asphalt blur car city

You are always the same, Lord!

“I’m so stressed out and exhausted.” “The continual challenges and changes overwhelm me.” “The many voices conflict, arguing for their own opinions. Who do I believe and trust anymore?” “The pictures, videos, and clanging words in this world make me feel it’s all sinking sand.” “Changing minds, changing plans, changing Read more

water drop

God’s mercy, in the messy middle

Do you ever feel Job-like when suffering doesn’t go away? What if they say it’s permanent and incurable? What if God’s answers to our prayers seem to be “no” or “not yet?” Could these situations be God’s leading us to His gentle mercy and compassion for us, as we walk Read more

man standing on a rock near snow covered land

Praying to our wise God as we suffer

Are Job’s words echoes of your thoughts? I am not at ease, nor am I quiet; I have no rest, but trouble comes (Job 3:26 ESV).  Like Job, suffering trial after trial, we don’t understand why this is happening. How could we? We are not God and we have limited wisdom Read more

photo of cross in an ocean during dawn

Singing “Hallelujah, What a Savior!” Into Suffering

In this holiest of weeks, we “survey the wondrous cross on which the Prince of glory died.” I don’t cry often, but in my physical pain a few days ago, I wept when I re-realized how willingly Jesus submitted Himself to immense pain, torturous suffering, and surpassing agonies of complete Read more

body of water between green leaf trees

God is So Good

In my years of suffering, I’ve had to beg God for His logical wisdom found in His Word. Since the Genesis 3 fall, our enemy hisses crafty lies that God is not good. Satan, the embodiment of evil, wants to make us doubt God’s goodness when we suffer. Let’s battle Read more

grayscale photography of hands waving

We have hope, Jesus is King!

The news is horrific, isn’t it? Suffering abounds. We’re in agony for many whose daily existence is threatened. We find ourselves praying, “God, please help me as I suffer. Please help our world and Your people.” Who are we praying to, beloved in Christ? Maybe today we need to remember Read more

landscape photography of clouds

Finding peace instead of “what if” anxious thoughts

Do you find your thoughts drifting into the “what if” zone? They can keep us up at night. The loud voices of the media fuel them. We Google around, looking for possible answers, fretting. Wondering. Trying to take control…again. “What if” thoughts jab our souls when we suffer. We try Read more

aurora borealis

A prayer-song to our glorious God

Is this world’s ugly invading your thoughts and emotions lately? Is it hard to see any light right now? When darkness and ugly infiltrate our thoughts in suffering, we grasp for light and beauty. Sometimes the pain in this world becomes so big in our suffering, that we’re desperate to Read more

white flowers and leaves on an open book

Near to God as I praise Him for His character

God’s songs in Scripture drip with honest emotion. So we know He understands our emotional needs when we suffer; He gives us words to pray when our hearts run dry. In our pain and suffering, He even gives us moments of praise, interspersed within those tearful songs in His Word. Read more

woman in white sweater and blue denim jeans praying on bed

How to sing the Lord’s song when we’re suffering

Is your landscape starting to look foreign? With head-spinning changes, escalating evil all around, pervasive hardship, and seemingly impossible suffering? I’ve had that kind of week as I write this. Many of us have. Psalms 137 and 138 have been the Lord’s gift to me this week.  God’s people, exiled Read more

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