Posts tagged 'hardship'

  • Seeing God in Your Suffering

    No matter how diverse man’s cultures or religions may be, this earth life inevitably includes the element of suffering. It’s a natural reaction to want the suffering, the grief, the pain, the loneliness to go away. But when we allow these “natural” reactions to overwhelm us, we are missing a major element of the picture.

    by Maria Fontaine

  • Better Days Ahead—Part 7

    —Rediscovering Joy

    As Christians, when we invite Jesus into our hearts and lives and are filled with the Holy Spirit, our lives change; we experience the joy of our salvation and rejoice ...

    by Peter Amsterdam

  • Better Days Ahead—Part 6

    —Fight the Good Fight of Faith

    Following Jesus is not a passive, easy, feel-good hobby. It’s a challenge, a lifestyle, and a calling. We are blessed to know that our lives make a difference as we walk in obedience to God’s Word, ...

    by Peter Amsterdam

  • Better Days Ahead—Part 5

    —Dealing with Disappointment

    Often when I’m having prayer time and meditating on God’s Word, I take some time to count my blessings and recall how God’s goodness has been manifested in my life. I feel so grateful. ...

    by Peter Amsterdam

  • Better Days Ahead—Part 4

    —Nurturing Mental and Emotional Well-being

    It is wonderful to know that no matter what is going on in our lives, we can trust Jesus and look to Him to establish our thoughts and guide our steps. The Bible says ...

    by Peter Amsterdam

  • Better Days Ahead—Part 3

    —God’s Abundant Supply

    When Jesus’ disciples asked Him to teach them how to pray, He instructed them among other things to pray for the supply of their daily bread (or sustenance). Jesus experienced and understood ...

    by Peter Amsterdam

  • Better Days Ahead—Part 2

    —Finding Comfort in Times of Loneliness

    When we find ourselves in one of the difficult seasons of life, this can often be accompanied by loneliness or a sense of being alone in our struggles. Feeling alone and isolated ...

    by Peter Amsterdam

  • Better Days Ahead—Part 1

    —All Things Work Together for Good

    And we know [with great confidence] that God [who is deeply concerned about us] causes all things to work together [as a plan] for good for those who love God, ...

    by Peter Amsterdam

  • Thoughts on the King

    One question that could be asked regarding God’s gift of salvation is why God, who is all-powerful, had to send His beloved Son to earth to die for us in the greatest sacrifice of all time. Couldn’t He have just forgiven us ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • Perfect Peace

    Biblical principles are timeless, because no matter what our circumstances or our age or the times we live in, they hold true as much today as ever. The Bible says that God wants to give us His perfect peace ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • Soaring Above

    If you ever feel guilt, remorse, condemnation, or self-blame in any way, the following message may offer you hope.

    As you read this, remember that you are loved unconditionally, no matter what your situation. ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • Victory in Tough Times

    I was asking Jesus how I could encourage you about any difficulties that you (or a friend or loved one) may be experiencing. The Lord said that, first of all, I should remind you about the life to come. ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • Glory in Gethsemane

    In a previous post, I wrote about how worries and fears can produce stress in our lives regarding things that might happen, but which in many cases never come to pass. It would be nice if all our troubles fit into that category. ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • Fighting Discouragement

    I was thinking about discouragement the other day. I had experienced some bouts with discouragement over not doing as well as I wanted to with some needed changes in my daily regimen of work and health habits. ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • Liberating Our Perspectives

    Do you ever look at the tests, struggles, and impossible situations you find yourself in and wonder if it might be the result of something you did wrong? Perhaps you’re in the midst of sickness and feel ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • Rocks to Roads

    If you are looking at what’s ahead with some trepidation, it’s understandable. Maybe as you look back you see the struggles, uncertainty, and perhaps even events that have shaken your life. ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • Never Ever Quit!

    Life is hard sometimes.

    When you’ve worked as hard as you possibly could and yet you failed to make the grade, your dreams remain out of reach, and you feel you just can’t do it anymore, you can feel like giving up. ...

    by Peter Amsterdam

  • What Faith Knows

    No matter how dreadful, devastating, irreversible or hopeless things seem when you’re facing a major setback or even a life-threatening situation, the fact that you continue to actively trust in Jesus ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • Sunshine and Rain

    Quotations of faith and hope in the midst of suffering

    Compiled and edited by Maria Fontaine

    Our natural reaction to troubles or suffering or sickness is to want them to go away as quickly as possible. That’s what the Lord ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • More Than Conquerors

    Quotations of faith and hope in the midst of suffering

    Compiled and edited by Maria Fontaine

    Have you ever stopped to ask yourself, “Why am I here in this life? What does it all mean to me personally?” This is a normal ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • The Superhero Within

    Have you ever experienced some particular problem or pain that surprised you by how debilitating it was? Perhaps it was a sore toe, or an earache that outwardly seemed small, but it made your day a major struggle. Then along comes ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • Love Never Dies

    Let’s say you’re going through a desperate time and have lost your bearings, or are experiencing loss, suffering, grief, or big changes in life, to the point that you question how you’re going to go on. What can you do? We all know the spiritual ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • Mud and Palaces

    Do you ever wish that life could just be all those wonderful times when, in one way or many, your dreams are turning into reality before your eyes? Perhaps you’re learning new things or making progress in something that is important to you. ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • The Secret of Joy

    Quotations of faith and hope in the midst of suffering

    It’s easy to see why we need happy experiences and times of joy, peace, and contentment to encourage us through this life. But it can be a dilemma ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • Overcoming Life’s Prisons

    When it comes to suffering of any kind, the questions that are usually uppermost in our minds are, “Will it end? How do I stop it? How can I get out of this time of suffering and back to doing something useful or good?”

    But there are other ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • Light at the End of the Valley

    Have you ever faced something that seemed totally hopeless; you felt like there wasn’t any way out of your difficulties and everything looked lost? Or maybe you’re in one of those places right now where the situation seems ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • Forgiveness

    While forgiving is something that needs to be done for the sake of unity, harmony, and brotherhood, the bottom line is that it’s the means for you to get over the hurt and to move on into the future without the ...

    by Peter Amsterdam

  • Living With Meaning: Appearances and the Big Picture

    Do you sometimes feel like a failure? Things haven’t turned out the way you thought they should have or the way you wanted. Your expectations have been disappointed, ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • Wealthy and Responsible

    A sad part of my day is when I listen to the news. Almost everything is about people in the world who are faced with some very terrible situations. Not only non-Christians, but many Christians ... (Audio included.)

    by Maria Fontaine

  • The Thorn Factor

    I don’t think that God intended any marriage to be perfect. I think of it as the “thorn” factor that He allows into the equation—that element that we shrink from, but that He knows we need. You may ask ... (Audio included.)

    by Maria Fontaine

  • 6 More Faith Tips

    Several weeks ago I shared with you “Three Items In My Treasure Chest.” Last week I added six additional things, and today I have six more. These items are like precious jewels in my treasure chest: ... (Audio included.)

    by Maria Fontaine

  • Three Items in My Treasure Chest

    Someone said to me the other day, “What people need most in times of difficulty and turmoil is faith—faith to know that everything is going to be all right.” I certainly agree. But if what we need most ... (Audio included.)

    by Maria Fontaine

  • The Payoff of Perseverance

    Over the years I have seen some very dear friends of mine be marvelously blessed by the Lord. Some of these same loved ones and co-workers have gone through what seemed to be a series of incredibly trying times. ... (Audio included.)

    by Peter Amsterdam

  • Self-preservation

    I recently saw a TV show set in Great Britain during the early part of World War II. The Nazis had defeated France, and the British expected imminent invasion. For some, the uncertainty, the fear of the future ... (Audio included.)

    by Peter Amsterdam