Background on the Program

Please sit back and for a few minutes, I hope this message nourishes you in the most meaningful way to comfort you in your sorrows and strengthen you to keep climbing into the ring to face your battles.

Episode #14: Tough Times Ahead

Today’s episode starts with a song from Credence Clearwater Revival (CCR), Bad Moon Rising.

Please spend a few minutes listening to any version you can find on the internet.

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Welcome back…

I hope you enjoyed that song. Creedence Clearwater Revival (CCR) led by lead singer John Fogerty, played together under the name CCR for a short period of about 4 years and topped the charts with an eclectic style that blended some southern rock, country rock and blues to produce some wonderful music.  It was too bad that the band members just could not get along as they rocketed up the charts and disbanded in the early 70s after a few short years of amazing success. 

The song Bad Moon Rising highlights a common mindset that we all carry with us over our lives and that is a tendency to ponder and think about a negative future instead of a positive outlook. Anthropologists would describe that we are hard-wired to prepare for the negative as a protective mechanism from the early days of man’s journey on earth. I am not really sure about all of that, but regardless of the debate of the origins of our mindset, the fact remains that we all have a tendency to think about a negative outcome of future events instead of a positive outcome. This mindset can be a major obstacle for us reaching our full potential.

When we look into the ancient scriptures, we can find some helpful guidance to encourage us to strengthen our faith around a positive future as opposed to a negative one. Specifically, Paul’s letter to the Corinthian church in the second book of Corinthians, Chapter 1 versus 8-9 (2 Corinthians 1:8-9) can provide some insight for us (please find a version of this scripture on the internet).

The background of this situation is that the apostle Paul is working hard to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ throughout the present-day Mediterranean region. Paul wrote letters to the various churches he visited to be an encouragement in their faith and provide instruction to these early churches. Paul endured some incredibly difficult moments in his journey. He had been stoned and left for dead, shipwrecked, left cold and hungry, snake bitten, jailed, beaten almost to death, and his life had been constantly threatened. Paul had every right to have a negative mindset about his future, but as we see in these few versus, he had a foundation of faith that gave him strength to endure no matter how the future unfolded.

In Paul’s description of his experience, he writes in verse 8 “We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure, and we thought we would never live through it.” For many of us, we may not have suffered the physical hardship that Paul endured, but I am sure we can all relate to some breaking points in our close relationships, some financial or legal hardships, and some emotional distress in our lives that we felt like “there is no way I can survive this one” and as the song says, “there is a bad moon on the rise.”

Please reflect for a moment on a time when you felt crushed and overwhelmed with a certain situation…perhaps you are in a moment like that right now.

The life of Paul is a great example for us on our ability to endure and keep moving forward in the pursuit of purpose.  As Paul concludes his guidance to the people of the Corinthian church, the message is relevant to us today as it was to the people back then, “But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God.”

We have all been raised with the expectation that we need to be able to stand on our own and make our way. That guidance is helpful for us to ensure we become responsible for the decisions we make. However, as we look to build and strengthen our faith, it is important to embrace the providence of God who has a great plan for our lives even when we may not be able to see it right now.

We all will reach breaking points in our lives. We may not have anyone in our immediate circle of family and friends that can seem to comfort us in our struggles. Paul’s message to us that can be a great reassurance is that even in our feelings of loneliness, we can always rely on God to be with us to comfort us. It is not a weakness nor a crutch to lean on God. He is there for us because we matter.

Take a moment to reflect on the following questions:

• In what areas of my life do I seem to continually hit a breaking point? Is it in close relationships? In a journey to find purpose in work?

• How have I endured tough times in the past? How can I see myself relying on God in tough times today and in the future?

As you continue along in your journey, please remember that we all find ourselves at breaking points in our journey. It can feel like we are “crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure.” If you find yourself feeling this way, please remember that (1) God promises and is always faithful to be looking out for us to help comfort us and we should call on Him in our time of need and (2) Please reach out to a close friend to talk and please consider me one of your friends today.

As you continue to reflect on the message, please take a moment to search the internet to find and listen to I know Who Holds Tomorrow.   

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How can I help you today? My mobile is 269-370-9275 and my email is david@harvesttimepartners.com  

Please download some FREE resources at www.harvesttimepartners.com  I hope you will find them helpful in your journey.

If you have not done so before, please review the Background on the Program

As you start to review this episode, please know that YOU matter. Regardless of what you are struggling with, regardless of the depths of your sorrows and regardless of how lonely you feel, the Good News is that YOU matter. I hope the message below nourishes you in the most meaningful way to comfort you and strengthen you to keep climbing into the ring to face your battles.

Episode #12: Decide and Commit (Part Two)

Today’s episode starts with a song from Prince, Purple Rain.

Please spend a few minutes listening to any version you can find on the internet.

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Welcome back…

I hope you enjoyed that song. Many people would rank Prince as one of the greatest musicians of all time. There was not an instrument he could not play and did not play in his performances. Prince wrote many of his songs out of his own pain.  Purple Rain was about being with the one you love through the end of time despite the difficulties of close relationships. Prince, like many rock & roll stars, fought hard through the challenges of fame and fortune and the demons of life on the road. Even though he left us with some great music and wonderful memories of live performances, Prince left this world too soon as he struggled to deal with all that life was throwing his way over so many years.    

In part two of this message of Decide and Commit, Purple Rain helps us connect with love and a reminder of how special and how difficult close loving relationship are in the journey of life.  As we saw in part one, we will again see in part two, that making a commitment to love someone through sickness or health, through riches or poverty, and in good days or bad days, is not easy. The adolescent like feelings of a crush or infatuation or hormone driven passion eventually faces the reality of two deeply flawed humans coming together and trying to make a go at becoming committed for the long haul…and it is not easy for any of us.

As a reminder from part one, in the journey of building a long-term commitment with that “special someone,” times will get tough (despite what the fairy tales will tell us, there is NEVER a “happily ever after” …there will always be tough times in any long-term relationship). In those tough times, we can often feel all alone and perhaps feel that “quit looks good” and we should break things off, cut our losses and move on. We find some helpful guidance to address difficult relationships in the ancient scriptures that guide the Jewish and Christian faiths and, in part two of the message of Decide and Commit, we look specifically to the book of the prophet Hosea in Chapter 3 (Hosea 3) (please find a version of this scripture on the internet).

The background of this situation is that Hosea is a prophet of Israel during some of the darkest moments for the Jewish people living in the Promised Land. Many had turned their backs on God and started worshiping idols in direct defiance of the laws of God. Even in these dark times and despite their open rebellion, Hosea continued to assure the Jewish people that God’s love for them would never die and that God would rescue them if they returned to him.

Hosea’s life was an example of God’s love for his people.  Hosea made a commitment in marriage and he held firm to that commitment despite some incredibly difficult situations he found himself in. Hosea’s wife did not care about the commitment of marriage and in fact, she became a prostitute and was openly unfaithful to her marriage commitment to Hosea.

Just as God promised his grace-filled love for the Jewish people, Hosea promised his unconditional love to his wife. In fact, he bought her out of prostitution to restore his marriage.

In Hosea 4:2 “So I bought her for fifteen shekels of silver…and then I told her you will live with me and I will live with you forever.”

In summary, here is the situation:

• Hosea’s wife becomes a prostitute in open defiance of the commitment of marriage
• Hosea continues to hold to his commitment of marriage and in his role as a prophet of the Jewish people
• Hosea eventually buys his wife back out of a life of prostitution to reunite their marriage and make a commitment for the rest of their lives

How would you feel? What would you do?

Hosea made a decision to live a life as an example of God’s love and work to reunite his marriage commitment. He followed what was written in the book of Lamentations Chapter 3:22-23 that says “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases. His mercies never come to an end, they are new every morning, great is your faithfulness.”

Hosea could have chosen to walk way, but he made a decision to stick with the commitment to his marriage for “better or worse” and he was clearly experiencing “for worse” at this time.  

The story of the prophet Hosea is a tough reminder that close relationships, especially marriage, are never “happily ever after.” We make choices every day that help build on our commitment or detract on our commitment. Sticking with a relationship or ending a relationship are all very personal and often difficult decisions between couples. Our place is not to judge but to provide love and support to those working through what is the most heart-breaking of all of life’s conflicts…struggling relationships in the home.

Take a moment to reflect on the following questions:

• In your closest relationships, when did giving up look to be the best option?

• What did you learn from that experience?

As you continue along with your closest relationships, please remember that we all find ourselves feeling all alone and at times when “quit looks good.” It can feel almost too much to endure. If you find yourself feeling overwhelmed in a dark valley of your closest relationship, please remember that (1) God promises and is always faithful to help comfort us and we should call on Him in our time of need and (2) Please reach out to a close friend to talk and please consider me one of your friends today.

As you continue to reflect on the message, please take a moment to search the internet to find and listen to I’ll Be Here In The Morning. This is a song written by Townes Van Zandt and there are various artists who sing this wonderful love song.  

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How can I help you today? My mobile is 269-370-9275 and my email is david@harvesttimepartners.com  

Please download some FREE resources at www.harvesttimepartners.com  I hope you will find them helpful in your journey.

If you have not done so before, please review the Background on the Program

As you start to review this episode, please know that YOU matter. Regardless of what you are struggling with, regardless of the depths of your sorrows and regardless of how lonely you feel, the Good News is that YOU matter. I hope the message below nourishes you in the most meaningful way to comfort you and strengthen you to keep climbing into the ring to face your battles.

Episode #12: Decide and Commit (Part One)

Today’s episode starts with a song from Van Morrison, Brown Eyed Girl.

Please spend a few minutes listening to any version you can find on the internet.

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Welcome back…

I am sure the song Brown Eyed Girl brings back some great memories for all of us.  It is one of those songs that transcends generations and provides a joyful lift to people’s spirits.  Van Morrison continues to blend his working-class roots from growing up in Ireland into many of his songs. He also weaves in a great deal of faith into his songs that have comforted many over the 6 decades of his musical career. Van Morrison has effectively managed the challenges of fame and fortune to continue to create a positive impact on so many around the world and certainly his hometown of Belfast, Ireland.

The song helps us connect with love and a reminder of how special a loving relationship is to a meaningful life. When we move beyond just an adolescent crush or passionate connection and we move to an adult choice to love someone with a commitment that is intended to last forever, we quickly learn that it is not easy.

Making a commitment to love someone through sickness or health, through riches or poverty, and in good days or bad days, is not easy. The adolescent like feelings of a crush or infatuation or hormone driven passion eventually faces the reality of two deeply flawed humans coming together and trying to make a go at becoming committed for the long haul…and it is not easy for any of us.

In the journey of building a long-term commitment with that “special someone,” times will get tough (despite what the fairy tales will tell us, there is NEVER a “happily ever after” …there will always be tough times in any long-term relationship). In those tough times, we can often feel all alone and perhaps feel that “quit looks good” and we should break things off, cut our losses and move on. We find some helpful guidance to address difficult relationships in the ancient scriptures that guide the Jewish and Christian faiths and, in this instance, we look specifically to the first book of Samuel, Chapter 25 (1 Samuel 25) (please find a version of this scripture on the internet).

The background of this situation is that David, who has not yet become king of Israel, is building his base of loyal followers and earns a living by using his posse to provide security for the land and possessions of some wealthy landowners in and around Israel. One of those wealthy landowners is a man name Nabal.

As described in 1 Samuel 25, Nabal is mean and surly (a real jerk) and his wife Abigail is “intelligent and beautiful.”

• Before getting into the story further, it is important to note how ancient scriptures describe women as having both intelligence and beauty.  It is a stark contrast to what a lot of people today, who are unfamiliar with the facts, think about “traditional” teaching from Jewish and Christian scripture. Many people have a false impression that ancient scripture does not bring reverence, respect and honor to women. That misconception could not be further from the truth. The ancient scriptures that guide the Jewish and Christian faiths consistently reinforce the strength and intelligence of women as critical to the building of effective communities, families, and society as a whole. Modern times and many individuals may have perverted this view recently, but that facts are that the ancient scriptures that form the foundational guidance of Jewish and Christian faiths have always reinforced the important and unique character of women as strong, intelligent and beautiful. 

Now back to the story of Nabal and Abigail.

David and his followers have been protecting Nabal and his property over the farming season. As part of providing this protection, it was customary for wealthy landowners to pay for this protection.  When David’s men came for payment, Nabal basically said “no” and insulted David with a comment, “who is this David?” that he should seek payment from me?

When David’s men returned with Nabal’s message, David planned to seek revenge and ordered his men to “put on your swords” as they were ready to go kill Nabal and destroy his property.

One of Nabal’s servants observed what happened and ran to tell Abigail about Nabal’s rude response to David’s men. Unfortunately, this was a common behavior that Abigail had witnessed over the many years of her marriage to Nabal. Nabal would be described in modern times as someone who was a drunk, a verbally abusive person, and a “selfish pig” in all of his close relationships, especially to his wife Abigail. 

In summary, here is the situation:

• Nabal is a rude, arrogant jerk and is about to be killed for his poor judgment and behavior
• Abigail was placed into an arranged marriage to this jerk and has endured his selfishness for many years
• Abigail knows what is about to happen and she has a choice about what to do…silently and passively let things play out and Nabal will be killed and this miserable relationship will be over, or take some action

What would you do? You were forced into a terrible relationship and a long-term commitment to someone who is an absolute jerk…and now you have a potential “face saving, no blame” way out of it.

In verse 18, we see how Abigail responded. “She lost no time” and made preparations to meet David and his army far away from her home with Nabal to jump out in front of David’s threats for revenge and try and plead for David’s mercy to not kill her husband. 

The scripture is clear in that Abigail made a commitment to build this relationship for the long term no matter how difficult it was in the present. She decided in a very difficult moment, to stand in the gap between David and the certain death of her miserable husband Nabal. Abigail ends up saving Nabal’s life from the hands and swords of David’s army.

Abigail, whom this ancient Jewish scripture described as “intelligent and beautiful” now had options in her life, but she made a decision to stick with the commitment to build her marriage for “better or worse” when clearly she was experience much more “for worse” than “for better.”

The story of Abigail, Nabal and David is a good reminder that close relationships, especially marriage, are never “happily ever after.” We make choices every day that help build on our commitment or detract on our commitment. Sticking with a relationship or ending a relationship are all very personal and often very difficult decisions between couples. Our place is not to judge but to provide love and support to those working through what is the most heart-breaking of all of life’s conflicts…struggling relationships in the home.

Take a moment to reflect on the following questions:

• When did I realize that “happily ever after” was indeed a fairy tale in my closest relationships?

• What actions am I currently doing that help support my closest relationships and what actions hurt my closest relationships?

As you continue along with your closest relationships, please remember that we all find ourselves feeling all alone and at times when “quit looks good.” It can feel almost too much to endure. If you find yourself feeling overwhelmed in a dark valley of your closest relationship, please remember that (1) God promises and is always faithful to help comfort us and we should call on Him in our time of need and (2) Please reach out to a close friend to talk and please consider me one of your friends today.

As you continue to reflect on the message, please take a moment to search the internet to find and listen to If I needed You. This is a song written by Townes Van Zandt and there are various artists who sing this wonderful song of love and support.  

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How can I help you today? My mobile is 269-370-9275 and my email is david@harvesttimepartners.com  

Please download some FREE resources at www.harvesttimepartners.com  I hope you will find them helpful in your journey.

If you have not done so before, please review the Background on the Program

As you start to review this episode, please know that YOU matter. Regardless of what you are struggling with, regardless of the depths of your sorrows and regardless of how lonely you feel, the Good News is that YOU matter. I hope the message below nourishes you in the most meaningful way to comfort you and strengthen you to keep climbing into the ring to face your battles.

Episode #11: Wish You Were Here

Today’s episode starts with a song from Pink Floyd, Wish You Were Here.

Please spend a few minutes listening to any version you can find on the internet.

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Welcome back…

I hope you enjoyed that song. Pink Floyd sang so many iconic songs in the 60s and 70s that have endured through generations.  The song Wish You Were Here carried a great deal of symbolism about being indifferent to one’s own life at a time when the band had enjoyed such amazing success but seemed like they just could not generate the energy or creativity to continue. In addition, the song was a tribute to one of the band’s founding members Syd Barrett. Syd was a part of the band during their rise to stardom but he began a pretty common struggle around fame and fortune and he gave in to some demons that resulted in a drug induced breakdown in the late 1960s. He then fell into serious mental health issues. The song speaks to the journey in all of us that sometimes we lose touch with ourselves, lack direction, and we find ourselves lost and all alone.

In the journey of adult life, it is quite typically for all of us to lose our way at various points. We may struggle with loneliness and never sure where or how we fit in. We may be consumed with a career and become detached in the home. We may have a focus on home and community and wonder what could have been if I changed direction with my passion into a career field. In addition, we may have made some poor choices around legal and financial decisions, alcohol, drugs and infidelity that drove a huge separation between us and the ones we love, and we are left wandering alone.     

In those times of wandering, we certainly feel all alone and wonder is there anyone out there who is “wishing you were here.” We find some helpful guidance to answer this most common question in the book of Luke Chapter 15 versus 11-32 (Luke 15:11-32) (please find a version of this scripture on the internet).

The background of this situation is commonly referred to as the Prodigal Son. This is one of the most often referred to parables in ancient scripture when sharing the power of redemption to believe we matter, we belong and we have been chosen. We are going to touch on one specific aspect of this story that does not get a lot of attention when the Prodigal Son is discussed.

Jesus tells the story about a father who had two sons. The younger son asks for his portion of inheritance from his father, and his father grants his son’s request. The son eventually squanders his fortune on extravagant living and eventually is broke and hurting. He decides to return home and in verse 18-20 says “I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ So he got up and went to his father.”

The son had reached a point of brokenness and was all alone. Many of us don’t have to look too far in the journey of our lives to see a point where we hit bottom and felt all alone.

The part of the story that is so meaningful for all of us who at times struggle with feeling all alone is found in the end of verse 20.

“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.”

The father had been waiting and waiting, looking out his window constantly hoping that his son would return home. The son who took his inheritance and squandered it on foolish living did not deter the love of the father and his thoughts for his son were of constantly “wishing you were here” by his side in his home.

The story of the Prodigal Son is so often told from the point of view of the sins of the son. However, the real message for us is on a loving God who is standing on the porch looking out for us to show us love and redemption regardless of our faults, sins, rebellious attitude, and most certainly our loneliness. The message we find most heartwarming in the ancient scriptures that guide the Jewish and Christian faiths today is the message of redemption. God’s love is standing on the porch and looking for us because we matter, we belong and we have been chosen.

Take a moment to reflect on the following questions:

• When have I felt all alone?

• In what area of my life do I continue to feel all alone?

As you continue along in your journey, please remember that we all find ourselves feeling all alone at various points in our journey. It can feel almost too much to endure. If you find yourself feeling overwhelmed in a dark valley of loneliness, please remember that (1) God promises and is always faithful to be looking out for us to help comfort us and we should call on Him in our time of need and (2) Please reach out to a close friend to talk and please consider me one of your friends today.

As you continue to reflect on the message, please take a moment to search the internet to find and listen to Pass Me Not, O Gentle Savior. There are various artists who sing this heartwarming and reassuring hymn.

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How can I help you today? My mobile is 269-370-9275 and my email is david@harvesttimepartners.com  

Please download some FREE resources at www.harvesttimepartners.com  I hope you will find them helpful in your journey.

If you have not done so before, please review the Background on the Program

As you start to review this episode, please know that YOU matter. Regardless of what you are struggling with, regardless of the depths of your sorrows and regardless of how lonely you feel, the Good News is that YOU matter. I hope the message below nourishes you in the most meaningful way to comfort you and strengthen you to keep climbing into the ring to face your battles.

Episode #10: Another View of Suffering

Today’s episode starts with a song from Bruce Springsteen, The Rising.

Please spend a few minutes listening to any version you can find on the internet.

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Welcome back…

I hope you enjoyed that song. Bruce Springsteen wrote The Rising in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States. Bruce Springsteen’s words in the song helped the nation continue on a path of healing and strengthening after enduring these attacks.  Bruce weaves in the imagery of one of the darkest tragedies of our generation, along with incredible heroism, and also the healing touch of faith and promise with the line “I see you Mary in the garden, In the garden of a thousand sighs…May I feel your arms around me, May I feel your blood mix with mine” which reinforces the ancient scriptural message of the sacrifice of Christ that can brings us healing and comfort.

On a more personal level, we all experience some very difficult sufferings. Many of us would classify some sufferings as almost too much to endure, like the untimely death of a loved one, a parent holding the hand of a terminally ill child, the heartbreaking destruction of a once close family, or the addiction that resulted in a tragic ending.

Although we all hope to avoid a great deal of pain and suffering in this world, the reality is that we all will endure our share of suffering. Most of us will find a way to carry on, some in silence and some with a loud roar. There is no escaping disappointment, discouragement, and suffering. Our typical pathway to addressing suffering is to rally our own strength, perhaps we are fortunate to gain some encouragement from others close to us, and we endure the journey with the hope that we will somehow continue to grow stronger through the experience.

In times of great suffering, it is very common for us to look for practical answers to the question of “why?” are we journeying through such a difficult moment. We find some helpful guidance to answer this most common question in the book of 2^nd Corinthians Chapter 1 versus 3-4 (2 Corinthians 1:3-4) (please find a version of this scripture on the internet).

The background of this situation is that the apostle Paul is working hard to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ throughout the present-day Mediterranean region. Paul has endured some incredibly difficult moments in his journey. He has been stoned and left for dead, shipwrecked, left cold and hungry, snake bitten, jailed, beaten almost to death, and his life had been constantly threatened. Paul had every right to ask “why me, I am just trying to work hard in helping a good cause.”

Paul provides some character-building advice on the topics of the other side of our suffering when he says, “so that we can comfort those in any trouble” in 2 Corinthians 1:4.

This other side of suffering is an opportunity to grow in empathy towards the suffering of others so we can be a genuine and relevant source of comfort to those in need. When we walk through the valley of suffering, as opposed to growing bitter or spending too much precious energy on the endless wondering of “why me,” the guidance we receive from the ancient scriptures of the Jewish and Christian faiths is that we have an opportunity to deeply understand the suffering of others and proactively reach out to help them find comfort in their own troubled time.

There is often no greater connection that can be made with someone suffering through a difficult family experience than one who also has walked through that experience. Those who have endured the financial hardship of a painful bankruptcy are often the most effective in guiding others through the experience of rebuilding their credit and confidence. Who better to support and encourage someone struggling with addiction than someone who has walked down that same road?

We continually see in the ancient scriptures and in our owns lives that often God’s greatest blessings come out of the most painful events in our lives. The other side of suffering through a painful event is that we are strengthened and we can learn to be more empathetic and compassionate to others in need.

In this guidance from Paul, we find the truth there is another side to suffering and that side, which is written about consistently in the ancient scriptures that guide the Jewish and Christian faiths today, is that suffering produces strength, empathy and compassion in us so that we can be a comfort to help others in need. When we look to help others in need, the pain of our own suffering begins to lessen and we build a greater sense of peace in our own journey.

Take a moment to reflect on the following questions:

• When have I suffered through some painful events in my life?

• How can I use my journey through that pain to be helpful to others in need?

As you continue along in your journey, please remember that we all experience some suffering that feels almost too much to endure. If you find yourself feeling overwhelmed in a dark valley of suffering, please remember that (1) God promises and is always faithful to help comfort us in our suffering and we should call on Him in our time of need and (2) Please reach out to a close friend to talk about your struggles and please consider me one of your friends today.

As you continue to reflect on the message, please take a moment to search the internet to find and listen to Bruce Springsteen singing, When You Need Me    

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How can I help you today? My mobile is 269-370-9275 and my email is david@harvesttimepartners.com  

Please download some FREE resources at www.harvesttimepartners.com  I hope you will find them helpful in your journey.

If you have not done so before, please review the Background on the Program

As you start to review this episode, please know that YOU matter. Regardless of what you are struggling with, regardless of the depths of your sorrows and regardless of how lonely you feel, the Good News is that YOU matter. I hope the message below nourishes you in the most meaningful way to comfort you and strengthen you to keep climbing into the ring to face your battles.

Episode #9: Discarded

Today’s episode starts with a song from Bob Dylan, Knocking on Heaven’s Door.

Please spend a few minutes listening to any version you can find on the internet.

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Welcome back…

I hope you enjoyed that song. Bob Dylan has impacted generations with his words and music. Starting in the 1960s, Bob Dylan continues to draw an audience that is looking for freedom to express themselves and for some group where they can feel they belong. Knocking on Heaven’s Door was written to help support a movie at the time and today this song helps us all realize the truth that at some point, of which we have no control over, the end will be near and we will all be “knock, knock, knockin’ on Heaven’s door.”   

It is common that during those thoughts about the end of our lives we all become a bit reflective and try to piece together some understanding of the pain and suffering we endured along with the joy and peace we encountered in our journey. As we look to the ancient scriptures for some truth to help guide our understanding, we discover an incredible reminder of the truth that even though the world may make us feel discarded and unwanted at times, God’s loving arms are ready to embrace us and redeem us no matter what we have done, no matter where we have been, and importantly, no matter what others may think of us.

As we look into the story most commonly referred to as “the woman at the well” we find a story of redemption that we can all resonate with in the book of John in Chapter 4 versus 3 through 42 (John 4:3-42) (please find a version of this scripture on the internet).

The background of this situation is that Jesus has been ministering in a number of places and was beginning to develop a following which had the traditionalists at the time quite concerned. Jesus and his disciples were traveling to another town to spread their message when Jesus decided to take a break from the group and went to sit and rest by a well in Samaria. 

As the story unfolds, Jesus meets a woman from the town coming to get water at the well during the middle of the day. As they engage in conversation, it is uncovered that the woman has been married five times and is currently living with another man. Jesus comforts the woman and tells her the truth that he has come to give her redemption and those who accept this offer of redemption “will never thirst again.”

In many messages preached about this story, there is a tendency to be in a judgmental tone about the woman at the well. She has been married and divorced five times and is now living with another man. In the minds of many listening to the story, we may think, “Wow, what a troubled person and isn’t it nice that Jesus is comforting a sinner like her…I am not as messed up as that, but it is nice to know Jesus cared about this troubled woman and that makes me feel good.”

However, when we take that judgmental view of this story, we miss the fundamental truth that can comfort all of us in our struggles when we feel discarded during our journey. Here are a few points of view to help better understand the meeting that Jesus had with the woman at the well:

• Jesus went out of his way to connect with her. He broke away from traveling with his disciples to specifically create this encounter. Jesus is creating these same encounters for us and if we can open our eyes and our hearts, we will see them.

• By all accounts, the woman at the well felt completely rejected and discarded in this life. The laws at the time would only allow a man to determine a divorce. In essence, she was rejected by five men who sought to divorce her from the most cherished relationship of our choosing in this life. She was still searching for a relationship that could help her feel she mattered to someone else in this world by virtue of her living with another man.
  • How would we feel if we had been publicly rejected five times from the most intimate relationship of our life? How could we carry on after being rejected time after time?

• The woman went to get water at the well at the hottest time of the day when no one else would be there so she could avoid being seen and judged by others. Jesus reminds us that he has come to redeem us no matter what others may think of us or no matter what we may think of ourselves.   

In this story of the woman at the well, we find the truth that we can all feel discarded at times in our lives either by a family member, by those in the workplace, and by those in the community that may make us feel ostracized because of who we are. It is important to remember that God stands ready to redeem us and make it known that we matter and we have been chosen by him no matter what our current situation is.

Take a moment to reflect on the following questions:

• When have I felt rejected in my closest relationships?

• What has been my typical response when I have felt rejected and what could I do to be more effective in my response in the future to be my best for those I care about most?

As you continue along in your journey, please remember that we all experience feelings of rejection in this world which can make us feel all alone. If you find yourself feeling rejected and in a dark valley today, please remember that (1) God promises and is always faithful to accept us no matter what others may think about us and we should call on Him in our time of need (2) Please reach out to a close friend to talk things through and please consider me as one of your friends today.

As you continue to reflect on the message, please take a moment to search the internet to find and listen to Allison Krauss and Andrea Bocelli together singing, Amazing Grace        

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How can I help you today? My mobile is 269-370-9275 and my email is david@harvesttimepartners.com  

Please download some FREE resources at www.harvesttimepartners.com  I hope you will find them helpful in your journey.

If you have not done so before, please review the Background on the Program

As you start to review this episode, please know that YOU matter. Regardless of what you are struggling with, regardless of the depths of your sorrows and regardless of how lonely you feel, the Good News is that YOU matter. I hope the message below nourishes you in the most meaningful way to comfort you and strengthen you to keep climbing into the ring to face your battles.

Episode #8: Highs and Lows

Today’s episode starts with a song from Bruce Springsteen, Glory Days.

Please spend a few minutes listening to any version you can find on the internet.

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Welcome back…

I hope you enjoyed that song. I am pretty sure we will have several of Bruce Springsteen’s songs come into this program over time. As a kid growing up in New Jersey, Bruce and the E Street Band were constantly on the record player. Bruce brings out a number of themes in his songs and Glory Days is no different. The one theme to support today’s topic is around how we all have experienced some “Glory Days” in our past and at some point in our journey, have also experienced some not so “glory days” where we do feel like “crying” as Bruce sings in the song.

As we look further into the ancient scriptures, we see that experiencing the Highs and Lows of life is a very common journey that even the greatest people in the history of ancient Jewish and Christian traditions have also experienced. One particular story is with the prophet Elijah as outlined in the book of 1^st Kings Chapter 19, verses 1-18 (1 Kings 19:1-18).  

The backdrop of the situation is that Elijah is one of the great prophets and defenders of the Jewish faith during a time where there was a great deal of division in the land of Israel. After King David’s reign, his son Solomon become King and others who followed slowly opened the door to some beliefs that were not fully aligned to the traditional Jewish law. Elijah found himself constantly battling believers that went against the laws of God that had blessed the Jewish people over generations in the Promised Land.

God gave great power to Elijah to defend the faithful. Elijah was strong and consistent in defending the faith against some incredibly difficult situations. One particular time (1 Kings 18), Elijah faced over 450 prophets of Baal, one of the belief systems that challenged the traditional Jewish faith during this time.  Elijah kept his faith during this encounter and defeated all 450 prophets on Mount Carmel in Israel. To reference back to the song Glory Days, this was Elijah’s Glory Days. He had defeated these challenges and in today’s vernacular, we would say he was “on top of the world” as a defender of the Jewish faith.

As we see even in our own lives, we can have a tendency to go from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows. The great prophet Elijah was no different. After he defeated the 450 prophets of Baal, he received a threat from Jezebel who was a strong believer in Baal and also the wife of the current King of Israel. Jezebel said in 1 Kings 19:2 “Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So may the gods do to me and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by this time tomorrow.” In essence, the queen threatened to kill Elijah like he just killed the 450 prophets of Baal.

Elijah, even after defeating 450 prophets of Baal and being praised by so many for his strength and faithfulness, ran scared after this threat and got very depressed, very quickly. He went from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows in one day.  I am sure we can all relate to feeling great after some big event went our way and then when we receive one comment out of so many positive ones that was critical or threatening and we found ourselves “off the mountain top and down in the valley” very quickly.

Elijah found himself in a tough spot both mentally and emotionally. In 1 Kings 19:3-10 paraphrased below, we get a real sense of his state of mind:

“Then he was afraid, and he arose and ran for his life…and sat down under a broom tree. And he asked that he might die, saying, “It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life.” Elijah felt all alone “I, even I only, am left.”

We are no different than the prophet Elijah. There are many times in our lives when we can go from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows. It is a normal journey of life. We don’t always have a clear explanation as to how we got there, but the fact remains, we somehow find ourselves at a low point.

We eventually see in the story of Elijah, that he reconnects with his faith in God, gathers some much-needed strength, and continues on with his fight to defend the faith. Given the fact that you and I are still standing today, it should reinforce to us, that we have demonstrated the strength to recover from these low points and keep climbing back into the ring.

The message of Elijah’s highs and lows helps to reinforce that we are not the only ones that experience these incredible highs and incredible lows. Elijah experienced these high and lows in his defense of the Jewish faith. We can probably all relate to these highs and lows in our close relationships with a spouse/partner and our children. There are no easy answers to this journey, but one this is for sure, as God came on the scene to help Elijah gain some strength, God is there for us as well. Even if we did not realize it in the past, God’s loving arms of support picked us up to help us climb back in the ring to continue to fight…and God is there for us now in our struggles.

Take a moment to reflect on the following questions:

• When have I journeyed from some incredible highs into some incredible lows over the years?

• How did I keep moving forward when I hit those low points?

As you continue along in your journey, please remember that we all experience some highs and lows in our journey. We are not unique in this aspect of life. God promises to be with us during our journey. As God helped to strengthen Elijah, he is present now help us.

As you continue to reflect on the message, please take a moment to search the internet to find and listen to Kris Kristofferson singing, Why Me Lord?        

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How can I help you today? My mobile is 269-370-9275 and my email is david@harvesttimepartners.com  

Please download some FREE resources at www.harvesttimepartners.com  I hope you will find them helpful in your journey.

If you have not done so before, please review the Background on the Program

As you start to review this episode, please know that YOU matter. Regardless of what you are struggling with, regardless of the depths of your sorrows and regardless of how lonely you feel, the Good News is that YOU matter. I hope the message below nourishes you in the most meaningful way to comfort you and strengthen you to keep climbing into the ring to face your battles.

Episode #7: Friendship Part 2

Today’s episode starts with a song from The Rolling Stones, Wild Horses.

Please spend a few minutes listening to any version you can find on the internet.

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Welcome back…

I hope you enjoyed that song. Wild Horses is a fitting song when talk about the bonds of friendship and the commitments we make. As the song says, “wild, wild horses couldn’t drag me away” is good reminder of the kind of commitments we make to friends. The song helps us all reconnect with the truth that friendship is built upon commitments.

As we mentioned in Part 1 (Episode #6 – Friendship) we realize the importance of friendship that was outlined in the relationship between David and Jonathan. They made a commitment in the book of 1^st Samuel Chapter 20 verse 42 (1 Samuel 20:42) that our friendship is “between you and me, and between your descendants and my descendants forever.”

As we look further into the ancient scriptures around the legacy of their friendship, we see that David fulfilled his commitment to Jonathan for their “descendants forever” in the book of 2^nd Samuel Chapter 9 verses 1 through 12 (2 Samuel 9:1-12) (please find a version of this scripture on the internet).  

The backdrop of this situation is that David and his men, after about 10 years of civil war in Israel, had finally won control of Israel and David has become King.  David and his men finally defeated those who were still loyal to the legacy of the now deceased King Saul and every other band of warrior states that were looking to take control of the situation.

Just to put it all into context, what triggered the civil war is when Saul died in battle in Ziklag. When King Saul died in battle, Israel lost its leadership structure. Chaos and civil war soon followed between those still loyal to King Saul, those who supported David to be the next king, and every other warrior state in the region that seemed to want to get in on the action to dominate the Jewish people and the Promised Land.

Before continuing with the main point of this episode, it is worth noting one additional example to share about the friendship between David and Jonathan. Jonathan was able to maintain his commitment to protect David and also remain loyal to his father King Saul right up to the point of death. As we discussed in Part 1 (Episode #6 – Friendship), even with Jonathan’s pledged friendship and protection to his friend David, he also remained loyal to his father King Saul even though he knew he had grown into a jealous and poor king. In this final battle at Ziklag, Jonathan had fought to the death right at his father’s side. In the end, Jonathan fought to the death with his father in battle while he enabled David to survive and become the rightful next King of Israel. Jonathan sets a great example for all of us on how to remain loyal to our family while we also chart our own course in building closes relationships in our lives.

Now, back to the timeline. David is now the King of Israel. It was not but a few moments after the dust started to settle on a decade of civil war, bloodshed and death, David finally catches his breath with all this new power as the King of Israel. David sits upon his throne and at his first dinner after becoming King asks a question that demonstrates where his heart is and how his loyalty, commitment and friendship to Jonathan remains.

In 2 Samuel 9:1, “David asked, “Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?” Basically, David asked, now that I am the mighty and powerful King of Israel, is there anyone left alive in Jonathan’s family after 10 years of bloodshed in this civil war so I can maintain my commitment to remain loyal to his “descendants forever.” 

David’s servants informed him that there was one son of Jonathan who remained alive. His name was Mephibosheth and he was crippled in both legs. David calls for Mephibosheth to be brought to the palace and in a wonderful demonstration of the commitment he made to Jonathan, here is what David says when they meet in 2 Samuel 9:7:

“Don’t be afraid,” David said to him, “for I will surely show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat at my table.”

Of all the priorities racing through David’s mind as the new King of Israel, his first priority was to maintain his commitment to his friend Jonathan. He protected and cared for Jonathan’s only surviving family member, his crippled son Mephibosheth, for the rest of his life.

In Part 2 of this message of friendship we find that the story of David and Jonathan highlights the truth that friendship is built upon commitments. We build the bonds of friendship when we maintain our commitments and people can count on us to uphold those commitments. It is important in the journey of our lives that we learn to serve others in the bonds of friendship. God demonstrates his friendship and commitment to us and we need to demonstrate that friendship and commitment to others around us.

Take a moment to reflect on the following questions:

• How have I maintained my commitments to friends over the years?

• When have I done well with maintaining my commitments and when have I fallen short on those commitments?

As you continue along in your journey, please remember that we all cannot be our best in this world when we are all alone. Close friends are critical to share our joys and lessen our sorrows. If you find yourself in a dark valley today, please remember that (1) God promises and is always faithful to be our friend who sticks “closer than a brother” and we should call on Him in our time of need (2) Please reach out to a close friend to talk things through and please consider me as one of your friends today.

As you continue to reflect on the message, please take a moment to search the internet to find and listen to Vince Gill singing, Go Rest High on that Mountain.        

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How can I help you today? My mobile is 269-370-9275 and my email is david@harvesttimepartners.com  

Please download some FREE resources at www.harvesttimepartners.com  I hope you will find them helpful in your journey.

If you have not done so before, please review the Background on the Program

As you start to review this episode, please know that YOU matter. Regardless of what you are struggling with, regardless of the depths of your sorrows and regardless of how lonely you feel, the Good News is that YOU matter. I hope the message below nourishes you in the most meaningful way to comfort you and strengthen you to keep climbing into the ring to face your battles.

Episode #6: Friendship Part 1

Today’s episode starts with a song from Joe Cocker, With A Little Help From My Friends.

Please spend a few minutes listening to any version you can find on the internet.

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Welcome back…

I hope you enjoyed that song. Although Joe Cocker is not necessarily a household name, the chorus of “I’ll get by with a little help from my friends” has resonated throughout generations as an anthem to remind us that with some friends at our side, we can endure just about anything. The bonds of friendship help to bring emotional, mental, and physical strength to us so we can meet the day-to-day challenges we all face.  

The song helps us all reconnect with the truth that we all needs others in our lives to help reach our full potential. Even though we all may be conditioned to think that we need to demonstrate our “toughness” and endure the challenges of life on our own, the truth is that we all need some close friends to join us in our journey to be our best for those we care about most at home, in our workplace and in our community.

When we look into the ancient scriptures, we find there are some wonderful examples of friendships that can be good reminders to all of us about the importance of friends. These examples will help to encourage us to be a friend to those in need and also ask friends for support when we are struggling. The story of David and Jonathan in 1 Samuel 20 is a wonderful story of friendship that we should become familiar with (please find a version of this scripture on the internet).  

The backdrop of this situation is that David has grown into a strong warrior and great leader after he killed the giant Goliath as a young boy.  David is growing in popularity throughout all of Israel and Saul, the present King of Israel, has grown very jealous of David. Saul begins to make several attempts to kill David and remove him from contention to be the next king.

Saul’s son Jonathan became a close friend to David. Jonathan realizes that his father has become a selfish jealous king. He grows to love and appreciate the leadership and potential of David and makes a commitment to protect him. Jonathan displays a great ability to manage loyalty to his father King Saul while also looking out for and protecting his friend David.

As the story unfolds, Jonathan routinely listens to his father’s plans to kill David and then sneaks off to tell David what is about to happen so David can avoid these dangerous situations.  Throughout many of these encounters, David and Jonathan grow deep in their bond of friendship. David, even though he has become a mighty warrior and great leader with thousands of men loyally serving at his side, he realizes he needs the bonds of close friendship to reach his full potential. David and Jonathan both come to realize how important friendship is to a fulfilling life.

David and Jonathan also come to realize that the king is very powerful and these secret meetings and their friendship will eventually be found out. They agree to go their separate ways so Jonathan can serve his father and David can build his support to be the next king of Israel. However, they make a bond that they will always remain friends and look out for each other for the rest of their lives. Their commitment is perfectly described in 1 Samuel 20 verse 42.

Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, for we have sworn friendship with each other in the name of the Lord, saying, ‘The Lord is witness between you and me, and between your descendants and my descendants forever.’” Then David left, and Jonathan went back to the town.

The message of friendship we find in the story of David and Jonathan highlights the need of all of us to have a close friend to help us reach our full potential. It also highlights that we need to be a friend to others and can’t just exist in this world looking out for only ourselves. It is important in the journey of our lives that we learn to serve others in the bonds of friendship. God demonstrates his friendship to us and we need to demonstrate that friendships to others around us.

Take a moment to reflect on the following questions:

• Who do I have in my close friendship circle that I can call on in times of need?

• When have I been a friend to someone in need and what was the outcome for them and me?

As you continue along in your journey, please remember that we all cannot be our best in this world when we are all alone. Close friends are critical to share our joys and lessen our sorrows. If you find yourself in a dark valley today, please remember that (1) God promises and is always faithful to be our friend who sticks “closer than a brother” and we should call on Him in our time of need (2) Please reach out to a close friend to talk things through and please consider me as one of your friends today.

As you continue to reflect on the message, please take a moment to search the internet to find and listen to Bruce Springsteen sing, When You Need Me.        

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How can I help you today? My mobile is 269-370-9275 and my email is david@harvesttimepartners.com  

Please download some FREE resources at www.harvesttimepartners.com  I hope you will find them helpful in your journey.

If you have not done so before, please review the Background on the Program

As you start to review this episode, please know that YOU matter. Regardless of what you are struggling with, regardless of the depths of your sorrows and regardless of how lonely you feel, the Good News is that YOU matter. I hope the message below nourishes you in the most meaningful way to comfort you and strengthen you to keep climbing into the ring to face your battles.

Episode #5: The Bigger Picture

Today’s episode starts with a song from Tom Petty, You Don’t Know How It Feels.

Please spend a few minutes listening to any version you can find on the internet.

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Welcome back…

I hope you enjoyed that song. Tom Petty is a rock icon who gave us so many amazing songs and memories over the years. He unfortunately passed away when he still seemed to have some great songwriting and signing left in him even in his later years.  Tom Petty wrote about pain and suffering in many of his songs and You Don’t Know How It Feels was a clear depiction of a painful time in his life.

The song helps us all reconnect with the truth that we all endure some painful times in our closest relationships throughout our life.  I am really not sure why, but it is often our closest relationships that are the source of some tremendous highs, but also some incredibly dark and difficult valleys.  Family conflict is often the most heart-breaking of all of life’s struggles.

When we look into the ancient scriptures, we find there are many examples of close family relationships that turned painful and we learn about some specific action steps that are the most effective for repairing the close family relationships that are essential to a fulfilling life.  The story of Joseph in Genesis Chapter 45 is one we should become familiar with (please find a version of this scripture on the internet).  

The backdrop of this situation is that Joseph, one of the 12 sons of Jacob, had been through some tremendous hardship brought on by his family and those around him.  Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery because of their extreme jealously of him for the many gifts he possessed and the favor of his father. Joseph ended up being taken in bondage to Egypt where he eventually became like a chief of staff to Potiphar, one of the officials of the Pharaoh of Egypt. Joseph was loyal and exceptional in the performance of his duties. During this time, Potiphar’s wife tried unsuccessfully to seduce him and put forth false accusations against Joseph which landed him unjustly in prison. However, due to Joseph’s ability to interpret the dreams of the Pharaoh of Egypt, he was eventually released from prison and became the Governor of Egypt. During Joseph’s time in this role, he wisely rationed the nation’s produce as he predicted a terrible famine that eventually crippled the area throughout the Middle East.

It was during this extreme famine that Joseph’s brothers came to Egypt to beg for food and supplies to support their family. It had been many years since they sold their brother into slavery and they did not recognize that it was Joseph whom they were pleaded for mercy for food and supplies.

How would you feel if you were Joseph? Your brothers sold you into slavery which caused an incredible amount of physical suffering and emotional suffering of being abandoned by your own family…and they show up out of nowhere to beg for you to take care of them. As Tom Petty wrote in his song, “You don’t know how it feels, to be me.”

As the story unfolds, Joseph eventually reveals himself to his brothers. They were very scared that given his current power and how they severely mistreated him in the past, that Joseph would punish them. Instead, Joseph first shows concern for his father and asks, in essence, “How is Dad doing?” and then Joseph embraces his brothers and provides for all their needs. He invites his father and all his brothers to Egypt to be safe and comfortable during the terrible famine.

Joseph teaches us a great lesson about not only forgiveness, but about GRACE, which is when we show undeserved favor to others even when every voice in our heads maybe screaming at us that they don’t deserve anything but rejection and punishment. The principle of GRACE is the foundational principle of ancient Jewish and Christian scripture that is the primary difference compared to all other belief systems across the history of mankind. Grace, our responsibility to bestow blessing on those who don’t deserve it.

Joseph explains his actions to his brothers in Genesis Chapter 45 verse 5-8:

“And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you. For two years now there has been famine in the land, and for the next five years there will be no plowing and reaping. But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance. So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God. He made me father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household and ruler of all Egypt.”

Instead of being angry at his brothers, Joseph communicates the strength of his faith in that many times we may not be able to understand why something bad is happening to us in the near- term, but over the arc of our lives, we have faith that God is in control, His plan is perfect, and we simply need to walk in faith even during painful times.

The message of Joseph and his actions towards his brothers is a great reminder to all of us that those closest to us, especially family members, will sometimes do and say things that are very hurtful. We have all been wronged or let down by family members. However, it is our faith that God is sovereign and perfect in His timing and plans, and we may not completely understand things in the near-term, but we are called to demonstrate grace to those who have hurt us, especially those closest to us in our families, in order to keep our family together and strong for generations to come.   

Take a moment to reflect on the following questions:

• When have I experienced conflict within my family?

• How did I react in the past to family conflict and how can I show grace going forward to keep my family together and strong?

As you continue along in your journey, please remember that even though our family may have some ongoing conflicts, we should strengthen our resolve to show grace to our family with the hope that keeping our family together under the promises of God will help us build the family legacy we all know is foundational to a fulfilling life.

As you continue to reflect on the message, please take a moment to search the internet to find and listen to Lauren Daigle sing, Hold on to Me.        

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How can I help you today? My mobile is 269-370-9275 and my email is david@harvesttimepartners.com  

Please download some FREE resources at www.harvesttimepartners.com  I hope you will find them helpful in your journey.