Tag: Joy

Jesus: The Gift of Unconditional Love

How is our deepest need met through the promise of our Savior?

Deep down, every single one of us longs for unconditional love.

That’s why the sting of rejection or unsatisfying interactions cause us to grieve. When we experience conditional love–when people only show us love when we perform well or please them–we may feel tempted to walk away from relationships altogether.

And while we can strive to love others unconditionally, we will never be able to love perfectly on this side of Heaven. So how can our deepest need be met? How can these two opposing forces be reconciled?

Through Jesus.

But before you roll your eyes at the standard Sunday school answer, bear with me through a few ponderings. As someone who grew up in the church, it’s been ingrained in my brain that only Jesus loves us perfectly because He is God and God is Love.

But what does that really mean? How can this incredible promise come to life for us this season?

Consider these verses with me:

 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.

John 3:16-18 (NIV)

What does unconditional love mean?

For God, it meant giving up His very own Son in order to save us and be with us.

Reflect on that for a moment: Through Jesus, God gave up His very self–His very life–in order to demonstrate His love for us.

And the gift doesn’t end there.

Consider this passage with me, titled in my Bible as “Jesus Prays for All Believers”:

“My prayer is not for [my disciples] alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— 23 I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

24 “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.

25 “Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. 26 I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”

John 17:20-25 (NIV)

Through this passage, we learn that God loves us so much, He wants to be with us all the time. That’s why we are given the gift of the Holy Spirit, so that even after Jesus returned to Heaven, the Spirit resides in us to remind us of God’s love and promises. When we invite the Spirit into our lives, we are guided on the right path, comforted in affliction, and refined in godly character.

This verse in particular really stands out to me:

Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

God loves us as much as He loves Jesus–as much as He loves His very own self.

There is truly no greater sacrifice than to die to yourself so that another may live.

No matter what mistakes you’ve made, what regrets plague your mind, what dreams you wish to pursue–God is offering you the gift of unconditional love.

You don’t have to change before receiving this love. You simply need to open your heart and accept it–and the transformative work that will follow.

Because once you receive Jesus’ love, you won’t want to stay the same. You will want to grow in the fruits of His Spirit, especially in how you love others.

When you fully recognize the unmeasurable gift of Jesus’ love, your heart’s new longing will be to worship Him.

And how do we worship Jesus?

36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’

Matthew 22:36-39

As we strive to worship Jesus with our whole selves, we must also have grace for the journey.

It’s okay if you mess up. It’s okay that you can’t love others perfectly. But take every opportunity you can to love others–not out of obligation or guilt, but because you are satisfied in Jesus’ perfect love for you.

If you’re struggling to find something to celebrate this Advent season, take a moment to experience the joy that comes in knowing that you, in whatever state you find yourself in today, are fully known and fully loved by the wonderful God who created you.

Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.

1 John 4:8

Blessed are You: The Gift of Holy Encouragement

This Advent season, how can we encourage others in a godly way?

I’ll never forget my first high school retreat when my youth pastor brought us into a circle to pray and encourage one another. The earnest words that came out of each teenager’s lips were certainly things we couldn’t have come up with on our own. The pieces of encouragement that resonated most deeply were the ones rooted in God’s word.

Close your eyes and think back to a time when someone’s words really lifted your spirits.

Christmas is a time of encouragement, which we show through appreciative cards and thoughtful gifts. We can even encourage others by taking the time to be with them and offering a hopeful presence.

There are many moments throughout the Bible when people experience or share encouragement, and one of my favorites is found in the Christmas story when Elizabeth and Mary greet each other in Luke 1: 39-45 (NIV).

39 At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, 40 where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. 

41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 

42 In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! 43 But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45 Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”

Notice that before Elizabeth speaks to Mary, she is filled with the Holy Spirit. Her words were not just her own; they were given to her by God himself.

But how can we encourage others as Elizabeth did?

For starters, before meeting with people, pray to the Holy Spirit for guidance on what to say. When we are open to speaking as God leads, the way we communicate with others will transform beautifully.

Now let’s focus on what the Holy Spirit says through Elizabeth.

Elizabeth begins by blessing Mary (and Jesus!), and then sharing how blessed she is to be with Mary. She expresses her gratitude and joy for their relationship. She finishes by affirming Mary in her calling and faithfulness to the Lord.

It’s easier to compliment others rather than encourage them. Compliments are often focused on superficial things, like a person’s appearance or what they are good at doing.

Encouragement comes from a deeper place because its ultimate goal is blessing others by affirming their God-given identity.

Is there anyone in your life who God is placing on your heart to encourage?

Consider both the people you see regularly, and perhaps others who have been forgotten in the past. It is such a blessing to shine God’s light through blessing others with loving words.

I pray you experience the gift of encouragement in your life this Advent season and beyond. ❤

Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.

Proverbs 16:24 (NIV)


And the words of the Lord are flawless, like silver purified in a crucible, like gold refined seven times.

Psalm 12:6 (NIV)

Silent Night: the Gift of Quiet

What if silence is meant to draw us closer to God?

Silent Night is one of my favorite Christmas hymns, perhaps because it’s usually accompanied by the warm glow of candlelight at the end of the Christmas Eve service.

But I don’t often attribute silence to Christmas. Christmas is a jolly, bubbly time filled with festive gatherings, shopping rampages, boisterous carols, and bouncing off the walls from one too many buckeye balls!

The word “silence” often comes with the connotation of loneliness, disappointment, and grief. Sometimes, it’s even used as punishment. (Were you the type of kid who was told,”Go sit in the corner until you are ready to say sorry!”?) 😉

But what if silence is a gift? A gift of love, even? A gift of love from our heavenly Father?

Consider this portion of the Christmas story with me, taken from the gospel of Luke:

Once when Zechariah’s division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, 9 he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense.

11 Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. 12 When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. 13 But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John. 14 He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, 15 for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. 16 He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. 17 And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

18 Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.”

19 The angel said to him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. 20 And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time.”

– Luke 1: 1-9, 11-20 (NIV)

Imagine being told that your dream of becoming a parent was finally going to be fulfilled in a very miraculous way–only, you can’t audibly tell anyone, not even your spouse!

At first, God seems pretty harsh for silencing Zechariah after he asks a reasonable question. Especially when you consider Mary’s interaction with Gabriel in the following chapter:

God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”

29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”

34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”

35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. 37 For no word from God will ever fail.”

38 “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.

– Luke 1: 26b-38 (NIV)

Both Mary and Zechariah respond similarly to Gabriel’s messages to them. They express shock and fear, though they listen to his message before asking a logical follow-up question.

So why was Mary encouraged by Gabriel while Zechariah was reprimanded?

The Bible doesn’t explicitly tell us why, but there are a number of reasonable guesses. God knew Mary would have to overcome more obstacles by becoming Jesus’ mother than Zechariah would by becoming John the Baptist’s father, particularly due to how she would be ridiculed as a pregnant unmarried woman. Perhaps this was an act of God’s grace.

But I suspect something even deeper.

God knows each of our hearts. Maybe He knew that Mary trusted Him even as she questioned how His will would be done, while Zechariah needed more of an opportunity to grow in his faith.

But does this mean God loved Mary more than Zechariah? Absolutely not.

Being the perfect Father, God loves each of His children equally. Out of His love, He uses unique approaches based on our God-given individuality to help us grow to become the people He created us to be.

While spending nine months in silence would’ve been challenging, it offered Zechariah the chance to focus on his relationship with God. After all, God was the only one who could hear him during that time.

There are many benefits to stepping back from the chaos of this season and taking a moment to be quiet with God. It allows you to:

  • Hear God’s voice more clearly
  • Enjoy the gift of God’s presence
  • Refocus on what the season is truly all about
  • Rest so that you are refreshed and ready for reentering society again

Sometimes we choose to embrace the quiet, but other times we are sent to the silent places. God is moving even when it seems like everything is still and stagnant around us. And He is with us even when we feel utterly alone.

The best part about being alone with God is experiencing His comfort. There have been many times in my life when I’ve felt incredibly lonely, and while I am thankful that those seasons didn’t last forever, I can’t recall another time when Jesus felt nearer.

We can trust that God knows what’s best for us because even in our hardest, darkest, loneliest seasons, He still offers us the gift of hope.

I pray that if you are in a season of quiet, you can accept what Jesus is teaching you while also trusting that this season won’t last forever. If you are feeling burned out or distracted by external things, consider intentionally taking the time to be quiet and reflect on the beautiful gift of Jesus’ love. ❤

 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.

– Romans 8:26-27 (NIV)

Why Does Christmas Feel Magical?

Appreciating Christmas requires belief in the supernatural power of God.

Christmas is my favorite time of the year. The colorful lights, the uplifting music, the excuse to give loved ones presents and handwritten cards. There’s just something that feels magical about the holiday.

As Christians, it may feel sacrilegious to call anything in the natural world “magical” because of the connotations surrounding the term “magic”. If you do a quick Google search, magic is defined as “the power of apparently influencing the course of events by using mysterious or supernatural forces.”

Without getting into the darker definitions of magic, by this definition alone, I do believe Christmas has magical elements to it. Though they are far deeper, and more incredible, than the secular ideas of the magic of the season.

While I don’t believe there are flying reindeer or jolly elves delivering presents, there is definitely a supernaturalness to the true meaning of Christmas. Only as Christians, we can replace the word “magic” with the word “miracle”.

The difference between magic and miracles is that miracles require intention and care, whereas there’s a sense of spontaneity and luck associated with magic. More importantly, God is the one who orchestrates miracles and the only one with the power to make them happen. Only He is worthy of our praise.

God had been planning to send His son to save us since the beginning of the world, even foreshadowing this promise throughout history. Throughout Jesus’ ministry, He fulfilled each of the descriptions of the promised Savior from the Old Testament. This certainly required much forethought!

However, I don’t think it’s wrong to appreciate the magical feeling of Christmas. In fact, I’m not sure if we can really understand the true meaning of Christmas until we believe in the supernaturalness of it.

Let’s read through Matthew’s depiction of the Christmas story together:

18 This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. 19 Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).

24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25 But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

~ Matthew 1:18-25

Now go back and take note of all the unnatural happenings within this story. Here are a few I noticed:

  • a virgin being with child
  • an angel of the Lord visiting Joseph through a dream
  • God taking human form
  • God wanting to be with us
  • two regular humans changing the entire trajectory of their lives in obedience to God the moment they received their callings

Christmas feels magical because it requires a belief in the supernatural, especially for Christians!

If you think believing an elderly man and his elves spend the year creating presents in the North Pole in order to deliver them all in one night is unrealistic, consider what we believe! The almighty God came down from Heaven in human flesh through an unnatural birth because He desired to be with us, His lowly creation.

Not only that, but from the moment God created this plan, He knew that He was sending His Son with a death wish. Jesus’ ultimate purpose was to die for our sins (and thankfully come back to life!) in order to break the barrier between God and man forever.

There is no greater Christmas miracle than Jesus.

What a gift it is to serve a God who loves us so wonderfully! His love is truly beyond human comprehension.

And that is what we must celebrate this season–and all year round. When we accept Jesus’ love for us, we will notice more clearly when we are being called to share that love with others. Christmas is an excellent excuse to be generous and caring to those in our lives, and share with them the good news of Jesus’ great love.

This Advent season, I encourage you to take a moment to rest and reflect on the miracle of Jesus’ birth. Allow yourself to pause long enough to be filled with awe for all God’s done to be with us–to be with you. ❤

This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.

– 1 John 4:9

Finding the Courage to Be Grateful

Happy Thanksgiving!

At the start of 2024, my mom and I decided to keep a jar of things we were grateful for. Each weekend, I’d write on a little dog-shaped sticky note something I was thankful for from the week. I even labeled the jar “2024: a year of gratitude.”

And I’ll be honest, some weeks it was much harder to remember the good than others. 2024 has been a year of gratitude, but it’s also been a year of loss, heartache, and challenges. But every week, when I really sit back and reflect (sometimes in frustration), God brings to mind at least one thing to be thankful for.

It takes courage to be grateful.

It’s much easier to go around preparing for the worst, assuming everyone is out to get you and you can never rest until things are completely and utterly perfect.

But that’s the problem: when you wait for things to be perfect before you accept joy into your heart, you will be waiting until Jesus comes again. Things on earth simply will not be completely perfect until then. That’s the consequence of living in a world where sin exists.

When we open our hearts to joy, even in the middle of trials, we are proclaiming with boldness that God is greater than even our toughest battles.

The good news is that God doesn’t expect us to be courageous on our own. In fact, courage without faith is actually foolishness because it’s a reliance on our own, flawed selves rather than our perfect God.

When we ask God for help in whatever we do, whether it’s trusting Him enough to take the time to rest and experience gratitude, or showing up with courage and embracing joy, He will be present with us.

Today, I encourage you to reflect on this past year, even if it was one of the toughest years of your life. Consider what you are truly thankful for–not just what you think you are supposed to be grateful for, but the moments when you really experienced God’s grace.

And remember, gratitude is one of the purest forms of praise to our wonderful God, who will remain constant in His love for us even when our circumstances change. ❤

Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.

– Colossians 3:16


Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.

– Hebrews 10:23

Embracing the Process

While reflecting on the example of growing as a horse rider, consider how God might be calling you to grow as a believer.

I work at a horse riding stable, and one of my favorite parts of the job is witnessing students transition into competent riders.

That often means they don’t need help cleaning their horses’ hooves or assistance with getting their horses to move faster than a walk. It becomes natural for them to know when to circle their horses to make space, recite horse anatomy and tack, and understand the basics of how they should ride and interact with horses, even if they mess up sometimes.

In my mind, my students are transitioning from simply being horse admirers to becoming true horse riders.

This transition isn’t just a joy for instructors, like myself, to witness. I notice the smiles on my students’ faces when they are able to feel independent and try harder activities during lessons.

But this next stage in riding development comes with its own challenges too. I have higher expectations for my students because I know that they know how they are supposed to ride. If their heels are up or their horses are crowding another horse, I will remind them of how they should be. As they perform harder assignments, I might point out more detailed things for them to work on than before.

Before, it was simply about getting their horses where they wanted them to go without falling off. Now, it’s about the refinement period. Making sure my riders not only ride confidently, but with intention and poise.

Even deeper than that, it’s about getting my riders to make the last transition. Not from students to jockeys or olympians. But from horse riders to horse lovers.

In order to be a horse lover, you must ultimately care more about your horse than about whether or not you successfully rode a pattern or cantered faster than your friends. You must know your horse so well, you can notice and understand their movements and expressions and fears. You must be willing to do what it takes to care for your horse, whether that means cleaning their stinky stall or giving your horse a break when they are tired.

If you’re a regular on my blog, you might be wondering why you just had to read all about becoming a horse lover when you don’t spend any time with horses. (Though if you are a fellow horse lover, big high-five!) But I promise, the process of becoming a horse lover is relevant to your life, even if you never get on a horse.

That’s because this process mirrors our spiritual journey with God.

Consider it this way:

We must first express interest in having a relationship with God and ask for His forgiveness. Then, we make a commitment, whether it be attending church or small group or Bible study, to grow in that faith. Even as we participate in Christian community, we are still baby Christians at this stage. We are often reliant on others to hold our hands through this process and help us understand a God we admire, but do not fully know for ourselves.

Through prayer, discipleship, and ultimately the work of the Holy Spirit, we transition into independent Christians. Community is still vital to our faith–it always will be–but perhaps we are doing some of the leading. We feel more comfortable reading the Bible on our own and bringing our thoughts to the table. We have a sound understanding of what it means to be a Christian and we are starting to know what God’s voice sounds like.

While this season is exciting, it comes with its own challenges. Our faith might be tested for the first time. We may have harder questions to grapple with. Sometimes we experience loneliness or isolation where we must rely on God fully. This is a season of preparation, though, for the beauty that is to come.

And this stage is what generally lasts the longest because we cannot enter the third stage until we are reunited with Jesus in Heaven. We can become more mature as we wait on the Lord by spending time with Him and becoming more like Him in word and deed.

But we cannot fully know or love Him until we have completed the process of sanctification. Another word for this is glorification, which means we have been brought to perfection in Christ.

So what does this mean for us today?

We must prepare for when we will be reunited with God again. We shouldn’t be obsessed over when exactly that will happen–that will just create fear in us. But we should spend this time getting to know God and allowing His love to influence our daily lives and decisions. Through this process, there is grace, for we can trust that even when we make mistakes, God’s love for us remains.

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

Romans 5:1-5

Reflection Questions:

How might God be calling you to grow to become more like Him today?

What in your routine or relationships might need to change?

God is Our Refuge (Part 2)

Together, let’s find hope in God’s promise to be our refuge in Psalm 34.

I will extol the Lord at all times;
    his praise will always be on my lips.
2 I will glory in the Lord;
    let the afflicted hear and rejoice.
3 Glorify the Lord with me;
    let us exalt his name together.

4 I sought the Lord, and he answered me;
    he delivered me from all my fears.
5 Those who look to him are radiant;
    their faces are never covered with shame.
6 This poor man called, and the Lord heard him;
    he saved him out of all his troubles.
7 The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him,
    and he delivers them.

8 Taste and see that the Lord is good;
    blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.
9 Fear the Lord, you his holy people,
    for those who fear him lack nothing.
10 The lions may grow weak and hungry,
    but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.
11 Come, my children, listen to me;
    I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
12 Whoever of you loves life
    and desires to see many good days,
13 keep your tongue from evil
    and your lips from telling lies.
14 Turn from evil and do good;
    seek peace and pursue it.

15 The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,
    and his ears are attentive to their cry;
16 but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil,
    to blot out their name from the earth.

17 The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them;
    he delivers them from all their troubles.
18 The Lord is close to the brokenhearted
    and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

19 The righteous person may have many troubles,
    but the Lord delivers him from them all;
20 he protects all his bones,
    not one of them will be broken.

21 Evil will slay the wicked;
    the foes of the righteous will be condemned.
22 The Lord will rescue his servants;
    no one who takes refuge in him will be condemned.

-Psalm 34, NIV

God loves you as the perfect father loves his child, as a wise instructor loves his student, and as a masterful artist loves his creation. He allows us to go through challenges and trials in order to reveal His love even more deeply to us, and offer us the chance to grow closer to Him.

Consider these questions as you reflect on the word of God:

  • What is something you can praise God for today?
  • What is plaguing your heart with fear?
  • How is God calling you to release your fears and desires to Him?
  • In what ways may the Spirit be convicting you today? (And remember, conviction is not meant to put us to shame, but to refine us into the perfect creation God intended us to be).

If you are going through a hard season, God still hears you and wants you to come to Him. Let down your guard and accept His nurturing presence. Remember, He is with you through it all. You will find refuge in His wings.

Celebrating 5 Years of The Will to Wake Up!

Reflecting on the past while finding hope in the future.

The most beautiful things can come out of the hardest situations.

If you had told me that on September 21st, 2019, I would’ve plugged my ears and ran away.

That day felt like the final kick in the shins after a fight already lost. In 2019, life felt like it was spiraling out of control. There were so many difficult situations, from a car accident to broken friendships to losing loved ones, and ongoing torments, like loneliness, grief, and guilt. In many ways, it was my “coming-of-age” year.

Nothing horrible happened on September 21st. I just received news. News of things to come. Your dog is dying. Your crush likes someone else. Your friend is making harmful choices.

And all those things (even the thought of losing my furry best friend) would’ve probably seemed inconsequential after what I had experienced earlier that year.

But often, it’s when that last glimmer of hope is snuffed out that we feel the most in despair. The most alone. Our hope vanishes only when we let go of the belief that despite all we’ve gone through, goodness may still lie ahead.

I don’t consciously know why my solution to my problems was typing out a blog post about dealing with pain. Writing had always been my way of processing things, but my writing had also always been personal.

The name for the blog came instantly to me, which felt like a sign since it usually takes forever for me to decide on names! Perhaps it was because in that moment, I needed someone to remind me why I should continue forward, continue waking up each morning. Slowly but surely, I allowed hope back into my heart.

Despite life’s ups and downs over the past five years, God has used His word, His people, and even this blog to be that reminder for me. That gentle nudge to say, “Hey, it’s okay. Even if this situation doesn’t turn out the way you planned, God is with you. You are not alone.”

No matter what shape this blog takes over the next five years, I hope that it remains two things:

  • a resting place where you can connect with God. The Spirit can speak through the verses, the words, even my own flawed insights, better than any person can.
  • a reminder that no matter what, you are not alone. You are so dearly loved.

What are you facing today? Is it difficult to imagine that there could still be more ahead? Yes, more challenges, but also more opportunities for joy and abundant life?

In prayer, consider asking God to help you surrender your fears, failures, hopes, and dreams to Him. As our divine creator, He knows better than anyone how to bring beauty out of any situation. And as His beautiful creation, no matter what, you can always run back to His loving arms and He will care for you.

Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

– Romans 5:3-5

10 Verses to Encourage You in Your Relationships

Encouraging and supporting each other can bring joy and transformation, even reflecting Jesus’ sacrificial love.

Let’s be honest: relationships (whether friendly, romantic, familial or otherwise) can be complicated, especially when we love others enough to be authentic and empathetic with them. We experience each other’s wins and losses like our own.

Maybe right now you feel socially depleted or burned out. While rest, balance and boundaries are important in maintaining sustainable relationships, we also must persevere through rocky patches in order to cultivate deep and meaningful relationships.

These first five verses instruct us as to how to live out godly relationships.

Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

Philippians 2:1-4

When we experience the selfless love of Christ, we will have the desire to share that love with those in our lives.

A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.

John 13:34-35

Loving one another shows those even outside of our relationships that we have been transformed by the work of Jesus.

You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.

Galatians 5:13

We don’t always get to choose who is in our lives, but we do get to choose how we relate to them. When we approach others with humility, we will be able to cultivate authentic and trusting relationships. Even if others are unwilling to accept our kindness, we know that we are still honoring God by being loving.

“If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them. 4 Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying ‘I repent,’ you must forgive them.” (Jesus)

Luke 17:3-4

Loving others doesn’t mean we pretend like they are perfect. When conflict arises, it’s loving to address it and work through it for the health of the relationship. When the other person also puts in the work of reconciling, it’s vital that we forgive them rather than hold onto bitterness.

Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. 16 Live in harmony with one another. 

Romans 12:15-16

There are some relationships that look like walking through life side-by-side. There will be other relationships that may only be rekindled a few times a year due to busy schedules or geographical distance. Regardless of how close you are to a loved one, when you are together, it’s important to be fully present. Few acts of love are greater than temporarily setting aside your own feelings in order to comfort or encourage someone going through an emotional time.

Now, here are five verses to encourage you to be hopeful about your relationships. While they require work and energy, they can also be a huge source of joy.

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Hebrews 10:24-25

(Fun fact: this verse is what kept me going when I first started a Bible study and felt discouraged by the lack of participants. But God has blessed me for continuing to meet by bringing new participants and deepening my friendships with them. I’m so glad I didn’t give up!)

As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.

Proverbs 27:17

I always say that the best relationships are the ones where you can encourage each other to become the best versions of yourselves. While sharpening one another can lead to some friction, in the end both parties are transformed into their best design through the process.

A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.

Proverbs 17:17

There are few things as comforting as a caring friend during a challenging season of life.

Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.

John 15:13

“Life” can mean more than life versus death. When we are willing to drop everything to help out a friend or carve out time each week to be present with loved ones, we are expressing sacrificial love too.

But this verse is even more significant when considering its context. Jesus went on to add:

You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.

John 15:14-15

We know that Jesus loves us in the deepest sense of the word because He gave up not only His livelihood in Heaven, but His physical life as well, so that we can spend eternity with Him. Though we are simply His creation, Jesus views us as His closest companions, His very own friends! How incredible is that? And we can love Him in return by obeying and trusting Him.

Today, have peace in the knowledge that you are Jesus’ beloved friend. Consider how you might go about your day differently with this blessing in your heart. How might you bless others in your life today?

God is Our Refuge

When we remember what an extraordinary God we serve, everything else falls into perspective.

As I was discerning the passage for this week’s devotional, I felt God pulling me away from Acts and toward Psalm 57.

This psalm has been on my heart over the past few months, particularly as I’ve faced unknowns and entered new situations. Let’s read through this passage and ask God how He’s speaking to us today.

Have mercy on me, my God, have mercy on me,
    for in you I take refuge.
I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings
    until the disaster has passed.

Psalm 57:1

This passage makes me imagine a warm, feathery bird wrapping its wings around little chicks in a thunderstorm. Together, they huddle in a little cave, kept safe by the parent bird’s wings. On their own, the little chicks wouldn’t be able to protect themselves in the storm. They would get all damp, cold, and muddy–they might even get swept away. But it’s within their parent’s nature to hold them close and keep them warm.

It’s within God’s nature to hold us close to His heart. Sometimes this means providing us comfort and rest. Other times, God sets us free to try out our own wings, but even then He is with us. He never lets us fly out of His loving sight.

How might you want to experience God’s refuge this week?

I cry out to God Most High,
    to God, who vindicates me.
3 He sends from heaven and saves me,
    rebuking those who hotly pursue me—
    God sends forth his love and his faithfulness.

Psalm 57:2-3

When we experience injustice, regardless of its magnitude, our natural instinct is to take matters into our own hands. But because we are broken people, we will never be able to handle situations perfectly on our own. When we rely on God to help us handle difficult situations, we will feel strengthened by His love and faithfulness.

What is a difficult situation you’re currently experiencing? How is God leading you to respond to it?

I am in the midst of lions;
    I am forced to dwell among ravenous beasts—
men whose teeth are spears and arrows,
    whose tongues are sharp swords.

They spread a net for my feet—
    I was bowed down in distress.
They dug a pit in my path—
    but they have fallen into it themselves.

Psalm 57:4,6

I’m not sure about you, but the most “ravenous beast” in my life is my growling dog guarding his treat. However, there can be metaphorical lions and beasts in our lives that cause us suffering.

For example, perhaps you have a difficult person in your life whose words have pierced you like sharp swords. Or maybe you’re facing a problem that feels as ginormous as a ravenous beast.

No matter what you are struggling with, God is bigger than it. Your burdens are too heavy for you to carry alone, but they will never be too much for God.

What is a burden that you’ve been reluctant to give to God?

My heart, O God, is steadfast,
    my heart is steadfast;
    I will sing and make music.
8 Awake, my soul!
    Awake, harp and lyre!
    I will awaken the dawn.

Psalm 57:7-8

Having a heart that’s steadfast means even when our circumstances aren’t ideal or our faith isn’t as fiery as in past seasons, we are still devoted to God. Often, the reason why we don’t feel as close to God isn’t because He’s gone anywhere, but because we haven’t taken the time to praise Him.

When our faith is reliant on God’s character rather than our shifting emotions and circumstances, we won’t fear losing our faith because it is grounded in what always stays the same: God.

Go through the alphabet and list out at least one corresponding characteristic of God for each letter. As a bonus, think of specific instances when you’ve witnessed God revealing that characteristic in your life or in the Bible.

I will praise you, Lord, among the nations;
    I will sing of you among the peoples.
10 For great is your love, reaching to the heavens;
    your faithfulness reaches to the skies.

11 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
    let your glory be over all the earth.

Psalm 57:9-11

When we step back and realize what an extraordinary God we serve, everything else falls into perspective.

Yes, there are frustrating, even harmful people, out there. Yes, the world is broken. Yes, we might be in the middle of a storm right now. There are so many difficult things in the world, things to be afraid of.

Except that the most powerful being in the universe loves us and has given us a purpose. He hasn’t abandoned us. He is here even now, wherever you are, listening patiently and ready to guide you on your life path.

We can be faithful to God by obeying His commands and asking for forgiveness when we make mistakes. We can obey God by transforming each day to become more and like Jesus through loving others, living out His truth, and cultivating the fruits of the Spirit.

Thankfully, our faith doesn’t rely on whether or not we do things perfectly. God’s faithfulness is perfect, and through it all, He is our refuge.

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.

Psalm 46:1

Here is a wonderful worship song based on Psalm 57!