Good morning, everyone,   Our theme for this month: “Live long and prosper”   Our Bible verse for today: “Your eyes saw me when I was formless; all my days were written in your book and planned before a single one of them began.” Psalm 139:16 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “Does God cause it, or just know it?   There is a common and widespread misunderstanding about the number of days of life we each get. Some people believe we have no control over that because God has predetermined how long each of us will live. Those people read a verse like Psalm 139:16 and they conclude that God Himself has determined the number of our days and therefore that is how long you will live – regardless of any other circumstances. That kind of thinking is why we sometimes hear people say, “When my number is up, it’s up. God has determined in advance when I will die, and there’s nothing I can do about it.”   But I’m not so sure that’s true. “The Old Country Preacher”, Dr. J. Vernon McGee, told the story of the young man who claimed, “Since God Himself has predetermined the number of my days, if I want to, I can go stand in front of a speeding truck on the interstate but if it’s not my day to die then I won’t.” To that Dr. McGee replied, “Son, if you go stand in front of a speeding truck, I can assure you it will be your day to die.”   If that young man did go stand in front of a speeding truck and he did die, would it be because God caused it? Or would it simply be true that God had always known that that young man was going to do that dumb thing on that day and therefore that would be the day he died?   In a similar way, if a person is obese and stays that way for years on end and finally dies from complications of type 2 diabetes, did God determine in advance that the person was to die at a relatively young age, or is it possible that the person could have lived a lot longer if he or she had lost 100 pounds, exercised, and taken better care of themselves?   All Psalm 139:16 says is that all my days were known and recorded in God’s book before one of them was even lived. That speaks to God’s omniscience. He knows all things and therefore He has always known when I will die and why. However, it does not necessarily mean that the number of my days and the cause of my death were predetermined by Him.   God does know the number of our days, but He does not necessarily cause the number of our days. Very often, we are the cause of the number of our days, and it is entirely possible God would have preferred for us to have lived longer and better.   Someday we will all die. For some of us it will be sooner and for others it will be later, but eventually, we will all die. But in the meantime, we have a stewardship responsibility to God to take proper care of our physical body and to stay as healthy as we can for as long as we can, remaining available to Jesus to be used by Him for His kingdom-building work here on earth.   To the best of your ability, live long and prosper.   God bless, Pastor Jim    (If you like what you are reading in these daily devotionals and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00 – in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

Copyright © 2026 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Oak Hill Baptist Church 3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571

Good morning, everyone,   Our theme for this month: “Live long and prosper”   Our Bible verse for today: “Here I am today, eighty-five years old. I am still as strong today as I was the day Moses sent me out. My strength for battle and for daily tasks is now as it was then.” Joshua 14:11 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “Move that body!”   Anyone who knows me or who has paid attention to my sermons, Bible studies, and writings, for any length of time, knows that Joshua 14:11 is one of my life verses and Caleb is one of my Biblical heroes. This verse and his story find their way into my preaching, teaching, and writing frequently. It’s because I admire his feisty spunkiness, his resilience and resolve, and the fact that he seemed to live life to the fullest, regardless of his circumstances and despite his advancing age.   In a previous devotional in this series, we considered the truth that taking proper care of our physical body is a matter of good stewardship. Your body is a gift to you from God. Also, your physical body was purchased by Jesus through the shedding of his blood on the cross to be a temple of His Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19). That makes your physical body a walking, talking, mobile temple of God’s Holy Spirit and Jesus intends to use your body to accomplish His purposes here on earth. But for that to happen, you must keep your body as healthy as possible for as long as possible. That’s the stewardship responsibility we each have regarding our physical body.    One of the most important ways in which we keep your physical body healthy is to stay active. Your body needs to move. The more active you are the more alive you are. The less active you are the closer to being dead you are. This is a basic law of nature. Sir Issac Newton’s First Law of Motion is a scientific principle which states, “An object in motion will remain in motion.” In other words, it will remain in motion unless something stops it. The opposite of this principle is true as well and is expressed as, “An object at rest stays at rest.”   Newton’s First Law of Motion is a scientific fact based in physics, but it is also widely used as a motivational concept for self-improvement to encourage action that then builds momentum and which progressively becomes self-sustaining.   The point is that once you have the habit of being in motion it becomes increasingly easier to maintain that motion. And once you have the habit of being a couch potato and doing little, it becomes increasingly harder to get moving again.   We’ll think more about this in the days to come. For today I want to encourage you to get off the couch, get out there, and move that body. It’s the first and most important action you can take to stay as healthy as possible for as long as possible.   God bless, Pastor Jim   (If you like what you are reading in these daily devotionals and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00 – in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

Copyright © 2026 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Oak Hill Baptist Church 3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571

Good morning, everyone,   Our theme for this month: “Live long and prosper”   Our Bible verse for today: “He has rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son he loves. In him we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” Colossians 1:13-14   Our thought for today: “Out of the darkness into the light”   Can you imagine any place darker than a tomb? Physically dark – yes, there are no lightbulbs in a tomb. There’s no need for them. But spiritually dark too. A tomb is a place of death and decay. It’s dark physically and spiritually. How depressing!   Saturday, the day before Easter, the body of Jesus was in the tomb. As far as anyone knew, it was a place of death. The body of Jesus should have been undergoing decay and starting to stink. For those who didn’t understand, it was a dark day indeed. But the darkness of that Saturday was simply a prelude to the brilliant light that was coming on Sunday. Jesus was about to emerge out of the realm of darkness and death, and into the realm of glorious eternal light.   The same is true for those who have faith in Jesus for the forgiveness of their sins and who therefore have the promise of life after death – eternal life in heaven. As Paul wrote in Colossians 1:13-14, Jesus rescued us from the domain of death and darkness, and He has transferred us into the kingdom of light. The grave couldn’t hold Jesus, and it also can’t hold those who belong to Jesus. That’s what we celebrate on Easter. The resurrection was from death to life – from darkness to light. That was true of Jesus’ resurrection, and it will be true of ours. If you belong to Jesus, then you no longer live in darkness; you belong to the kingdom of light.   Easter is a time of celebration, and I want to invite you to come and celebrate with us at Oak Hill Baptist Church. On Easter morning we will have an Easter brunch and time of fellowship from 9:00 – 10:00. At that time there will also be an Easter Egg hunt for the children. It will all be followed by a Resurrection Celebration service at 10:00. If you are close to Cumberland County TN, then please join us in-person. If you are not close to us, or if you are physically unable to join us in-person, then please join us live online at www.youtube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville.   The Saturday between the crucifixion and the resurrection was a dark day. But Sunday was coming. Jesus was coming out of the darkness and into the light!   God bless, Pastor Jim   (If you like what you are reading in these daily devotionals and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00 – in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

Good morning, everyone,   Our theme for this month: “Live long and prosper”   Our Bible verse for today: “For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “This is why Good Friday is “good”   Many years ago, Pastor Tony Campolo preached a sermon (which he borrowed from an old black preacher named S.M. Lockridge) which ultimately was turned into a best-selling book, and which has then also been the inspiration for many song lyrics. The title of the sermon and book was “It’s Friday, but Sunday’s Coming.”   It had a double meaning. First, clearly, the reference is to Jesus’ death on the cross. On that Friday Jesus suffered a tortuous and hideous death by crucifixion. The One who was believed by many to have been the long-awaited Messiah was dead, his body mangled beyond recognition. The hopes of His followers apparently shattered.   That was Friday, but Sunday was coming. We all know the rest of the story. We know that on Sunday morning, the first Easter, Jesus would be raised from the dead and He would live forever. We also know that by His sacrifice we can be saved and thereby defeat death as well (John 3:16).   The death on the cross had to occur. There had to be a death so there could be a resurrection. And there had to be a resurrection so there could be new life – life after death. All of that had to happen and as horrible as it was, that is what makes Good Friday “good”. It was good that it happened, or we would all be lost in our sins forever.   To those first followers, on that Friday, it sure didn’t seem good. But ultimately something very bad was leading to something very good. And that then leads us to the second half of that double meaning of the phrase “It’s Friday but Sunday’s Coming”. The phrase has become a metaphor for our times of trials and struggles. Sooner or later, everything passes. Sooner or later, your trial will end. Either it will be resolved in this lifetime or in eternity but either way, it comes to pass. Therefore, as we are going through our difficult times, we can truthfully say, “It’s Friday, but Sunday’s coming.” Better days are ahead.    There’s an old Baptist hymn we sometimes still sing in church. The title is “Because He lives”. One line says, “Because He lives, I can face tomorrow; because He lives, all fear is gone. Because I know He holds the future, and life is worth the living just because He lives.”   Today is Good Friday. And it is “good”. Take some time today to thank the Lord Jesus for the sacrifice He made for you and for me. Because He lives, we can face tomorrow.   God bless, Pastor Jim   (If you like what you are reading in these daily devotionals and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00 – in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

Copyright © 2026 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Oak Hill Baptist Church 3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571

Good morning, everyone,   Our theme for this month: “Live long and prosper”   Our Bible verse for today: “Don’t you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought at a price. So glorify God with your body.” 1 Corinthians 6:19 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “Your body belongs to Jesus”   Throughout this month of considering how we can live long and prosper, I will draw upon the research of Dr. Peter Attia, as published in his great book, “Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity.” Now, to be clear, “Outlive” is not a Christian book, it is a science book. Over the span of decades, Dr. Attia conducted extensive research into the top four leading causes of death in America: heart disease, cancer, neurodegenerative diseases (such as Alzheimer’s), and type 2 diabetes and related metabolic dysfunction.   Rather than focusing his research on treating those diseases in the short-term (once they have been diagnosed), his focus was on long-term interventions that can help to prevent the diseases from developing to begin with. He does include helpful insights regarding actions that can be taken to mitigate the effects of those diseases once they exist in a body, but the primary focus of his research and of his book is prevention.   Although not intentionally Biblical in itself, Dr. Attia’s research lends itself nicely to the Apostle Paul’s lesson in 1 Corinthians 6:19. As a matter of good stewardship, we have a Biblical responsibility to take proper care of our physical body. For one thing, your physical body is the temple of God’s Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit lives within your heart and that makes your physical body a walking, talking, mobile temple of God’s Holy Spirit. You would never defile the church building, would you? Then why would you defile your physical body – the temple of the Holy Spirit?   Paul goes on in that passage to say that “You are not your own, for you were bought at a price.” In other words, your physical body does not belong to you, it belongs to Jesus. He purchased it to be used for His purposes. On the cross not only did He purchase your eternal soul with the shedding of His blood, but He purchased your physical body to be used as a walking, talking, mobile temple of His Holy Spirit. Therefore, it doesn’t belong to you, it belongs to Him and you have a stewardship responsibility to take proper care of it for Him so that it will be available Jesus to use for His desired purposes. The better condition your physical body is in, the more Jesus can do with it. The worse condition your body is in, the less useful it is to Jesus.   Of course, as we age, our physical body deteriorates. Jesus knows this. He designed that body. But our responsibility is to stay as healthy as we can for as long as we can. This requires intentionality and discipline on our parts, and it is what we will spend the rest of the month considering.   God expects you to take good care of yourself. Your physical body belongs to Jesus not to you.   God bless, Pastor Jim   (If you like what you are reading in these daily devotionals and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00 – in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

Copyright © 2026 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Oak Hill Baptist Church 3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571

Good morning, everyone,   Our theme for this month: “Live long and prosper”   Our Bible verse for today: “My son, don’t forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commands; for they will bring you many days, and a full life, and well-being.” Proverbs 3:1-2 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “If this then that”   This will be our third month of considering ways in which we can live a full and rich life and live it abundantly, as Jesus proclaimed in John 10:10. These are all quality-of-life issues and in each case, the burden is on us as individuals to establish the personal disciplines in our lives and to maintain the proper attitude and perspective, so that we can have a full and rich life.   So far, we have considered the importance of approaching life with a light-hearted attitude that enables us to intentionally find joy and humor in daily living (the theme was “Lighten up a little”). Then we moved into the theme of “Just keep dancing”. It was based on Tim Hansel’s excellent little book “You gotta keep dancing”. It was all about persevering through the trials of life and doing so with a good attitude and positive expectations.   This month I unapologetically borrow that memorable phrase from everyone’s favorite Vulcan wiseman, Mr. Spock, “May you live long and prosper”. Isn’t that what we all want – to live long and to live well? As Christians we know we have the promise of heaven and we know it’s going to be great, but we also love living and we want to live long and well. It’s like Kenny Chesney once sang, “Everybody wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to go now.” Instead, we want to stay here as long as we can, enjoying a high quality of life.   So, how do we do that? How do we live long in terms of longevity of years, and how do we fill those years with lots of good living? Well, there’s an app for that. It’s called the Bible and God has filled it with lots of instructions and guidance regarding how to live your best life. Now of course, not everyone lives long. God Himself numbers our days, and they have been determined since before we were even born (Psalm 139:16). But that doesn’t necessarily mean that God causes the number of our days, only that He knows the number of our days.   The causes behind the number of days of life are often determined by the choices the individual makes. We’re talking about lifestyle issues. We’re talking about making smart choices moment-by-moment and long-term as well, that create the conditions whereby we can potentially live long and live well. Proverbs 3:1-2 is just one of many verses in both the Old and New Testaments which setup an “if this, then that” scenario with respect to living long and well. “If you do this, then you will experience that.” They are general precepts which set the stage for the potential to have a long and full life – if you do your part.   Although there are circumstances that often result in a person living a short time rather than a long time (wars, accidents, criminal actions of others, etc.), it is still true that there are actions we can and should take that create the potential for living long and well. The burden is on us to do the things God has instructed us to do so that we can “live long and prosper.” I look forward to exploring this topic with you in the coming month.   God bless, Pastor Jim   (If you like what you are reading in these daily devotionals and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00 – in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

Copyright © 2026 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Oak Hill Baptist Church 3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571

Good morning, everyone,   Our theme for this month: “Just keep dancing”   Our Bible verse for today: “The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.” Psalm 16:6 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “Learn to love your life”   Our theme this month has been inspired by Tim Hansel’s great little book “You Gotta Keep Dancin”. It’s about how Tim learned to live a full and productive life despite living in constant pain because of a rock-climbing accident earlier in life.   The accident was a big deal. It changed Tim’s life dramatically. As a young man he was a strong, adventurous, physically fit athlete. He had an M.A. and an M.B.A. from Stanford, and he had planned to remain strong and athletic for the rest of his life as he pursued amazing adventures and had great success in the business world. But that’s not how his life unfolded. Instead, his body was broken, he lived in pain, he hobbled a lot, and he spent much of his time writing and speaking rather than climbing mountains and riding white water rapids.   However, Tim discovered the joy and fulfillment that was available to him in his new life. It was there, he just needed to find it, embrace it, and be grateful for it. He wrote, “I survived because I’ve discovered a new and different kind of joy that I never knew existed – a joy that can coexist with uncertainty and doubt, pain, confusion, and ambiguity.”   Psalm 16:6 is one of my favorite Bible passages and one of my personal life verses. I recite it to myself often. It helps me to remember that despite the trials and difficult circumstances I am often faced with in the life that I have, there is also much joy and adventure, and there are many good things to be appreciated and to be thankful for in life as it is. Life isn’t perfect, and I have my share of problems just like you do, but still the boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places.   Our series for this month is over, and we won’t be looking into Tim’s book any further. But before we leave it, I will share with you one more helpful and inspiring thought from him:   “Each of us gets a second chance every day, if we would just open our eyes to the possibilities … life is not so much meant to be understood as it is to be lived out; it is not a problem to be solved, but a mystery to be participated in fully.”   I encourage you to live life fully. Overcome the challenges. Embrace the mystery. Enjoy the adventure. Learn to love your life as it is.   God bless, Pastor Jim   (If you like what you are reading in these daily devotionals and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00 – in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

Copyright © 2026 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Oak Hill Baptist Church 3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571

Good morning, everyone,   Our theme for this month: “Just keep dancing”   Our Bible verse for today: “And what more can I say? Time is too short for me to tell you about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets, who by faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, quenched the raging fire, escaped the edge of the sword, gained strength in weakness, became mighty in battle, and put foreign armies to flight.” Hebrews 11:32-34 (HCSB)   Our thought for today: “Be a survivor”   One of the best books I’ve read in recent years is the autobiography of Four-Star Navy Admiral William McRaven called “Sea Stories”. Admiral McRaven was a Navy SEAL for thirty-seven years. He planned and commanded the raid that killed Osama bin Laden.   He grew up as an Air Force brat. His father was a fighter pilot in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. For those years the family lived in close-knit communities in military housing units on Air Force bases in this country and around the world. The families were close and spent lots of time together. So McRaven can vividly recall spending time with “Easy Ed” Taylor, “Wild Bill” Wildman, and “Gentleman” Rod Gunther, all Air Force colonels, all fighter pilots, and all with many war stories to tell.   All those people (McRaven’s father and mother, the other fighter pilots and their wives, and all of the associated friends), had been children during World War I; they had lived through the Great Depression; they had fought in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam; and therefore, they were tough. They had lived through it all. Here’s what Admiral McRaven remembers about them:   “They were survivors. They didn’t complain. They didn’t blame others for their misfortune. They worked hard and expected the same from their children. They treasured their friendships. They fought for their marriages. They wore their patriotism on their sleeve, and while they weren’t naïve about America’s faults, they knew that no other country in the world valued their service and sacrifice as much as the United States did. They flew their flags proudly and without apology.”   They were survivors.  Hebrews chapter 11 tells us about similar people. It is sometimes called “The Faith Hall-of-Fame”. It recounts the stories of many heroic saints of God who faced extreme adversity in life, but who did so with faith and courage, with determination and perseverance. They too were survivors. Not necessarily in the sense that they overcame their problems and lived, because some of them didn’t live, some of them died for their faith. They were survivors in the sense that they refused to give-in or give-up. They refused to be crushed or defeated by their circumstances. If they were going to die, they would do it with dignity and courage.   I love examples like that because they inspire the rest of us to also dig-in, suck-it-up, and gut-it-out. The lesson is that they were survivors and you can be a survivor too. Be tough. Hang in there. Gut it out. Be a survivor.   God bless, Pastor Jim   (If you like what you are reading in these daily devotionals and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00 – in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

Copyright © 2026 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Oak Hill Baptist Church 3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571

Good morning, everyone,   Our theme for this month: “Just keep dancing”   Our Bible verse for today: “Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will travel to such and such a city and spend a year there and do business and make a profit.” Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring – what your life will be! For you are like a vapor that appears for a little while, then vanishes.” James 4:13-14 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “Don’t keep putting it off”   Sue was a healthy and active middle-aged woman. Now that the kids were grown and out on their own, she and Bob had big plans for this new season in their lives. They loved to laugh and joke about the television commercial that was running back then. It showed a smirking young man looking at his parents and he says “Well Mom and Dad, now that I’m moving out are you going to miss me? What are you going to do?” In reply the parents looked at each other and with mischievous smiles they said, “We’re going to Disneyland!”   But it didn’t turn out that way. Out of the blue Sue was diagnosed with stage-four cancer and she was gone in less than six months. Now, a month after the funeral, Bob was sorting through Sue’s personal possessions, and he came across a box from a high-end dress shop. It contained a stylish and slinky dress that Sue had never worn. Bob remembered when she came home from the store with it. He had slyly asked, “Well, when am I going to get to see that on you?” Sue grinned and said, “It’s for a special occasion.” But sadly, that special occasion never arrived. Sue never wore the dress for Bob.   In James 4:13-14 James reminds us that we don’t know what tomorrow may bring – or if there will even be a tomorrow for us. Life is fragile. There’s a thin line between life and death, and none of us knows what tomorrow might bring for us – or if there will even be a tomorrow. So, we need to live life now. Yes, we should plan for the future, but we also need to live in the present. Too many of us put off joy for tomorrow as we struggle with the issues of today.   In yesterday’s devotional message I encouraged you to slow down and savor the simple things in life. We do need to do that. But we also need to do special things with special people now, while we still can. Don’t keep putting those things off for another time. There may not be another time.   I encourage you to wear the special dress; go on that trip; embark on the adventure; make the phone call; eat the ice cream, do something on your “bucket list”. Don’t keep putting it off. There may not be another opportunity.   God bless, Pastor Jim   (If you like what you are reading in these daily devotionals and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00 – in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

Copyright © 2026 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Oak Hill Baptist Church 3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571

Good morning, everyone,   Our theme for this month: “Just keep dancing”   Our Bible verse for today: “But we encourage you, brothers and sisters, to do this even more, to seek to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you, so that you may behave properly in the presence of outsiders and not be dependent on anyone.” 1 Thessalonians 4:10-12 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “Focus on what really matters”   More than ten years ago, my late wife Linda and I experienced an interesting shift in our thinking that resulted in major changes in our life. We came to appreciate the truth that in life, quality is more important than quantity. So, we decided to simplify and downsize in all areas. First we sold our large home and bought one half the size. Then we gave away or sold approximately 75% of our possessions. Then we cut out of our lives a lot of the busyness and activities that kept us constantly on the go but didn’t really add anything meaningful to our lives.   During that time, I also found myself drawn to books about the simple life. “Wisdom of the Plain Folk” by Donna Leahy; “Pilgrim at Tinker Creek” by Annie Dillard; “The Little Way of Ruthie Leming” by Rod Dreher; “Jayber Crow” by Wendell Berry; and “The Farmer’s Son” by John Connell, just to name a few – all of them about the peaceful beauty of living a quiet and simple life.   I suppose one reason for our shift in thinking was simply the fact that we were older and had slowed down a little, but part of it was out of necessity too. Linda’s health issues required that we make some changes. But interestingly, that resulted in a much more pleasant and enjoyable life for us. It was slower, more peaceful and serene, and we learned to truly savor and enjoy the little things. This is the kind of life Paul was commending in 1 Thessalonians 4:10-12 cited above.   In all my decades of working with people, I have observed that trials and difficulties, even sickness and apparent tragedies, have a way of shifting our thinking and causing us to focus on the things that really matter in life. Often, in the long run, in many ways, this shift in thinking ends up making things better rather than worse.   There was a note about this that I came across recently that captured my attention and reinforced by understanding of how important it is for us to slow down and simplify life. It came from the editors of The Upside-Down Bible, which is the study Bible I am currently using in my personal quiet time. The note was in reference to Jesus’ parable found in John 15:1-5 about the vine and the branches. The point was how important it is for us to remain deeply in fellowship with Jesus and how it is that the world we live in draws us away from that. Here’s their observation:   “The never-ending choices of the digital age make us shallow. And the hyper-individualism of the digital age also makes us isolated. Christian discipleship in the digital age involves recognizing and responding to these specific challenges. We do so by slowing down as the world speeds up, staying as the world scatters, and communing as the world criticizes.”   Yesterday I suggested to you that God brings good things out of bad situations for those who love Him (Romans 8:28). That’s what I’m talking about here. As you continue to deal with whatever it is you are wrestling with in life right now, I encourage you slow down, simplify, and focus on the things that really matter. Use this season in your life as an opportunity to reevaluate your life and to cut out things that have been weighing you down or holding you back. As the song says, “Maybe your world isn’t falling apart; maybe it’s falling into place.”   God bless, Pastor Jim   (If you like what you are reading in these daily devotionals and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00 – in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

Copyright © 2026 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Oak Hill Baptist Church 3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571