7 Years of Life with the King

I invite you to celebrate with me as Life with the King turns 7 this week! Last year, I wrote about the birth of this blog in my post, Seeking Life’s Deeper Truth on July 24th, 2025.

This post today also happens to be the 100th Life with the King blog post. Halleluiah, all glory be to God!

After 7 years, while 7 is known as a number of completion, I somehow get the feeling it’s just beginning. Some statistics: blog visitors have increased nearly seven times in the last two years. My most-accessed post is the very first blog ever posted in July 2019, What To Do When You Struggle With Faith, with over 1,250 views. The blog is meant to be shared with people who might need encouragement, who might be seeking Truth, and who might feel lonely in their faith journey. There has always been a hunger for Truth, Life, and God, but I’m seeing it multiply just in this blog’s stats.

God has given us all gifts to share for the good of all people, and He will give you what you need to make His plans for your gifts a reality, even if it takes 7 years or 77 years. Never give up. I’ve learned in my own life with the King that whatever God has given you to do, whether writing a blog or not, is worth doing. He will refine and transform you through it. He will help us see it through.

I wasn’t qualified to write about faith because of great faith or anything like that, but instead because of the shortcomings I had with faith. It was my doubt and failure to have faith that put me on a journey of seeking Truth and starting this blog. I knew what it was like to do the wrong thing and live the wrong way in God’s eyes. I knew I was a sinner 7 years ago, and I know I am a sinner now. But the more years go by, the more I know that “…God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). It’s all about what Jesus did for us, not what we have done, wrong or right. In putting our faith in Jesus’ sacrifice for us, we are, rather unfairly, forgiven. Halleluiah!

I was reading about that “unfairness” today in Romans 5. It reads, “one trespass led to condemnation for all men” (Romans 5:18), which sounds pretty unfair to me. There have been times in my life where I felt completely trapped by and resentful of that tie to sin that I could do nothing about whatsoever. It was inherited simply by being a human being just like Adam and Eve were human beings.

But there is hope, for the very next thing Paul writes is, “so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men” (Romans 5:18). Jesus’ act of righteousness, sacrificing Himself for us to pay the penalty, makes inheriting justification and life just as easy for us to have as our inherited sin! “For as by one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous” (Romans 5:19). Adam disobeyed God, Jesus obeyed God. We were made sinners by Adam, and we were made righteous by Jesus. It sounds simplistic until you realize the poetic depth and profundity of what Jesus did to undo the curse, oppression, and lordship of sin and death over the lives God lovingly crafted for us to live with Him in freedom and peace. We are loved enough by God for Him to bring that life, freedom, and peace about to completion (Philippians 1:6).

It’s all about what God has done for us, it’s not about us. It’s not about striving to be perfect, it’s all about Jesus. The reality is that we truly are desperate for Him, “As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God” (Psalm 42:1-2). We’re just so prone to forget. But even in our forgetfulness, there is so much grace from God, “For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ” (John 1:16-17). There is grace upon grace for each one of us. Jesus is the Truth. Halleluiah!

If you’re a longtime subscriber, please know that I’m so grateful for you! I’m amazed every post is actually being read, even after 7 years of writing—thank you. And if you aren’t already, please take a moment to subscribe.

May you experience God’s kindness, peace, and grace in your own life with the King. Amen.

For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous” (Romans 5:19).

Thank you for spending some of your time journeying with me. If you haven’t yet, please subscribe to Life with the King, and like & follow the Facebook page; it truly helps me continue writing this blog. Grace and peace.

Perspective of Celebration

My one flowering plant that I’ve had since last February is budding (miraculous that it’s still alive to begin with, because I have killed every other indoor plant I’ve owned!). I see shoots popping out of the earth along my neighborhood walkways. I hear birds chirping in more cheerful and distinctive melodies. Spring has recently come to be my favorite season because of its beautiful, far-reaching reminder of renewed life. I’ll take almost any excuse to celebrate and get my mind on something positive. My birthday is in February, which I like to celebrate all month long. Taking on a spirit of celebration really helps me work out my case of the winter funk.

Expected Celebration

The oldest book of the Bible, Job, mentions that Job’s children celebrated their birthdays with a feast: “His sons used to hold feasts in their homes on their birthdays, and they would invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them” (Job 1:4). In ancient culture, many other times of celebration were marked by feasts as well (eg: Numbers 10:10). Feasts often involved rejoicing, rest, and joy (eg: Esther 9).   

To me, birthdays are the easiest time to celebrate life in the current, Western world I live in. It’s somewhat expected that birthdays are something to celebrate, even as an adult. Every year around my birthday I take some time to marvel at the fact that I’m still alive. I mean that in all seriousness. I stop to appreciate the hardships I’ve endured and the times I wanted to give up. It helps me to practice this grateful posture to God for my life. I also go through this same process for the birthdays of people close to me. It’s especially easy and expected to celebrate when our life circumstances have improved from what they once were.  

Soon after one of their feasts, Job’s children were killed. When Job heard this news, he mourned, to be sure; yet he didn’t cease to rejoice in the Lord. Instead, “he fell to the ground in worship and said: ‘Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.’ In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.” (Job 1:20-22). What an amazing response to devastating news! 

Unexpected Celebration

It’s easy to celebrate and rejoice in God when we focus on the blessings in life–health, a place to live, food to eat, a job, a family, good friends, etc. But to rejoice in the face of death, suffering, and heartache? What a feat it is to put deep pain aside and rejoice in God’s presence and faithfulness to us, as Job did. This is not a natural human response, it takes some intention and some serious reliance on the Goodness of God. This difficult task is in fact a command:

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:4-7).  

In every situation. Even to the point of loneliness, lack of love, false accusations. Even to the point of losing our reputation. Even to the point of loved ones being killed. Rejoice. This takes strength that only God can give us. Humans are easily broken down. Our human nature is weak in resolve and fickle in loyalty. But God’s strength is steadfast; leaning on Him, we can endure suffering and still rejoice in the face of it.  

In the few times I have been able to rejoice in the midst of pain, I do remember feeling immediately put at ease. It was like the “peace of God, which transcends all understanding” had come and put thick earmuffs on me while a piercing siren was roaring in my ears. I could still hear the siren, but the sound no longer had all of my attention. God’s mercy and nearness had more of it. It might feel odd or nonsensical, but rejoicing while in pain can make all the difference. Obedience to God is always rewarded. 

Suffering and Death 

Looking at the story of suffering Jesus went through in the Gospels, He still had hope even on the cross. Through all the mocking and abuse He endured, He never ceased to honor the relationship He had with the Father. Though He asked for the burden of death and suffering on the cross to be taken from Him, He still had deep joy going through with it because He was doing the Father’s will. Like Job, Jesus also gives us the example of rejoicing in the Lord, no matter the circumstance. 

Rejoicing and celebration can be a sign of faith. Faith that God is there, that He is working when we can’t see, gives us cause to celebrate, no matter what we are going through. 

I’ve been reading about Abraham and Sarah this week. When the presence of God visits their tent, God responds to Sarah’s disbelief in His words that she will have a son in her old age (around 90). Her womb was as good as dead in her eyes. She laughs at God’s words, but He asks, “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” (Genesis 18:14). 

God brings life even when we only see death 

We must have faith that winter will turn into spring. That life will be renewed. Friends, we cannot allow our hope to die. If you’re longing for faith but can’t find it right now, know that God can help you as you are; don’t give up hope. If you’re longing for God’s presence but feel nothing, know that God is already there with you; don’t give up hope. If you’re longing for love, know that God already loves you more than you can imagine; don’t give up hope. You can be open to receive His love when you are ready, and He is patient with your process. 

God has given us every reason to rejoice, to celebrate, to be full of joy regardless of our circumstances. At all times. In every situation. He is the life-giver; that’s just what He does and who He is. If your hopes have died, if your heart has stopped loving, if your needs aren’t being met, know that Jesus is the restorer of life. He has met your every need already. He has done the work, so that all we need to do is celebrate. 

Celebration Eternal

Even if winter never ends, and if we don’t see the sun shining again, we have no excuse! Yes, the things around us often affect our mood in the moment, but we must not let that change our eternal perspective on what matters most. No, celebration when things are going wrong doesn’t make sense. But God asks us to rejoice always. His ways don’t make “sense” or go along with our feelings all the time. Our faith in Him is all He asks of us, and that involves rejoicing because of who He is.    

The day is coming when God will dwell with us in the new earth. We will be eternal with Him, and will glorify Him in all we do. We won’t need to guess or mess up at it anymore. We will rejoice and celebrate and be glad, with no more tears. When we can celebrate on this earth in this life, we can enter into that eternity now. When Jesus came, heaven broke into earth and God’s presence is still here and available to us now because of Jesus through the Holy Spirit. In times of celebration, we can both live in and get a glimpse of the eternity God is preparing for us. Let’s not miss the chance we have to celebrate here and now!

May we celebrate the life found only in Jesus, on our birthdays, and every day we have His breath in our lungs. 

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything” (James 1:2-4).

Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready” (Revelation 19:7).