Have you ever watched a potter work, as Jeremiah did in today's passage? It is amazing to see something lovely begin to take shape from a lump of clay. In this passage God was showing the prophet that the nation of Israel-as well as every person from the beginning of time-was to be shaped by His hand. We are all lumps of human clay waiting for the touch of the master Potter.
Until several years ago, I had a complete set of china dinnerware. In spite of moving households every few years, each fragile piece remained perfectly intact. Then as I packed the dishes one last time, a tea cup slipped from my fingers and broke in two pieces. My spirit was crushed in disappointment.
It was a beautiful early spring day. The sky was cloudless, and the temperature was perfect for an outing. My husband and I decided to visit the zoo in our town.
If you have ever been through a ropes course, you learn a lot about who you are-and even more about your co-workers. The course is there to teach you to work with each other, build trust, as well as grow your confidence.
I listened intently as the doctor described the cancer diagnosis explaining to me the rare form of lymphoma I had and what to expect in the coming days. I asked, “So what is the treatment and when do we start?” In which she replied there were more tests needed to complete for the treatment study. “I will send orders right away. It will take about 2 to 3 weeks to get all the results,” she said.
It looked simple enough on the box. Let’s face it, how hard it is to do a 300-piece jigsaw puzzle? Boy, was I wrong in my assumption! I dumped the pieces on the table, and the colors were so alike.
I don’t know what made me notice the article about birds. But as I scrolled through it, the author said something that caught my eye--birds continue to sing through the pain of a broken wing. The main reason researchers think they do this is to keep predators away.
Pain and loss have deep purpose in Kingdom work. We don’t simply move through lament, find healing, and consider it the end. We should ask the Lord, “What have I learned? What do I do now with this experience?”
When we faithfully practice lament, diligently search the Scriptures, and incorporate Scripture into our prayers, we unlock the experience of profound peace. This is an experienced peace—not the resolution of every “why,” nor the sudden release of burdens that may have weighed on our hearts for years.
In lamenting, after naming your pain and honestly telling God how you feel about difficult or disappointing life experiences, the next step is anchoring yourself in Scripture. Our feelings are real and must be acknowledged, but Truth always steadies us more than emotion ever can. To do this well, we must know God’s Word and apply it.
In recent years, the topic of biblical lament has surfaced in teaching and writing. About two years ago, I began exploring it myself and realized there was something deep within me I needed to face—something I had pushed aside instead of bringing honestly before the Lord. How do you we well? What does healthy lament really look like?
Even if you are single or carry scars from broken vows, you can know the love and faithfulness of the Savior. He sings over you and knows every hair on your head.
My earliest church memory is when I was about four years old at my grandparents’ country church. Papa was preaching the sermon as a substitute for the main pastor.
Friends, we need people in our lives to tell us the truth — even when it’s hard.
Friends, even believers can believe or share lies. That’s why we need to run everything through the Bible.
Almost a month later, this white hydrangea still looked perfectly fresh with no signs of wilting. So I took to Instagram and posted about this flower that must be some miracle representing the eternal love of the bride and groom.
That’s when the groom’s mom messaged me: the white hydrangeas were faux.
Rest can feel out of reach when unresolved hurt keeps resurfacing. This piece explores how forgiveness is often a slow, repeated choice that gently loosens the weight we carry and opens the door to deeper rest.
Relationships shape us more than we realize. This article looks at how God uses friendships, even the challenging ones, to refine our character, reveal blind spots, and help us grow in righteousness through honesty and grace.
