Revelation Archives : Life with the King

February 5, 2026February 5, 2026

More than Conquerors

Have you ever found it wild that God has already told us the end of the story? Each of our lives is an amazing story and testimony in and of itself, and all are part of God’s story, but have you considered that the ending to that story has been completely spoiled?

Spoiler alert: Jesus conquers the enemy of our souls.

We feel the effects of the enemy in our world today, and Jesus warned that “the love of many will grow cold” (Matthew 24:12). We constantly encounter darkness and see the great need for it to be defeated, both in the world and in our own hearts. Try as we might, we as people don’t have the capacity to defeat the enemy on our own. We need Jesus. In the prophetic Book of Revelation, John writes, “And one of the elders said to me, ‘Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals’” (Revelation 5:5). In the end, Jesus conquers! And not only that, but He allows us to share in that victory.

What’s fascinating to me is that Jesus refers to those who believe in Him as conquerors as well, later in Revelation: “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. The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son” (Revelation 21:6-7). Not only do we share in Jesus’ victory, but we are welcomed into His family. What is His becomes ours too. Best. Ending. Ever.

So what do we do now, in the middle of the story, when Jesus has yet to come again? How do we look ahead to Jesus’ victory and rely on His sacrifice and victory over death? One of my favorite verses in Revelation says, “And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death” (Revelation 12:11). We can conquer even now over the enemy by relying on Jesus’ blood sacrifice to cover our sin, and also by unashamedly, courageously, and passionately telling our stories about His work in our own lives.

The good news is that even with the love in the world growing cold, and with darkness seemingly closing in, we don’t have to let it defeat us in the here and now. The story has been spoiled for us in the best possible way! I believe the story was spoiled to give us hope in the fact that the future for us is free and victorious in Jesus. Not only that, Jesus walks with us through every single green pasture AND valley along the way until that time. Even now, we are able to share in His victory already had and the victory yet to come.

May we walk in our identity as more than conquerors with Christ, and share “the word of our testimony” in the spirit of God’s love. May we encourage others as we all walk out our stories toward the best ending ever written. Amen.

“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us” (Romans 8:37).

“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death’” (Revelation 2:11).

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.

December 18, 2025December 18, 2025

Hope in Waiting

Christmas is almost here. I was reminded this week that while Christmas is traditionally a time to look back on Jesus’ birth, it can also be an opportune time to remember that He promised to come again. In the words of Jesus, “And . . . I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also” (John 14:3). What a beautiful promise! Unlike the first time, Jesus won’t come again as a helpless newborn in a stable. He said that He will come in glory; “Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory” (Matthew 24:30).

We’ve been waiting a long time for Jesus’ return already. We are all called to wait with expectancy for Jesus, living in a way that honors His sacrifice. Peter said, “. . . what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness,waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells” (2 Peter 3:11-13). As we are waiting for Jesus’ return, and a new heaven and earth, it can be easy to forget His incredibly loving promises to us. What if you were to join with me in taking the opportunity to reflect, not only on His birth, but on your hope in His return?

At Christmas, we remember God with us, Jesus; also known, especially in this season, as Immanuel (Isaiah 7:14), and Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6). We remember that Jesus’ presence brought hope to the world. Is your heart hopeful this Christmas season? Has your hope been diminished by the waiting?

If so, the ancient Jewish people can relate; they waited centuries for the Messiah to come, and many became discouraged. Simeon and Anna (Luke 2) were two individuals mentioned in Scripture who had solid faith in the coming of God’s redemption for His people, even in the long period of waiting. The prophet Isaiah wrote, “but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint” (Isaiah 40:31). Here we see that there is hope to be had, perhaps especially in the waiting. We aren’t meant to go for the soaring part without waiting first.

If you’re feeling restless, or tempted to go ahead on your own strength, remember in this season the wisdom in waiting for the Lord. Hold on to hope. Jesus is worth the wait. David knew what it was like to wait years for relief. He wrote, “[Bless the Lord] who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s” (Psalm 103:5). David was on the run from king Saul during the prime years of his youth. He waited while eluding Saul’s pursuit for years, trusting God to restore of his life what seemed to have been lost.

Waiting on the Lord is never in vain. Jesus is coming again, and is coming to conquer all that would keep us from Him. May we be found faithful in the waiting. “They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful” (Revelation 17:14). The commemoration of the “good news of great joy” (Luke 2:10) for all people, Jesus’ birth, is imminent, but Scripture reminds us that Jesus’ second coming is, too. Let’s remember the hope yet to come, this year and every year. Merry Christmas, friends.

“And they have conquered him [the accuser] by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death” (Revelation 12:11).

“Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done.I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end” (Revelation 22:12-13).

“He who testifies to these things says, ‘Surely I am coming soon.’ Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!” (Revelation 22:20).

October 9, 2025October 9, 2025

I Lack Nothing

There is nothing better than a fresh revelation of God’s love. It makes me feel like I’m invincible, like I’m free from the limitations of being a human in time, and like the things life throws at me that usually bring me down or make me spiral now just make me laugh at how much I was once affected by them. That’s what happened for me last weekend during a silent retreat.

I wrote about the practice of silence in my recent post, TSD: Silence. While I spent some of the time on the retreat in silence with others, the most impactful time for me was actually a time of revelation of God’s love through Scripture. I’ve studied Psalm 23 many times over the years and it amazes me how it continues to reveal new things. While it is such a short passage with only six verses, like all Scripture, it still lives, breathes, and speaks profoundly in the present moment. Verse one reads, “The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.” (NIV)

“I lack nothing” is such a foreign phrase in society. We’re constantly reminded with ads and inflation just how much we (allegedly) lack on every level: health, experiences, and possessions. To say “I lack nothing” is a bold statement, and even something that could be taken as delusional or offensive by the world’s standards. David likely wrote this statement while in the wilderness fleeing from the danger of being killed. It begs the question, what standard is being used to confidently say something so outrageous?

Upon further reflection, I noticed I’d let this bold phrase overshadow what came before it, “The Lord is my shepherd.” What stood out to me was the possessive word, “my,” and that the sheep (narrator) claims the shepherd as his, rather than the shepherd claiming the sheep. If God is our shepherd, then we truly lack nothing of eternal value. Jesus says in Matthew 13:44, “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” Living by God’s direction and influence is better than having all the things the world measures our value by; it is worth everything. True wealth is belonging to God and being led by Him as our Good Shepherd.

But it goes further and deeper, still. Not only can we claim God as ours as David did in Psalm 23, but God also calls us His. Psalm 23 implies that we belong with and to God, assuring a place in His own house for us (verse 6). Other Scriptures speak of this profound, protectively possessive love: “But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine” (Isaiah 43:1). We are never too far gone for God; He formed our bodies and souls, and there is nothing that can keep His love from us (Romans 8:38-39). During my retreat time, the identity and inheritance God gave not just David or Israel, but to me (and to you) as well became so glaringly clear where things had felt muddled and a bit hazy before.

Perhaps the most beautiful and thought-provoking passage of God’s love for me and you is, “I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine; . . .” (Song of Songs 6:3). In line with the possessive love expressed in other Scriptures, not only is God’s love protective and fatherly, it also speaks of partnership. After all, Jesus is coming for His bride. That is where all of our stories are headed. Jesus has already sacrificed His life out of love for her, the church, of which you and me can choose to be a part.

We are not merely slaves or servants of God, but He graciously invites us to also be partners with Him in the Kingdom. He desires to work with us. He subjects Himself to us, telling us in Scripture that He is ours, even though we are the ones who don’t even deserve to be His lowest servants. Where can love like this be found on earth other than Jesus? There is real Life with the King.

Psalm 23 verse 6 says, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” We can have confidence of living in the shepherd’s own house, not as a slave or servant, but as the beloved of God, the church, belonging to God’s own family. What a privilege is offered to us to be adopted as His family, “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,” (John 1:12). God has a place for His children in His house forever! He invites us to this, because whether we recognize it or not, He is ours and we are His. What better news could there be? What else could we need in light of eternity? In the care of our shepherd, we truly lack nothing. Amen.

“And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying,

‘To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!‘” (Revelation 5:13)

February 5, 2021February 5, 2021

Freedom to Love

In my previous post, I wrote in depth about the pervasive force of fear, but ended on the idea that truth brings freedom, “… the truth will set you free” (John 8:32). My post 5 Ways to Step into Freedom in Christ goes into some of the practical details. Now I want to go into more depth about the idea of freedom, and why it’s so important.

Freedom is all about Love.

“You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love” (Galatians 5:13).

Freedom in Christ points to freedom from the power of sin and death over us. But that’s not all; freedom was intended to give way to a culture of love.

Somehow, the longer we are in the world, the more we seem to fall asleep to the fact that we are free. It becomes all too easy to only love those who love us back, and only love that which benefits us personally. As Jesus said, “what reward is there for that?” (Matthew 5:46 (NLT)). When we feel obligated to love, it is not love of our own free will. It is not love freely given, the kind of love God longs for us to have towards Him and toward others. Once we understand that in His great love Jesus has already set us free, everything can change.

Freedom is why I gave up everything to choose faith in Him—it’s the best thing I ever did.

I used to constantly chase love, happiness, success, and contentment. The longer I was striving for my desires, the more I felt that somehow, I was under their power—and I was! In a way, we are enslaved to whatever it is that our heart desires. That’s why it is so important to guard your heart.

God understood this fully when He created us. As humans, we were designed to be subservient to something beyond ourselves. God made us this way with the intention to only be subservient to Him, who never exploits this delicate feature of who we are. This is my opinion friends, but I believe this is the reason the first commandment prohibits idolatry (Exodus 20:3). God knew how He designed us better than anyone or anything, and wanted to protect us from the harm that serving anything other than Him would do to us.

From the Beginning, God wanted us to dwell in His presence and have intimate relationship with Him—and He designed us accordingly!

How beautiful is the vision of a life where we could withstand the holiness of God and experience the unimaginable glory of His full physical presence! This is what Jesus’ restoration of all things looks like—God, restored to His rightful, original place as our ruler and friend, the literal and only “owner” of us and everything in the universe. No more being “owned” by the world’s consumerism, alcoholism, pornography, money, drugs, alcohol, relationships, fame, influence, status, lies, most types of societal expectations, the list goes on, for the exploitation of our thoughts and feelings. Until He comes again, we are susceptible to these traps; “They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity—for ‘people are slaves to whatever has mastered them’” (2 Peter 2:19).

So many of us settle for being “free” to pick our own poison, fooling ourselves with this “good enough” freedom, convincing ourselves, “This isn’t so bad.” Friends, this is false freedom, and is not what we were made for. We can only deny our bondage for so long before our souls cry out. Being truly free comes when we yield our hearts, minds, and souls to God, the only One trustworthy enough to be our owner. The One whose judgment is impartial, who never exploits us by His power, and will never overstep our free will. He patiently gives us space to respond to Him in our own way in our own time. In Him, and Him alone, we are free—free indeed.

Trust God to set you free from your idols today.

He is able. He is bigger than even that thing that scares you more than anything else in the world. Ask Him to end your bondage today and for help to stop luring others into bondage with you. God expresses His love to us by giving us freedom from sin and death, and free will to make our own decisions in life. He will help you if you ask Him with a sincere heart. It’s no wonder we struggle at times to feel His love, His gift of freedom is constantly being threatened by the world we live in! This is by no means new.

God first promises freedom to the Israelites via Moses in Exodus 6:6, “Therefore, say to the Israelites: ‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment.” God wants to free and redeem us just as much as He wanted to free and redeem the Israelites in bondage. He is faithful, and will show mercy. The question for them, and for us, then becomes,

“Okay, so you’ve been liberated from your Egypt, but are you going to continue living in a mentality of bondage?”

We can become so accustomed to being manipulated by a partner, family member, or friend, being loyal to a particular party or denomination, being unwilling to learn the Bible for ourselves, listening only to other people talk about what Jesus is like instead of talking to Him directly, that our minds struggle to break free of those old patterns. Our minds can come to expect bondage and subservience and reinforce it, even when we are actively trying not to.

But, there is good news, friends! Jesus’s truth makes it possible to transform any bondage mentality; Scripture commands it: “be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2). We now know that even the physical fissures formed in our brains that reinforce routine patterns can be changed. Thankfully, God made our brains with neuroplasticity so those pathways can be transformed! For many, freedom comes slowly through hard work, not all at once. It takes time and intention to change our thinking to align with the truth of God’s love and freedom, but it is possible. Take heart and do not give up hope, friends! Through Christ we no longer have to feel stuck in our minds believing we’re free when our hearts and spirits know we’re not. He frees us fully and completely.

“***What does Jesus have to do with freedom? Everything! because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death*” (Romans 8:2).**

If you don’t know who Jesus is, I encourage you to seek Him. God promises that when you “seek the Lord your God … you will find him, if you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul” (Deuteronomy 4:29). Luke 4:18 describes Jesus as proclaimer of good news to the poor, sight for the blind, and freedom for prisoners and those who are oppressed. Revelation 1:5 describes Jesus as the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler. But even as powerful and glorious as He is, He makes it clear in Scripture that He is a personal God who wants you and me to know Him on a deep and intimate level so we can experience the depth of His love and the gift of the true freedom that only He can give.

When we devote our lives to seeking and following Jesus, we are given the Holy Spirit. He awakens us and empowers us to be our authentic selves, truly free of anything that might hold us back in our lives. In the freedom that Christ has generously given, we are free to be the people that we already are fully and as God designed us to be, without being subject to the rule of anything but God, as He intended.

The vision of freedom looks like each one of us being all of our true selves.

Maybe you’re thinking, that sounds great and all, but it sounds too good to be true, or, I don’t feel victorious or free, even though I believe in Jesus already! Friends, as Jesus Himself said, “all things are possible with God” (Mark 10:27). Our faith is what counts as righteousness. God did not promise a life of feeling good, He promised His presence and faithful love for us. He is with us, even when we don’t feel it. “In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence” (Ephesians 3:12).

Jesus allows us to live a life even now of continual restoration and blessing! In Him, we are no longer subject to spiritual death (Hebrews 2:14). All we must do is have faith in Him, and the full gifts of righteousness Jesus bought by His blood shed on the cross become ours, not that we deserve it, but thanks to His grace and love.

God’s plan will come about.

His plan involves full freedom, from a physical body prone to decay, heartbreak, and anything contrary to love; a plan with nothing more to separate us from Him. God wants all barriers between us and Him to be broken, as He has desired from the very beginning, and is working even now to complete this work. Nothing we’ve done, or the enemy has done, can stop God’s plan from unfolding, or His promises from being fulfilled.

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” (Revelation 21:3-5a).

God carries you, as a Father carries His child, into a future of His glory.

I love to imagine what the fullness of God’s glory will look like, but nothing we imagine could ever come close! His glory is total and complete love and acceptance, boundless freedom and creativity, incomprehensible grace, and profound truth. His glory is endless worship and praise of His real and true name, intimacy and closeness to His amazing presence, and wonderful loyalty and faithfulness. He wants nothing more than to tuck you into His arms and carry you in His love and provision until the day when you take your place in the room He has prepared for you. To be fully loved gives us the freedom to love in the same way, and create the culture of love that exists today between Father, Son, and Spirit. God’s will and all of time are pushing toward this reality, no matter how distant it may seem.

The freedom to be in the presence of God is the most wonderful freedom there is. It costs everything the world offers, but it is worth everything and more. “But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life” (Romans 6:22). We must not forget that there is freedom here and now in God’s gifts, not just in eternal life. Here and now, Jesus allows us to experience a healthy and truth-honoring transformation of our minds, to choose to walk with the Holy Spirit moment by moment, to love with a selfless and free love, and to have hope of the glory to come in life eternal.

May we be people who choose the freedom to love without limits.

“So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:36).

“Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves” (1 Peter 2:16).

“For the Lord takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with victory“ (Psalm 149:4).

“Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” (1 Corinthians 15:55).

Further reading: Garden City by John Mark Comer

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

September 25, 2019December 4, 2019

Ireland: Part II

I’m reminded every September of my trip to Ireland in 2012, so I thought I’d take some time this month to write about the experience. I’ve traveled a lot in my life, but that trip stands alone by far as the most restorative. As I wrote in Part I, “I had to rely on God to take care of me and keep me from harm” when I went to Ireland solo for two weeks. Just to clarify, this was not something I was very comfortable with, despite the God-nudge to go and the odd sense of peace I felt. In normal everyday life, I thought of myself as fairly independent and self-sufficient. Without really being aware of it, that attitude bled over into how it often was between me and God. But in Ireland, I didn’t know how things worked. I simply wasn’t familiar with the culture or how to navigate it. I wasn’t as able to blend in and take care of myself the way I could at home.

In Ireland, I had no choice but to rely on God’s protection.

Besides sudden sustained sunshine, meeting only the kindness of people, and finding an elusive electric converter as detailed in Part I, there were many other ways God showed up for me in Ireland. But first, I had to be open to seeing and hearing Him. And that can be really difficult sometimes.

I first became aware of how alone I was at dusk walking from my B&B in Tralee. I was trying to find the pub in town to have dinner. When I finally found it, the only people I remember seeing when I walked in the door were men. No children, no women. Just rowdy American white men. I was suddenly very aware of my surroundings and went on high alert. What if these guys are gross? Drunk? Violent? Pushy? Invasive? “Rescue me, Lord, from evildoers; protect me from the violent . . .” (Psalm 140:1).

There were maybe only 12 of them, but they seemed to take up the whole restaurant. I watched them ask for pictures with the pretty redheaded waitress, trying not to judge them too quickly. I just wanted to sit at the bar and eat dinner; I didn’t need disgust ruining my palette. I was starving and not about to let them stop me. I mustered all my confidence and marched up to the bar and sat down. Sure enough, they noticed me and asked a million questions, but generally were amazingly respectful (despite a comment or two I overheard about the waitress). Several of them said I was very brave for traveling alone in a tone of awe. One guy who I’d talked to for a while as I ate said that I reminded him of his daughter. That word gave me a lot of comfort. From that point on, I relaxed. I knew I’d be alright and that the guys wouldn’t give me reason to be afraid.

Both in Dingle and Galway I stayed in hostels, meaning I was given a key to a room crammed with bunkbeds and several strangers each night. Anyone with access to the room had access to my stuff–my plane ticket information to get home was probably the most valuable and I kept my passport on me at all times. But, nothing was ever touched. Among strangers, it was very clear;

God provides protection. “The Lord protects the unwary; when I was brought low, he saved me” (Psalm 116:6).

While in Tralee I visited the Rose Garden just a week after the annual rose festival. That’s where I met Jimmy who I call “the bike man,” a lovely old Irish gentleman who stopped his bike to greet me and strike up what became a long and very deep conversation. At one point, he said, “we always think about feeding the body, but we rarely take care to feed the soul.” In the green landscape with kind faces everywhere I went, my soul was certainly being fed. I was seeing God revealed on earth through beauty and kindness in the Irish community and it felt fresh every day. Jimmy asked me if I believed in heaven and when I said yes he asked me where it was. I don’t recall what I said exactly, but he smiled and said, “No, love. Heaven is here on earth.” Indeed, God is not somewhere “out there,” He’s right here. “The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress” (Psalm 46:7).

There was a rumor that the tours of the Ring of Kerry had stopped running for the season, but my bed & breakfast hostess Mary kindly searched for me and found an excellent one. On the bus I met an older man named Michael with his wife. Michael was my buddy both on and off the bus. He told me story after story about his life and his family in his Irish accent, laughing often. He also kindly attempted to use my camera and take a few photos of me (these were pre-selfie stick times!). He reminded me of what my own grandfather would do or say and with the same love in his eyes. I thought how silly it was to be afraid when traveling could be like this. I spotted a quote at the Killarney bus station after the tour written in graffiti that oddly seemed intended just for me, “Fear is the only darkness.” In His provision of Michael to be my kind companion on this day of the journey, God had dispelled all my fears.

God provides people to be with us on the journey. “Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another” (1 John 4:11).

On my bus into Dingle, I chatted with two American students sitting across the aisle from me. After I got off the bus, I didn’t know my way so I stopped to look at my map. A dark-haired boy I’d seen on my bus asked if I needed directions and gave exact details as to how to find my hostel. He said he’d overheard me talking about Galway and suggested I go, saying I’d have the “time of my life” there. Then he left. I followed his directions and got to my hostel much more quickly than I would have otherwise–how long would it have taken me to realize I had to walk through a grocery store to get to the street I needed to find? That was a first for me, so probably all day. The dark-haired boy’s guidance and kindness was so vital to my first day in Dingle, even then I recognized it as a way God was looking out for me. And even more so after actually having the time of my life in Galway!

When I got to my last day in Dingle, I hadn’t explored much beyond the town and wanted to see more of the peninsula. I waited hours for a tour only to find out it was canceled because there was a 3-person minimum. I was the only one there. The tour guide, a big, blue-eyed man named John, saw the disappointment on my face there in the Dingle visitor center and had pity on me. He agreed to take me on a short private tour. We got to talking, and I ended up receiving a full tour, with a very special stop that I am still so grateful for, to the most beautiful beach in Ireland, Com Dhineol. It was magical, otherworldly. I must’ve had the most elated expression when I returned to the tour van because John told me that he’d said to himself, “She thinks she’s in heaven.” I quickly replied, “I am!” After many stops at cliff overlooks and beaches and ancient ruins, at the end of the tour the last thing I said to John was, “Thanks for showing me heaven!” He beamed back at me.

The day I arrived in Galway, I was placed in a hostel room with two teenage girls. They invited me along with them to a club and though I was sleep deprived, at the time I didn’t want to pass up the opportunity. I enjoyed adventuring with them, however, the soul-level peace I had experienced up to that point took a hit. I was suddenly in a fast paced, loud environment and saw things I’d rather not have seen. Thankfully, the next day, I took a tour of Connemara and spent most of the day at Kylemore Abbey, one of the most peaceful places I’ve been. The tour bus driver was extremely nice to me, and let me sit up front, in “the Queen’s Seat.” That tour, like John’s tour, was exactly what my soul craved–space, quiet, and time to enjoy life and the beauty of God’s creation. The day at the Abbey was one of my most joyful, ever. Without delay, God again provided another opportunity for the inner rest and restoration.

God provides what we need. “But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one” (2 Thessalonians 3:3).

I fell asleep on the bus from Galway to Limerick, the very last leg of my journey in Ireland before heading to the airport. I cannot recall ever falling asleep in public when alone before, or since, for that matter. After two weeks of seeing God work over and over to protect me, I was finally able to accept God’s gift of rest, and trust that He was protecting me even while I slept. But still, it took the two-week journey through Ireland to get there. It takes a journey for many of us to experience and recognize God’s protection. Trusting God is simple but it’s not easy. But, it’s worth every bit of the journey. Press on friends! I encourage you to find His faithfulness out for yourself.

In Part I, I wrote, “There is something about travel that heightens awareness, that allows us to tap into something that we have numbed ourselves to in our everyday surroundings.” I pray that we might be and remain aware and alert enough each day to notice and appreciate the countless ways God provides for us.

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me” (Revelation 3:20).