he is “greatly loved.” The messenger reveals to Daniel that from the very first day he began praying, his words were heard in Heaven. Daniel is not only loved by God, he is also heard. Yet God’s response to his prayers took time—spiritual opposition resisted the messenger for 21 days until Michael, the leading angel, intervened.     This behind-the-scenes glimpse into the spiritual realm highlights the significance of our prayers. Even when we don’t see immediate results, our persistent prayer does two things: (1) moves the heart of Heaven and (2) moves both the earthly and spiritual realms.     Reflection: You, too, are “greatly loved” and heard by God. How does that reality change your prayer life?   4. Strength in Weakness – Read Daniel 10:15-19 –  As the vision continues, Daniel feels utterly overwhelmed and drained. But the messenger gently reassures him, saying, “Fear not, peace be with you; be strong and of good courage.” With this encouragement and a second touch, Daniel finds his strength restored and his spirit renewed. Heaven’s response to Daniel’s weakness is tender care. Daniel is not left to struggle on his own, but is provided the strength and peace he needs to endure.    Reflection: Reflect on a time when you experienced God’s peace and strength lifting you out of exhaustion or discouragement.   5. The Unseen Battle – Read Daniel 10:20-21 –  The chapter closes with the messenger explaining that the spiritual battle is far from over. He must return to confront the “prince of Persia” and later deal with the “prince of Greece.” These are not worldly princes, these are spiritual forces of darkness. However, Daniel is reassured that the angel Michael, Israel’s protector, stands with God’s people. While spiritual forces may influence events, God’s purposes will always prevail.     This entire passage reveals several key truths about angels. Angels are real and play an active role in both the spiritual and earthly realms. There are both good and evil angels: good angels serve God and accomplish His will, while demonic forces oppose God and oppress His people.    This all points to the reality of spiritual warfare. As unbelievable as it may sound: angels, demons, and believers are engaged in an ongoing battle– which explains why life can always feel conflicting. This is what Paul meant when he wrote in Ephesians 6:12, “We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.”    That can seem discouraging and intimidating. The good news is that “you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4). The Stronger One–Jesus–is here and alive and able to fight off the darkness in your own life.   Reflection: We exist in a spiritual war. How can you trust Jesus in this battle and stand firm in Him?   Prayer Lord,  Thank You for loving me and hearing me.  Would you give me the kind of spirit That is desperate for you in discouragement. Remind me that even in unseen battles,  You are fighting for me and accomplishing Your purposes.  I rest in your sovereign care and glory.  Amen.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13   You are the God of hope.   In a world often downhearted and filled with despair, You remind me that hope is never scarce.  When I look at my circumstances with weary hesitation, I remember that hope in You is offered in abundance.   You are Living Hope—  hope personified.   Even when it seems as if darkness is winning, or when I stumble or fall, or when I am facing suffering, pain, trials, or persecution, I must never give up on You.    No matter how bleak my things may seem, I must cling to the fabric of your garment.   Because You are a sun and shield; You bestow favor and honor; and no good thing do You withhold from those whose walk is blameless.   So, I pray that I will rejoice in hope,  be patient in tribulation, and be constant in prayer.   I choose to believe that when You say You will do something, it will surely come.  Not because of anything I have done but because of how good You are.   I trade in my cynicism for the highest expectations, trusting that You can do immeasurably more than all I ask or imagine, according to Your power that is at work within me.

Click here to listen to this week’s episode of Further In, in which members of the Passion City Church DC team discuss the passage of scripture we’re studying and consider how to apply the truths of God’s word to our lives.     This Week’s Reading: 1 Peter   The New Testament often draws on the Old Testament to help us understand the Christian life, and Peter’s letter to “exiled” and persecuted Christians is a powerful example. His letter mirrors the themes found in Daniel’s story, showing us what it means to live faithfully as God’s people in a foreign land that does not honor Him.  As you study 1 Peter, you’ll uncover surprising connections between Daniel’s exile in Babylon and Peter’s encouragement to exiled Christians living in Rome—which Peter symbolically refers to as “Babylon.”   – Read 1 Peter 1 –    Peter opens his letter by addressing believers as “elect exiles” (1:1)—a term that would have instantly reminded readers of Daniel’s story. Just as Daniel lived as an exile in Babylon, Christians are described as resident aliens, living in this world but ultimately belonging to the kingdom of Heaven. Despite their hardships and persecution, Peter reminds believers that their true identity in Jesus is unshakable. They are “born again to a living hope” through the resurrection of Jesus (1:3), and their inheritance is “imperishable, undefiled, and unfading” (1:4). While Rome sought to compromise their identity, Peter called them to remember their true belonging in Christ. From this identity flows their activity. Just as Daniel remained secure in his identity and faithful to God in Babylon, Peter calls Christians to do the same: to hope (1:13), to pursue holiness (1:15-16), to live reverently (1:17-19), and to love one another earnestly (1:22). Reflection: How does knowing your unshakable identity in Christ—chosen, beloved, born to a new hope and redeemed by the blood of Jesus—shape the activity of your day-to-day life?   –Read 1 Peter 2 –    In chapter 2, Peter continues highlighting the believers’ collective identity as the family of God. They are being “built up as a spiritual house” with Jesus as the cornerstone (2:5-6). They are a “chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His own possession” called to proclaim God’s great grace to the watching world (2:9-10).  Although he was an exile in other kingdoms, Daniel’s life reflected God’s kingdom. Similarly, Christians are called to live as exiles reflecting God’s kingdom: by abstaining from sin and refusing to be shaped by the world’s values (2:11), by serving faithfully (2:12), and by honoring others, even those in authority who may not honor God (2:13-17). Having laid the foundation of their identity, Peter moves to address the believers’ suffering. As seen in Daniel’s life and the life of Christians addressed by Peter, persecution and suffering are a part of following Christ. In order to persevere through persecution, believers need encouragement and hope.  To uplift exiled believers, Peter points to Jesus as the great example of a suffering servant. Jesus suffered for his own people. He did not revile, nor threaten, but entrusted himself to God and bore our sins so that we might be healed by his own wounds. His persecution had a purpose: it was for us! Daniel’s story also includes suffering for the glory of God and the service of others—even those who opposed him! Reflection: Does your life reflect God’s kingdom, or the world’s values? Does your life honor those who live around you, even those you disagree with or who don’t honor you in return? Who could you choose to honor today?   –Read 1 Peter 3-4 –    In chapters 3 and 4, Peter shifts his focus to how Christians should live in community and endure suffering together. He calls for unity, humility, and love (3:8-9), encouraging believers to respond to persecution with gentleness and respect, always pointing to their hope in Jesus (3:15). Daniel exemplified this as he endured persecution with perseverance, conviction, and kindness. Peter reminds believers that they suffer similarly, and that their suffering strengthens them and makes them more like Jesus (4:1-2). The fuel that helps the exile engine run for both Daniel and for Peter is…hope. Hope is confidence that God will come through for his people in the future. As the prophecies of Daniel point to the future, so does the instruction of Peter: “the end of all things is at hand” (4:7). The believer has a confident expectation that glory awaits them when Jesus returns (4:13). Reflection: How do both Jesus’ example of suffering and the hope we have of future glory encourage you in your own suffering?    –Read 1 Peter 5 –    Peter concludes his letter with encouragement to church leaders and all believers. Leaders are to lead people with humility and a servant’s heart (5:2-3). And all Christians are to “clothe yourselves with humility” (5:5). With confidence in God’s care for them, believers are to cast their anxieties on Him and resist the devil, who prowls like a roaring lion (5:7-8). Peter’s closing words echo Daniel’s story. Daniel was humble before others and faithful toward his God who continually sustained him in Babylon. The same was true for Christians in Rome and is true for Christians everywhere today. Peter reminds believers that God is the one who ultimately restores, strengthens, and establishes them through His grace (5:10). It is that powerful grace that we are to stand in now as God’s chosen, holy, and dearly loved people. Reflection: How can humility and trust in God’s care sustain you as you face challenges in your life?   Prayer Father, Thank you for giving me a new, unchanging identity in Jesus. I am your beloved child, holy and redeemed by the blood of Christ.  Help me walk in this identity, reflecting your kingdom as I exist in the world’s kingdoms.  Teach me to hold fast to Jesus and the hope I have in Him in suffering. Grant me humility and trust in your sovereign, loving care  as I follow You and await Christ’s return. Amen

Click here to listen to this week’s episode of Further In, in which members of the Passion City Church DC team discuss the passage of scripture we’re studying and consider how to apply the truths of God’s word to our lives.     This Week’s Reading: Daniel 9, Jeremiah 25 & 29, Matthew 24   Before you read…    We find ourselves in the first year of Darius the Mede’s reign. Daniel is now in his 80s, still faithfully serving and seeking God despite having been in exile for decades. The end of the exile is nearing, so Daniel turns to the LORD…   –Read Daniel 9:1-23–    Daniel’s Situation (9:1-3). In the first year of Darius, Daniel surveys Scripture and reflects on Jeremiah’s prophecy that Jerusalem’s desolation would last 70 years (See Jeremiah 25 & 29). Realizing that the time spoken by Jeremiah was near, Daniel turns to the LORD God with fasting, signs of remorse (wearing sackcloth and ashes), and prayer over the wrongdoing of himself and all of Israel.    Daniel’s Adoration (9:4). Notice how Daniel starts his prayer: adoring God by acknowledging his greatness, awe, covenantal nature, and loyal love. Daniel’s confession and petition to God follow his praise for God.   Daniel’s Confession (9:5-15). Daniel’s prayer then moves to honest confession. He does not shift blame, make excuses, or hide. Rather, he openly admits the faults of himself and all of Israel. He takes personal ownership of their plight. Notice all verbs Daniel mentions: “We have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly and rebelled”… “We have not listened”… “We have sinned against you.” Daniel recognizes that Israel had not simply violated a moral law; they had violated their God, to whom righteousness, mercy, and forgiveness belong.    Daniel’s Petition (9:16-19). Daniel then transitions to a heartfelt plea for God’s mercy. He asks God to turn His anger away from Jerusalem, His holy city, not because of Israel’s righteousness but because of His great mercy. Daniel’s petition is urgent and passionate: “O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive. O Lord, pay attention and act.”   Meditations Adoration. Daniel’s prayer began with adoration. The character of God drives his prayer life. Spend a moment adoring God for who he is and what he has done for you.   Confession. Daniel realized that he and all of Israel had turned away from the whole life God intended for them. Realizing his transgression, Daniel didn’t blame or hide but confessed. Spend a moment confessing to God the ways (both big and small) you have neglected his instruction and guidance.    Petition. Daniel’s prayer didn’t end at confession. He also had the confidence to make a petition—to ask. Daniel asked that God listen to them, forgive them, and move on their behalf. Spend another quiet moment asking God to move on your behalf.    Prayer Lord, You are faithful and just,  abounding in mercy and loyal love. I confess my shortcomings and wrongdoings. Forgive me,  not because of my righteousness,  but because of Your great mercy. Strengthen me to seek Your face  with humility and confidence. Amen. – Read Daniel 9:20-27–   What happened? Heaven’s Response (9:20-23). While Daniel is still praying, the angel Gabriel appears and assures Daniel that his prayer was heard the moment he began to pray and that he is “greatly loved.” Heaven’s response to Daniel’s confession is compassion. Gabriel also brings Daniel a message of insight and understanding.   Heaven’s Plan (Seventy ‘Sevens’) (9:24-27). Gabriel’s prophecy of the “Seventy Sevens” ultimately outlines God’s redemptive timeline for his people. Most agree that the “sevens” (also translated “weeks”) represents years– totaling 490 years. These 490 years are divided into three periods: seven sevens (49 years) from the decree to rebuild Jerusalem to its completion, sixty-two sevens (434 years) leading to the arrival of the “Anointed One” (understood as Jesus), and one final seven (7 years) marked by desolation and destruction.   Interpretations of this prophecy vary. One interpretation thinks the timeline culminates in Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, believing the prophecy was fulfilled in His redemptive work and the events that followed in the 1st century. Another interpretation understands the numbers symbolically, seeing the current Church age as now existing within the final seven years. A third interpretation separates the 69 sevens (483 years) from the final seven, believing the last period will be in the future as a time of tribulation, viewing the current Church age as a gap until then.    Despite these differences, the prophecy foretells God’s faithfulness. What is important is this: God’s plan for his people, through Jesus, is to finish transgression, put an end to sin, atone for iniquity, and bring in everlasting righteousness.  Meditations “You are greatly loved” Gabriel’s immediate response to Daniel’s confession reminds us that God responds with grace to our honest confession. In the same way Daniel is “greatly loved,” so are you. How does knowing you are “greatly loved” impact your confidence in prayer?   Putting an End to Sin This prophecy promises that Jesus will put an end to the very thing that tears life apart: sin. Jesus will pay for it and defeat it. Spend a quiet moment thanking Jesus for being the hero that has already come to deal with sin, and will one day eradicate it forever.  Prayer Lord, You work all things according to Your perfect plan. Thank you for meeting my prayers with grace.  Thank you Jesus: The Solution to all brokenness.  I long for the day when you restore all things and your kingdom reigns forever. Amen.

Have you ever wondered how you can trust God when you don’t understand what He’s allowing to happen right now? “So they impaled Haman on the pole he had set up for Mordecai.” (Esther 7:10a, NIV)  In Esther 7, we read an account of Haman’s downfall, the man who was planning to kill the Jewish people. Haman’s pride backfired, and his evil intentions led to his own humiliation. Ultimately Haman, the one who had been scheming to kill others, became the one begging for his own life. The very gallows he built to kill Esther’s beloved relative and guardian, Mordecai, became the place his own death took place: “So they impaled Haman on the pole he had set up for Mordecai” (Esther 7:10, NIV). He ate the fruit of his own wicked schemes.  No human could have possibly arranged for all this to happen… but God could. Even though God’s name is not specifically mentioned in the book of Esther, here we learn that sometimes, God does incredible moves without calling any attention to Himself at all. Esther certainly did her part, as did many others. But they didn’t do the wrong things to try and bring about the right things. Doing things God’s way and in God’s timing is the right way and the right timing.  This isn’t the only time in scripture where an evil plan looked like it was going to win. In the life of Jesus, his enemies (King Herod, the Pharisees and Sadducees, and Pontius Pilate to name a few) all believed they had created a foolproof plan to get rid of the Messiah and to overthrow His reign.  But the men who came against Jesus weren’t the only villains in the story. The ultimate villain was the enemy, Satan. But the irony is that the very plan of the enemy led to the redemptive story of Jesus’ resurrection. Evil forces set Jesus on the journey to the cross, but with every step Jesus takes, evil was closer to defeat.  In a similar reversal, the agenda and strategy of Haman brought about his own demise. In both Esther and Jesus’ story: There was an evil plan. There was an enemy. Innocent people were going to be destroyed if someone didn’t step in to save them. A hero came from humble beginnings and looked nothing like what the people expected. The heroes remained humble and honored God in their approach to handling the dire situation.The heroes were uniquely positioned by God to fulfill the plan of God.The heroes set aside what was best for them for a greater purpose. In the case of Haman’s death, it was the guilty dying in place of the innocent. In the case of Jesus, the innocent died in the place of the guilty. Oh friend, I pray we cling to this truth today: Darkness, sin and hopelessness have been overcome. Jesus did it for me. And He did it for you. Jesus loves you. Jesus sees you. The battle you’re facing, no matter how dark it feels, isn’t hopeless. We may not be able to see victory right now, but because of Jesus, evil is in the process of being ultimately defeated. The world as we know it now, plagued with sin and pain, is not our home. The new heaven and new earth are closer than we think (Revelation 21:3-8). But for now, our assignment is to keep following God and keep trusting Him. I know that’s not easy, especially when so much of what we are facing feels incredibly unfair. Sometimes I think I hold on to the burden of unfairness because I don’t see tangible evidence of God doing anything. But this is what I’m reminding myself of: we don’t serve a do-nothing God. Even in the silence, the unknown, and the places where it looks like evil is winning, He is working. We may experience evil in this world, but even still, God reigns over evil. There is a Savior of the world who will right all the wrongs. Even if it takes a really long time and even if I don’t see it in my lifetime. Victorious Jesus will have victory in the wrongs done to you and the evil committed against you. This doesn’t mean we give up. It means we’re giving over to God what was never ours to carry. In the meantime, we simply have to have room for what we don’t understand … for the mystery of God. Romans 11:33-36 reminds us of this: “Oh, the depth of the riches and the wisdom and the knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments and untraceable his ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor? And who has ever given to God, that he should be repaid? For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever. Amen.” (CSB) Prayer Heavenly Father, purify my heart today. I trust You to handle any and all outcomes that I feel unsure of or overwhelmed by. I lay down situations that are worrying me. Help me to be obedient to You. I want to walk in step with You, Your ways, and Your timing. In Jesus’ name, amen.   This is an adapted article from Lysa TerKeurst’s book I Want to Trust You, But I Don’t.  Have you ever thought, how can I trust God when I don’t understand what He’s allowing to happen right now? Lysa TerKeurst has been there. In her new book, I Want to Trust You, But I Don’t, Lysa will help you release the heavy mental and emotional weight of what you don’t understand by learning how God’s justice will always prevail. To grab a copy of Lysa TerKeurst’s book I Want to Trust You, But I Don’t, click here.         Check out this episode of The Grove Podcast, Shelley Giglio and Lysa TerKeurst unpack practical ways to move forward from places of hurt and how to invite life-giving community back into your life when fear feels overwhelming.