trusting God
Rest Is A Gift, Not A Burden
“You are the only resting place for my mind that truly satisfies and strengthens me. As I rest in Your peaceful Presence, true hope grows within me.” – Jesus Listens, March 11 I learned early on that fewer things in life carried more value than a strong work ethic. It’s one of the first rhythms I remember learning as a child: work hard, accomplish goals, receive praise. Rinse, repeat. Working Hard As I met goal after goal, I learned to associate “working hard” with “receiving praise.” And I liked receiving praise. I liked knowing my parents and teachers were proud of me. So I carried this strategy into my adult life, straight into my career. The harder I worked, the more praise I received. All of the good job’s hit my body like endorphins. Every positive remark felt like a dose of worth an...
Three Ways to Unthaw Your Frozen Calling
“I’m learning to yield to Your will and timing. Rather than striving to be in control, I need to spend more time seeking Your Face.” – Jesus Listens, February 23 Conflict stirred within as I attempted to blend into the audience. The secret struggles in my heart felt exposed as the conference speaker addressed the crowd. Frozen callings “There are frozen callings in this congregation,” she declared. The weight of that statement hit my spirit like a bag of bricks. No, Lord, I whispered. I can’t hope any longer for things that never come to pass. God spoke softly in return. I will be with you. It’s time to take your calling off the shelf. Two years before, I had packed away my ministry dreams. Ambitions of public speaking, teaching the Bible, and writing books drove me to push past God’s timi...
6 Truths to Help You Understand Grief
No matter what losses I experience, in my life, I know that nothing can separate me from Your loving Presence! – Jesus Listens, October 21 When you are grieving, it can feel like that single emotion controls every aspect of your life. From your relationships and physical health to your ability to work or do the simplest tasks, grief is ever present. If you don’t have proper care and a plan of action, grief will assume control of your life. But before you can take effective action, it’s essential to understand the strong emotions you’re feeling. Want to understand grief a little more? These are six things you need to remember: 1. Grief Is Universal We feel grief so personally that it’s easy to think we are alone in our suffering. But sooner or later, everyone will feel the sting of grief. R...
The Three Best Words for the Brokenhearted
“I can invite You into those broken places and collaborate with Youin putting the fragments back together in new ways.” – Jesus Listens, July 3 In fresh grief, well-meant words can sometimes wound. Even now, I shake my head at the unhelpful comments I made as a young mom handing over a hot casserole and the painful comments said to me a few years later after my husband died. So when a radio host recently asked me for the three best words to tell someone in grief, I perked up. Maybe it’s “I love you,” I thought as I waited for his answer. Those words sure comforted me as a new widow. Or maybe it’s “let me help.” Practical love is so needed when life falls apart. But neither guess was correct. The three best words to say to someone in grief? You’re not alone. The deepest comfort comes w...
God Seems Most Present As We Are Climbing Life’s Mountains Alone
The following article first appeared on The Dallas Morning News on November 14, 2021. Every winter while living in Australia, my husband and I enjoyed going to a ministers’ family camp in the magnificent Grampian Mountains with our two children. Afternoons were free, and I usually went hiking with friends during that time. One year, when my friends were ready to hit the trail, I wasn’t feeling well, so I told my them to go ahead without me. Afterward though, I regretted my decision, and I decided to go for a little walk by myself. I found myself walking toward the closest mountain, one I had climbed several times in past years with others. My plan was to go just a short way up, enjoy the view, and then return to my room to rest. I realized it was a little risky to go hiking alone, especial...
First Steps to Faith
I care as much about your tiny trust-steps through daily life as about your dramatic leaps of faith. You may think that no one notices, but the One who is always beside you sees everything—and rejoices. Jesus Calling, December 29 “You have searched me, LORD, and you...
How Do I Trust God When It Seems He Didn’t Come Through?
Trust is like a staff you can lean on as you journey uphill with Me. If you are trusting in Me consistently, the staff will bear as much of your weight as needed. Jesus Calling, January 22 How do I trust God when it seems He didn’t come through? Have you ever asked this question, especially after a year like 2020? Surely we all have, because life is tough and unpredictable and rarely happens the way we plan. It’s likely you’ve prayed to change something that painfully remained the same. After pleading, even begging, still it seemed that silence was Heaven’s response. Fighting fear and hopelessness In this imperfect world, sometimes the rumble of pain moves through us like an earthquake. And our experience can violently oppose the truth we built our life upon. Maybe it was when you lost you...
Lee and Leslie Strobel: “The Case for Christ” in Marriage
Atheist-turned-Christian Lee Strobel is the former award-winning legal editor of The Chicago Tribune and best-selling author of The Case for Christ. Lee and his wife Leslie share the struggles and joys of finding faith at different times in their marriage and discuss “The Case for Christ” movie, which released to theaters in April 2017. Note from the producer: Tell us the kinds of stories and topics you want to hear from the Jesus Calling Podcast! Click here to take a survey that will let us know more about you, so we can continue to bring you the kinds of guests and inspirational stories you love. Narrator: Hello! We’re so grateful that you’ve chosen to listen to the Jesus Calling podcast featuring Lee and Leslie Strobel today. If you are enjoying these personal stories of...
Lysa TerKeurst Asks “Why, God?” & Then Trusts His Plan
This week’s episode features two women who have grappled with the hard questions we all ask of God. Lysa TerKeurst is an author and speaker and Dorothy Ruelas works in prison ministry in Texas. Lysa candidly shares her journey to realizing that she was “good enough” when she stopped letting her circumstances define her and began believing in who God says she is. Lysa TerKeurst Asks “Why, God?” & Then Trusts His Plan – Jesus Calling Podcast Episode #87 Narrator: Welcome to the Jesus Calling podcast. Our guests today are author and speaker Lysa TerKeurst and Prison Ministry volunteer Dorothy Ruelas. Lysa TerKeurst is president of Proverbs 31 Ministries and the New York Times best-selling author of Uninvited, The Best Yes, Unglued, Made to Crave, ...
How to Find Peace in Mom-Fail Moments
By Becca Stevens Babies and toddlers are precious, but those years are so hard.If I hadn’t consecrated time for a daily devotional at the start of each day, I don’t think I would have made it. Early each morning, I found the peace I desperately needed to hear from God in the bathtub. I lit a candle, read a Psalm, and soaked in the silence for 20 minutes. Those 20 minutes each day saved my spirit so I could be a good mom, wife, pastor, and entrepreneur. “Because you are human you will continue to make mistakes. Thinking that you should live an error-free life is symptomatic of pride. Your failures can be a source of blessing, humbling you and giving you empathy for other people in their weaknesses. Best of all, failure highlights your dependence on Me. I am able to bring beauty out of the m...
4 Tips to Living with Confidence
4 Tips to Living with Confidence By Alli Worthington Have you ever felt so nervous, worried, or anxious that you wanted to stay in bed and pull the covers over your head? Have you ever been so overwhelmed by the fear of failure, of disappointing your family, that you just shut down? Me, too. So often, I sense fear getting the best of me. When I feel like I’m going to fail, I want to hide, put on my mask, and snap at the people I love. Sometimes I just want to flat-out quit. But that’s not the person I want to be. So when I feel overwhelmed I pray, read a powerful daily devotion in Jesus Calling, and use this little Fierce Faith mantra to keep me on track. Show up. Be real. Love others. Don’t quit. These four little phrases have boosted my confidence and transformed the way I live. I bet th...
Choices in a Faith Journey
In 2012, my word for the year was risk. My daily devotional consisted of studying risk takers, AKA crazy people, in the Bible. It was a pivotal year for me in my faith journey. I’m not a natural risk taker. Far from it, actually. I like to control my environment and make calculated decisions. I call it wisdom, but in reality, it teeters on a lack of faith. And as someone who’s not a risk taker, the words of the December 9 entry of Jesus Calling strike me to the core: “Be willing to go out on a limb with Me. If that is where I am leading you, it is the safest place to be. Your desire to live a risk-free life is a form of unbelief . . . In order to follow Me wholeheartedly, you must relinquish your tendency to play it safe.” Have you ever looked up the definition of risk? In case you haven’t...
