Reading the Bible when life is hard
Longer pieces on the passages people reach for when they are worn out, grieving, anxious or afraid, and on what those passages actually say in context.
What Does the Bible Say About Suffering? Job, the Lament Psalms and the Question Why
The Bible gives several accounts of suffering and keeps them side by side. Romans 15:13, the lament psalms, Job, John 9, and what traditions teach.
Bible Verses for Forgiving Yourself: When Your Heart Condemns You
Confessed it and still cannot set it down? Psalm 103:8-12 with the verses around it, 1 John 3:20 on the heart that condemns, Peter by the lake, and next steps.
Bible Verses for Infertility: How Long, and a Prayer Poured Out at Shiloh
Psalm 13 for the long wait, Hannah's prayer at Shiloh read closely, the other women in these stories, and what churches actually teach about infertility.
Bible Verses for Being Tired: When Your Body, Your Mind or Your Faith Is Worn Out
Worn out in body, mind or faith? Psalm 143:3-4 to read tonight, Jesus tired at the well, Elijah asleep under the tree, and when tiredness needs a doctor.
Bible Verses for Courage: Be Strong and Courageous, and Who First Heard It
Psalm 56:3-4 for the moment before a hard thing, Joshua 1 and who first heard it, Gideon, Esther and Daniel, and where to turn if home is unsafe.
What Does the Bible Say About Loneliness? Chosen Solitude, Singleness and the Whole of Psalm 25
The Bible keeps the words of people who said they were alone. Psalm 25:16-17 to pray tonight, Elijah and Paul, singleness, and when church feels lonelier than home.
Bible Verses for Stress: Pressed on Every Side, Yet Not Crushed
Matthew 11:28-30 to read in a short break, Paul on being pressed on every side, Psalm 55 for morning, noon and evening, and when stress needs a doctor.
Bible Verses for the Anniversary of a Death: For the Day and the Weeks Before It
A death anniversary coming, or here today? Psalm 34:18 to read the night before, two laments Israel kept returning to, words for a card, and how to mark the day.
Bible Verses for Sudden Death: When the News Comes Without Warning
Someone you love died without warning. Psalm 34:18 for the first hours, the Bible's scenes of news arriving suddenly, and what Luke 13 says about blame.