Scripture Reading: Revelation 21:1-27, Isaiah 65:17-25, Ezekiel 37:26-27
This Is the New Testament is part of a twelve-week thematic overview of the entire Bible. As we read, we’ll gain a broader understanding of the redemptive story of Scripture. Each day we’ll read a thematic selection from a different book of the Bible, along with supplemental passages that show how the theme of that day’s main reading is found throughout Scripture. We’ll also read a brief summary of each book and a reflection on how the book fits into the larger story of Scripture. This week, we will finish reading the General Epistles and move on to Apocalyptic Literature.
The Book of Revelation: The apostle John wrote the book of Revelation in exile on Patmos after receiving a vision from God. The book of Revelation gives readers a picture of Jesus as the King who will one day return to usher in the fullness of His kingdom. Revelation offers important details about the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit, eternity in the presence of God, future judgment against sin, and the reality of the spiritual realm.
How Revelation Fits into the Story: The book of Revelation provides a theological overview of many topics central to Christian belief, including events surrounding the end times and the glorified Son of Man. It also stresses the practical choices that all people must make in light of eternity. Revelation presents Jesus as the victorious King of kings, one who is coming back for His bride. It also emphasizes the hope all believers share in His future return.
Reflection Questions:
1. What do you find most hopeful about the description of the new Jerusalem in Revelation 21?
2. How does today’s reading shape your understanding of the story of redemption?
Take time to reflect on your responses and share what you are learning with others in the community in the comments.
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70 thoughts on "Revelation"
Question 1: What do you find most hopeful about the description of the new Jerusalem in Revelation 21?
– That God is preparing a home for us in heaven, and we have God and Jesus are our home and our family and friends from our past and present and future are waiting for us in heaven to come home.
How does today’s reading shape your understanding of the story of redemption?
– We are all at some point in time soon going to be with the Lord in heaven and it will be so amazing to in a place where there is no pain or death or suffering.
God will make His home with us and will be within our midst. No more crying or tears or death…Jesus will live among us, face to face!
Reflection Questions:
1. What do you find most hopeful about the description of the new Jerusalem in Revelation 21?
That we have a home waiting for us. We have God, Jesus, a home, and our family and friends from the past, present and future waiting for us to come home.
2. How does today’s reading shape your understanding of the story of redemption?
We are all at some point soon to be with the Lord and it will be amazing to be with in a place without pain, death, and any other earthly shenanigans.
1. Hope: God promises a future without pain, suffering, or death.
2. Redemption: God makes all things new and gives us a new beginning.
From beautiful Monterey, California and chiming in close to dinner time. I read the scriptures earlier but did not comment. Revelations 21 gives me the hope and assurance that this world is not our home, we are just passing through. I can’t wait to see Jesus face-to-face and then someday meet all of you!
My daughter was in training all day, so I had her dorm to myself assembling so things for her, praying for her and walking around the dorm here praying for each, and everyone of the young ladies is going to live here. I even paid over the front door over the post. I’m going to miss my girl!! I had a good cry.
He indeed is coming back… It will be so wonderful!
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The reading from Ezekiel was wonderful as well… we will have His peace!
Morning, sisters. Thank you so much for your prayers. I had an interesting day, it was an eye-opening experience. I still haven’t been to their house, which I postponed until today’s evening after work. The night before, I was interceding for Jenny at home. The next morning I woke up with a horrible headache, started working in my basement office, and my workload was jam-packed and overflowing with countless things that needed to be solved. By 2pm I couldn’t see straight, my head was throbbing with pain, and I collapsed. It was cold, and the rain was coming down hard. This whole time I kept asking, “Why the headaches? Why the slump? Is Satan stronger than God? I’m coming to rescue this child, why am I like this?”
And God answered. The Spirit of God kept repeating this verse to me: “He who is in you is stronger than he who is in the world.” The whole time, as I drifted in and out for a few hours, my 4 year-old was taking care of me, she put a small blanket on me and asked, “Mommy, have you felt better?” I quickly got on SRT and asked you all for prayers, thank you! By evening I sat back up, managed to take two ibuprofen, and then my husband started fighting with me intensely (he was in the flesh, fighting from childhood wounds). This is very interesting, and I want to share it so you can see how demons function. The demons spoke through a person carrying unhealed wounds, and sadly, I was provoked and responded (Lord, forgive me). The accusations were flying, “What kind of Christian are you?” and so on (I’ll spare you the details). The voice of the accuser was clear. In my mind, I knew Satan’s signature was coming, but I told myself I would stay focused on Jenny’s rescue mission. Satan has done this before, using people closest to me, in my workplace, striking in several places at once. But God. He was stronger. Let me tell you, God showed up last night. He sat me down and taught me warfare. His presence was strong, like a coach, one on one. What a blessed moment. He told me to open the book of Psalms to Psalm 35, the first half, and He asked me to take a notepad and write down the enemies attacking this child Jenny. So I wrote them down. low self-esteem, an absent father (due to his sudden death in his mid 40s from a stroke), a spirit of poverty (which causes roots of envy and comparison, and low dignity), dislike of her own image (hence the heavy makeup and big eyelashes), and resentment toward her mother, who just remarried, resentment for her siblings who were younger and joyful while she was depressed, and so on. I was shocked looking at the list, it was insider information. Then I prayed Psalm 35, personalizing it with these issues as the enemies. He then taught me about the march around Jericho seven times and how the walls of the wicked stronghold shall fall. He told me to use Psalm 91, personalizing it with the child’s name and her specific enemies, and to declare life over this child whose life hell is claiming.
This morning I woke up feeling energized, praise be to God, and thank you for your prayers. No headaches.
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I did more research, and praise God, He brought up this verse:
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Matthew 18:18-20
“Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.
“Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.
For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”
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I need your favor, dear sisters, will you join me, two or three, or ten or twenty, and pray in agreement over this child, Jenny? Let’s bind the spirit of death (which claimed her father’s life) so it fails to claim hers. Let death be bound, and let the root of poverty that breeds secret covetousness, envy, and comparison be destroyed. Let resentment toward her mom, stepdad, and younger siblings be broken. Let verbal abuse, grief (which causes depression, isolation, and anger), low self-esteem, low self-worth, self-harm, and any other unknown demonic strongholds be bound and destroyed from this child’s life.
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Deuteronomy 28:7 — “The Lord will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before you. They shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways.”
Luke 1:37 — “For no word from God will ever fail.”
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Thank you so much for your prayers and for partnering with me. Praise God for you! The cloud of witnesses are cheering us on.
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Be blessed dear sisters.
Yes, and amen
Mercy, I’m thankful your headache is gone. Answered prayers.
I’m praying with you for Jenny.
Something I learned from my study of the Archangel Michael yesterday is that we do not fight demons on our own or in our own power. Even the angels fight demons in Jesus’name. “Michael’s deference to the Lord’s authority models a posture that all believers should emulate in the face of spiritual warfare. As we contend with evil spiritual forces, may we never forget that victory comes not through our own strength, but in the strength of the Lord: “The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him” (Psalm 28:7, ESV).” (GotQuestions)
I pray God’s protection over you, and over Jenny.
Thank you TERESA. I read your comment first thing yesterday since it was close to mine. And it spoke to me immediately how I had zeal and lacked knowledge, and praise GOD for the rescue / recovery on my part.
❤️❤️❤️
Praying, Mercy, with you for Jenny. Praying these verses over Jenny and protection for you as you battle for her soul.
Thank you for sharing this. I can have very little patience for people verbally attacking others or getting wrapped up in the darkness that consumes them. Your words help me see that behavior in a different light and helps me create a new way to not only respond, but bring it all to God. Thank you for that! Praying for you and Jenny.
Not the focus and I have dug into this verse before, but needed a refresher course! ☺
SUMMARY from Bible Hub-
“Isaiah 65:20
promises a literal future on earth where God removes infant mortality, grants fulfilling longevity, and makes death at one hundred seem premature. The verse looks ahead to the messianic kingdom in which covenant blessing dominates, yet human responsibility and the possibility of judgment persist. The passage assures believers of God’s faithfulness to restore life to its intended fullness while underscoring the ongoing call to walk in His ways.”
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From John MacArthur Study Bible-
“temporal phase of the kingdom, death will happen, but not nearly so early as in the time of Isaiah. sinner . . . accursed. In the millennial phase of Israel’s kingdom, a sinful person may die at age 100, but will be considered a mere youth at the time of his premature death. Having died an untimely death at such a youthful time, it will be assumed that God has taken his life for sin. The curse will be reversed in the Millennium, but it will not be removed until the eternal state (cf. Rev. 22:3).”
Revelation 21:4-
“He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.”
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Revelation 22:3
“No longer will there be a curse upon anything. For the throne of God and of the Lamb will be there, and his servants will worship him.”
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This has been an interesting departure with you SHES,but I am ready to return to our usual format! ☺
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THANK YOU, SRT staff,for this fast track look at the New Testament!
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Love, hugs, and prayers! ❤
Amen ❤️
What I find most hopeful is that I will see and be in the presence of God and Jesus. What a day that will be ! I honestly get teary eyed and emotional just thinking about it. Like the Mercy Me song states…I wonder what I will do…Will I shout Hallelujah or fall to my knees? Maybe I will do both!
I feel the same. ❤️
Yes!
I want that song played at my funeral.
What a day, glorious day that will be! When God dwells with us and we dwell with Him! Tom woke feeling some discomfort. I called my granddaughter and out of an abundance of caution, we went to the ER. It was a blessing because he got blood work, EKG and the Dr made a couple of tweeks to his meds. He seems better today. While there, our granddaughter called the VA. She was able to get through and got a sweet lady in the dental part and not cardiology that helped get the referral through. We have an appointment set for the 26th! Our son got his flight all arranged for Tues. So blessed and thankful! Praying for the requests.
The ER was yesterday.
What a blessing with that referral! Thankful Tom is better and that your son will be with y’all a few more days. ❤
Continuing to pray for Tom’s health and his upcoming appointment
Isn’t it amazing the way God works! A lady in the dental department got him a referral to cardiology! God knew just who your granddaughter needed to talk to. I love the way God answers prayers!
I’m praying the tweak in meds helps Tom feel much better, and the appointment on the 26th gives you answers and a treatment plan.
❤️❤️❤️
Requesting prayer over my prodigal S. I learned he is not doing well mentally and tried to end things a few months ago. He was on fire for God as a child then something changed as a teen. Prayer for his depression to be lifted. That God would soften his heart and he would come back to the truth he once knew.
Praying, Mollie that God would raise that fire in him again. Father, soften S and draw S to You. Help them remember Your grace and mercy.
Praying for him now and for peace for you
Mollie, I’m praying for S, that God will heal him of depression, and that he will return to God. I pray for you as well.
❤️❤️❤️
Praying Mollie that your son draws near to Him. Give him wisdom Lord.
something new stood out to me this morning. because He is the light and the water there is no pollution, no fear of someone ” killing the grid”, no fear about what goes into our children’s bodies, all this ” toxicity” that I constantly worry about. no more miscarriages, no more infant deaths, just all the joy of children without the fear. my appointment is next week, so prayers for a little piece of heaven hope and joy only. Ines, you are still in my prayers, hope this gave you encouragement this morning. ❤️
This is so beautiful, Lanie! I’m so grateful for your prayers! This was the first comment I saw this morning, praying for you both!
Praying Lanie❤️
Praying for you.
Verse 4 gives such hope to me. To visualize God wiping every tear from our eyes brings the picture of such great love and compassion. And, He promises us that there will be no more death, mourning, crying, or pain. As I look out to the rising of the sun, my heart is filled with hope and gratitude.
What do I find most hopeful? God’s dwelling will be with us, and the promise that there will be no more death, or mourning, or crying, or pain! …As someone who suffers with pain almost everyday – for many years, I think I most look forward to that. It’s hard to imagine a body with absolutely no pain!!
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The one sobering truth that I hate to even think about – that not everyone’s name will be written in the Book Of Life. That saddens me, and scares me for those in my family that do not know Christ.
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Lord, may I live today and everyday in expectation of heaven. Let me be a light, sharing the gospel with others. Work mightily in the hearts of those I love who do not know You. Draw them with Your cords of love. In Jesus Name.
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Happy Friday She’s! You are seen, you are loved! ❤️
The journey through the scripture ending with a bang here in Revelation!! Oh..the end is so good and gives us a glimpse of the Hope to come! We can look forward to something better! Lasting! No more tears, grief, struggle, Pain!! “What a Day that will be…when my Jesus I shall see…when he takes me by the hand, and leads me to the promise land…what a day, GLORIOUS DAY that will be…”
I went to see Charity Gayle last night (with Stacey! And my Jail ministry leader was in town and went with us!) She is so fantastic at putting all the focus on JESUS and praising and worshiping our Savior!! With the last line of our reading today in the Revelation’s passage “but only those written in the Lamb’s book of life” got me singing her fun song that we heard and praised to last night “New Name Written Down in Glory!”
I am SO glad I KNOW my name is written down in Glory. As long as I walk everyday with Him, staying close and my eyes on him, desiring to stay out of sin, I can have that blessed assurance!
Partial Lyrics- I love-
Darkness held me down, but Jesus pulled me out
And I’m no longer bound
I’m so glad He changed me
See, I’m now a new creation in Christ (yeah)
The old has gone, there’s new life
I live by faith, not by sight
and-
Sin had left me blind, but Jesus opened my eyes
Now I see the light
I’m so glad He changed me
Now I’m walking free, I’ve got the victory
See it’s all over me
I’m so glad He changed me!
Yes, indeed, you can’t walk in darkness once you have seen the light! You WANT he mercy and goodness! You walk differently, talk differently and ARE different! We have a new identity and we live and look to our heavenly home. Keep our living hope as our center! And we want to bring people with us!! Planting seeds and watering, sharing Jesus, what he has done for me and what he can do for you! Sometimes it falls and deaf ears, but the seeds are there, for God’s words don’t return void. I can know that I shared that truth in my last text to my Sav. She read that only Jesus can give her freedom. I can have peace with that. Thank you for your continued prayers for the family. I hope it does get the unbelievers thinking of the afterlife and that we need to make the choice.
I love the part where the wolf and the lamb graze together. Fear is gone and we no longer have this feeling that we are in danger and instead the very ones who are attacking or being attacked are working together in complete harmony! I love that ❤️
I love the part about ‘there is no longer any sea’. I take that to mean that there will be nothing dividing us. We will all be together, physically and spiritually. We have so many divisions now. I look forward to the day when we are all united with Christ Jesus.
I also did a deeper dive into Revelation this past spring with Jen Wilkins’s study (recommended when she spoke on our podcast last fall), and I remember learning that the sea was a source of fear in the ancient world. Sailors feared its many dangers, and no one knew how far it really went, so this verse is another way of expressing that in the New Jerusalem, we will have nothing to fear! What a joyful thought!
Amen
BG verse 3:20 (I love to see the words in red, another reminder that Jesus lives!)
20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.
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Oh that the lost, the prodigals, those who refuse to listen, that they would hear His knock and open the door. My heart hurts for them. Praying that today is the day they turn to the Lord.
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One of the hymns that comes to mind, What A Day That Will Be.
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What TERESA COOPER DONLEY shared yesterday on angels and our protection brought to mind Psalm 23:1a The LORD is my shepherd. In NKJV, LORD is capitalized, showing that it is the name of God as translated from the original language. The great I AM, YAHWEH, the LORD is my shepherd.
When I read this psalm with ‘the LORD Himself’ instead of ‘He’ and ‘You LORD’ instead of You – repeatedly emphasizing God’s name – blown away by the high level of individual provision and protection.
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TERESA COOPER DONLEY❣️ Thank you for sharing your research on Michael and reminding/clarifying who is doing the fighting.
MERCY ❤️ praying the headache is long gone, praying for your ministry to Jenny
CEE GEE ❤️ your share from Wiersbe, “It is dangerous for God’s people to confront Satan directly and to argue with him … “ fits right in with Teresa’s share. ❤️
RHONDA J ❤️heartbroken and praying for you, your sister and her family, for the Lord’s healing and for all to turn to Him, that the family would begin to see building from the brokenness. And praying for your granddaughters, for salvation, that they would see themselves as children of God and the mindset change that comes with that. And praying that the fashion culture would shift back to modesty, the current show-all trend is unhealthy all around, IMHO.
TAMI ❤️
JANE K ❤️ Sin stinks to high heaven (MSG) ❤️
SHARON JERSEY GIRL ❤️ praying for VBS
B ❤️
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Prayer request for a friend that is dealing with rejection for a much needed ADA accommodation.
Thank you Searching (heart)
OH! And I love that hymn and started singing it at the mention! And that verse, I think I will send that to my BIL today.
Oh, I love that song too, Searching! Praying with you for all the prodigals today.
Thank you SEARCHING and also thankful for TERESA’s reminder on warring angel. I included that in my prayers. Praying for your friend.
❤️
Praying that your friend is granted the ADA accommodation.
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I find such hope in the fact that God’s radiance will be our light source! Something about that just fills me with such joy! His goodness radiates off of Him.
❤️☀️
Amen!
I have loved, loved, loved Revelation 21 since the first day I read it!
OMG, what a perfect and heart warming, welcoming, endless place of goodness and peace this Kingdom sounds!
NO,strike that, WILL BE!
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Oftentimes, when life is looking unfair, there is a peace when I read these verses, I mean, let’s face it, who wouldn’t want a world where there was no sorrow, disappointment, disheartenment, disrespect, sadness or tears?
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You know, as I read the first lines of Revelation, I found myself thinking beyond my life here, beyond this mishmash of emotions and feelings, beyond the struggles of this life.. my heart began to pump a tune that is so familiar, a truly happy tune, that has me moving to the left, to the right, feet tapping, oh no, here we go.. Oh Happy Day.. oh indeed, what a happy day that will be, when life as we know it, this life that caused us to cry, weep in sorrow, this life that broke our hearts, many, many times, this life that caused us pain, will pass away..
When we pass away, and we will, but guess what.. that day and time will come when what we have experienced here on earth, will pass away too,, to bring everlasting peace, joy and life with God forevermore..
my heart sings Oh happy day, in joy and the peace of GOD, for now, because my future, when the time comes will be awesomely perfect..in HIS presence..
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For now, I sing ..
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The greatest day in history,
death is beaten you have rescued me,
Sing it out.. JESUS is alive
The empty cross, the empty grave
Life eternal, You have won the day..
Shout it out, JESUS is alive..
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(The verse referring to this..)
When I stand in that place
Free at last meeting face to face,
I am yours and You are mine,
Endless joy and perfect peace,
Earthly pain will finally cease,
Celebrate JESUS is alive..( as we will be too)
Oh happy day.. indeed!
Oh happy day, happy day
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BUT GOD..
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AMEN.
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Wishing you all the happiest of days,
Much love covered in prayers.❤️
❤️
Oh, happy day!
What a day that will be when my Jesus I will see!
❤️
The description of God’s presence in the new Jerusalem from Revelation 21 gives me the most hope. One day I will see the Father and Jesus face to face. Nothing else will matter.
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Today’s reading shows me the “end game” of my redemption – eternity with Jesus!
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MERCY – praying that your were able to overcome the attck of a migraine and minister to Jenny.
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Please continue to pray for direction and healing for my young mama. The insurance appeal for the rehab facility was denied. Not sure what next steps are even possible.
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SEARCHING – praying for June and her daughter.
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WENDY B – praying for you as you’re planning next steps with your doctors
Thank you.
Praying for young mama, for a rehab alternative, a working next step, movement in a direction that will help her and that makes sense. Praying for her little one and the changes he is dealing with.
That poor mama sure has been through it! Praying she keeps her hope in Jesus, trusting him that He is a WAY MAKER, Mountain Mover! She must miss her son too.
Thank you Kelly, praying for young mama.
Praying Kelly for young mama and her son. ❤️
Kelly, I’m praying for your young mama and all she is going through. I pray that she will get the treatment she needs. Praying for her son. And praying for yoy as you support her.
Thank you Kelly. Appreciate that so much❤️
I am most encouraged that the Lord will dwell with us and that all our tears will be washed away! This is a glorious hope! Praise God for the work of redemption that pays for our sin, gives us the right to be sons and daughters of God, and provides the pathway for us to experience these beautiful future realities!
Amen!
Hello! Hope all of you have had a great summer. I decided to do a different reading plan, but wanted to update you on our house build. The walls are going up! It is exciting!
We need prayer. We were hoping to have it all finished so we could move in before we go back to the USA for a visit, but this isn’t looking like it will happen as the build has gone slower than expected. If we can’t move in that will be a longer time of paying rent and mortgage. My husband is hopeful we can move in, but it would be very tight-time wise.
Also, this has cost us a lot more than what we were thinking. We have gotten some bills that make it out of reach. My husband is arranging a meeting with the builder to see if there was some mistake. We will have our quantity surveyor who gave us all the expected costs there as well. It is just scary and has been hanging over our heads as it has been very difficult to arrange the meeting, getting everyone together. Please pray there was some mistake and that we can afford it. We knew it would be more expensive than what we first thought as we needed another retaining wall that we didn’t know about, but this has been a bigger charge than we were expecting. Thanks for praying!
I just wanted to say that I have felt God’s presence in the midst of this uncertainty and he has kept me from squirrelling away in worries. I try to give it to him over and over again. He is worthy, he is our provider and protector. He knew about all of this before we did and I know he is faithful.
Thanks for popping in with an update.
Praying❣️
Good to see you ❤️ praying for the sorting out of these cost differences and provision of all that is needed
Praying!!
Praying, A Walton. It is nice to get your update.
Praying for God’s intervention.