We all experience ups and downs, but sometimes, what we are experiencing seems so much harder than what we see others experiencing. Sometimes, we feel like our pain is greater, that our loss is worse. Other times, we might feel like our pain is small compared to others, and we hesitate to acknowledge that we [...]

When the dark came, because it always does, I found that I had no light. Perhaps I lost it when I crossed the river. Still, I would trust in the name of the Lord and rely on my God. As I made my way through the blackest night, I felt His comfort surround me. I [...]

The vast landscape stretched before me, unending. Mountain peaks jutted harshly against a darkening sky and rivers churned angrily. Taking a deep breath, I paused to tighten the laces of my shoes. “I know You have created me and called me by name—I am Yours.” The wind snatched my words away, but my heart felt [...]

My breath started to grow short, and I felt panic rising in my chEsther While my parents were taking a nap on a warm Sunday afternoon, I was playing dress-up in my bedroom. The jacket I'd shoved my arms into had fit just fine the year before, but now I had obviously outgrown it. I'd [...]

As the aerobics class finished, I grabbed my bag and stormed to the locker room. "Why, God?" I pleaded. "Why do I have to deal with this?" Near the end of the workout session, the instructor had made a rude remark about a member of a popular boy band. Over the microphone she had been [...]

A Pharisee (a Jewish religious leader) named Simon invited Jesus to supper. When Jesus arrived, Simon didn't offer Him water to wash His feet or head. Dirty feet in sandals and itchy heads need water to wash off the dust. It was also customary for the host to offer their guest a kiss on the [...]

Do you have a best friend? A best friend is a precious gift from God. And do you know that God wants to be your very best friend? Jesus came so that we could be in close relationship with God. While a human best friend cannot always be with you, God can. He is with [...]

There are times when I feel weak. Physically weak, because I haven't slept well. Emotionally weak, because someone has been fighting me. Spiritually weak, because I haven't felt as close to God as I would like to feel. When I am exhausted, tired, weak I don't feel up for the projects in front of me. [...]

All his life, Devon had been surrounded by walls. He had been born on the spaceship, just like countless generations before him. There were stories of a place humans had come from long ago called Earth, where there was open air and water that stretched as far as the eye could see. But that's all [...]

I remember before putting my trust in Christ, my speech was just unedifying. Insults and curses always rumbled out of my mouth. But after discovering these Scripture passages and through the help of the Holy Spirit, I began to pay attention to each time harmful words wanted to go out of my mouth. Sometimes, our [...]