Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | April 1, 2025

What Does God Say About Grief

I have spent a lot of time the past few months thinking about grief and what the Bible has to say about it. Today I just want to share a few things that I have learned.

  1. Jesus wept. Jesus saw the devastation that the death of his friend, Lazarus’ caused, and He, the Almighty in human skin, wept. He saw the pain of His friends, but He also felt the loss. He knew, so much better than any of us could ever know, that He would be forever with Lazarus in Heaven, and yet He wept. Not shed a tear, not cried, but wept. Strong’s concordance gives a synonym of wept as overflowing. The tears would not stop, and his grief was heavy. What a picture of our Lord. He understands when our tears overflow.
  2. “Curse God and die,” said Job’s wife. We do not even know her name, yet we can learn so much from her. So many have preached about her with comments alluding to the fact that part of the pain that Job had to go through was dealing with his wife. I think we can look at this passage another way. Job’s wife lost the same children that Job did. She lost the same cattle and servants and security that Job had. She is now watching her husband writhe in pain.  Could it be possible that she was fearful Job was going to die next? She is a woman in the deepest gut wrenching grief one can imagine. I think we can be so unkind to her. Notice that God does not condemn her for her words. She is not as Lot’s wife, turned into salt, or punished in any other way from what scripture tells us.  Job does not say his wife is foolish, he says she is speaking as a foolish woman. This shows it is out of character for her, that she does not usually speak that way. Her grief is not dismissed by God or by Job. God allows us to see that grief does not look the same on every person.
  3. In Psalm 22, David cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning? Oh my God, I cry out by day but you do not answer, by night, and am not silent.”  King David, the friend of God, the boy who killed Goliath, the man after God’s own heart, grieved and begged God for answers, and struggled when there were none.

Friend, if you are feeling shattered today, you are not alone. Jesus, Job’s wife, and King David have walked this road where there is no light ahead and the pieces are so broken it does not seem as if there is any way to put them back together again.  God shared these stories with us  so that we would know God understands grief and He grieves with us. He is a God who is in the deep trenches of pain with us and as Psalm 34:18 says,

“The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”  Know today He is right there next to you in the pain, and He will never leave.

“Lord, when our hearts are shattered and nothing makes sense, please give us strength to take the next breath. We love You.”

For His Glory

Terrie Tollerson
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Encouragement, Hope

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | March 31, 2025

Carried

“Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and His understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Isaiah 40:28-31 (NIV)

Because life is, well, life, many of us are likely in a hard place right now—a time of grief, doubt, pain, uncertainty. Jesus promised it, after all (John 16:33). Sometimes these seasons are thrust upon us with the unexpected suddenness of a lightning strike. Other times, we are unmistakenly following after the will of God when it rolls over us. We’re taken aback, because we’re 100% certain in our steadfast obedience. And it could be somewhere in between. Regardless, the result is the same: a soul-level, fog-like weariness that the deepest sleep couldn’t lift. (As if sleep is even a thing during these times.) You may even hear yourself cry out to the Lord or a friend, “I don’t have the strength to endure this thing.”

Again, some of us are in this place right now. Others may be looking at it in the rearview mirror…for others—and I’m sorry to break the news—it’s just over the horizon. No matter how long you’ve been walking with the Lord, you know this to be true. And if you’re in Christian community (which I pray you are), you see and hear it from your brothers and sisters in Christ as you experience Holy Spirit-inspired koinonia.

As for me, I’m in it deep. Interestingly, it’s a result of total obedience to the Lord. In fact, there have been incredible miracles along the way, with the Lord showing up (and off) that His hand is leading my husband and I in the direction we started walking a few weeks ago. He changed our hearts 180 degrees to start this process in the first place, which is the foundational miracle. And whether witnessing “only-God-coulda-done-that” moments, sweet church fam pouring into us, or the very Spirit in us, we leapt in this thing with confidence. But now it’s gotten really real. And exponentially “really” hard.

But friend, there is amazing news: God is who He says He is, and His promises are true. So, wherever you and I are along this narrow, rocky road, here’s the really real deal: We can trust the Lord to carry us. Here are just a few reminders for us all (some to read here—others to look up). Some of my favorites are from God through Isaiah:

Isaiah 40:31: Yet those who wait for the Lord Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary.

Isaiah 41:10: Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will also help you, I will also uphold you with My righteous right hand.

Isaiah 46:4: Even to your old age I will be the same, And even to your graying years I will carry you! I have done it, and I will bear you; And I will carry you and I will save you.

2 Cor 12:9; Isaiah 40:11; Deuteronomy 1:31; Isaiah 43:2; Psalm 23; Zephaniah 3:17; John 14:27; Psalm 34:18

Stay in His Word. Remain connected with encouraging brothers and sisters. And, most importantly, like an exhausted toddler at Disney, reaching up to her parent with weary desperation, cry out, “Abba (Daddy), carry me!” And He will. He’ll take us through…and it may not look like what we thought it would or should. I don’t know about you, but wherever He wants to take me, that’s where I want to go.

“Lord, I trust You. I trust Your Word. I’m so weary and can’t do this on my own. Carry me.”

For His Glory

Julianne Winkler Smith
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Encouragement, Faith, Hope

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | March 28, 2025

Our Best Friend Ever

“Abide in me…” John 15:4 (KJV)

In the first eight verses of John chapter 15, Jesus refers to Himself as the true vine. His Father is the gardener, and we are the branches. Jesus talks about cutting off branches and pruning. However, the pivotal part of the text is the emphasis on abiding in Him.

In verse 15, Jesus changes the nature of the relationship. Those who obey go from servanthood to friendship with Christ. But beforehand, there’s a period of simply learning to obey. God doesn’t explain it to us, and we’re left with many questions. He has trained us with a firm hand to be obedient. At some point, we come to a place where God allows us to catch glimpses of His plan. We start to realize everything fitting together and the whys of the journey become clearer.

With God’s cuts…we suffer loss, go through trials, experience pain and hardship. Some days are so dark we wonder if the sun will ever shine again; and at night hugging a pillow is our only means of comfort. In spite of all this God says, “ABIDE!” Stay there, don’t quit, stick it out…trust Me…know I’m working on your behalf to produce fruit, more fruit and much fruit.

God’s pruning isn’t meant to destroy. He wants a friendship…a relationship. God will prune and cut using our finances, health, spouses, children, death, loss, etc. We cry, bleed and ache. It’s God’s way of finding out after the pruning and cutting…still friends? Can God trust us with trouble…still friends? Can I take you through intense sadness and your love for Me not change…still friends?

Those who are “there” in the cutting and pruning; you haven’t become bitter or frustrated. Because you didn’t quit, you’ve stuck it out, you’ve endured, you’ve been faithful and trusted Him. Verse 16 says, “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, He may give it to you.”

“Father, in spite of the pain and suffering, we will abide in You cultivating a loving relationship. When the trimming is done and our fruit is ripe, we look forward to You answering our prayers.”

For His Glory

Kim Lacey Schock (www.kimlaceyschock.com)
TRBC Women’s Life

 

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Posted in Encouragement, Faith, Hope, Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Living

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | March 27, 2025

Eyes To See

“For now we see through a glass, darkly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; but then shall I know, even as also I am known.”  Exodus 33:18   (KJ21)

My husband recently scanned through some YouTube videos and came across the riveting story of a young man named Christopher Duffley. He had been born prematurely with cocaine in his system and weighed under two pounds. He was also blind. Several times as an infant, he narrowly escaped death. Later, an aunt rescued him from foster care and raised him in her home, introducing him to Jesus at a young age. The story pulled us in, and we wanted to know more.

It turned out that even though he had no sight, he had perfect pitch and learned to play the piano. He also had a strong singing voice, which took him to the stage. In the video we watched, this blind young man stood in front of a large audience singing (grab your Kleenex) “Open the Eyes of My Heart.” It caught my breath.

I looked at that boy’s face as he sang, knowing couldn’t see anything at all, and the words of the song haunted me. I felt like that was a picture of me, having no ability to see the Savior with my physical eyes yet longing to see Him with the eyes of my heart. Does that feel like you, too?

Moses had an experience seeing the Lord on Mount Sinai. He had a rich, intimate relationship with God and summoned the boldness to ask to see Him. God didn’t allow Moses to see His face, but he allowed him to see His back.

I’m not as bold as Moses. I’m not asking to see a physical manifestation of God in this life, but I want to see him more clearly, spiritually. That can only be accomplished over time as I spend time with Him, living in obedience, digging into His word, worshiping, praying, and listening when He speaks to my heart. And one day, when I step into His presence, I will see Him face to face, and know Him as I am known.

I’ve been humming the tune by Michael W. Smith all day and letting the words sink in–

Open the eyes of my heart, Lord

Open the eyes of my heart

I want to see you, I want to see you…

“Lord God, we desire to see You in a deeper way. Plant that desire more firmly in our hearts; give us ears to hear and eyes to see.”

For His Glory

Cherie Williams (www.cherieharbridgewilliams.com)
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Faith, Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Living

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | March 26, 2025

A Whole New Wardrobe

“I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, My soul shall be joyful in my God; For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness.” Isaiah 61:10

Confession time: I’ve been kind of a mess lately. Looking at both macro and micro issues, so to speak, I feel pressed in on every side. Big-picture, way-beyond-my-control stuff—like the Orwellian dystopia that is our culture—can overtake my mind and heart like a dense black fog. And, closer to home, those I love are besieged in mighty struggles that daily break my heart.

I get it—really, I do. All these things are raging spiritual battles—the enemy’s fight is fierce for the world and its inhabitants. Despite my knowledge of this fact, as well as having confidence in this war’s ultimate outcome, my spirit is heavy.

So, when I opened the Word this morning to read Isaiah 61, the Lord spoke clearly to me of His unequivocal understanding. He gets me…and my experiences and internal struggles are not new. If you’re familiar with the launch of Jesus’ public ministry, you’ll know that He turned to this Scripture, reading aloud in the Synagogue to proclaim, “This is Me! I’ve come to heal and save you!” This is amazing, but the part of this chapter that pierced my soul today is in verse 3: Jesus also came to give those who mourn “the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.”

As this so accurately describes my current status, its remedy also jumped off the page: the garment of praise. This verse doesn’t necessarily mean we need to cast off the spirit of heaviness any more than we can cast off being cold. Instead, through Jesus, we are able to don a garment of praise—and by putting on praise, we don’t add another layer of heaviness…we lighten our spiritual load!

And as the chapter continues, verse 10 delivers more wardrobe advice: “My soul shall be joyful in my God; for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness.”

Because of Jesus, my clothes are no longer the rags of sin, death, and unrighteousness! Despite my fallen nature, God looks upon me in garments of perfected beauty. And (popping back up to verse 3), for this I can—I must—praise Him, adding another element to the outfit. (Think of it as a great accessory.)

When we look in the mirror, sisters, is this the ensemble we see? Or do we wake up daily and pull on a t-shirt of fear, leggings of despair, and a sweater of uncertainty—despite the clothes given to us by our sweet Lord?

You know that awesome feeling when you find that rare (and often elusive) outfit that fits perfectly and brings a sense of joy and confidence—maybe for a job interview or special occasion? Think about that and multiply that awesomeness by about a billion. Sisters, whatever is going on in our world, our home, or our minds, we have what we need for joy and confidence. We have salvation that cannot be taken away. We have righteousness, despite our sin. We have reason to praise in all circumstances.

God has given us a whole new wardrobe. So, go ahead, flaunt it.

“Lord, remind me daily that You have given me the spiritual garments I need to take on each day with hope and joy—thank You!”

For His Glory

Julianne Winker Smith
TRBC Women’s Ministry

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Posted in Attitude, Encouragement, Faith, Hope, Spiritual Living, Success

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | March 25, 2025

Enduring Grief – When Suffering Is Hard

Grief is such a mean emotion.  It is the constant reminder that the joy that what was once experienced is gone.  It is the reminder that you will never hug a loved one this side of heaven, hear their laugh, or see their smile.  It is the reminder that things will never be as they were.

Our community has once again come together with grieving hearts.  Some of us are angry, some stoic, so many of us just weary of life, so many questions with no answers.  “Trust in the Lord, He has a plan,” they say.  “His ways are not our ways,” they quote. “ When you can’t trace His hand, trust His heart,” gets posted on social media.

Are these sayings true?  Yes, God does have a plan and many times He does not do things the way we would choose.  Many of us have learned that we can trust His heart even when we do not agree with His plan.    But all of these things can take time to digest, believe and sink into our souls when we are torn apart by tragedy.   These truths are not platitudes to be thrown around when you do not know what else to say.

What about the moments, hours, days, and weeks when your life can see nothing but grief and your heart can feel nothing but pain?  How do we get through this time and how do we walk with dear ones through this?  How do we allow others the space to grieve while trusting that God is big enough to handle their grief?

These are just a few thoughts that may help us become like the friends of Job, who “sat on the ground with him for seven days and nights. No one said a word to Job, for they saw that his suffering was too great for words.” Job 11:13(NLT)

  1.  Have no expectations.   Just as we are all unique, we all have unique ways of processing pain.  Give others the grace and space to grieve.
  2. Allow our friends to say things out of their pain that they may not really believe.  God is bigger-we are not correcting their theology, we are listening and praying.
  3. Over and over, the Bible tells us to mourn with those who mourn, weep with those who weep,to  just be, not say, not fix, just be.
  4. Lift those grieving up to the throne continually.  Maybe you wake up in the middle of the night to pray for them so they can have a respite from their pain while they sleep.
  5. Don’t watch them with eagle eyes.  Let them exist and have the understanding they are not the same person.  Grief changes each of us.

Above all, give grace, love well, and bring them to Jesus day and night.

“Lord, please carry us through the waves of grief and allow us to feel your arms holding us up.”

For His Glory

Terrie Tollerson
TRBC Women’s Ministry

 

 

 

 

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Posted in Encouragement, Faith, Hope

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | March 24, 2025

Old & Gray

pretty woman and senior mother at home

“I have become a marvel to many, for You are my strong refuge. My mouth is filled with Your praise And with Your glory all day long. Do not cast me away at the time of my old age; Do not abandon me when my strength fails.” Psalm 71:7-9

In 2009, Apple launched an iPhone campaign touting all the various applications available on their smartphone (hard to believe that smartphones have already been around that long). You probably recall the famous slogan: “There’s an app for that.” This is the exact reason I so love the Psalms. No matter what you’re experiencing in life, there’s a Psalm that meets you right where you are. Feeling alone and abandoned? Overwhelmed by your sin? Persecuted? In awe of God’s glorious creation? Wanting God to “get” your enemies? Overcome with thankfulness for your salvation and God’s incredible goodness?

There’s a Psalm for that.

As I found myself in Psalm 71 recently, it dawned on me that I’d never noticed its title before. In the NASB, it reads, “Prayer of an Old Man for Rescue”… in the ESV, “Forsake Me Not When My Strength is Spent.” As a 58-year-old woman, I had to chuckle at these titles. But it also made me read this beautiful Psalm with new eyes (well, new “old” eyes, so to speak). As we get older in our faith—and older in body and mind—it’s easy to think that our walk with the Lord will get smoother, and less tumultuous. Yeah, that doesn’t happen. In fact, with every step forward on our sanctification journey, from glory to glory (2 Cor 3:17-18), our sinning becomes more and more apparent to ourselves. And, hopefully, with this spiritual maturity, our rate-of-repentance quickens and the grace we find to extend toward others grows exponentially.

Although we don’t know who wrote this Psalm, it definitely has the same ups and downs as many of David’s songs. Here’s the basic, beautiful flow, along with its old-guy wrap-up:

  1. A cry to God for rescue and deliverance—to be a rock of refuge, with an immediate follow-up of “You ARE my rock!” (vs 1-3). Ah, a reminder that this plea is one we’ll utter all the days of this life.
  2. An appeal for protection against the wicked, unjust, and cruel (v 4). Jesus Himself promised us troubles (John 16:33).
  3. A proclamation of long-time and continual hope and trust in the Lord, and a recounting of a long life of reliance on and praise of God (vs 5-6).
  4. A recognition that the world—and those in it—marvel that he makes the Lord his refuge, praising Him all day long and through all the “even if” times (vs 7-8).
  5. A plea for God to not forsake him in his old age, when the body starts failing and enemies start plotting against him because they think God has abandoned him (9-12). He urgently shouts, “God, hurry to help me!” (We’ve all been here!)
  6. About his enemies, he says, “Go get ‘em God! May my enemies be disgraced!” (v 13) Gotta love the honesty of the Psalms, am I right?)
  7. “But as for me…” (vs 14-16) Here is where most Psalms turn, regardless of the specific theme/struggle: “But as for me, Lord, I will praise You and tell of Your righteousness and Your salvation.” Yes, friend! No matter what—when He gives and takes away—we bless His holy name. And we will declare His salvation even to our enemies (v 16).

For the rest of the Psalm, the writer leans into the old-and-gray points (vs 17-24): He begs God to not forsake him even when he’s getting up there in age. In fact, he begs God for more time to tell the younger generations about Him. (Ouch, is THIS our plea to the Lord as we wake up achy and don’t recognize that old person in the mirror?) He then again acknowledges the greatness of God and His righteousness. He accepts the “many troubles and calamities” the Lord has given him and seen him through…and that with the next one and the next one, God will carry him through and comfort him. His lips and soul will shout for joy with praise. Finally, he recognizes that his enemies will be dealt with by the Lord—so all he has to do is sing praises (and not worry about them).

Friend, as we age because we will, let’s take to heart this Psalmist’s perspective. Let’s continually praise the Lord and acknowledge His righteousness and the salvation we have in Him—despite our enemies’ efforts and regardless of life’s inevitable calamities. And let’s never tire of sharing the joy of salvation with those younger than us.

“Father God, thank You for the wisdom that comes with getting older. May I embrace all that comes with it and continually praise You in it all.”

 

For His Glory,

Julianne Winkler Smith
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Encouragement, Faith, Spiritual Living

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | March 21, 2025

Termite Damage

“For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.” Jude 1:4

Our last home, which was set among the rolling hills of Virginia, had a wonderful back deck that gave us a treehouse-like view. Despite the fact we were in a neighborhood, we could feel miles away from everything. I loved sitting on that deck. At sunrise, I could experience the burst of a new day. Midday brought soul-filling warmth on chilly mountain days. And when the sun was setting, the sky was painted with bold colors only God could produce.

In our time at that beautiful home, we knew there were some “soft boards” here and there on the deck—but we’d just step around them. It wasn’t until we were thinking about moving that we had a deck guy come and assess the situation. Although the decking all looked fine on the outside, many of the boards had been damaged on the inside by those pesky wood-consuming monsters: termites. (Thankfully, no active armies!)

Did you know that the New Testament talks a lot about termite damage? Not the kind made by the literal destructive insects, but rather that of a much more dangerous variety: false teachers in the Church (Matthew 7:15; Matthew 14:24; Romans 16:17-18; 2 Corinthians 11:13-15; 2 Peter 2:1-3; 2 Timothy 4:3-4). During Jesus’ earthly ministry, before the Church was even established, He warned His followers about those who would “come in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves.” Then, post-Pentecost, Peter started hammering similar cautions. Through Paul’s letters, we read how he tells churches around the region, “False teachers have infiltrated your churches—time for the exterminator!” (Well, he didn’t say that exactly, but that was his point.)

Jude pointedly writes that these apostates have “crept in unnoticed”—you know, like termites. Some of these false teachers were hissing the same lies as Satan did in the garden in order to twist the Truth (“Did God really say…”). Others were perverting God’s grace, saying people could follow their sensual desires as far as they wanted, because they were “covered.” Some even denied that Jesus is who He said He is. And the same thing is happening today.

No matter how these people slither in, and whatever lies are being spread, the results are always the same. Just like the weakened decking planks of my deck, the Church body is compromised. Sure, when viewed on the outside, everything looks fine and intact. But this inside-out damage is subtle, often going unnoticed until it’s too late. Sticking with the deck analogy…even the weakest, most termite-consumed boards are fine when birds land on them or a squirrel runs across the deck. But when the weighted pressure increases, everything could go crashing down. Likewise, when the church is weakened by false teachers and compromising teaching, it cannot endure worldly pressures.

So, friend, we must all be Biblical exterminators in the Church. We must know the Truth to recognize what is false. The external pressures from a godless world are mounting, so we’ve got to assess the internal strength to ensure it will stand firm. And we need to be able to spot the termites, whether they creep in as a Sunday school classmate or as a pastor.

 

“Lord, You warn us of counterfeits and compromise. May we stand firm on Your Word to withstand the enemy and his lies meant to take us down.”

For His Glory

Julianne Winkler Smith
TRBC Women’s Life

 

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Posted in Encouragement, Faith, Wisdom

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | March 20, 2025

What’s It Worth

“Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.” Romans 12:10 (NLT)

Do you have a favorite book? I have a book that I treasure—The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett. It isn’t worth much to a collector, but it holds great value for me. It was the first real story to draw me into its world, causing my imagination to expand and my love of reading to begin. I value this book, not for its worth to others but because of its worth to me, the owner.

As believers in Christ, we are called to take delight in honoring others, to hold others in high respect. How can we hold others in high respect when we don’t see much in them that is deserving of respect? How can we honor someone who seems particularly difficult to honor? Humans hold inherent worth, not because of their worth to us or anyone else, but because of their worth to God, their Creator.

“God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” Ephesians 2:8-10 (NLT)

People are worth the sacrifice of God’s only Son. We, who have been made new in Christ, are called His masterpieces. How humbling it is to think that God values us this way! We can truly enjoy honoring others when we see them, not in their broken state, but covered in the inherent worth God places on each one of us. God loves us extravagantly so let’s share that love with others.

So when we struggle to respect someone because of the way they act or talk, let’s view them as the subject of God’s love and inherent worth. Let’s see others through the eyes of God. We are His. We are valued beyond measure.

“Thank You, God, for the inherent worth You place on me through the sacrifice of Your Son. As I revel in the knowledge that I am Your masterpiece, may I see others as Your masterpiece.”

 

For His Glory

Tammy Randlett (http://staletoast.com)
TRBC Women’s Life

 

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Posted in Hope, Love, Spiritual Living

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | March 19, 2025

Get Real

“But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.”  Philippians 3:20

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how surreal everything around me seems.  You can listen to a news anchor screaming something about the “other side” (I remember when news anchors had no “sides” at all – but there’s no such thing as fact-reporting anymore, sigh).  But in reality, what they’re shouting is exactly what their side is blatantly doing!  And, like any good propaganda machine, if some lie or fabrication is repeated enough, it will become “true” and be believed by the masses. Then there’s the cultural redefinition of words to mean something completely different than they used (which is part of a bigger-picture plan too).  And there’s plenty of data on how social media algorithms are intentionally set to push a certain narrative.  Oh, and now bourgeoning Artificial Intelligence (AI) is ramping up the potential for fake news, fake quotes, fake audio, and fake imagery that seems totally authentic.  How do we know what’s really real?

Then there are the actual people walking around us.  The need to resemble Instagram filters is truly astounding Botox pushed to girls in their 20s, lip injections to the point of creating human Simpsons caricatures, stretched faces replicating eerie Joker-like grins. Name a body part, and there’s an implant for that…fake cheeks, fake lips, fake breasts, fake calves.  Of course, there’s the social media life – people presenting their life’s highlight reels, editing out 99.5% of actuality.  People are terrified to be real.

So, where do I land on all this pondering?  It would be so easy to do a deep dive into despair when looking around and listening to the cacophony of the culture.  But God.  See, as a believer, when I remember that this world is not my home (Philippians 3:20; John 17:14-15), the “reality” of the world comes clearly into view.  It is not reality at all, but a mere shadow of what is true.  All the things the world is chasing after (the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life – I John 2:15-17) are like vapor.  We all know this because achieving that “must have” is never, ever enough.  It just creates a need for more.  Whether it’s a political agenda or another facial injection.  It’s all fake and it’s all meaningless in the Big Realty of Truth.  And that’s just the way the enemy of our soul wants it.

Satan, the ruler of this world, hates you and me.  He only wants to kill, steal and destroy (John 10:10a).  He’s on the prowl, seeking to devour us (I Peter 5:8).  He is the father of lies – the inventor of fake news – and there is literally no truth in him (John 8:44).  So, the falseness, dishonesty and deception constitute his reality!  And without Holy Spirit clarity, it’s easy to believe what we see…and it’s easy to perceive the stench around us as a fragrant aroma.

Friend, we need to get real.  We need to focus our eyes on the reality of God’s Kingdom and His sovereignty.  There’s a battle raging in this shadowland, but the war has been won.  And if you’ve been born of God (surrendered to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior), you have overcome the world (I John 5:4-5).  You have the Holy Spirit living in you to give you the power to see through the fog.  But this supervision is only available if you keep your eyes off the stuff of this world, focusing on God’s Word and surrendering to His will.  When you do, an amazing thing happens.  You’ll recognize the lies and deceptions more clearly and more importantly; you’ll rest assured that this world is merely shadows.  It’s such a relief not to have to figure everything out or live up to the world’s unrealistic expectations.  Only things of God matter…and your desire and focus will shift to eternity – making an eternal impact.

So, get real!  And tell others how they can get real too.

“Lord, keep my eyes on You and the victorious work of Jesus, so I can live in the real world.”

For His Glory

Julianne Winkler Smith
TRBC Women’s Life

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