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.

A Wet Rag!

A Wet Rag???

I was sitting in my study this afternoon, when all of a sudden there was a knock at the door and a lady standing there wanting to know if I had a rag she could use?  I had to ask to be sure that I had heard her right.  She said she needed it to wipe out her chair.

When I went outside to take her the rag which I had run under the faucet, I discovered that she had come and hour and half early with a group of other folks to sit outside and wait for Grace Place to open.  They had brought folding chairs, but she did not have one, so she made herself at home and went out behind the building and found her one of her own.

At first, I thought what in the world is going on?  And then it hit me:  Grace Place really has become a place of grace!  A place where people want to come.  A place where people feel comfortable, safe and at home.  And this place and ministry are allowing us the amazing opportunity to share just how amazing God’s grace really is.  Makes me want to spin a rag around in the air and shout:  Go God!

Lonliness!

Do you ever feel all alone?  Even though you are often surrounded by people, you feel as if you are the only person in the world facing what you are having to face and going through the trials that you don’t seem to think you can take another moment of…

Loneliness does not care if you are rich or poor.  It does not care if you live in a big house or on the streets.  It does not care if you have a fine job or if you are diving in a dumpster.  Loneliness does not care who you are, what you’ve done or what you hope to do.

Loneliness has come to be your companion, not so that you can have a better and more fulfilling life, but so that it can rob you of what life you have left.  While you may feel like you are all alone, the truth is:  You are never alone, because God has promised that He would never leave you or forsake you.

Just because you can’t see Him, it does not mean that He is not there.  Just because you can’t hear Him, it does not mean that He does not hear you.  Just because you can’t feel Him, it does not mean that He has left you.  Know it or not, believe it or not, He is right here with you in this very moment.

As you read the words on this page, God is with you.  You are not alone!

Whoever you are, wherever you are, whatever you are going through, remember this:  You are not alone, God is with you.  Open your eyes – look for Him and you will be surprised at what He will allow you to see,  Open your ears – listen for Him and you will be amazed at what He will allow you to hear.  Open your heart – yield to Him and you will be blessed with a companionship that will never ever leave you lonely again!

God Knows!

You think you are all alone.  You have come to believe that nobody knows what you are going through and even worse that nobody cares.  But the truth is:  Your Creator knows and cares!

He knows your feelings, because He is the One Who created you with the ability to feel.  He can see the anguish deep in your soul and He cares more than you can realize or understand.  Hurt and pain are often so devestating because they cause us to feel like we are all alone in this world.  It is very possible to be surronded by people and yet feel like we are all by ourselves.

Even though you may feel like it, you are never alone.  God sees, hears and cares for you.  He knows not only your pain, but what it is that has caused your pain.  God made you and He can see and feel things in you, that not even you can see or feel.   He loves you and has an amazing plan to use even the bad for your good, as you love and trust Him.

God knows and that makes all the difference!