hope renewed
In December 2013, Australian worship leader Darlene Zschech went for a routine mammogram and was diagnosed with breast cancer. In the turmoil of raw emotions, specialist appointments, and the scans and surgery that followed, she instinctively reached for hope from God’s Word—the Psalms in particular. In January 2014 she Tweeted, “Psalm 91:1-16 in any version; God is so good to us all, cling to His Word and find hope that will never disappoint.”
Jesus' example in prayer
We often connect Lazarus' story in John 11:1-44 to the story found in Luke 10:38-42 that reveals the difference between how Mary and Martha responded to Jesus . . .
Mary is pictured as the one who sits at Jesus feet listening to what He has to say and Martha is pictured as the one who focuses on serving.
Other times…
October 20, 2014
What are some ways you practice taking a sabbath rest from the busyness of life?
life and love
Life can be difficult. At times, burdens, disappointments, and uncertainties can seem too difficult to bear. Poet Annie Johnson Flint poignantly captured the struggles of life in her poem “One Day at a Time”:
heart condition
Every morning I pop a baby-strength aspirin. Heart disease runs in my family, and my doctor says it’s good for the health of my ticker.
you choose Q: how can i handle chronic pain?
Q: How do I handle physical body pain over the years even though I've been praying for help ? —Joseph
A: Chronic pain is a challenge that has a great impact on every aspect of life. There's no simple solution for dealing with it. A person in pain must be ready to acknowledge pain’s effects—including the limitations it imposes—but also strive to live as fully as…
He hears our cry
Have you ever felt as if no one was there for you when you faced a difficult and trying time? Perhaps King David’s words reflect what you were feeling: “I look for someone to come and help me, but no one gives me a passing thought! No one will help me; no one cares a bit what happens to me” (Psalm 142:4).
June 23, 2014
How has God helped you through a difficult challenge in your personal life recently?
changeless
She said to him, “I don’t want to try to fix our marriage. It’s over.” What had started with such high hopes and evident love was now a cold, lifeless thing. My friend desired to see renewal and restoration in their relationship, but his wife made it clear that the two of them had changed and that their marriage would soon end.
white knuckles
When I moved near to the big city where I now live, driving on unfamiliar highways made me feel uneasy. Merging into heavy traffic elevated my heart rate. I dreaded becoming boxed in by tractor trailers and other vehicles. Cars and trucks streamed by me, making me feel that I needed to speed up. During these moments, my knuckles became white as I tensely gripped the steering wheel.
nothing in the water
In the 2012 issue of Foreign Policy magazine, columnist Micah Zenko wrote an article in an attempt to allay people’s fears of shark attacks. Zenko concluded that because of the movie Jaws, millions of people in the US unnecessarily panic when they hear that a shark might be near the area where they’re swimming.
June 2, 2014
What encouraging words would you offer to people who are experiencing great pain—physically or relationally—in their life?
