December is such a special month, and I always love to do something extra special on Joe for my favorite people, you, my listeners.

So all month long, I'll be highlighting some favorites from the OG series that launched this podcast way back in the start called Five Word Prayers.

I know many of you will be very happy about that.

These short, usually five minutes or less shows are perfect for a busy holiday season to bring you the hope and encouragement we all so desperately need. So here we go.

In Joshua 23, he's giving his farewell address because he's about to die, Joshua, that is.

So he's gathered all the leaders of Israel, and he gives them lots of amazing counsel and encouragement.

And towards the end, he says something so powerful, it moves me every time I read it.

Verse 14, deep in your hearts, you know that every promise of the Lord your God has come true.

Not a single one has failed.

And as I read that the other day, the first thing that I felt was just a solid amen.

That was my first reaction, because I do agree with this and believe it, and it resonated as truth to me.

But then quickly, I began to feel something else and it was this.

This is hard because of earthly pain and disappointment. This idea that every promise has come

true, not a single one has failed. And for just a minute, I winced a little inside because I thought,

wait, God, what about this or that in my life? And then I thought about other people's lives.

And even as I read this verse again, I read that part about deep in your hearts. And I feel like

the deep part is significant because on the surface, it seems like God maybe has failed us at times, I know.

But then somewhere deep inside, we know in that knowing place that he hasn't because

he's God. And that has much more to do with our belief system than tangible proof.

Hi, friend, I'm interrupting the show for an important reason. I want to quickly tell you about

something for the Advent season that is right around the corner. Before you begin pulling out

the decor and making your shopping list, will you join me in focusing our attention on our reason

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