Topic > When Life Hurts
The Power Of Tears
In times of sorrow, it can feel as if we’re alone in our suffering. But God never lets a single tear fall without His notice. Today on Discover the Word, we consider the power of tears and find hope in the truth that Jesus understands our grief. Join the group as they introduce a new series […]
When All Seems Lost
In just six months, Gerald’s life fell apart. An economic crisis destroyed his business and wealth, while a tragic accident took his son’s life. Overcome by shock, his mother had a heart attack and died, his wife went into depression, and his two young daughters remained inconsolable. All he could do was echo the words of the psalmist, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Psalm 22:1).
The only thing that kept Gerald going was the hope that God, who raised Jesus to life, would one day deliver him and his family from their pain to an eternal life…
A Longing in Stone
“Ah, every pier is a longing in stone!” says a line in Fernando Pessoa’s Portuguese poem “Ode Marítima.” Pessoa’s pier represents the emotions we feel as a ship moves slowly away from us. The vessel departs but the pier remains, an enduring monument to hopes and dreams, partings and yearnings. We ache for what is lost, and for what we can’t quite reach.
The Portuguese word translated “longing” (saudade) refers to a nostalgic yearning we feel—a deep ache that defies definition. In essence, the poet is describing the indescribable.
We might say that Mount Nebo was Moses’s “longing in stone.” From Nebo…
The Lord Will Provide
My anxiety increased throughout the summer between my undergraduate and graduate programs. I love to have everything planned out, and the idea of going out of state and entering graduate school without a job made me uncomfortable. However, a few days before I left my summer job, I was asked to continue working for the company remotely. I accepted and had peace that God was taking care of me.
God provided, but it was in His timing, not mine. Abraham went through a far more difficult situation with his son Isaac. He was asked to take his son and sacrifice him…
Minister of Loneliness
Since her husband died, Betsy spends most days in her flat, watching television and boiling tea for one. She is not alone in her loneliness. More than nine million Brits (15 percent of the population) say they often or always feel lonely, and Great Britain has appointed a minister of loneliness to find out why and how to help.
Some causes of loneliness are well known: We move too often to put down roots. We can take care of ourselves, and we don’t have a reason to reach out. We are separated by technology—each of us immersed in our own flickering…
Bowl of Tears
In Boston, Massachusetts, a plaque titled “Crossing the Bowl of Tears” remembers those who braved the Atlantic to escape death during the catastrophic Irish potato famine of the late 1840s. More than a million people died in that disaster, while another million or more abandoned home to cross the ocean, which John Boyle O’Reilly poetically called “the bowl of tears.” Driven by hunger and heartache, these travelers sought some measure of hope during desperate times.
In Psalm 55, David shares how he pursued hope. While we are uncertain about the specifics of the threat he faced, the weight of his experience…
Understanding Life’s Trials
My friend’s father received the dreaded diagnosis: cancer. Yet, during the chemo treatment process, he became a follower of Jesus and eventually went into remission. He was cancer free for a wonderful eighteen months, but it returned—worse than before. He and his wife faced the reality of the returned cancer with concern and questions but also with a faithful trust in God because of how He saw them through the first time.
We won’t always understand why we’re going through trials. This was certainly the case for Job, who faced horrendous and unexplainable suffering and loss. Yet despite his many questions,…
Do You Long For The Bigger Story Of Hope?
The trials of this life are certainly real. Do you long for a time when there will be no more pain or sorrow? Today on Discover the Word, we explore how Psalm 121 points to the bigger story of hope that God is telling us through Scripture. We’re concluding the series titled, “A Song of Hopeful Trust,” today […]
God’s Character And The Suffering He Allows
For thousands of years, people have asked, “If God truly loves me then why does He allow bad things to happen?” Today on Discover the Word, the team will discuss what Psalm 121 teaches us about God’s character and the suffering that God allows us to experience. Another thought-provoking discussion today on Discover the Word!
God Is With Us In Our Hardships
When unexpected hardship comes into our lives, it can feel like God stopped caring or paying attention. But the Bible assures us that’s not the case. Today on Discover the Word, we read from Psalm 121, which promises that God is with us every step of life’s journey. Join us for “A Song of Hopeful Trust” today on Discover […]
My Help Comes From The Lord
When you’re caught in the midst of life’s storms, where do you turn for help? Today on Discover the Word, we find encouragement in Psalm 121, which declares that no earthly thing can surpass or even match the power of God. Another hope-filled conversation, today on Discover the Word!
“A Song Of Hopeful Trust”
When trials disrupt our lives, it’s natural to feel helpless and hopeless. But there’s one person we can always turn to for help. Today on Discover the Word, the team turns to Psalm 121 for a reminder that help comes from the Lord. Be part of the start of a new series titled, “A Song of Hopeful […]
Are You There?
When his wife contracted a terminal illness, Michael longed for her to experience the peace he had through his relationship with God. He had shared his faith with her, but she wasn’t interested. One day, as he walked through a local bookstore, a title caught his eye: God, Are You There? Unsure how his wife would respond to the book, he walked in and out of the store several times before finally buying it. To his surprise, she accepted it.
The book touched her, and she began to read the Bible too. Two weeks later, Michael’s wife passed away—at peace with God…
Being Consumed
In his book The Call, Os Guinness describes a moment when Winston Churchill, on holiday with friends in the south of France, sat by the fireplace to warm himself on a cold night. Gazing at the fire, the former prime minister saw pine logs “crackling, hissing, and spitting as they burned. Suddenly, his familiar voice growled, ‘I know why logs spit. I know what it is to be consumed.’”
Difficulties, despair, dangers, distress, and the results of our own wrongdoings can all feel consuming. Circumstances slowly drain our hearts of joy and peace. When David experienced the consuming consequences of his own…
Surviving the Unbearable
The Experience Project, one of the largest online communities of the twenty-first century, was once a site where tens of millions shared deeply painful firsthand experiences. As I read through the heartbreaking stories, I reflected on how desperately our hearts long for someone to see—to understand—our pain.
In Genesis, the story of a young handmaid reveals just how life-giving this gift can be.
Hagar was a slave girl likely given to Abram by a pharaoh of Egypt (see Genesis 12:16; 16:1). When Abram’s wife Sarai was unable to conceive, she urged Abram to conceive a child with Hagar—a disturbing yet familiar practice…
