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.

Delight Thyself In The Lord!

“Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.” -Psalm 37:4

Can I give you a simple encouragement this morning?

Most people read that verse backwards. We focus on the desires part and skip over the delight part. But God never promised to fulfill a heart that isn’t first surrendered.

“Delight thyself in the Lord.”

That word delight means to take pleasure in, to lean into, to find your joy in Him. It’s the picture of a heart that says, “Lord, You are enough.” Not just what You give. Not just what You fix. Not just what You provide. But You.

When you begin to truly delight in Him—through His Word, through prayer, through quiet moments when nobody else sees—something beautiful happens. Your desires start to change. They become shaped by His heart. What you want begins to line up with what He wants.

And here’s the blessing: when your heart lines up with His, you’re not chasing fulfillment anymore—you’re walking in it.

I’ve learned this sitting on the porch with a cup of coffee and an open Bible. Peace doesn’t come from getting everything I want. It comes from wanting Him more than anything else.

So today, don’t chase the promise. Chase the Promiser.

Delight yourself in the Lord… and watch what He does with your heart.

My God!

“O Lord, thou art my God; I will exalt thee, I will praise thy name; for thou hast done wonderful things; thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth.” -Isaiah 25:1

Let me share something with you from my heart this morning.

Isaiah didn’t say, “Lord, You are a God.”

He said, “O Lord, Thou art my God.”

That’s personal.

There’s a difference between knowing about God and knowing Him. A lot of folks believe God exists. But peace comes when you can say, “He’s mine. He’s my Shepherd. My Savior. My God.”

And notice what Isaiah does next:

“I will exalt thee. I will praise thy name.”

Praise is not a feeling. It’s a decision.

You don’t wait until everything feels wonderful to praise Him. You praise Him because He has done wonderful things. Some of you are breathing today because of wonderful things He’s done. Some of you have been carried through valleys you didn’t think you’d survive. That was Him.

And then Isaiah says something steady and strong:

“Thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth.”

God’s plans are not random. They are rooted in faithfulness.

His promises are not shaky. They are truth.

You may not understand everything happening around you today, but you can stand on this: God is faithful. God is true. And His counsel has not changed.

So lift your eyes this morning.

Say it out loud if you need to:

“Lord, You are my God.”

Exalt Him. Praise Him. Trust Him.

Because the God who has been faithful in your yesterday is already standing in your tomorrow.

Don’t Miss Your Treasure!

“The kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.” -Matthew 13:44

Now let me tell you something.

Most people walk through life stepping over treasure and never even know it.

In this little story Jesus tells, a man stumbles onto something valuable. He wasn’t looking for it. He wasn’t mapping it out. He just found it. And when he realized what it was worth, everything changed.

He didn’t complain about the cost.

He didn’t negotiate the sacrifice.

He didn’t hesitate.

For joy… he sold it all.

That’s the part that gets me.

When you truly see the value of the Kingdom, when you understand what it means to know Christ, to be forgiven, to have peace with God, to have eternal life, it stops being religion and starts being treasure.

And treasure changes priorities.

Some folks treat their faith like an accessory. Something to carry on Sundays. Something to pull out in emergencies. But when you’ve really found the treasure, you don’t mind rearranging your life around it.

You protect it.

You invest in it.

You build your future on it.

Friend, if following Jesus feels heavy, you may have forgotten the value of what you’ve found.

The Kingdom is not a burden to carry.

It is treasure to cherish.

And when you see it for what it truly is, you won’t have to be forced to give things up.

For joy… you will.