WHAT IS GOD SAYING IN MY SUFFERING?Although it doesn’t feel like it at the time, suffering is an amazing opportunity for revelation to come about the nature of God. There is nothing like suffering to catapult us toward Him. In that process of coming to Him, we discover Him afresh. And often new revelation will come through what He speaks to us.C.S. Lewis said, "God whispers to us in our pleasures,...  Read More

Job 13:13-16 Be silent before me so that I may speak; Then let come on me what may.  Why should I take my flesh in my teeth And put my life in my hands?  Though He slay me, I will hope in Him.  Nevertheless I will argue my ways before Him.  This also will be my salvation, For a godless man may not come before His presence....  Read More

WHERE ARE YOU GOD?Two questions I believe we ask in the middle of suffering are: 1/Who are you God? 2/Where are you God?We ask God, Are you ambivalent? Are you faithful? Do you care? Are you powerless? Are you powerful? Who are you in my suffering?Moments of suffering can bring the fear of divine indifference, rejection, or judgment. Is this suffering a rejection of me or is it punishment? These q...  Read More

THE UNINVITED GUESTSuffering is unwanted because it is not pleasant. It feels wrong and in a sense it is. It was not part of God's plan for us to suffer. However, the catastrophic event, the fall of man means suffering is now a normal part of our life. To avoid suffering would mean to avoid life altogether. So, what do we do when this inevitable suffering comes? How are we supposed to respond? And...  Read More

Final ThoughtsThere are three answers God gives to our prayers: yes, no, and not yet. In Paul’s case, he often asked God to relieve him of the thorn in his side. While we don’t know if this was a literal, physical thorn or a metaphor for a mental affliction, we see clearly that God’s response to Paul was “Not yet.”Maybe you can relate to Paul’s frustration. You’ve asked God time and time again to ...  Read More

Fear - GideonGideon had a lot of reasons to be scared: his nation was under constant attack from the neighboring Midianites. They assaulted his people, destroyed their crops, and stole their livestock. Like many Israelites, Gideon lived in hiding, where we find him in Judges 6.When the Lord appears to Gideon and instructs him to rescue Israel from the Midianites, he counters with a long list of re...  Read More

Job 4:7-8“Remember now, who ever perished being innocent?  Or where were the upright destroyed? According to what I have seen, those who plow iniquity, And those who sow trouble harvest it.Job 4:17-19Can mankind be just before God?  Can a man be pure before his Maker?  He puts no trust even in His servants; And against His angels He charges error.  How much more those who dwell in houses of clay...  Read More

Anger - CainAccording to Ephesians 4:26, anger itself isn’t a sin. How we deal with our anger can lead us to sin. Aggressive displays of anger are sinful and often cause hurt, sadness, and fear in others.God warned Cain not to let his anger consume him. He says, “sin is crouching at the door, eager to control” him (verse 7). We, too, can fall under anger’s control if we aren’t on the lookout.Sever...  Read More

Grief - NaomiNaomi has just suffered a colossal amount of loss. Her husband and her two sons have just died, leaving her without any support. Her grief so consumes Naomi that she becomes bitter and resentful, completely hopeless for her future. She pushes away her daughters-in-law, Orpah and Ruth, to keep from dragging them both into her misery with her.Ruth, however, pushes back. She knows what N...  Read More

Addiction - SolomonIn this passage, we see King Solomon indulging his desire to have many women in his life. He marries 700 women and keeps 300 more on the side. Even after God’s clear instructions not to marry these women, who worshiped false gods, Solomon ignores him. Instead, he follows his immediate wants, almost as if he has a compulsive need for the attention and intimacy of these women. Sol...  Read More

Depression - ElijahElijah was a prophet during an unstable time in Israel’s history. Many had turned away from God to worship Baal, a false god. God sent Elijah to help the Israelites see the error of their ways and return to God, and his efforts resulted in the death of many prophets of Baal. This caused a rift between Elijah and people like Jezebel, who all but guaranteed she would kill him.Elij...  Read More

Anxiety - MarthaWhether you experience occasional stress or suffer from an anxiety disorder, you’re probably no stranger to what Martha felt in Luke 10:38-42. Jesus was coming over to her house, so she wanted to ensure everything was perfect. (Who could blame her?) Martha began to let her concerns about creating a hospitable environment for Jesus escalate to full-blown anxiety.Our anxious thoughts...  Read More