Overcoming Trials
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When You Feel All Alone in the World
Do you feel all alone in the world? I invite you to read these words slowly. Let them wash over you and shape you from the inside out. When You Feel All Alone in the World The clouds are laying low tonight. Layers of powder blue rest on smoky white. I hold my baby boy in my arms and get lost in the moment. We sway on the glider as blackbirds flutter overhead. They’re headed east, like maybe they’re chasing down the dawn. I glance down at the fuzzy head to see if his eyes have closed. Every time, those bright blue eyes are still open, gazing at me in…
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Satisfaction in Jesus: A Question to Ask Yourself
I’m not thinking about how to find satisfaction in Jesus as the wind rustles the maple leaves. However, as I open my Bible for inspiration on the warm afternoon, I discover stumble a surprising scene. A blind man named Bartimaeus is crying out to Jesus from the roadside. Stopping, Jesus looks at blind Bartimaeus and asks, “What do you want me to do for you?” For an instant, I imagine I am the blind man, and Jesus is asking me this question. “Jesus, you know what I want you to do for me,” I whisper in the deepest part of my soul. As the words leave my lips, I realize…
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10 Steps to Take When You Feel Empty Inside
Fog hovers over clear water this morning. I sit in silence feeling empty inside. When’s the last time you stilled your soul long enough to be real about the places where you feel empty inside? We all have empty spaces. Emptiness might look like numbness, emotional distress, loneliness, isolation, or grief. When we feel empty inside, it can be hard to know where to turn. Today, we’ll look at ten things to do to fill the emptiness in our souls. When You Feel Empty Inside The feeling of emptiness can have many causes. Sometimes, grief leads to emptiness. All losses involve grief, not only death. We can feel empty inside…
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10 Bible Verses for Peace and Calm
Does the idea of greater peace sound inviting to you? Today, we’ll explore 10 Bible verses for peace and calm. We’ll also unpack five practical ways to add more peace to our lives. Bible Verses for Peace and Calm in Any Storm Let’s start by looking at God’s Word. Then, we’ll explore ways to step into God’s peace in our everyday lives. Be sure to read to the end of today’s post for a free devotional eBook to help you experience God’s peace. 10 Bible Verses for Peace and Calm 1. Isaiah 26:3 (ESV) You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in…
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Thinking of Giving up on God? Read This First
I vividly remember the day I decided to turn away from God. I decided that if he wasn’t going to be faithful to me, I was done living for him. Maybe you can relate. Maybe you’re thinking of giving up on God today, too. You’re not alone. The day I gave up on God, I blamed him for my pain, and I was angry about it. Giving Up on God Like me, maybe you’re facing a heartbreaking loss, and you wonder why God seems silent. The instant your life went off the rails, God seemed to leave you alone in your despair. Maybe you feel forgotten, and you’re not sure where…
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20 Bible Verses About Trusting God in Tough Times
It’s easy to trust God when life is going well. But when difficult times come, we need an anchor to hold us steady in trust. Today we’ll look at 20 Bible verses about trusting God in tough times. These verses are promises to cling to, anchors to hold us in life’s storms. Meanwhile, may we never forget that it’s not up to us to cling to the anchor. Our heavenly Father is holding onto us. I also invite you to read to the end of today’s post for a free devotional eBook to help you have hope in difficult times. Bible Verses About Trusting God in Tough Times Let’s turn…
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3 Ways to Cultivate Joy When You’re Struggling in Life
It had been the longest winter of my life, the winter of counting down the weeks, days, and hours until my health returned. I spent it mostly staring at the dead landscape out the sliding glass door – beige earth folded under ribbons of grey sky that felt dismal and bleak. I’d been trying to cultivate joy by looking to the future, but the discouragement of my illness was like a black cloud blurring my view. You might not be stuck on the couch with a long stretch of illness, but I imagine you have your own brand of discouragement lingering low. Discouraging seasons take all shapes and forms: stress…
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15 Powerful Bible Verses for Times of Trouble and Grief
Dawn comes quietly this time of year, the rising sun pushing out the chill of night. My heart is heavy as I watch the light ascend. Pulling out my Bible, I begin listing them: hope-filled Bible verses for times of trouble and grief. 15 Bible Verses for Times of Trouble Perhaps you need this encouragement today as well. We live in a broken world, and we all face times of trouble. Meanwhile, God offers hope for even the darkest days. He invites us to draw near to him, and he will give us the strength to endure grief and trouble. Bible Verses for Times of Trouble and Grief Today, we’ll look…
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God Has a Plan for You—Even When He Seems Silent
We awoke to a fresh inch of snow on the lawn on the first day of April, and it felt like one more day tacked onto a never-ending winter. Whether you’re facing a long winter or enduring a difficult season that seems like it will never end, it can be hard to hold onto hope. You need to know that God has a plan for you, especially when he seems silent. Most of us don’t wait well. Waiting for a dream to come to fruition or a difficult time to end can be deeply discouraging. God Has a Plan for You While You Wait King Solomon said it well in…
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How to Feel God’s Love: 8 Practical Insights
Not long ago, I texted a friend and told her about long days in a house filled with noisy children. “I wish I knew how to feel God’s love, but all I feel is chaos,” I expressed. Her response came seasoned with wisdom. First, she reminded me that regardless of whether I feel God’s love or not, his love is always with me. “Feelings are futile,” she offered. “Instead of aiming to feel God’s love, stand on his promises. Cling to the words he speaks about his love for you.” I realized she was right. We don’t always feel God’s love. Furthermore, we cannot trust our feelings. We have the…
