spiritual warfare

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
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

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
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
text on a white paper

The most powerful song lyrics, composed in Christ

Lord Jesus Christ, Grief. Tears. Shocking sad. More new losses. Unchanging circumstances. But… Your songs, the Psalms, are the most powerful song lyrics. You composed them. You sang them in Your earthly life. They’re all…about You. You’re singing to me into this fresh grief, as You weep with me. The Read more

By Lauri Hogle, ago
a bible on a wooden surface with pine leaves and christmas lights

An “ongoing suffering” Christmas of silent, humbled, reverent awe

I will never forget it. Exactly one month after my second lifesaving brain surgery, I was able to sit at the piano and quietly play this Advent hymn. Pumped up with heavy medication, muscles and nerves shrieking in pain, our Lord gently tweaked the very direction of my earthly life Read more

By Lauri Hogle, ago
people on dinner during ramadan

Thanking God for Jesus when I’m under attack

How I’ve desperately needed to sing daily of our Redeemer’s propitiating work on the cross as I suffer. When I’m under attack, I need to remember that He became sin in my place and completely took all the punishment for sin that I deserve.  Jesus paid it all, All to Read more

By Lauri Hogle, ago
woman spreading white textile

Hope that will not disappoint us, in ongoing suffering

I know she meant well, saying it out of love and fervent care for me as a suffering Christian. She wanted to offer a method to achieve God’s ‘total healing” on earth. She told me I must declare that “I am healed” because of Jesus’ death on the cross, which Read more

By Lauri Hogle, ago
sliced fruits on tray

Sweet communion with Jesus, His fruit as we suffer

Holy Spirit, Spirit of Christ, You promise to grow Your self-control fruit in me. I cling to this promise, for I need this freeing truth in all the temptations suffering can bring. In sweet communion, Lord, with thee I constantly abide; my hand thou holdest in thine own to keep Read more

By Lauri Hogle, ago

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