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.
Bible Verses for Loneliness in Marriage: Alone With Someone
Lonely in your marriage? Psalm 25:16-17 to pray as it stands, Hannah, who was loved and still wept alone, and Genesis 2:18 read in its setting, with help by country.
Bible Verses for Loneliness and Sadness: Turn to Me, for I Am Desolate
Lonely and sad, alone or surrounded by people? Psalm 25:16-17 gives words to pray, with the people in Scripture who said they were alone, and when to see a doctor.
Bible Verses for Doubting God: I Believe, Help My Unbelief
Doubting God? Mark 9:24 and a father's cry, James 1:5 on asking without reproach, people in Scripture who questioned God, and help if the checking won't stop.
Bible Verses for Grief and Healing: What the Word Healing Means Here
Months into a loss and wondering if grief heals? What Cruse and the NHS say, Psalm 147:3 in its setting, Psalm 34:18 for tonight, and grief Scripture never hurries.
What Does the Bible Say About Shame? Faces That Are Not Covered
What the Bible says about shame, whether it comes from something you did, from who you feel you are, or from what someone did to you, with Psalm 103 and Luke 15.
What Does the Bible Say About Burnout? Moses, Elijah and a Day of Rest
What the Bible says about burnout: Moses told the load is too heavy, Elijah fed and left to sleep, the Sabbath, and what Christian traditions teach about rest.
What Does the Bible Say About Anxiety? The Passages, the Words and the Question of Sin
What the Bible says about anxiety, passage by passage: Matthew 6, Philippians 4, 1 Peter 5, the people it shows in distress, and what traditions teach about sin.
Bible Verses for a Funeral: What the Service Books List, and How to Choose
Choosing a Bible reading for a funeral? Ten often chosen, each with its setting, what Catholic and Anglican service books list, and how to get through reading aloud.
Bible Verses for the Death of a Mother: Comforted After His Mother's Death
Your mother has died. Genesis records Isaac still needing comfort for his mother, with Psalm 34:18, John 19, Proverbs 31 in its setting, and readings for her funeral.