God's Love and Presence ⁽²⁰⁾

When Your Body Is Tired, Your Resolve Is Failing, and You Need More Than Yourself "My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." — Psalm 73:26 (NIV) There are days when you can feel…

When the Battle in Your Mind Makes Surrender Feel Like Loss "Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." — James 4:7 (NIV) You are tired of fighting the same thoughts. Fear comes back. Anger comes back. Old habits…

Let the Weight Drop Before It Breaks You "Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you." — 1 Peter 5:7 (NIV) You are carrying too much, and pretending otherwise is costing you. Grief piles weight onto ordinary life: appointments, money, family pressure,…

Even in the Crowd, You Cannot Outrun His Presence "Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?" — Psalm 139:7 (NIV) There are days when grief does not make you cry in public. It makes you disappear in public.

Rejoice for Others if You Can't Rejoice For Yourself First "Let everything that has breath praise the Lord . Praise the Lord ." — Psalm 150:6 There are times in grief when praise feels far away. You still believe in God, but your heart does…

In the Still, Small, Quiet Voice "After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper." — 1 Kings 19:12 (NIV) There are times when the soul expects God to arrive loudly. After…

Letting God Near When Your Heart Is Shattered "The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit." — Psalm 34:18 Grief can make closeness feel threatening. You may want comfort and resist it at the same time. You may…

Pour Your Heart Out to Him; He Is Your Refuge "Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge." — Psalm 62:8 (NIV) Grief can fill the heart faster than words can carry it. You…

God’s Final Sound Is That of Rejoicing Over You "The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing." —…

God Will Never Reject Your Mourning "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted." — Matthew 5:4 (NIV) There are places where grief sits quietly after everyone else has gone. An empty pew. A folded order of service. A handkerchief left on the…

Without Shame, Let Your Cry Reach God "In my distress I called to the LORD; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears." — Psalm 18:6 (NIV) Distress can push prayer…

God is with You — Always "and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." — Matthew 28:20 (NIV) There are times after loss when the future looks less like…