Barnabas Piper's Blog
April 17, 2026
Kindle Deals for April 17
Tracing God’s Story: An Introduction to Biblical Theology by Jon Nielson – $5.73
From Adam and Israel to the Church: A Biblical Theology of the People of God by Benjamin Gladd – $5.99
Tried by Fire: The Story of Christianity’s First Thousand Years by William Bennett – $.99
Church History for Modern Ministry: Why Our Past Matters for Everything We Do by Dayton Hartman – $5.99
How Africa Shaped the Christian Mind: Rediscovering the African Seedbed of Western Christianity by Thomas C. Oden – $5.99
Walking in Unity: Biblical Answers to Questions on Race and Racism by Krista Bontrager & Monique Duson
Jane Eyre: A Guide to Reading and Reflecting by Charlotte Bronte (with notes by Karen Swallow Prior)
One Good Deed by David Baldacci – $1.99
A Gambling Man by David Baldacci – $1.99
The Whole Truth by David Baldacci – $1.99
Room: A Novel by Emma Donaghue – $2.99
The Blackhouse (The Lewis Thrillers Book 1) by Peter May – $6.99
The Lewis Man (The Lewis Thrillers Book 2) by Peter May – $.99
Sweet Thunder by Ivan Doig – $1.99
The Girl from Fort Wicked: A Novel by Dee Brown – $1.99
Far Bright Star by Robert Olmstead – $2.99
The Moneychangers: A Novel by Upton Sinclair – $1.99
Worthy Brown’s Daughter: a Novel by Philip Margolin – $1.99
Jim the Boy: A Novel by Tony Earley – $1.99
Donnybrook: A Novel by Frank Bill – $2.99
Belong: Loving Your Church by Reflecting Christ to One Another – $8.99
Hoping for Happiness: Turning Life’s most elusive Feeling into Lasting Reality – $8.99
The Pastor’s Kid: What it’s Like and How to Help – $8.99
Help My Unbelief: Why doubt is not the enemy of faith – $8.99
The Curious Christian: How Discovering Wonder Enriches Every Part of Life – $4.99
These links are Amazon affiliate links.
3 Things I Like This Week – April 17
Photo by Igor Kazantsev on UnsplashEach week (give or take one or two here and there) I share three things I like – It could be a book, a movie, a podcast, an album, a photo, an article, a restaurant, a food item, a beverage, or anything else I simply enjoy and think you might too. You can find a whole pile of things, especially books, I like and recommend HERE.
Each week (give or take one or two here and there) I share three things I like – It could be a book, a movie, a podcast, an album, a photo, an article, a restaurant, a food item, a beverage, or anything else I simply enjoy and think you might too. You can find a whole pile of things, especially books, I like and recommend HERE.
1) Uniball Vision Elite Pens
The older I get the more brand loyalty I have (which is to say, the more picky and intractable I am) toward certain products. This is one of them. See, I hand write a lot. I hand write all my outlines for articles or books or sermons. I take hand written notes in meetings and sermons. It is one of the few ways I can get my brain to focus and retain meaningful information. These are the pens I use to do so. The vision elite is smooth, dries quickly, and is a pleasure to use. It does not leak ink, even on airplanes, unlike some of its counterparts. Some of you will turn your nose up and declare the fountain pen to be superior. It is, in the same way the monarchs of England are superior to the rest of humanity. The Pilot G-2 has a strong contingent of supporters, and that’s fine. I would simply call it “the velcro shoe” of pens. The vision elite is the Toyota of pens–not the most luxurious but utterly reliable, classy enough, and always a choice you won’t regret.
2) Hat Stretcher
My wife will often comment on the inconsistency of how women’s clothing is sized—size 4 doesn’t mean the same thing across brands, “medium” is an entirely arbitrary term, etc. Well, I have the same complaint as it pertains to fitted hats. Fitted hats are a staple part of my wardrobe, and I won what might be considered an unreasonable number of them. And I have worn size 7 1/4 since high school. But 7 1/4 does not mean the same thing across the board. Sometimes it is perfect, sometimes it is migraine inducing. But you can be sure that if 7 1/4 is too tight, 7 3/8 (the next size up, for you uninitiated into the glories and complexities of fitted hats) will be too large. Enter the hat stretcher. About 30-45 minutes before planning to wear the hat put this sucker in, crank the handle to expand it, and voila, a nearly perfect fit. It sadly isn’t a permanent adjustment, but it is an easy way to make a $40 hat you love work a day at a time.
This is more than a musical performance of a great old spiritual. It is a history lesson in the development and adaptation of that song from culture to culture, and it is, in fact, multiple performances of that great old song.
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April 16, 2026
Kindle Deals for April 16
Knowing God by J.I. Packer – $4.99
Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God by J.I. Packer – $3.99
A Grief Sanctified: Through Sorrow to Eternal Hope by J.I. Packer – $2.99
Tell the Truth: The Whole Gospel Wholly by Grace Communicated Truthfully Lovingly by Will Metzger – $5.99
Surprised by Suffering: The Role of Pain and Death in the Christian Life by R.C. Sproul – $6.99
Why We’re Feeling Lonely (and What We Can Do About It) by Shelby Abbott – $2.99
Real: The Surprising Secret to Deeper Relationships by Catherine Parks – $4.99
Stay Salt: The World Has Changed: Our Message Must Not by Rebecca Manley Pippert – $2.99
Out of the Saltshaker and Into the World: Evangelism as a Way of Life by Rebecca Manley Pippert – $4.99
The Good and Beautiful Life: Putting on the Character of Christ by James Bryan Smith – $5.99
Turning Everyday Conversations into Gospel Conversations by Jimmy Scroggins & Steve Wright – $4.99
Defiant Joy: The Remarkable Life & Impact of G. K. Chesterton by Kevin Belmonte – $2.99
J. I. Packer: His Life and Thought by Alister McGrath – $5.99
George Washington Carver by John Perry – $2.99
Winston Churchill: A Biography by John Perry – $5.99
D. L. Moody: A Biography of One of America’s Great Evangelists by Kevin Belmonte – $5.99
Saint Francis by Robert West – $2.99
The Chief: The Life of William Randolph Hearst by David Nasaw – $1.99
The Big Sea: An Autobiography by Langston Hughes – $3.99
Giants: The Parallel Lives of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln by John Stauffer – $2.99
My Bondage and My Freedom: An American Icon In His Own Words by Frederick Douglass – $.99
Belong: Loving Your Church by Reflecting Christ to One Another – $8.99
Hoping for Happiness: Turning Life’s most elusive Feeling into Lasting Reality – $8.99
The Pastor’s Kid: What it’s Like and How to Help – $8.99
Help My Unbelief: Why doubt is not the enemy of faith – $8.99
The Curious Christian: How Discovering Wonder Enriches Every Part of Life – $4.99
These links are Amazon affiliate links.
April 15, 2026
Kindle Deals for April 15
I Still Do: Growing Closer and Stronger through Life’s Defining Moments by Dave Harvey – $3.99
When Sinners Say “I Do”: Discovering the Power of the Gospel for Marriage by Dave Harvey – $4.99
Lead Them to Jesus: A Handbook for Youth Workers by Mike McGarry – $3.99
Parenting Ahead: Preparing Now for the Teen Years by Kristen Hatton – $2.99
Transformative Friendships: 7 Questions to Deepen Any Relationship by Brad Hambrick – $3.99
The Company We Keep: In Search of Biblical Friendship by Jonathan Holmes – $5.99
The Insanity of Obedience: Walking with Jesus in Tough Places by Nik Ripken – $4.99
You Can Trust God to Write Your Story: Embracing the Mysteries of Providence by Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth & Robert Wolgemuth – $3.99
Shadow Commander: The Epic Story of Donald D. Blackburn—Guerrilla Leader and Special Forces Hero by Mike Guardia – $1.99
American Guerrilla: The Forgotten Heroics of Russell W. Volckmann—the Man Who Escaped from Bataan, Raised a Filipino Army against the Japanese, and Became the Father of American Special Forces by Mike Guardia- $2.99
Inferno: The True Story of a B-17 Gunner’s Heroism and the Bloodiest Military Campaign in Aviation History by Joe Pappalardo – $2.99
Franklin and Eleanor: An Extraordinary Marriage by Hazel Rowley – $1.99
Within Arm’s Length: A Secret Service Agent’s Definitive Inside Account of Protecting the President by Dan Emmett – $2.99
No Ordinary Time: Franklin & Eleanor Roosevelt: The Home Front in World War II by Doris Kearns Goodwin – $4.49
Lyndon Johnson and the American Dream by Doris Kearns Goodwin – $3.99
Franklin and Winston: An Intimate Portrait of an Epic Friendship by Jon Meacham – $6.99
Bobby Kennedy: A Raging Spirit by Chris Matthews – $2.99
American Pharaoh: Mayor Richard J. Daley–His Battle for Chicago and the Nation by Elizabeth Taylor & Adam Cohen – $2.99
Belong: Loving Your Church by Reflecting Christ to One Another – $8.99
Hoping for Happiness: Turning Life’s most elusive Feeling into Lasting Reality – $8.99
The Pastor’s Kid: What it’s Like and How to Help – $8.99
Help My Unbelief: Why doubt is not the enemy of faith – $8.99
The Curious Christian: How Discovering Wonder Enriches Every Part of Life – $4.99
These links are Amazon affiliate links.
April 14, 2026
Kindle Deals for April 14
A Long Obedience in the Same Direction: Discipleship in an Instant Society by Eugene Peterson – $3.99
Strong and Weak: Embracing a Life of Love, Risk and True Flourishing by Andy Crouch – $3.99
Playing God: Redeeming the Gift of Power by Andy Crouch – $5.99
Culture Making: Recovering Our Creative Calling by Andy Crouch – $5.99
The God Who Is There by Francis Schaeffer – $4.99
Basic Christianity by John Stott – $3.99
Being a Christian by John Stott – $1.99
Good and Beautiful and Kind: Becoming Whole in a Fractured World by Rich Villodas – $1.99
The Deeply Formed Life: Five Transformative Values to Root Us in the Way of Jesus by Rich Villodas – $4.99
When the Church Was a Family: Recapturing Jesus’ Vision for Authentic Christian Community by Joseph Hellerman – $4.99
The Mark of the Christian by Francis Schaeffer – $2.99
Ten Questions to Diagnose Your Spiritual Health by Donald Whitney – $2.99
The Earth Will Be Filled: A Biblical Theology of the Glory of God by Donnie Berry – $4.99
Walking the Way of the Wise: A Biblical Theology of Wisdom by Mitchell Chase – $5.99
The Return of the Kingdom: A Biblical Theology of God’s Reign by Stephen Dempster – $4.99
The Beginning and End of All Things: A Biblical Theology of Creation and New Creation by Edward Klink III – $5.99
The Hope of Life After Death: A Biblical Theology of Resurrection by M. Jeff Brannon – $5.99
Face to Face with God: A Biblical Theology of Christ as Priest and Mediator by T. Desmond Alexander – $5.99
God Dwells Among Us: A Biblical Theology of the Temple by G.K. Beale & Mitchell Kim – $5.99
The Path of Faith: A Biblical Theology of Covenant and Law by Brandon Crowe – $5.99
Rebels and Exiles: A Biblical Theology of Sin and Restoration by Matthew S. Harmon – $5.99
Exodus Old and New: A Biblical Theology of Redemption by L. Michael Morales – $5.99
From Adam and Israel to the Church: A Biblical Theology of the People of God by Benjamin Gladd – $5.99
David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants by Malcolm Gladwell – $1.99
Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know about the People We Don’t Know by Malcolm Gladwell – $1.99
The Practice of Management by Peter Drucker – $1.99
Invisible Influence: The Hidden Forces that Shape Behavior by Jonah Berger – $1.99
The Hot Hand: The Mystery and Science of Streaks by Ben Cohen – $2.99
Rapport: The Four Ways to Read People by Rapport – $.99
Belong: Loving Your Church by Reflecting Christ to One Another – $8.99
Hoping for Happiness: Turning Life’s most elusive Feeling into Lasting Reality – $8.99
The Pastor’s Kid: What it’s Like and How to Help – $8.99
Help My Unbelief: Why doubt is not the enemy of faith – $8.99
The Curious Christian: How Discovering Wonder Enriches Every Part of Life – $4.99
These links are Amazon affiliate links.
April 13, 2026
Nothing Will Prevail
Proverbs 21:30
No wisdom, no understanding, no counsel
can avail against the Lord .
Proverbs is all about wisdom, its value and benefit and guidance. But really what that means is that Proverbs is all about God–how he thinks, what he values, and how we can walk with him. It reminds us that to walk with God is true wisdom and that God’s ways always work out best in the end. So when Proverbs 21:30 tells us No wisdom, no understanding, no counsel can avail against the Lord, what it is really saying is that there is no true wisdom or worthwhile counsel apart from God.
All of human wisdom, every scheme of man, every collection of seemingly powerful people cannot compete with the wisdom of God. This gives us hope in three ways.
God is, has always been, and always will be in control. Psalm 2 tells us he sits on his throne and laughs at the schemes and ravings of a mad world. This isn’t a competition. It’s the vain efforts of a world in rebellion to overthrow our sovereign, loving, good God. And they have no shot.If we walk in the wisdom of God we will be secure in our souls. This starts with the fear of the Lord–treating God as if he is who he says he is in every aspect of our lives. And from there it is a daily process of learning to see as God sees, to think as God thinks, to value what God values, and to live in a way that honors him. Wisdom isn’t always easy, but it is not complicated either.God has given us the keys to wisdom. He is not keeping his heart or his goodness or his desires a secret. He invites us into the security of wisdom and teaches us how to walk in it so that we are near his heart and wrapped in his security at all times.I originally wrote this post for my church, Immanuel Nashville, in our Daily Pulse email. If you want encouragement from God’s word delivered Monday thru Friday to your inbox, I encourage you to subscribe.
Kindle Deals for April 13
The Reading Life: The Joy of Seeing New Worlds Through Others’ Eyes by C.S. Lewis – $1.99
Studies in Words by C.S. Lewis – $6.99
The Medieval Mind of C. S. Lewis: How Great Books Shaped a Great Mind by Jason Baxter – $4.99
Reading Scripture with the Reformers by Timothy George – $4.99
Reading Scripture with the Church Fathers by Christopher Hall – $5.99
Learning Theology with the Church Fathers: The Clarity of Scripture by Christopher Hall – $6.99
Worshiping with the Church Fathers by Christopher Hall – $5.99
Essential Truths of the Christian Faith by R.C. Sproul – $3.99
Knowing Scripture by R.C. Sproul – $3.99
Embodied Hope: A Theological Meditation on Pain and Suffering by Kelly Kapic – $5.99
Neil Armstrong: A Life of Flight by Jay Barbree – $2.99
Bringing Columbia Home: The Untold Story of a Lost Space Shuttle and Her Crew by Michael Leinbach & Michael Ward – $1.99
Admiral Nimitz: The Commander of the Pacific Ocean Theater by Bryton Harris – $2.99
City of Sedition: The History of New York City during the Civil War by John Strausbaugh – $1.99
The Village: 400 Years of Beats and Bohemians, Radicals and Rogues, a History of Greenwich Village by John Strausbaugh – $2.99
The Zorg: A Tale of Greed and Murder That Inspired the Abolition of Slavery by Siddharth Kara – $6.99
Night (Night Trilogy) by Elie Wiesel – $3.99
Belong: Loving Your Church by Reflecting Christ to One Another – $8.99
Hoping for Happiness: Turning Life’s most elusive Feeling into Lasting Reality – $8.99
The Pastor’s Kid: What it’s Like and How to Help – $8.99
Help My Unbelief: Why doubt is not the enemy of faith – $8.99
The Curious Christian: How Discovering Wonder Enriches Every Part of Life – $4.99
These links are Amazon affiliate links.
April 10, 2026
3 Things I Like This Week – April 10
Photo by Igor Kazantsev on UnsplashEach week (give or take one or two here and there) I share three things I like – It could be a book, a movie, a podcast, an album, a photo, an article, a restaurant, a food item, a beverage, or anything else I simply enjoy and think you might too. You can find a whole pile of things, especially books, I like and recommend HERE.
1) The Pitt
When I hear a TV show described as a “medical drama” I immediately disregard because that simple means “medical soap opera” or “medical whodunnit” (See: Grey’s Anatomy or House). Neither of those kinds of shows holds much interest for me. So when The Pitt started getting buzz I wasn’t even skeptical, I just ignored it. America tends to have bad taste after all. But there comes a point when the critical acclaim and the praise for particular performances is impossible to ignore, so my wife and I decided to give it a shot. And it is phenomenal. It is a medical procedural, but not a drama or whodunnit. Each season takes place over the course of a single shift in the emergency and trauma unit at a Pittsburgh hospital. It is tense, but not with engineered suspense. The doctors are not mad geniuses, but they are highly skilled. What makes the show brilliant is the humanity around the medical cases. The interactions between doctor and patient, the centripetal force of the nurses who hold things together, the conflicts between egos, the intentional empathy toward the suffering, and I could go on and on. (Who knows, I might write a longer piece on the Pitt). It is not a light show, but neither is it a brooding dark one. It is an intense, human, wonderfully acted drama in the truest sense of the word.
Life moves fast and is full of tension and complication. At the end of a full day or week it is hard to slow down and help my mind transition to rest. Sitting down to read demands a force of will I sometimes don’t have. Watching a movie or show sometimes feels like ingesting more tension rather than resting. But a bonfire, on a lovely spring night, is just the thing. Building the fire is a brief project that demands attention but not thought and serves as an off ramp for the brain. From that point on the fire is the center of relaxation. Maybe it is the object of vacant staring. Maybe it it is the center of a social gathering. Sometimes it serves as an activity–stoking, building, stirring. Once you settle in to an adirondack chair, gravity will keep you firmly planted in relaxation until the fire burns low.
I’ve loved the Lone Bellow’s music since their debut album years ago. This song isn’t one of their biggest hits, but it’s lovely.
Kindle Deals for April 10
Brothers, We Are Not Professionals: A Plea to Pastors for Radical Ministry by John Piper – $4.99
Gospel-Centered Teaching: Showing Christ in All the Scripture by Trevin Wax – $4.99
Deep Discipleship: How the Church Can Make Whole Disciples of Jesus by J.T. English – $4.99
Designed to Lead: The Church and Leadership Development by Eric Geiger & Kevin Peck – $4.99
The Problems of Christian Leadership by John Stott – $2.99
Doctrine That Dances: Bringing Doctrinal Preaching and Teaching to Life by Robert Smith Jr. – $4.99
Letters to My Students: Volume 1: On Preaching by Jason Allen – $4.99
Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership: Seeking God in the Crucible of Ministry by Ruth Haley Barton – $5.99
Zeal without Burnout: Seven keys to a lifelong ministry of sustainable sacrifice by Christopher Ash – $5.99
Teams That Thrive: Five Disciplines of Collaborative Church Leadership by Ryan Hartwig & Warren Bird – $5.99
The Bookseller of Kabul by Anne Seierstad – $1.99
Hellhound On His Trail: The Electrifying Account of the Largest Manhunt In American History by Hampton Sides – $1.99
Ghost Soldiers: The Epic Account of World War II’s Greatest Rescue Mission by Hampton Sides – $6.99
Spying on the South: An Odyssey Across the American Divide by Tony Horowitz – $5.99
The Demon of Unrest: A Saga of Hubris, Heartbreak, and Heroism at the Dawn of the Civil War by Erik Larson – $4.99
Concorde: The thrilling account of history’s most extraordinary airliner by Mike Bannister – $.99
Belong: Loving Your Church by Reflecting Christ to One Another – $8.99
Hoping for Happiness: Turning Life’s most elusive Feeling into Lasting Reality – $8.99
The Pastor’s Kid: What it’s Like and How to Help – $8.99
Help My Unbelief: Why doubt is not the enemy of faith – $8.99
The Curious Christian: How Discovering Wonder Enriches Every Part of Life – $4.99
These links are Amazon affiliate links.
April 9, 2026
Finding Peace, Security, and Happiness in God’s Promises
Each night when I tuck my kids into bed (or send them to bed, as is the case more often as they get older and are in less need of tucking) I tell them I love them. They tell me they love me too, I turn the lights off, and I head to my easy chair to grab a few moments of quiet. Sometimes they stop me before I make it out the door to ask a question about the mysteries of life or a particularly knotty theological issue because they know full well I can’t ignore such questions. But most of the time it is a simple exchange of “I love yous” and then sleep.
You know what never happens when I put them to bed? It never happens that I tell them I love them, give them a hug and kiss, turn to leave their room, and hear “Do you still love me now?”—as if my love somehow changed or departed in those few seconds. They know that my statement of love was not just true in the moment I said it, but that it was a statement of how I always am toward them. They know that it will be true in the middle of the night, the next morning, and when they are grown and moved on. Yes, they need assurances and reminders, especially when they screw up. But what they hear in the phrase “I love you” is “I have loved you, I do love you, and I will love you.”
How much more should we hear God’s words in that way. My love for my children is flawed, incomplete, and demands that I repent to them often for my failures. Sometimes they need reminders that I love them because I failed to show it well. God never has to repent because he never sins or fails. He doesn’t have good days and bad days. He never changes or goes back on his word. And that means that every word God says about himself carries a promise in it.
So when God says something about himself in his word, it is assured to be true, to have been true, and to always be true. When he describes himself, it is a promise. When he speaks of his deeds, it is a promise. When he declares his love or protection or presence, it is a promise. And when he says he will keep his promises, it is a promise.
And it is God’s promises, found in Scripture, that are the source of true happiness, direct our hopes, and shape our expectations—or at least they should.
So let’s take a look at some of them.
Promises for the PresentWhat promises has God given us for right now, as we live in this in-between place full of conflicting joys and pains? These words of God shine light into dark days and are bringers of happiness of the purest, rightest, most holy kind.
While God’s promises are too deep and profound to be placed neatly into buckets addressing different needs, he does care about our present struggles and his words are for those moments when life is difficult. So here are just some of God’s “promises present” for whatever it is we’re feeling or facing.
FearfulWhile most of us don’t go through life fearing for our well-being because of enemies, we all fear people. We fear gossip. We fear injustice. We fear the consequences of doing what’s right in the face of injustice. We fear looking foolish and being humiliated. And we need this sort of reminder of just who is in charge and who holds our lives.
God promises:
The Lord is on my side; I will not fear.
What can man do to me? (Psalm 118:6)
WorriedWe worry about our health or our children’s future. We worry about how we’ll pay off debt or whether our new business will succeed. We worry that our country is going to hell in a handbasket and taking us all with it. And some days we wake up with a general sense of dread and fear. We control so little of our lives, and it can be paralyzing when we begin to think about all that could happen. God promises:
Confused6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7)
When life is difficult and we are suffering, the first question we ask is “Why?” Why would God ordain things to happen like this? Most of the time we won’t get a complete answer to that question. But God does tell us of at least one purpose for every difficulty, and in purpose there is clarity and hope. God promises:
Overwhelmed3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 5 For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. (2 Corinthians 1:3-5)
When everything has hit the fan and life is too much, God gives us what we need for that too. We can find safety in his strong presence. He gives us pictures of security for us to envision, like this one:
Shame, guilt and doubt
The name of the Lord is a strong tower;
the righteous man runs into it and is safe. (Proverbs 18:10)
Some of us need present promises for another sort of struggle—one interior to our souls. It may be a battle with shame and guilt, the feeling you can never be forgiven for sins you have committed. Or a struggle to feel that God is there at all. Or a feeling of being unworthy, not good enough to be God’s child, and wondering if you are really saved. God speaks to us in these struggles as well.
The Lord is merciful and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. Psalm 103:8
AloneIf we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9
One of the most powerful realities for Christians is that Jesus is advocating for us. He is on our side. He has won us through his death and resurrection and will not let us go. He is with God, talking to God on our behalf. He is interceding with God, in his own name, for us. And he tells us this so we will know we can be close to God in freedom and peace and happiness.
One final, catch-all promise15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:14-16)
If you are in a spiritually dark place then Romans 8 is a wonderful place to rest and meditate and pray. You could live in this chapter for days and weeks at a time and never plumb the depths of its goodness for your soul. Here’s the culmination of the chapter:
Promises Future38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-39)
When we think of promises, this is likely the category that comes to mind most readily—the ones that look ahead at better things to come.
So here is the picture one particular passage in Revelation paints of what we can gladly look forward to:
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
5 And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” 6 And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. 7 The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son. 8 But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.” Revelation 21:1-8
Reflect on some of these phrases and truths.
And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. This shouts of beauty and newness and expectation and joy. We should read it with the anticipation of a groom bouncing on his toes, unable to contain his smile at the woman walking down the aisle to marry him.
“It is done!” On this day God will have finished his perfect work. All the hoping will be behind us because everything will be a fully-realized certainty from that day forth and forever.
He will dwell with them. No more will God seem distant—not that he ever was, but we will see him and know it with certainty. His home will be with us and we will be his people.
He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away … I am making all things new. What else could we ask for? All the things that sully or snatch away our happiness will be gone, erased forever. What will replace them will be what was lost at Eden: perfection. We will at last know total, untainted happiness.
But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death. For seven verses God pours out promise after promise of glory and newness and perfection. But then comes this verse. Why? Because we need this kind of “warning promise” We need the reminder that eternity is for all, but glory is only for those who are Christ’s—and so we need to keep going in trusting in him. And we need the reminder that God’s glory and power is perfect in judgement and mercy alike.
What a promise this passage holds. What a portrait of perfect happiness. What a hope to cling to in the midst of anything we face now.
Promises and HappinessGod’s promises define reality. They draw the lines of hope and happiness. So we must ask ourselves whether our expectations, our pursuits, our definition of happiness aligns with what God has said. When a child yanks out of his parent’s grasp in a crowd, runs away, gets lost, and consequently becomes terrified did the parent’s presence and care fail him? Not at all. His actions led him away from peace and happiness in pursuit of what he thought was better. Similarly, when we feel unhappy and hopeless it is not because God’s promises failed us or because God abandoned us but because we distanced ourselves: we forgot.
True happiness lies in remembering what God has said and done, so that we can rest in the hope of what God will one day do. And we remember by returning to his promises, his words, day after day, for as long as it is called today (Hebrews 3:13).
This an excerpt, modified from Hoping for Happiness. A biblical framework for living a grounded, hopeful, and genuinely happy life, this book helps us to throw off both the unrealistic expectations that end in disappointment and the guilty sense that Christians are not meant to have fun.
