Terror and destruction had ravaged Jerusalem after the Babylonian takeover. The people were in despair, and their national identity had been shattered. This was the backstory to Jeremiah 31. Yet, in this mess, God speaks through the prophet Jeremiah to bring hope. Though in Israel’s case God had brought judgment in the form of captivity,…
The last couple of weeks have been filled with tragedy and violence. School shootings, war continuing to rage in several areas of the globe, and the violent shooting of Charlie Kirk have all filled the news. Many feel hopeless and discouraged. At the same time these stories have been unfolding, I’ve been reading through the…
Years ago, I wrote a little book called The 30 Day Praise Challenge. Many of you have bought that book and taken the challenge. Just the other night, I was at an event and randomly met a friend I hadn’t seen in years. She told me again how The 30 Day Praise Challenge had changed…
Have you ever felt completely paralyzed, wondering which way to go? I have. I remember a time, a couple of years ago, when Steve and I were hiking. A storm was brewing in the sky, and somehow, we kept choosing the wrong path back to our car. We ended up wandering in the forest for…
One of the greatest ways to build deeper connections with friends is to spend time praying together. I wrote about finding your prayer people in Cultivating Deeper Connections in a Lonely World. One of my prayer people is my friend Judy. We’ve known each other for years and have often prayed together. This past week,…
Have you ever prayed for something for a long time, and yet heaven feels silent? I think we’ve all been there a time or two. This past week, I was reading in Revelation 8:1–4. There, John tells us that in his vision, when the seventh seal was opened, there was silence in heaven for about…