Discouragement is a powerful tool the enemy uses to keep you down. It becomes a prison filled with lies: You're never going to make it. You're not good enough. You're not smart enough. You can't do this. Why don't you give up already? You're going to make a fool out of yourself. You're a fraud. …
Tag: Jesus
Calming the Waves of Grief
Over the past nine months, I've learned grief can come in gentle waves, lapping at my toes and tricking me into thinking, "I can do this. This isn't so bad." Other times, the waves hit me so hard that they knocked me down, threatening to drown me. Sometimes, I even wished they would. I carried …
The Place of Heartbreak
No one understands your heartache, the worries that keep you up at night, or the physical pain you push past to keep going.And most people don't realize you're hiding behind a smile while slowly crumbling and falling apart on the inside.But God knows.Your heavenly Father knows what threatens to suffocate your spirit and what has …
The Empty Table
When my mom passed away from cancer seven months ago, the pain was unbearable. I'd hold my breath as I listened to her voicemail messages just to hear her voice and scroll through my phone to see pictures I'd taken while visiting her last year. Anything I could do to hold on to her a …
When God Trains You in the Dark
When darkness closes in, will you still trust God? When Satan presses in so close that his lies become a constant torment, will you still believe God cares for you? When God trains you in the dark, He is teaching you to listen for His voice, to allow Him to guide your steps when you …
God Knows Our Hearts
With dirt caked under my nails from working in the garden, I answered my sister-in-law's phone call and walked around our backyard while we talked. Suddenly, a butterfly floated in front of my face and around my head, its wings grazing my forehead. It landed on my right hand, the same hand I used to …
Battling Anxiety
Jesus warned us that we're going to have trouble in this world, but He also explained that He's overcome the world. (See John 16:33.) So, we know we should cling to our Savior and keep our eyes fixed on Him, especially when trouble shows up. Yet, our minds latch on to things that, in turn, …
Rest for the Battle
Jesus slept in a boat BEFORE He rebuked the wind and the waves, and BEFORE He healed and freed a demon-possessed man. (Mark 4:35-41, 5:1-20.) Exhausted, Elijah fell asleep AFTER a mighty victory against the prophets of Baal, AFTER "the power of the Lord came upon him," and he ran ahead of Ahab, who rode …
At the Foot of the Cross Where My Heart Is Torn in Two
I wrote this post several years ago, but I try to share it every year at this time. Thank You, Jesus. Thank You. I went to the foot of the cross during a prayer meeting at church a number of years ago. I knelt there, rested my hand on the wood, and bowed my head. …
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God Is a Jealous God
When you're consumed with social media and dive into that foreign land searching for your worth or the approval of others... When you become obsessed with pleasing others, your spouse, children, or even your church... When you allow the world to steer your course and you get in line to fill your plate with a …
Joey Rudder 