Wanting to save for retirement is not a sin. Refusing to plan is called foolish.

What the Bible Says About Planning Ahead

The Bible consistently praises planning ahead, not as a lack of faith, but as wisdom. Proverbs 21:5 says the plans of the diligent lead to profit, while those who are hasty come to poverty. Planning for the future and trusting God are not presented as opposites in scripture.

The Ant and the Grasshopper Principle

Proverbs 6:6 to 8 points to the ant as an example of wisdom, storing up provisions during the harvest season without needing anyone to tell it to. The principle is straightforward: preparing during a season of abundance for a season of need is wise, not fearful.

Does Saving for Retirement Show a Lack of Faith?

No. Trusting God does not mean refusing to plan. It means holding your plans with an open hand and remaining willing to give and respond generously, even while saving. The danger the Bible warns against is hoarding out of fear or greed, not saving with wisdom and an open hand.

How Much Should You Actually Save?

There is no fixed number in scripture. A common practical approach is to save consistently over your working years, starting as early as possible, so that compounding growth does most of the work over time. What matters more than a specific target is consistency and starting now rather than waiting.

Retirement as a New Season of Ministry, Not an End Goal

Many Christians find their most active years of ministry, service, and generosity come after their formal working years end. Planning for retirement is not planning to stop being useful. It is often planning for the freedom to serve, without the constraint of needing a paycheck.

Article supplied with thanks to Wealth with Purpose.

About the Author: Alex is a licensed financial planner and the founder of Wealth with Purpose a Stewardship Ministry that helps Christians handle their money God’s way.

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Forgiveness isn’t about excusing wrongdoing or forgetting pain – it’s about freeing ourselves to move forward.

But understanding what forgiveness truly means, and how to extend it, requires a deeper look at this misunderstood concept. 

Psychologist Collett Smart, Vision Christian Radio CEO Phil Edwards, and chaplain and author Raewyn Elsegood explore the complex journey of forgiveness.

Understanding What Forgiveness Really Means 

To Phil, saying sorry and offering forgiveness are two different things.  

An apology comes from the person who caused harm. Forgiveness, however, is a choice made by the person who was hurt – a decision to accept the apology and refuse to remain bound by the pain. 

“Forgiveness is something that sets ourselves free and it doesn’t come intuitively,” Phil explains. “I don’t know that we do understand it that well, but we really benefit when we do [forgive].” 

Phil hears extraordinary stories of forgiveness through his work on national radio. He gives an example of a man from Adelaide who chose to forgive his dying father despite years of abuse. The decision wasn’t about excusing his father’s behaviour – it was about setting himself free from being bound by trauma.  

Phil says that forgiveness sits at the heart of grace, reminding us that we’re all imperfect and that the measure of grace we extend to others returns to us. 

The Journey Begins With Ourselves

Raewyn offers a perspective that challenges conventional thinking: the person we most need to forgive is often ourselves.  

Through her own journey and her work as a chaplain supporting others, she’s observed that self-forgiveness unlocks the ability to move forward and extend forgiveness to others. 

“The person we’re waiting to forgive is ourselves, and that is where the power [to forgive others] comes from,” Raewyn says. “Once we do that, then we take a few steps forward.” 

This self-reflection creates awareness about our own role in difficult situations, enabling us to say sorry where needed and extend forgiveness where it’s been withheld.  

Raewyn points to a simple truth: if we want others to forgive us, we must be willing to forgive them. While some may still be waiting for apologies that never come, the power of forgiveness lies in not allowing that wait to define our lives. 

The Science of Letting Go

Psychologist Collett Smart reveals that forgiveness produces measurable changes in our emotional, mental, and physical wellbeing. However, she emphasises that forgiveness cannot be forced or rushed – it must come when someone is ready, particularly after trauma or severe injustice. 

Collett explains that when we harbour resentment long-term, our bodies remain in fight-or-flight mode. This manifests as raised cortisol levels, increased heart rate, anxiety, depression, and poor sleep. We often lash out at others because we’re holding onto pain. Forgiveness breaks this cycle. 

“Forgiveness is often about you letting go and not letting the past define you or have power over you anymore,” says Collett. “When you release that or extend that forgiveness, you actually release something in yourself to keep moving forward.” 

Collett challenges the phrase “forgive and forget”, calling it simplistic. True forgiveness isn’t about pretending wrongs didn’t happen, and it doesn’t always mean restoration, especially when safety is at risk. What matters is finding a way to free yourself and move forward on your own timeline. 

Forgiveness is a gift we give ourselves. Whether we begin by forgiving ourselves, understanding grace, or recognising the health benefits of letting go, the path to forgiveness is profoundly liberating. 

Article supplied with thanks to Helping Hands TV.

About the Author: Helping Hands is an Australian produced TV program that airs on 9GEM, Channel 9 and 9NOW, and showcases people and organisations who make the world a better place.

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One thing that’s made an enormous difference in my life: learning to listen to God.

I believe the Holy Spirit wants to walk with us every day. Not just on Sunday mornings. Not just at church or a prayer meeting. God wants to be involved in our lives every hour. He wants to guide us.

Learning to Stop Doing Life in My Own Strength

Before becoming a Christian, I spent years trying to find the answers to life myself.

Back in the 1990s, I remember walking into a bookstore, and buying self-help books. There always seemed to be another book promising that if you followed 30 steps, your life would be transformed in 30 days.

Some contained good ideas. But there was one problem. They all depended on me having the strength to make everything work.

And I’ve discovered I’m not particularly good at doing life in my own strength.

When I became a Christian, God began teaching me something different.

Learning to Trust God With My Worries

One of my favourite passages is Philippians 4:6–7. It tells us not to be anxious, but to bring our concerns to God with thanksgiving and allow His peace to guard our hearts and minds.

Putting that into practice wasn’t easy.

I grew up in a household where worrying was almost a way of life. I often joke that Mum and Dad gave me a Harvard degree in how to worry.

For years after becoming a Christian, I prayed Philippians 4:6–7, but still struggled with anxiety.

Then one night something happened that changed my understanding of those verses.

A Storm Over Lake Macquarie

It was a Monday night in the middle of winter. I was heading to my men’s group and there was a huge storm over Lake Macquarie.

We had a 34-foot Beneteau yacht on a mooring near our home at Valentine.

Before leaving home, I had this strong sense that God was telling me, “Ken, you need to pray for your boat.”

So my wife Wendy and I prayed.

The weather became wild. Trees were coming down and there were reports of wind gusts reaching around 100 kilometres an hour.

But after praying, I went to men’s group and left the boat with God.

The Boat Was Gone

Later that night, I drove down to the boat ramp at Valentine and pointed my headlights towards the mooring.

The boat was gone.

So was the mooring.

Now, the old Ken would have panicked.

Instead, something completely unexpected happened.

I felt peaceful.

I went home to get a spotlight and told Wendy the boat was missing.

Her reaction wasn’t about the boat.

She looked at me and asked, “Are you okay?”

She knew something like this would normally send me into a complete panic.

But I was okay.

I went back to the lake and eventually spotted the boat several houses away, sitting safely against somebody’s wharf.

I knocked on the door and spoke to the owner.

He told me something extraordinary.

The yacht had broken free during the storm. Instead of crashing into the shoreline or other boats, this four-tonne yacht had moved sideways past eight or nine houses.

There happened to be one empty wharf because the owners had moved their boat to a marina the previous day for repairs.

My yacht stopped in front of that empty space and then appeared to back itself into the wharf.

The neighbours thought somebody must have been steering it.

When they shone a light onto the yacht, they discovered nobody was aboard.

I believe God protected that boat.

But looking back, I don’t think the boat was the biggest miracle that night.

The biggest miracle happened inside me.

For the first time, I experienced what I’d been reading in Philippians 4:6–7.

I had handed something completely beyond my control over to God. In the middle of a situation that should have had me terrified, He gave me peace.

That’s why listening to God matters.

It’s not about hearing some booming voice from heaven. It’s about learning to walk with Him, bringing Him into our everyday lives and becoming sensitive to those moments when He prompts us.

What Are You Facing Today?

Maybe you’re facing something you can’t control right now.

Talk to God about it.

You don’t need fancy words. You don’t need to know the Bible backwards. Just talk to Him like you would talk to a friend.

Tell Him what’s worrying you. Ask Him for help. Then start learning to leave it in His hands.

Life hasn’t suddenly become easy since I became a Christian. My family and I have faced some very difficult seasons.

But I’ve learnt that it’s possible to have peace even when life isn’t peaceful.

That’s the peace I discovered that stormy night on Lake Macquarie.

And that’s the peace I believe God wants each one of us to experience

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Simple ways to put compassion into action.

Whether it’s listening to someone in distress, helping a neighbour after a tragedy, or simply stopping to say hello, being a good Samaritan is about putting compassion into action. That’s the message from Jon Owen (CEO of Wayside Chapel), Raewyn Elsegood (chaplain and author), and Danny Abdallah (co-founder of i4Give).

For Jon, the phrase “Good Samaritan” has a deeper meaning beyond someone who simply lends a helping hand.

“It’s about a story,” he explains, referencing the biblical parable where the Samaritan stops to help someone in need. “If being a good Samaritan means anything to me … it’s the person who can get off their high horse.”

For most Australians, Jon says, a good Samaritan is someone who sees a person in distress and takes time out of their day to respond, regardless of whether they know them.

“It’s the ability to put aside your own agenda to attend to someone else’s,” he says.

The Power of Compassionate Action

Raewyn begins with one key characteristic: compassion.

“When you can really empathise, you want to walk towards a person,” she explains. “But when you’re sympathising, you might do the odd nod and go, ‘Oh, that poor person,’ and just keep walking past.”

Raewyn, a disaster recovery chaplain who responded to the Bondi shooting in December 2025, witnessed first-hand what compassion looks like in action. She explains how the local community looked out for each other in their grief, including helping a homeless woman who was too scared to return to her usual spot at the Pavilion.

“A local had noticed (her),” says Raewyn, “so he seconded one of us chaplains to go with him and try and convince her that her home was still safe … I watched that beautiful work of art of the locals helping each other.”

Quiet Service Without Expectation

For Danny, being a good Samaritan means showing up quietly when things are tough.

“A good Samaritan is someone that comes quietly and helps and serves,” he says.

“Someone that isn’t necessarily there in your good times. It’s when you’re in your tough times, you just see them come and help pick up the pieces … without expecting anything in return.”

Having experienced tragedy himself, Danny saw the human spirit step up through people who would drop food, pick up the kids, and check in without making a fuss.

Now, as a prison chaplain, Danny brings that same quiet service to inmates. He listens to their stories, encourages them, and helps them see that their time in prison could transform them.

“I tell them, this place here could be a blessing or a curse in your life,” says Danny. “You can come out like gold or like ash. It’s up to you.”

Simple Steps to Make a Difference

So, what does it take to be a good Samaritan? Jon’s advice is simple: just take one step.

“No one is a problem to be solved. They’re a person to be met,” he says. “Don’t think about people as projects … One of my favourite quotes that guides me is, ‘I’m just one beggar helping another beggar find bread.’”

Jon encourages people to remember that we all have gifts and deficits, and that vulnerability is actually a gift we bring.

“Let me tell you, there ain’t no answer that’s going to hit the mark at all when you’re in those moments, but your presence will,” says Jon.

Raewyn agrees that kindness is essential. “Our world needs people to open their eyes and not walk past when kindness is needed.”

Jon says we have communities that embody this spirit, when Australians rally together after tragedies like bushfires, floods, and terror attacks.

“We see the way people come together. People put aside differences, put aside divisions and just check in on each other,” he says.

His final piece of advice … “See someone, look them in the eyes and say hello.”

Article supplied with thanks to Helping Hands TV.

About the Author: Helping Hands is an Australian produced TV program that airs on 9GEM, Channel 9 and 9NOW, and showcases people and organisations who make the world a better place.

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What it means to give thanks in all circumstances

Life is never perfect. Sometimes it even feels like our world is falling apart and we are only just holding onto the pieces. A job finishes, a marriage ends, an unexpected diagnosis arrives. And in the midst of all this someone says to you, “Just give thanks in all circumstances.”

It can feel like the worst advice in the world. How is anyone supposed to be grateful while they are grieving, afraid or in pain? For a lot of people, this verse has done more harm than good, because it sounds like God is asking them to pretend everything is fine when it isn’t.

But actually, this is not what Paul wrote, and if we look closely, the difference can completely change our mindset.

Give Thanks In All Circumstances

“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:16–18).

Notice the wording carefully. Paul does not say, “give thanks for all circumstances.” He says give thanks in all circumstances. It’s a small detail, but its implications can radically transform our heart posture.

Giving thanks for a cancer diagnosis, a broken relationship or a financial collapse would be strange, even dishonest. Scripture never asks us to celebrate suffering as though it were good in itself. What it asks is us is to keep our eyes on God’s presence and goodness even while we are standing in the middle of something painful.

Written to a Church Under Pressure

It helps to remember who Paul was writing to. The Thessalonian church was not a comfortable, thriving congregation with easy lives. They were a young community facing real hostility and persecution, and Paul had already written earlier in the letter to comfort them about believers who had died.

This was not a theoretical instruction dropped into an easy season. It was written to people who were grieving and under threat, which means Paul was not asking for shallow positivity. He was directing them to look at the One who is always good despite our circumstances.

Gratitude Is Not the Same as Pretending

There is an important distinction between denial and gratitude. Denial refuses to acknowledge the truth and pretends that everything is fine. Gratitude does the opposite. It recognises our situation yet still looks to God and trusts Him in the midst of it.

Giving thanks in hard circumstances is not about denying our feelings. It is choosing to notice what is still true even when everything feels like it is falling apart: that we are not alone, that God has not left, and that this moment is not the whole story.

That is a very different posture to forced cheerfulness. It leaves room for tears and honest lament, while still anchoring the heart somewhere solid.

What This Looks Like in Practice

Thanksgiving in difficult seasons is not easy for anyone. It’s not a switch that we can just flip and suddenly have a cheerful heart. Like any habit, it takes time, discipline and lots of practice. Here are a few ways you can start to implement gratitude into your day:

• Name one thing that is still good, even on the worst days, whether that is a friend who checked in, a roof over your head or simply having made it through today.
• Bring the hard thing honestly to God in prayer rather than skipping past it. Lament and thanksgiving can sit in the same prayer.
• Look for God’s presence in the details rather than expecting Him to remove the circumstance. Sometimes gratitude begins with noticing He is near, not with the problem being solved.
• Let thanksgiving grow slowly. It is rarely instant, and that is fine.

The Hope in the Hard Word

Paul’s instruction to, “Give thanks in all circumstances” was never meant to add guilt to grief. It was meant to give a struggling church something to hold onto when everything else felt unstable.

If you are in a season where thanksgiving feels impossible, that is not a sign of failed faith. It’s a chance to practise gratitude, whatever that looks like, and seek God in the middle of your storm.

God is not asking for a performance. Nor is He wanting you to wallow in the pain. He is inviting us to trust that even here, in the middle of the mess, He has not gone anywhere. And that is something worth being thankful for.

Article supplied with thanks to Vision – a non-profit, follower-funded Christian media ministry taking God’s Word to every corner of Australia and beyond through broadcast, online and print media.

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Because perspective matters when it comes to success, opportunities and the difficulties of of life.

Roses are beautiful, but the most spectacular ones have thorns. It makes sense. Something as exquisite as a rose needs some protecting, for though lovely, they are delicate and vulnerable, and need some safguarding from grasping hands which might clutch their blooms without thought or heed.

I recently led a leadership strategic planning day and instead of the tried and trusted SWOT analysis (strengths/ weaknesses/ opportunities/ threats) was asked to run a similar but not identical Rose/ Buds/ Thorns exercise, where you explore what is deeply pleasing about what you are presently doing (the roses), what potential or opportunities are waiting to be grasped (buds) and what difficulties are being faced (thorns). The group responded really well to it, and some very constructive discussion was backed by excellent decisions. It was a valuable time.

It struck me that this is not simply a good exercise for organisations, but that it’s also helpful for individuals. I like it because the framing is essentially positive. It’s the fine balancing act between the beautiful, the possible, the vulnerable, the sharp and the difficult. It normalises that all are present. It’s so easy to look at the thorns and not to notice all that is still beautiful and possible.

True story

I was around 7 years old and had just got my first two wheeler bike – yes, I know kids now get them at about 2, but there was a different financial climate back then. My friend Lynton was helping me learn to ride and would faithfully run behind the bike holding it up with his one hand. Getting short of breath he suddenly stopped and I was alone, riding the two wheeler with immense pride.

And then I saw them – a full bed of Christ Thorn flowers, you know the ones with pretty red flowers but seriously savage thorns. I couldn’t stop myself from fixating on them. The more I told myself to steer away the more I felt magnetically drawn to them – I have no idea why. And yes, I crashed right into them. I still wince when I think how many of those thorns went into my hands and knees. They were beautiful flowers, but they sure knew how to defend themselves. Ah the parables you learn when you are 7.

Back to today…

How would you answer someone who asked what are the roses, buds and thorns in your life? Think about it…

It is always good to start with the roses

Or to put it differently, to start with gratitude. It’s the Phil 4:8 principle – whatever is good, whatever is lovely, true, good, noble, right, admirable – think about these things. It’s a choice we make – the conscious decision to notice and affirm the beautiful, because that then sets the tone for everything else. It is clear that Paul expects us to find many things to think about. You shouldn’t have to wrack you brain extra hard to find something to fit the bill. Be quietly confident. Even in difficult seasons, there is much that is beautiful. Observe it, celebrate it.

And then there are buds

The little bits of potential that surround us. You can never be certain with a bud. It may of may not flower into full bloom. It’s far more likely to if it is noticed, protected (just a little), and allowed to flourish. It’s the “what’s there waiting to develop” conversation. It could be a new skill to learn, a challenging task to accept, a friendship to develop. Each bud is a gift – a possibility – a sign of hope. 

Paul again frames it well when he instructs Timothy to fan into flame the gift that was within him through the laying on of hands (2 Tim 1:6). The bud was there – now Timothy needed to fan it into flame. And so should we.

We finish with the thorns

Not because they are the last word, anything but. Reminded of how much is good and lovely, and of the gifts that God has placed in our orbit, we soberly look at the thorns, and accept their challenge to cherish the roses and buds which they protect. Because in a strange way, our difficulties are protective – they strengthen us, teach us resilience, and invite us to put our trust and faith in God.

For to quote Paul one more time, “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength” (Phil 4:13). And lest you (or I) forget it, it is “through Christ” – not without Him – that this is possible.

And here is an Amen and Amen to that.

Article supplied with thanks to Brian Harris.

About the Author: Brian is a speaker, teacher, leader, writer, author and respected theologian who is founding director of the AVENIR Leadership Institute, fostering leaders who will make a positive impact on the world.

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What Joseph’s story reveals to us, and how God speaks through His Word in places we would least expect.

The story of Joseph (known for his Technicolor dream coat) is one many know well. A young man with dreams. A family fractured by jealousy. A descent into betrayal, then slavery and finally imprisonment. But there’s more to this tale than meets the eye. This was not simply a story about resilience or perseverance. It was about the way God still moves through people’s suffering to bring life to them and those in their world.

Because when you look closely, Joseph’s story is not about Joseph being a hero.

It is about the glory of God.

The Unexpected Way God Chooses

Joseph was not the obvious choice. In his family, position and honour were meant to belong to the older brothers. Yet God’s hand rested on the younger son, setting him apart for a purpose that no one else could see.

That choice stirred tension and as jealousy grew, it led to rejection.

Joseph’s own brothers turned against him, selling him into slavery and removing him from everything familiar. What followed was a season marked by loss, uncertainty and injustice.

Yet even in those moments, God had not stepped away.

This is often where the tension lies for us. We can recognise God’s calling in the good moments, but when the story takes a turn, we wonder if He is still present.

Joseph’s life answers that question with a quiet but powerful yes.

Suffering That Was Not Wasted

It would have been easy to see Joseph’s journey as a string of setbacks. Betrayed by family, falsely accused, forgotten in prison. Each moment could have felt like the end of the story.

But God was writing something bigger.

Every hardship became preparation. Each delay carried purpose. Every closed door positioned him for something that only God could bring about.

In time, Joseph rose to leadership in Egypt, placed in a position where his decisions would preserve life during a devastating famine. Nations would come to him for grain. Families would survive because of the wisdom God had given him.

From the outside, it might look like a remarkable turnaround. But through the lens Mandy shared, it becomes something greater. It was God sustaining His people. God fulfilling His purposes.

Joseph’s story reveals God’s purpose in suffering, turning what was meant for harm into something that carried life.

A Pattern Hidden in Plain Sight

Joseph’s story reminds us that Scripture is not random. The patterns we see are intentional, the stories are connected, the themes are repeated.

In the Jewish understanding of the Bible, there is an expectation that earlier accounts will mirror what is still to come. That readers would recognise familiar shapes and begin to connect them.

Joseph’s story carries that kind of shape. A chosen one who is rejected. A servant who suffers. A leader who rises, not for his own gain, but to rescue others.

This is part of how God reveals His plans across generations. He plants these moments throughout Scripture so that, when the time is right, the fuller picture can be seen.

Finding Hope for Your Own Story

Many of us know what it feels like to be in the middle of a difficult chapter, or to sit in the tension of unanswered questions. To carry disappointment, loss or uncertainty and wonder how it fits into anything good.

Joseph’s story speaks directly into that space. It reminds us that God is not absent in the waiting. He is working, shaping and positioning.

Even when the process feels hidden, God’s purpose in suffering is still unfolding.

This is the heart of Christian encouragement. Not that we avoid hardship, but that God meets us in it and leads us through it with intention and care.

Article supplied with thanks to Vision Christian Media – a non-profit, follower-funded Christian media ministry taking God’s Word to every corner of Australia and beyond through broadcast, online and print media.

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You have more influence than you think.

When you hear the word “leader”, who comes to mind? A pastor? A CEO? A politician? Most of us tend to think of leadership as something reserved for people with a title, platform or position of authority. But the Bible presents a different picture. In God’s Kingdom, every Christian is a leader because every Christian has influence.

Neil Johnson and Bible teacher Dr Kameel Majdali know the importance of leadership in a changing culture. While churches and communities often look for strong leaders to cast vision and inspire others, Neil suggests something many Christians overlook: every believer has influence. And wherever there is influence, leadership follows.

Whether it’s your family, workplace, church, friendship group or neighbourhood, every one of us has opportunities to shape the lives of those around us.

Why Every Christian Is a Leader

Many Christians assume leadership isn’t relevant to them because they don’t hold an official position. But Neil challenges the idea by pointing out that influence is something every believer possesses.

“We all have an opportunity to influence those who are in our circle,” he said.

For some of us, that circle is our family. For others of us, it’s our friends, colleagues, sporting club or local church. Even when we don’t always see it, people are constantly watching how we live, act and behave as Christians. We’ve fallen for the idea that leadership is all about authority, but it’s about influence.

The good news is that you don’t need a massive platform to make a difference. Some of the most significant Kingdom impact happens through ordinary conversations, acts of kindness and faithful relationships built over time.

Leadership Is About Bringing People Along

Leaders often carry the vision. But what Dr Kameel pointed out was that good leaders help others embrace that vision as their own too. “We have to take the lead by casting the vision as well as knowing the strategy of how to get to the goal,” Kameel said. “Winning people over to the vision, getting them stakeholders so it’s no longer your vision… it’s their vision too.”

And this is modelled perfectly through the best leader to have walked this earth- Jesus. Jesus didn’t force people to follow Him. He always started with relationship. He taught them, equipped them and gave them a shared mission. The disciples weren’t spectators in Christ’s ministry. They were active advocates for the good news of the Gospel.

The same principle still applies in Christian community today. Whether we’re serving in church, the people you live with, raising children, mentoring younger believers or encouraging friends, leadership is about helping others grow alongside us.

We Don’t Lead Alone

Dr Kameel reminds us that Christian leadership is never meant to be carried in our own strength. “If we think we’re going to do this all on our lonesome, we’ll fall flat on our face,” he said. “But if we understand that Jesus Christ is the one who is going before us… then we will find far more fruitfulness than trying to do things in our own strength.”

Many of us hesitate to influence others because we don’t feel qualified enough. We worry we don’t know enough, haven’t been a Christian long enough or don’t have the right personality.

But Christian leadership has never been about having all the answers. It’s about faithfully walking with Jesus and helping others do the same.

The Influence You Have Matters

The people in your own backyard matter to God. Your friends, family, neighbours and church community.

You may never hold a leadership title, but that doesn’t mean you’re not leading. Every Christian is a leader in some capacity because every Christian has influence.

Every act of encouragement, every conversation about faith and every example of Christlike living is an example of Christian leadership in action.

And when we allow God to work through our everyday influence, He can use even the smallest acts of faithfulness to strengthen His people, build community and help others take their next step towards Him.

Article supplied with thanks to Vision – a non-profit, follower-funded Christian media ministry taking God’s Word to every corner of Australia and beyond through broadcast, online and print media.

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Why journaling your God conversations can change everything.

How do you maintain an ongoing conversation with God?

Let’s get practical for a moment. Hearing God’s voice is only part of the story. The real key is doing what the Spirit says– and that’s often the hard part.

Partly, it’s because we forget. Our God conversations become a fleeting moment in the day, and soon after, as the distractions and busyness of life crowd in, we’ve lost what the Spirit said.

Humanity has always been this way

I think that’s why God kept telling the prophets: write it down.

God said it to Moses. To Jeremiah. To Isaiah. To Habakkuk… “Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it.” (Habakkuk 2:2)

Why would God say this?

So that we can run with what God said… so we can actually do it.

Words that don’t return empty

God’s words are sent to have an impact on our lives. They’re full of power and authority as well as God’s character qualities such as love, hope, peace. They’re also full of God’s creativity and the ability to bring themselves to pass.

The prophet Isaiah described it this way: God’s words don’t return empty. Like rain and snow falling from heaven, they water the earth and make it flourish before they go back up. God’s words work the same way – they accomplish what God desires and achieve the purpose for which they were sent. (from Isaiah 55:10-11)

So hearing God isn’t just about having a nice experience with the Holy Spirit. It’s about being transformed from the inside out so that we become more like Jesus and more like ourselves. We need to let the words of God actually do their work in our hearts. And that takes more than a passing thought.

Eat the scroll

I love the imagery God gives the prophet Ezekiel. God tells him to write his words on a scroll…and then “eat them.” (Ezekiel 3:3)

So that’s exactly what Ezekiel did. He ate the scroll, and it tasted sweet as honey in his mouth.

It’s a strange picture, isn’t it? Imagine eating a scroll and trying to digest it. But God’s point is simple: take in the words you’ve been given until they become part of you.

Read them. Think about them. Meditate on them. Chew them over until you’ve fully taken them in. Don’t forget them. Let them change you – and do what they say.

God’s words are powerful. They cut through our sin and selfishness. They quietly, powerfully form God’s purpose in us – but only if we let them stay long enough to work.

Why writing it down matters

This is why it’s so helpful to write your God conversations down.

For some of us, that’s journaling in a book. For others, it’s a note on our phone. If you’re more visually minded, you might draw what God is showing you. However you do it – even if it’s just one word or one thought – don’t lose what God has spoken. Write it down. Draw the vision. Read it back again. Day after day, sit with it, digest it, until it becomes part of who you are.

Article supplied with thanks to God Conversations.

About the Author: Tania Harris is a pastor, speaker, author and the founder of God Conversations.

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God wasn’t tired. So why did He rest?

Most of us can picture the creation story, but have you ever wondered why God rested on the seventh day? We read of the six days when God spoke light into darkness, separated the seas from the land, filled the sky with birds and created humanity in His own image. Then, almost as an afterthought, Genesis tells us that God rested on the seventh day.

Berni Dymet says we’ve often misunderstood this part of Genesis. We tend to assume God rested because He was exhausted, but the Bible reveals something quite different. God rested because His work was complete. When we truly understand the significance of the seventh day in Genesis, we see God’s character and His design for humanity in a brand-new light.

The Creation Story Doesn’t End With Adam and Eve

When we think about the climax of creation, we naturally assume it comes when God creates people. After all, humanity is made in His image and given the responsibility of caring for His creation.

But Genesis doesn’t stop there. Genesis 2:3 says, “Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy.” The seventh day isn’t just an appendix to creation. It’s woven into the story of creation, suggesting that it is just as important as everything that came before it.

God’s Rest Was Never About Being Tired

It’s easy to read our own experience into the text. Because we are human, our bodies require rest at the end of a long week. We’ve never experienced it any other way. So when we read of God resting on the seventh day, we assume it’s because He needs rest too.

But this is not the case. Psalm 121 reminds us that God “will neither slumber nor sleep,” making it clear that the Creator doesn’t become weary or run out of strength. If this is the truth, then why did God rest on the seventh day? If God wasn’t exhausted, then His rest must have meant something else.

Why Did God Rest on the Seventh Day?

Berni points out that before God rested, “God sat back to enjoy what He’d made. It wasn’t just good. It was very good.” His work was complete. Nothing needed improving, correcting or adding to it.

God’s rest wasn’t the rest of someone who had reached His limit. It was the rest of someone who had completed something perfect and stopped to enjoy it. He wasn’t recovering from creation. He was delighting in it.

Understanding this changes the way we see God’s character. The seventh day points us to a satisfied Creator who delights in the goodness of His finished work.

The First Thing God Made Holy

Genesis doesn’t say that Eden was holy. It doesn’t describe the rivers, the mountains or even Adam and Eve as holy. Instead, the first thing God sets apart as holy is a day.

Long before there was a temple, a nation of Israel or the command to keep the Sabbath, God built a rhythm of work and rest into creation itself. “The seventh day is a Sabbath day of solemn rest, holy to the Lord,” Berni shares. Rest wasn’t introduced because humanity was struggling to keep up. It was woven into the world from the very beginning.

Why Does This Matter Today?

We live in a culture that celebrates the hustle and bustle of life. It’s easy to believe our value comes from what we achieve, how productive we are or how much we can fit into a day. But the creation story invites us into something so much more worthwhile.

Why did God rest on the seventh day? He paused to delight in what He had made. Berni says, “There’s another dimension of rest, which is about enjoying our lives, enjoying the fruits of our labours, enjoying our relationships.”

That’s the invitation we find in Genesis. We can follow God’s example by weaving healthy rhythms of rest into our lives, taking time to enjoy His goodness and remembering that He is the One who sustains the world, not us.

Article supplied with thanks to Vision – a non-profit, follower-funded Christian media ministry taking God’s Word to every corner of Australia and beyond through broadcast, online and print media.

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