a ministry of compassion since 1973
Hope for When It Hurts
May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed.” (Psalm 20: 1 - 5) . . . In real life, I wasn’t getting everything my heart desired, and all my plans certainly were not succeeding! In fact, it often seemed . . .
Read MoreIn Matthew 19:26, Jesus made an incredible statement to His disciples that is so valid for you and me today. He said, . . .
Read MoreI have been thinking about what Mary, the mother of Jesus, must have gone through as she was approached by the angel of the Lord with the message that she would become the mother of the Son of God! What was her perspective as she pondered these things? . . .
Read MoreDo you need a precious promise to “take to the bank” in the middle of busy days? If so, these words are just for you – and for all of us who may be weary in the ministry of meeting the needs of others.
Read MoreThe devil wants us to believe that life is bad. One way he tries to accomplish this is through . . .
Read MoreAre you in a place in your life where you don’t know where to turn? Is there a situation that has you feeling backed against a wall and there seems like no escape? Do your problems seem to be multiplying faster than rabbits reproduce? Maybe God seems very far away and you want to pray but don’t know what to say. Scripture records such a situation in . . .
Read MoreOur daily lives are filled with various types of frustrations, but nothing is more frustrating than when you have an urgent need and absolutely need to reach just the right person by phone only to hear . . .
Read MoreIn the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will. . . . Christ Jesus, who died - more than that, who was raised to life - is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. (Rom. 8:26-27, 34)
There are times in our lives when we are temporarily incapable of speaking. We're speechless. Maybe God has "WOWED" us with an answer to prayer and at the realization of what He did we find ourselves to be speechless. Or maybe we've been rendered speechless by shock or fear. Grief and loss can also make us unable or unwilling to speak.
Sometimes we can even be speechless when we're praying. We often don't know what exactly we should be praying for. We don't know what is best for us and we don't know what the future holds. We know in our hearts that we have questions, burdens, and heartaches for ourselves and our loved ones that are not capable of being expressed in words. But that's okay because even though we are speechless the Holy Spirit within us and Jesus in Heaven are effectively communicating with God on our behalf. Take encouragement from these verses in Romans and be assured that when you're prayers are speechless just the right words are always being prayed for you.
O God, too weak and worn for words, I shrink From trials that deeply wound, and yet to think Your Holy Spirit helps me as I pray And gives a voice to what I cannot say! -Gustafson
Have you had times in your life when you could not understand “Why” God allowed some circumstance in your life? Or are you asking the “Why” question now? The Bible clearly shows us that . . .
Read MoreEven when all around us seems to be falling apart, God is the foundation, the rock, that keeps us. At times in my life when I have had struggles, it has only been . . .
Read MoreGod is the creator of diamonds. He puts pressure on carbon for thousands of years, producing this beautiful and valuable stone. . . . He is also the creator of other precious stones like rubies and sapphires and emeralds. . . . And yet this creator, this God of everything, chose to allow Himself to be crowned with a . . .
Read MoreExpectations are a big part of relationships, but if we have unrealistic expectations we will inevitably be disappointed. There have been times in my pursuit of intimacy with God that I have been disappointed because . . .
Read MoreFirst we see that God is good and right. "God is good, all the time" and He never does wrong. Even when "bad" things happen to His people, He is . . .
Read MoreAs the year 2010 begins, I am reminded that our world is desperately in need of God's peace. How can we experience true peace in our lives? . . .
Read MoreI love the month of December for many reasons but one great joy is receiving all those Christmas letters from friends and family. ... This past December was a very difficult time for our family. As the anticipated letters arrived in our mailbox, I found that I was struggling to enjoy the bright, cheery updates. ...
Read MorePeter confesses that he believes Jesus is God’s son. But when Peter tries to walk on the water to Jesus, he begins to sink because of his fear. Later, Peter is sure that he will never disown Jesus. Yet, when Jesus is crucified, Peter denies Him three times. In John 21, Peter is a little hurt that Jesus asks three times if he loves Him, but . . .
Read MoreHave you ever been in pain, or sad, or discouraged because of circumstances in your life? Has anyone come along with a word that encouraged you? Probably yes to both questions. In these verses, . . .
Read MoreIsn’t it exciting that to belong in God’s family, we are accepted unconditionally! He knows we can never ever measure up to what is required to belong. SO, He . . .
Read MoreI find that I am often like the Israelites. In the passage above Pharaoh's army was coming at them on one side and the Red Sea was on the other. Like the Israelites, I panic when I feel like circumstances are coming at me from all sides. I complain to the Lord and wonder what in the world He was thinking when He led me into a situation. Can you relate?
Read MoreDoes that word, RELINQUISH, sound ominous to you? It’s difficult to RELINQUISH anything…money, schedules, dreams, plans, loved ones...GIVING IT UP! It’s just plain hard to do! Relinquishing the difficult circumstances of life is probably our biggest challenge.
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