Why was I laid on my mother’s lap? Why did she nurse me at her breasts? Had I died at birth, I would now be at peace. I would be asleep and at rest. Job 3:12-13 (NLT) Read: Job 1, Job 2, Job 3, I Corinthians 14:1-17, Psalms 37:12-29, Proverbs 21:25-26 Relate: Life is full of suffering. Some understand…
Jesus wept. (John 11:35) Read: Jeremiah 31:15-40, 49:34 – 51:14 Relate: I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve been teaching a Sunday School class or children’s church or some other kids function and some smart aleck kid tries to convince me that the verse they were supposed to memorize was John 11:35. It seems that…
We cannot begin to understand Job’s grief. When God allowed Satan to attack him, that old devil didn’t pull any punches. His property, gone. His home, destroyed. His children, dead. His body, tormented. To top it all off his wife has turned to him and in the bitterness of her own grief shouts out, “Why don’t you just curse God and die?!”
No preacher, keep your false sympathy and your empty platitudes to yourself. It’s all bull. Believing in Jesus didn’t raise Carlie up. It didn’t protect her. Believing in Jesus is what got her killed.
When Jesus arrived at Bethany, he was told that Lazarus had already been in his grave for four days. Bethany was only a few miles down the road from Jerusalem, and many of the people had come to console Martha and Mary in their loss. When Martha got word that Jesus was coming, she went to…
Read: Ezekiel 24:1-26:21, Hebrews 11:1-16, Psalm 110:1-7, Proverbs 27:14 Son of man, with one blow I will take away your dearest treasure. Yet you must not show any sorrow at her death. Do not weep; let there be no tears. (Ezekiel 24:16) Relate: I am not married. I have never been married. I’ve lived a good chunk of my adult…
Read: Lamentations 3:1-66, Hebrews 1:1-14, Psalm 102:1-28, Proverbs 26:21-22 The thought of my suffering and homelessness is bitter beyond words. I will never forget this awful time, as I grieve over my loss. Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this: The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. (Lamentations…
Read: Nahum 1:1-3:19, Revelation 8:1-13, Psalm 136:1-26, Proverbs 30:7-9 A cry was heard in Ramah – weeping and great mourning. Rachel weeps for her children, refusing to be comforted, for they are dead. (Matthew 2:18) Relate: All week I’m going to be grabbing verses out of the Christmas story as my verse of the day rather than something from the daily reading. While…
THE RIVER WALK 