It sure is great to be back hosting a daily Christian talk/music/news/entertainment show! The presence and guidance of God are so strong and unmistakable when I’m “cramming” for each interview, and wrestling with every commentary; it’s an arduous, but faith-affirming process! I believe I’m seeing just a tiny glimpse of what every pastor must experience when preparing a weekly sermon, or creating a Sunday school lesson. I sense that the Lord does not regard such efforts lightly. Apparently, neither does our adversary.

But with every snare of discouragement, fatigue, and doubt laid before me, God finds a means of sending encouragement, a sense of purpose, and a clear leading where He would have me go, should I only be sensitive to hear and faithful to follow. It’s a pattern that’s—all at once—exhilarating and maddening, energizing and exhausting. And it’s not a journey one can undertake alone. Without a support team bathing us in prayer and encouragement, little wonder so many in ministry burn out, or bail out.

It’s also no surprise that the challenges and necessities of preparing and delivering each day’s radio program compel me to activities I would otherwise push down my priority list. Once again, I’m back into God’s Word, finding time for honest prayer, and joining conversations with other believers about the stuff that matters to Him. And—just as you might expect—I’m enjoying greater peace and joy in the process. Isn’t it ironic, though, how often we search for such contentment just about everywhere else?

Though my “counselors” are many, our primary goals for The Mark Daniels Show remain: to glorify God, and to be faithful to His calling. That “walks out,” as I perceive it, as participating on the air in worship, Bible study, evangelism, and the discipleship of believers. I don’t believe we are to try to bring about His Kingdom here on Earth; that’s Jesus’ job, when He chooses to return. Instead, I pray He uses our program to equip Christians for the day’s challenges, and encourage one another to a greater, reproducing faith.

One last thing. Though both are very important, I am less interested in telling you who to vote for, or what your sexual preference should be, than I am in making absolutely sure that you’re sitting next to me someday at the wedding supper of the Lamb. And, that—should He tarry—you and I would live gentle lives here as Christians, choosing each day (in the words of James Montgomery Boice) with intention to “think and act Biblically.”