All posts by mjharvell

Welcome, friend—I’m glad you’ve pulled up a chair on the front porch of my little corner of the internet. My name is Michael Joe Harvell, and I live my life with one simple mission: to glorify God, encourage people, and leave this world a little better than I found it. I’m a husband, father, pastor, writer, Jeep enthusiast, and front-porch thinker who believes that life is best lived on purpose. I serve as pastor of Eureka Baptist Church in Anderson, South Carolina, where I get the joy of preaching, teaching, and walking with people through the ups and downs of everyday life. Over the years, I’ve discovered that faith isn’t just about Sunday mornings—it’s about living every single day in the presence and power of God. I’m also an author. My books—including The Grace Exchange: How Forgiven People Forgive People and The Word Works—grow out of the sermons, stories, and lessons I’ve learned on this journey. I write in a style that’s conversational, a little front-porch-rocking-chair, and full of stories, quotes, and Scripture that point us back to the goodness of God’s Word. When I’m not writing or preaching, you might find me sitting outside with my Bible and journal, cruising the backroads in my Jeep Gladiator, or sharing a meal and some laughs with the good folks God has put in my life. I love helping people find peace in their spirit, strength in their body, and encouragement in their soul. This blog is simply an extension of that mission. Here you’ll find devotions, encouragement, reflections, and practical insights for living a life of purpose, peace, and joy. So grab a cup of coffee, pull up a rocking chair, and stay awhile—I’d be honored to walk this road of faith with you.

God Is Good!

Psalm 100:5 says, “For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.”

Friend, there are going to be days when life doesn’t feel good.

There will be prayers that seem unanswered, doors that unexpectedly close, people who disappoint you, and circumstances you simply cannot understand.

But I want you to notice what David does not say.

He doesn’t say, “The Lord is good when life is good.”

He says, “The LORD is good.”

That is who He is.

God’s goodness is not determined by what happened to you yesterday, what you are facing today, or what you are worried might happen tomorrow.

And then David reminds us, “his mercy is everlasting.”

You cannot outrun His mercy. You cannot exhaust His mercy. You cannot wake up tomorrow and discover that God used the last of His mercy on you yesterday.

And His truth “endureth to all generations.”

The same God who was faithful to your grandparents is faithful today. The same God who carried you through what you thought would break you before is still carrying you now.

So when you cannot understand what God is doing, anchor your heart in what you know about who God is.

He is good.

His mercy is everlasting.

His truth never changes.

And friend, when everything around you feels uncertain, you can still rest in the certainty of Him.

God has been good. God is good. And God will still be good tomorrow.

Stop Postponing What God Has for You!

What if the reason you have not stepped into what God has for you is because you are still holding onto something He has been asking you to release?

“The longer you entertain what’s not for you, the longer you postpone what is.”

That will preach.

Sometimes we keep giving our time, energy, attention, and emotions to things that are no longer helping us become who God has called us to be.

It might be a relationship.

A habit.

An old hurt.

A disappointment.

A way of thinking.

Or even a season that God has already brought to an end.

Isaiah 43:18–19 says, “Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing.”

Sometimes we are asking God to do something new while we are still clinging to something old.

There comes a moment when faith says, “I am going to trust God enough to let this go.”

You do not have to understand everything God is doing before you obey Him.

You just have to believe that whatever God asks you to release is never greater than what He is preparing you to receive.

So stop giving yesterday permission to steal today.

Release what God has been telling you to release.

Take the next step.

And keep walking.

Because what you are leaving behind may feel familiar, but what God is leading you toward could be better than anything you have imagined.

My friend, do not be afraid to let go. Your story is not ending. God may simply be making room for the next chapter.

Hard To Love!

Have you ever noticed that sometimes the people who are the hardest to love are the very people God puts right in front of us?

Galatians 5:14 says, “For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.”

Good morning, my friend.

We can make following Jesus complicated, but Paul brings it down to something we can understand: Love people.

Now, that doesn’t mean everybody is going to be easy to love.

Some people will disappoint you. Some will misunderstand you. Some will get on your last nerve. And if we’re truthful, there are days when we’re probably not that easy to love either!

But Jesus never told us to love people because they deserve it. He taught us to love them because we belong to Him.

The closer I walk with Jesus, the more His love ought to show up in the way I treat the people around me.

Sometimes that means being patient when you’d rather walk away.

Sometimes it means forgiving when you’ve been hurt.

Sometimes it means making the phone call, offering encouragement, giving somebody another chance, or simply showing a little kindness.

Friend, you may not be able to change the whole world today.

But you can change somebody’s world by loving them like Jesus.

So here’s my challenge:

Love somebody well today.

Not because they earned it.

But because Jesus loved you when you didn’t earn it either.

If this Encouraging Word From The Word helped you today, follow or subscribe, and let’s keep learning together how to walk with Jesus every day.