love of Jesus

close up of a blooming white lily flower

Fellowship of Christ’s suffering in the power of His resurrection

On this holiest of weeks, I’m sharing my husband’s favorite “Easter hymn.” First thing on Resurrection Sunday, he cranks up the volume and plays it!  He arose! He arose! Hallelujah! Christ arose! (“Christ Arose,” Lowry, R., 1874) Somehow, the truth that our beloved Savior is resurrected, risen, and reigning brings me 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
lit candle on the paper with notation

“Joy to the world,” in our painful Christmas

To Him “who loves us and has freed us from our sins” (Rev. 1:5 ESV), You’ve come, Lord and King Jesus! Joy to the world! The Lord is come: For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord (Lk. 2:11 ESV). For the Son of Man Read more

By Lauri Hogle, ago
a woman in a white dress stands in front of a large stone building

Dear Refuge of my weary soul, I sing a love song

What is the “new commandment” from Jesus for us? Jesus echoes 2 Kings 23:25, telling us to “turn to the LORD with all,” a holistic, embodied, interconnected turning of our affections, thoughts, and emotions. In the weary wilderness of suffering, our souls long, our emotions thirst, our bodies faint, and our minds Read more

By Lauri Hogle, ago
a woman sits on a rock beside the lake

What do I need to think about as I suffer? Jesus. 

Jesus, turn my eyes to You. My suffering overwhelms, loss and grief profound. My thoughts are only of my needs. They engulf me. You promise to “supply every need” I have, according to our Father’s “riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:19 ESV). Today, I need to think of Read more

By Lauri Hogle, ago
brown gift box

God’s rewards as we suffer? “Oh, how I love Jesus!”

Lord God, I’ve often believed the lie that, other than relief from suffering in the end, there is no reward for this awful pain. That there’s nothing good I can do in this world, that my life can’t have good purpose if I’m suffering. I’ve often felt like there can’t Read more

By Lauri Hogle, ago
woman in blue fur coat holding a bible

Draw me nearer, blessed Lord, in the wounding

Lord, Sometimes I can’t even find the words to pray. I’m so weakened and overwhelmed in the wounding that I can barely breathe. Thank You for the lyrics of suffering songwriters who also needed to sing their prayers. Like Fannie Crosby, a blind sister in Christ who sang into her Read more

By Lauri Hogle, ago
a woman in brown turtleneck sweater praying

Thoughts of Jesus, comfort from Jesus, as we suffer

Precious Lord Jesus, I’ve read that You are “gentle and lowly in heart” (Mt. 11:29 ESV). Help me remember the gentle way You treat Your repentant, lowly, suffering ones (Is. 57:15). You came into Your created world in a lowly, humbled, and gently meek way. While still fully God, You emptied Read more

By Lauri Hogle, ago
woman in white stands before majestic ban gioc waterfall

Emotionally and physically safe in this homesick world

Do you ever pause to ponder when suffering began? There was no suffering or lack of safety when our Creator spoke our world into being and called it good! When He created Adam and Eve, there was no pain, sorrow, shame, or suffering of any kind. They enjoyed an intimate, Read more

By Lauri Hogle, ago
close up shot of a woman reading a bible

What a Friend we have in Jesus when suffering is strong

Lord Jesus, Precious Savior, The pain is strong today. So much of our suffering is invisible to others. As we suffer, what do You gently call to us into the wounding? Are we weak and heavy-laden,cumbered with a load of care?Precious Savior, still our refuge–take it to the Lord in Read more

By Lauri Hogle, ago

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