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The Power of Trusting God: 7 Ways to Grow in Trust
Layers of altostratus rest above the western tree line like wet towels hastily folded. Splinters of sapphire peer through their sparse creases and remind me of promises for better days to come. Closing my eyes, I remind myself of the power of trusting God in hard times. The darkness will pass. Light is coming for us all. We all need this reminder from time to time. The Power of Trusting God in Hard Times Not long ago, I sat with a friend whose heart was broken. We talked about how to find healing when we’re hurting, and I shared as much insight as I could offer. Whether you’re sitting beneath…
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6 Questions to Ask When You’re in a Bad Mood for No Reason
Spring rain falls warm and soft against my skin. After the wind-swept months of winter, this rain feels like grace. I lift my hooded face to the grey sky as it spits the cleansing rain, and I have an honest moment about my life. Lately, I’ve been in a perpetual bad mood for no reason I can identify. In a Bad Mood for No Reason You probably know how it feels to wake up on the wrong side of the bed in a ball of twisted sheets. You might blame your bad mood on your hormones or your fighting kids. In truth, bad moods happen because of what’s inside of…
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4 Insights to Help You Keep Trusting God When It Hurts
A pale, yellow aspen leaf flutters from above. The shape of a teardrop, it swirls on some unseen current and lands at my feet. Picking it up, I’m reminded of the One who counts our teardrops and stores them in a bottle. It’s not easy to keep trusting God when it hurts. Circumstances have been difficult here throughout the past months. Hopes and dreams have crashed and burned, and at times, it felt crushing. Trusting God When It Hurts Most of us have tasted the bitter flavor of broken dreams. Whether you were asking God to lead you into a relationship, give you a child, or bring a long-awaited vision…
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10 Bible Verses About Trusting God’s Plan
Are you facing any fears when you look to the future? Today, we’ll dig into God’s Word and unpack 10 powerful Bible verses about trusting God’s plan. First, let me share the story of a great fear that threatened to paralyze me. 10 Empowering Bible Verses About Trusting God’s Plan Our first child was born on a Tuesday. I could barely believe she was hidden within me for all those months. After the hyperemesis diagnosis and the months of lying on the bathroom floor in a cloud of nausea, I couldn’t comprehend the love I felt for her. I never knew love like that was possible. In the months following…
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God Will Make a Way: When God’s Ways Don’t Make Sense
A thin band of pale light hovers over the horizon like a breath only partially exhaled. I watch from my window like I’m waiting for the day to exert itself by letting go of the light it holds in restrained lungs. I’ve been wrestling with God lately—the kind of wrestling you do when you begin to doubt the promise that God will make a way. I open the Bible with the turquoise cover, and my eyes fall upon the words: “For the Word of the Lord is right, and all his work is done in faithfulness” (Psalm 33:4). It sure doesn’t feel like God’s faithfulness when the dream you were…
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Life-Changing Scripture About Leaning on God in Tough Times
Dawn breaks beneath a bitter chill today. The sparrows don’t seem to mind. They chatter at the feeder while their Maker dabs the world with tufts of white lace. I watch from my spot by the window as I search for Scripture about leaning on God. Winter is beginning to wear on me, and we’ve only just begun. I have a feeling I’m going to need some strong words to carry me through the long months to come—months when leaning on God will be the secret for pressing forward. You might not be worn down today, but a time will come. A time will come when you need an anchor. …
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When Trusting God With Your Future Doesn’t Come Easily
We threw out the old calendar—the one with the tattered edges and scratched-out plans—and we burned it to ash last week. We watched the flames lick it up like they were happy to say goodbye to the year and all it held. As I watched the tangerine flames dance in the wind, I considered the secret for really trusting God with your future—whether you’re coming out of the best season of your life or the worst. As I reflected on our past season, I gained courage. I also thought about the many times in Scripture when God’s people told stories about his past faithfulness. Maybe we should follow their lead.…
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Why Jesus Is My Hope—Even in My Disappointment
As the season changes here, I’ve been intermittently looking back and looking ahead. I’m reminding myself of one truth: Jesus is my hope for the future, and he is my hope in the face of my deepest disappointments. I don’t know what your past season looked like. Maybe you put everything you had into your career, and there’s still no fruit to be seen. Maybe you lost the job you loved. You might have had goals for your finances, your waistline, your marriage, or your ministry. Maybe some of these areas are worse off now than they were when you had all that hope. Even worse, you might have achieved…
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God Is Always Listening and Hears Our Cries
Today’s devotional post is adapted from my new 31-day devotional Mornings With Jesus. If you enjoy this post, find your copy of Mornings With Jesus at the bottom of the page. I pray this new online devotional book blesses you richly! And now, a gentle reminder that God is always listening. God Is Always Listening and Hears Our Cries “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working” (John 5:17). We’re living in the grey days of winter as I write these words. Already, I find myself craving the light and life of springtime. The winter seasons of waiting can feel never-ending as…
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7 Bible Verses About Feeling Empty Inside
Snow is sparse on the muddied earth, and I’m not so sure I want to get out of bed and face the day. I should probably find my Bible and look up some Bible verses about feeling empty, but I lack the motivation. Instead, five simple words scroll across my mind. They’re the words of Leanna Tankersley: “Each day we begin again.” My soul needs these words today. I need the simple reminder to get out of my bed and begin again. God’s mercies are new every morning. Every time I begin again, I trust in these mercies to fall fresh on me. 7 Bible Verses About Feeling Empty (and How…
