After hearing of John the Baptist’s death, Jesus withdrew to pray, showing us the importance of turning to God in grief and relying on His presence to find strength for the next step.

Through the unexpected kindness of Boaz and the providence of God, Naomi and Ruth find hope, a powerful reminder that God works ahead of us, even in our struggles.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, many are grappling with the question of why God allows natural disasters, particularly as the devastation unfolds and the death toll rises.

I suspect that from the grandstand of heaven, our departed loved ones might just be smiling, because they shared Jesus with us, and they know that one day we will in fact be what they took with them to heaven.

It’s vital to not only support those grieving loss but also to reach out to the spiritually dead, sharing the transformative good news of Jesus and offering them the hope of resurrection.

God somehow takes our sadness, our faith, our hope, our confidence in the resurrection, our silence, and our honesty and uses them all mixed together.

“Unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required.” And even in my loss, I see I’ve been given so much.