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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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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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15 Uplifting Bible Verses About Hope and Strength
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’ve been soaking in God’s Word, speaking Bible verses about hope and strength I invite you to turn to Jesus for hope by spending some time with these words as well. Be sure to read to the end of today’s post for a free devotional eBook to help you find hope in the Lord. 15 Bible Verses About Hope and Strength I don’t know what your past season looked like. Maybe you…
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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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10 Bible Verses About Serving Others in Hidden Places
Do you feel weary as you continue to invest in a calling that feels hidden and difficult? If so, you are not alone. Pull up a chair, and we’ll explore 10 Bible verses about serving others in hidden places today. Be sure to read to the end of today’s post for a free devotional eBook to encourage you as you humbly serve others. Bible Verses About Serving Others in Hidden Places The days passed slowly the year God wove her together in the darkness. It can be hard to hold onto hope when your dream is still covered in obscurity. You start to wonder if the dream will ever come…
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What Is God’s Will for My Life? (10 Absolutes)
An oak leaf falls to its final resting place on pale grass—russet and scaled with age. I consider the sights it saw from its perch high above and imagine its six short months were filled with wonder. I’m in the woods tonight to pray about God’s will for my life. I’m not trying to discern an impacting career change or a move across the country. I simply want to create space to assess the rhythms of my days and make sure I’m still in step with my Guide. Twenty years ago, I sat in this same span of forest and asked similar questions about God’s will for my life. I…
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“Has God Abandoned Me?” (3 Promises From God)
I sit in the canyon where the granite is ribboned with a thousand shades of earthy beige. I’ve come to this canyon to find answers and seek direction for my life. Feeling alone and uncertain, I whisper painful words to the wild Wyoming sky: “Has God abandoned me?” I’ve endured some rough years, and I can’t help but wonder what God thinks about my life. Is he looking at me with folded arms and a disappointed scowl on his face? Is he rolling his eyes and writing me off? I surely deserve to be written off. I’ve been living for myself and not for him. And here in this valley,…
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5 Practical Ways to Sit at Jesus’ Feet
Shadows of maple leaves move like water on the lawn. Lost in their dance, I step out of my cares for just a moment, and my heart feels light for the first time in weeks. More than anything, I’m desperate for space to step back, breathe, and sit at Jesus’ feet. I wish I were better at going with the flow and living with open hands, willing and eager to receive whatever happens to cross my path. Unfortunately, every time we hit a bump in the road, I call it crisis mode and come unhinged. I’m well aware of Jesus’ words: “In this world, you will have trouble . .…
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3 Ways to Hold on to God When You’re at the End of Your Rope
Someone tied a ragged rope swing over the creek last summer. I walked by that rope all winter, its frayed edges hanging grey and frozen over icy water. Sometime in the middle of those long winter months, the old rope started to remind me of the truth I needed when the sun hid its face for weeks on end: Sometimes you have to reach the end of your rope and lose your grip before you realize God was holding onto you the whole time. It’s not easy to hold on to God when your life falls apart and your grip loosens. But maybe the best news of all is this:…
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On Hearing God’s Voice: One Thing God Will Never Say to You
There are hundreds of black flies rising from still water when I hear it. It’s a quiet whisper coming from someplace I can’t quite identify: “You’re not good enough for this.” For a split second, I wonder if I’m hearing God’s voice. I’ve heard this voice dozens of times: When I had that big dream that felt way beyond my reach. When I walked into the middle school cafeteria and couldn’t find a single friend. The day I was asked to stand on a podium and share my heart with an audience. When the superintendent told me I had one week to budget, purchase, curriculum-map, and design an entire classroom…
