Behind the Scenes: Home

My prayer for this story is that the image dances through each person’s mind and touches your heart the way it touched mine.

Let the journey begin at the base of a mountain. You and Jesus stand side by side, talking and preparing to hike the giant peak ahead. Maybe Jesus gives you some tips, or explains what the hike might bring.

In John 16:33, Jesus says:
“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

If you’re anything like me, when a mountain rises before me, His words become the song of my soul. I let them dance through my mind. I cling to those moments with Him like they’re my oxygen.

So before we continue, take a moment. Find His voice in your life.
Pause.

Now, time passes, and together you and Jesus walk toward the mountain, side by side. As you near the trailhead, dark clouds begin to roll in. You’ve been through storms before, so you know what’s coming. But this time, there’s no house to run to. No car to jump into. The only voice yelling at you to turn back… is your own.

So what do we do when everything in us is screaming,
“You’re going the wrong way!”
“This storm is going to kill you!”

You make a choice:
Who will you trust?

Remember and repeat the words Jesus gave you:
“Jesus has said these things to me, that in Him I may have peace. In the world I will have tribulation. But take heart; Jesus has overcome the world.”

Each time you say it, you’re pulling Jesus back into focus—not just in your mind, but before your mountain. You’re building your shield, just as it says in Ephesians 6:16:
“In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one.”

When we go to the time that Paul wrote this and look at the Roman shields. It wasn’t small—it was large: 41 inches high and 16 inches wide. Made of wood layered three times over, weighing around 22 pounds.

Here’s a visual: kneel down at your front door, just under the deadbolt. That’s the height. Half your width. When you crouch behind it, what do you see? Only the door. Not the storm. Not the mountain.

How scary do the clouds look now?

With the truth of Jesus shielding you, you glance back at Him and begin the hike. Trusting His words, letting them dance through your heart and mind, you step forward. It begins to sprinkle. The ground grows slippery. And so do the thoughts:

“He’s going to leave you.”
“You won’t make it.”

The rain pours harder. The darkness thickens.

We remember and repeat his words:
“Jesus has said these things to me, that in Him I may have peace. In the world I will have tribulation. But take heart; Jesus has overcome the world.”

The rain doesn’t stop. The darkness stays.
But you hear His voice through the storm:
Psalm 23:4 — “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.”

We’ve all seen dark valleys. But do we truly understand what His rod and staff are doing for us?

A shepherd uses the rod and staff to guide and protect his flock.

Say that again: to guide and to protect.

• The rod gently nudges a straying sheep back or beats off predators.
• The staff was used to direct the flock and ensure they stay on the correct path or to help a sheep that has stumbled or fallen.

How do we see that in our lives?

For me? It’s the daily conviction of the Holy Spirit—praise the Lord for that! I also see it in his protection; shutting spiritual doors that I stumble into or bringing me back to center when my feet slip. When I am ultimately fighting myself. I find his comfort on the days that my soul is so broken I can’t move my head from his lap.

Take a moment. Reflect.
How have you felt His rod and staff in your life?
Pause.

Let’s press on.

Now that we’re weathering the rain, the darkness, the rocky path…

We reach our next trailhead and lightning strikes the very path we walk. It lights up everything for a split second. For a moment, we can see it all. Then it strikes again. And again. Each time, our old familiar feeling called fear tries to creep in.

But we remember and we repeat:
“Jesus has said these things to me, that in Him I may have peace. In the world I will have tribulation. But take heart; Jesus has overcome the world.”

Now that Jesus is back in focus, let’s ask:
What does lightning look like in our lives?

For me? It grief

The fear of having a loved one die.
Not just a thought—an entire movie reel plays in my head.
Fear would take root, and grow until it spilled out of my actions, my words, my heart.

When my son was born, that fear amplified.

What does your lightning look like?

In Matthew 8, the disciples are in a boat with Jesus when a storm hits. These weren’t landlubbers—they were fishermen, seasoned and strong, trained on those very waters from young ages. They were in their element. The center of what once was their paths.

And yet, in the storm fear gripped them.
Where was Jesus? Asleep in the back of the boat.

Ever wondered how Jesus is positioned in your boat?
Is He a deckhand?
Your navigator?
Or is He the Captain, with full authority, responsible for every wave and course correction?

Take a moment and ask:
Jesus, where are You in my boat?
What do I need to change to make You Captain?

Here’s what Jesus says in Matthew 8:26:
“Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then He rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.

Ouch, that felt like a combination of the rod and staff.

Now that we have him in focus lets continue the hike. With each lightning strike, we see the path more clearly. Jesus is still right in front. Though the storm rages, we walk in new hope.

As we pass our last trail marker and the end is within only feet away, a violent gust of wind knocks us back. The muddy ground sends us slipping. And just before we fall completely…

His outstetched hand, grabs ours.

Now, wind blows again—but we don’t even notice. We’re too focused on His hand holding ours.

Fear is silenced.
Doubt sheds.
The storm fades.

We remember the Lord words, from our conversation before we even stepped to the foot of the mountain. We remember the promise he made us, what feels like so long ago. He promised his presence in our lives. The promise that we should grip to, we can even hear his words resonate here in
Deuteronomy 31:8 — “It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; He will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”

Let’s hear it, read it out loud:
“It is the Lord who goes before me. He will be with me; He will not leave me or forsake me. I will not fear or be dismayed.”

When we speak His truth daily and allow ourselves to hearing it we find restoration.
We strengthen our spirit.
We awaken our trust.

I once heard someone say:
“If you want to hear God speak, read the Bible out loud.”
Let that soak in while we conquer the rest of this mountain.

Hand in hand with Jesus, we take the first confident step.
Then the second—suddenly, the wind softens.
A third—the lightning stops. Birds begin to sing.
Fourth step—rain lifts. The air smells of new life.
Fifth step—clouds roll back. Blue skies pour in.

We reach the summit and remember Jesus’ words in John 8:12:
“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

I don’t know what your hike with the Lord looks like… but I know mine is just beginning—again.

I’ve discovered that many of the battles I thought I had to fight… don’t even belong to me.

2 Chronicles 20:17 — “You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, Debra. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you.”

(Yes, I make it personal.)

Maybe you’re in a season where it feels like you’re fighting and getting nowhere.
Maybe you’re in a sea of confusion.
Maybe your life feels like a whirlwind.

Guess what? We’re all a little confused. No one has it all together.
But we do know the One who does.

So let’s ask Jesus. Start with these questions:

1. What does my season look like through Your eyes?
2. Where are You positioned in my life, and how do I make You my focus?
3. Is there something You are telling me to pick up—or put down?
4. Do You have a promise I can hold onto?