A sweet medical helper tried to encourage me, “Your story isn’t over yet. This is just a chapter.” Amazingly, this world has invented positive thinking “mantras,” faintly shadowing Biblical truth. With each chapter of ongoing suffering’s ebb and flow of hardships, a Christian’s story isn’t over yet! Why? Because our Read more…
Only goodness and faithful love will pursue me all the days of my life,and I will dwell in the house of the Lordas long as I live (Ps. 23:6 CSB). All the days. This includes today, one of earthly suffering. The Lord has promised good to me. His Word, my hope secures. Read more…
Of course it was frightening, for it seemed like just another normal evening to those shepherds. Taking turns on the night shift, watching for threatening attacks, guarding each individual sheep’s needs, and constantly wrestling with the natural elements. Exhausting, longing, waiting on God, loss, fear. Was life in this fallen Read more…
I’ve been pondering the wondrous truths God reveals about His saving gift. I once asked Him, “What are believers in Christ saved from, exactly?” If anything brings me to my knees in humble gratitude within this year’s suffering Christmas, it’s His answers throughout Scripture. Handel’s Messiah echoes the truth, the very bad Read more…
Have you ever wondered how much more you could possibly endure? I had that moment recently. Hooked up to beeping machines in the hospital, tears welled up. I felt like such a burden to others in my weakness. Stuck, dependent, weary, unable, overwhelmed. In desperate need of our Helper once Read more…
As grief overwhelmed me, I lost my patience. Anger welled up and had to be honestly released with a shout. Shrouded in loss and shocked by my unusually loud reaction, I asked God to help me see what lay beneath my tear-full explosion. My anguish had started with an unexpected Read more…
Why do I assume that tomorrow will bring more suffering? Even if it did, why would I assume that I couldn’t possess any joy? Maybe I need to simply ask God for His Spirit’s promised fruit of joy, to release my imagined assumptions. Who am I to predict what tomorrow Read more…
As my brain’s slumping out of the skull worsened with its body-systemic symptoms last fall, our Good Shepherd Jesus Christ came so near with His love songs, ones filled with praise and adoration to Him. Although I could rarely physically read my Bible, I heard His tender voice of comforting Read more…
Suffering is prime time for our enemy to tempt us to sin. We’re tempted to doubt what God says about Himself in His Word. If we’re suffering, how can God be good? We’re tempted to doubt the gospel is true…are we really saved? If we’re suffering, how could He love Read more…
Lying in a familiar tight place, head gripped in an immovable vise, restricted by an MRI tube of loud darkness, I closed my eyes and prayed as always. Our Lord’s comforting presence assured me that I was not alone. I asked Him for help to manage whatever the test revealed, Read more…
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