As citizens of heaven, we were built to long for something we haven’t yet experienced. And every time we feel disappointed as what this life has given or withheld, we instinctively long for what is absent in our present. That is a good thing!

Biblical counseling is not telling people what to do. Biblical counseling is not tossing verses at someone like grenades. Nor is Biblical counseling passively affirming behavior or ignoring needed Biblical content to be brought to bear. At its core Biblical counseling is holding high the beauty of Christ’s character and what He has done at the cross.

But God … He has reshaped my heart by His Word and the precious promises that instruct His children to embrace trials, knowing we have a God who “does all things well” (Mark 7:37). These four texts have done the majority of the heart-shaping in me: 

There are Bible words that we commonly use, and yet the depth of their meaning may not always be uppermost in our thinking when we use them. We may even sing them with exuberance and passion, but not fully grasp the richness of truth. Let’s tackle one of my favorites this week – “faithfulness”. 

Celebrations are Biblical. From the Old Testament people of God commemorating significant historical events of deliverance to the Christian Calendar developed

God is at work in every square inch of the world He created. The world created by God, is under the authority of God, and nothing escapes the sovereign rule of God. There is no ruthless tornado nor rogue dictator that isn’t under the providential reign of the King of Creation.

Psalm 107:1-2 tells God’s people to give words of testimony to the faithfulness of God. “Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he has redeemed from trouble.”

We can only solve the “out there” of life by the “in here” of the heart. Time and time again the Scriptures point to the heart as the real problem, and the real source of life and love.

Of course, having just recently returned from Ethiopia, my heart is full of joy for the nations. But I wonder if it is for all of you. How do you think about the nations? How do think about missions?