chronic illness

light up board saying god is love

Romans 8 “Love Divine,” as we both suffer

Love Divine, all loves excelling, As I pray for my suffering sisters in Christ, Your Romans 8 love songs fill my heart.  Your love is far stronger than our tribulation. It continues steadfast when our own weakens, in our constant distress, with every ache in this fallen world of sin.  Read more

By Lauri Hogle, ago
person hands on holy bible

The blessing of Jesus Himself, within the suffering

Begone, unbelief, my Savior is near… (“Begone, Unbelief, My Savior is Near,” Newton, J., p. d. Sing to the tune of “O, Worship the King!”) Into my fears. Into the tempter’s sneer that You aren’t with me, Emmanuel. That this suffering must mean You’re not pleased with me.  And for Read more

By Lauri Hogle, ago
shallow focus of a woman holding a bible

God, help us focus on Your past, present, and future blessings

Blessed Father God, On this difficult day, it comforts me to know that Your strong believing children felt “so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself” (2 Cor. 1:8 ESV). Their affliction brought this on…and I’ve experienced the same. Focusing on God’s past blessings Turn me and Read more

By Lauri Hogle, ago
silhouette of a boat in the ocean during sunset

Our Prince of Peace in this time of tribulation

Lord Jesus, our Prince of Peace, When sorrows and sea billows roll… and we feel like we’re drowning, calm me, and any Christian reading these words.  Settle us.  Peace by the cross of Jesus, past tense! It’s only possible in the forever peace we have with our Father, the peace Read more

By Lauri Hogle, ago
brown wooden cross pendant on closeup photography

Songs our suffering Savior sang, His solace and strength

Our suffering Savior has been giving me solace and strength in my own suffering by studying the Psalms as He might have sung them.  Because…He did sing them in His earthly life.  I wonder if He was comforted and strengthened in knowing that He was fulfilling prophecy as He hung Read more

By Lauri Hogle, ago
close up photo of bare hands

My suffering Savior’s songs of lament and hope

As my unmanaged chronic pain escalated on top of needed caregiving tasks, with long travel to help loved ones, and grief in losing a loved one…all at the same time…our Lord had already been inviting me to study the Psalms through my daily Bible reading plan. This time, He’d prompted Read more

By Lauri Hogle, ago
farmer holding lambs together

Christ will hold me fast, to the very end

When I fear my faith will fail, Christ will hold me fast; When the tempter would prevail, He can hold me fast! (“He Will Hold Me Fast,” Habershon, A. R., 1906) I wonder if Ada wrote these lyrics into her deep suffering, so difficult that she feared she might leave Read more

By Lauri Hogle, ago

Rest in the gospel, into loss and grief

Grief’s shock. Another loss? Affecting children, grandchildren? Emotion’s waves and storms. Exponential, thickening layers of pain. Overwhelmed. Darkness threatens to stifle joy and hope.  May this prayer be His rest in the gospel if you are also grieving losses. As I suffer, in my unrest, rest in the gospel Thy Read more

By Lauri Hogle, ago
a beautiful bride holding her bouquet of flowers

Hoping in God’s promised gift of my righteousness in Christ

Holy, holy, holy God,  Your Word makes it very clear that no one can possibly enter into Your presence, because since sin entered our world in Genesis 3…  no one will be justified in [Your] sight by the works of the law. But now, apart from the law, the righteousness Read more

By Lauri Hogle, ago
woman hospital gown lying on bed crying

How to endure tribulation and suffering, singing the gospel to Job!

I’ll never forget it. As we interviewed to join a church after moving to a new state, one of the elders asked me, “What is your favorite book of the Bible?” I immediately responded, “Job.” He was shocked! Job’s words of lament became mine through years of undiagnosed and progressively Read more

By Lauri Hogle, ago

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