“We don’t like to be broken, and we work hard at maintaining the façade that we have it all together. But if we’re honest, part of what life does is break us. We get betrayed, hurt, stepped on, and shutout. We suffer heartaches and losses. And some days it feels a lot like despair.”- Bob […]
“Although Jeremiah’s resignation may seem like despair, the difference between lament and despair is a thin line — and that line matters. Despair gives up. The word despair is from the Latin de (down from) and sperare (hope). Despair moves down from hope. Lament is the opposite. Lament moves us up to hope.”- Aubrey Sampson […]
‘ . . . the idea of God owing you something probably strikes you the same way it did me at first – absurd. How could God owe me something? As a Christian, I’ve always believed that I owe him everything. Perhaps that’s why our jealousy is so easily misdirected. And perhaps that’s why it […]
” . . . the emptiness so many people experience in life is more intense in success that it is in failure. . . . Most of us have this notion that Once I get to a certain place or achieve a certain thing, life will truly start in full, and I’ll finally be happy […]
“Cynicism melts under the relentless hope of the gospel.. . . Bitterness can’t linger under the relentless assault of love. Hope cannot die if an empty tomb empowers it.”- Carey Nieuwhof In Chapter 2 (“Kicking Cynicism in the Teeth”) of Didn’t See It Coming, Carey Nieuwhof offers practical ways to defeat your inner cynic. First, […]
“Despair will not rule the day. Sorrow will not last forever. The clouds may eclipse the sun, but they cannot eliminate it. Night might delay the dawn, but it cannot defeat it. Morning comes. Not as quickly as we want. Not as dramatically as we desire. But morning comes, and with it comes joy.”- Max […]
“Do not meditate on the mess. You gain nothing by setting your eyes on your problem. You gain everything by setting your eyes on the Lord.”- Max Lucado “God . . . is the blessed controller of all things, the king over all kings and the master of all masters.”- 1 Timothy 6:25 (Phillips) Max […]
“As a child of the King, you are at the front of the line. You, at any moment, can turn to God.”- Max Lucado “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.”- Philippians 4:6 In Chapter 6 (“Prayer, Not Despair”) of Anxious for Nothing, Max […]
“Although it may get walloped and slammed against, hope is the antidote to despair, and it’s the only way to live through prolonged seasons of waiting without losing our faith or our sanity.”- Ann Swindell “Since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we […]
“Some prayers just happen; they are ‘the Cry of the Heart.’ No training is needed when it comes to this type of prayer.”- John Eldredge In Chapter 3 (“The Cry of the Heart”) of Moving Mountains, John Eldredge tells of the time he and a buddy were on their way home from a fishing trip […]
In Chapter 3 (“Surrendering Your Focus”) of Waiting on God, Charles Stanley notes that an inherent battle occurs when we wait on God. As our delay stretches to weeks, months, and even years, we struggle to decide whether our desire is aligned with His will. Dr. Stanley observes that we sense an inherent conflict between […]