The joy weapon: Rowing with Jesus through the battles of life
By Drake Hunter | Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice
"Row, row, row your boat, gently down the stream…merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, life is but a dream.”
Children sing this rhyme with a smile, but adults sing it exhausted because life feels like a battlefield. Bills, relationships, politics, and bodies weaken. Expectations come and go, betrayals and drifting dreams make us row harder and angrier. Then Jesus steps onto the shoreline and says, “Follow Me.”
That command truly shifts everything. Jesus never guaranteed His followers a life free of storms; instead, He assured them of His presence right in the middle of them.
That’s where the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-16) come into play. They’re not just gentle religious sayings meant for pillows or sentimental Hallmark moments. No, th...

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