One way in which God's grace infuses us when we're afflicted or hurting is through truths in His Word. When our emotional batteries are low, the Holy Spirit reminds us of, or leads us to, a particular text that revs up our energy and endurance. The power of God's...

When I am hurting or needy, the Holy Spirit often brings one of two resources to mind:  a verse of Scripture, or a heart-massaging quote from a book I've read or a message I've heard. Today, I am giving you seven remarks on trials that have comforted me or provided...

A Life-Changing Study on Falling at the Feet of Jesus   What attitudes tap into the Lord's favor and give Him pleasure? What posture of mind, heart, and body typically results in His favorable response to our prayers? I found some answers to these questions...

Penetrating the Darkness of a Brutal Diagnosis   Imagine you're a robust 65-year-old, recently retired from 34 years as an elementary teacher. Four days a week at the YMCA, you lift weights and work out on the elliptical. Despite your age, you're thinking...

You might think I'm straining a bit to connect this article to the slant of my blog: depression and faith. But here's the link: heeding this post may keep your loved ones from the despondency caused by your sudden death.   When Ron, 62, got up on Sunday...

Dealing with Despondency In Christian Parents of Grown Children   The Bradford's 18-year-old daughter isn't just irritable in relation to them. She's testing all their boundaries. She insists that going to church is "a waste of time," because she no longer...

Concerning the relationship between Christian faith and depression, what misconceptions persist? What are the primary symptoms, causes, and cures for depression? In preventing or battling depression, what difference should faith in Christ make? What Bible...

The mental anguish and emotional upheaval of a depressive episode are not usually direct consequences of a person's sin. Nonetheless, for me, the pain of depression often pays spiritual dividends, especially in my constant warfare with sin. How is that possible?...

How do you comfort someone whose baby leaves the womb with severe brain damage and a defective heart? The little girl, if she survived, would be totally disabled for life, unable to lift her head, to speak, or to feed herself. What can you do? You go. You drive to...

How a Weak, Tormented Man Still Strengthens the Body of Christ   He was too mentally unstable and self-destructive to leave an enduring legacy of faith in Christ. Too emotionally fragile to make an eternal difference. Too introverted, too much time spent in...

  Even Christians sometimes seek ultimate fulfillment in the wrong places, or through relationships limited in their capacity to satisfy. Faith-strengthening fellowship with other believers is a top-shelf priority.  God often incarnates His love through people...

Even if you feel robust and twenty years younger than your age, the two perspectives I cover in this post will apply to you. Physically speaking, have you ever felt lower than a snake's belly in the floor of the Grand Canyon? Have you ever been plagued by an...