Choose to look to God
God hears our prayers, and he will answer them. He is faithful every time.
Better than fried chicken! Comfort to last beyond a lifetime
God’s promises were not just for Jerusalem but for all people and for all time. Our best hope, our only hope, is in the promises of God. His gift of Jesus changes everything.
Three strategies for coping when it seems we’re living in exile
Hope for those who have been living in exile. That was part of the message Isaiah brought to the children of God who had been waiting for decades; now deliverance was coming. So . . . How long have you been living in exile?
Do we need help? Hope? Healing? Sometimes only a song will do
In the middle of our stress and struggle, our sickness, and our bondage, God knew we needed to sing and to be served by songs of hope.
How we all can prepare now to play well the inevitable endgame
Our bodies, like our houses, wear out even with constant attention. But there is a glorious endgame ahead of us.
When we consider God’s glory and hope, we want to boast about it!
No one wants to be around a braggart. So why does Paul tell us again and again to boast?
A psalm of praise and pain and hope. A prayer we can pray, too
In just four verses the psalmist expresses praise and pain that might be on any of our lips.
Our path in history did not start, nor will it end, with today
Sometimes we need to be reminded that our moment has a history and our history forms a path for those who are yet to be born.
God is there, even when your hopes and expectations are dashed
Exiles may be surprised by the way their present doesn’t match the future they dreamed about in the past. But God is always there.
Trials, trouble, hope, and courage—possible for every believer
It is neither instant nor natural to think of facing trials joyfully. And joyfully doesn't mean some sort of denial or silliness. It is a deep awareness that our suffering aligns us deeply with Jesus who suffered for us.
Tired? Fragile? Weak? Uncertain? Isaiah has help to encourage us
When the exiles finally heard hope that they one day could return home, maybe the news only overwhelmed them. Isaiah’s message to them can encourage us, too.
In Upper Room conversations, we can find hope for our every day
Our difficulties create opportunity for the enemy to distract and discourage, even going so far as to suggest that God surely is not with us. These are times when we must lean in on the promises of God. And these are the times when if we falter, we can discover the richness and beauty of repentance and restoration.