Sin thrives in darkness. Sin shrivels in the light.

A song for the weary soul who is downtrodden by their sin. Look up, Christian. For there is far more mercy in God than there is sin in you.

He is strong. Able. Creative. On time. Perfect. Powerful. Sustaining. Refreshing. Purposeful in all seasons. The darkness has just as much purpose as the light.

As you look back on 2019, you might find that what fills you is regret over your sins and mistakes. Here are six anchors that will hold you amidst the waves of regret.

Christmas time is one that is often joyful. Cozy. Filled with family, laughter, and comforts. For some, though, the holidays are quite painful. Where do we go for hope when the holiday tears fall?

You can be still because HE is God.

There are far more women out there who have sexual sin scars than people realize. We don’t tell anybody because we think it will cause people to see us differently. How should we think about these scars?

If I fall again, will He be there to pick me up? Can we find hope in the wake of committing the deepest and darkest sins of our lives? After the affair. After the adultery. After the murder. After the deception. When we are most disillusioned about our own salvation because of our depravity, this is when the doctrine of the atonement and mediation shine brightest.

When everything else seems lacking, look to Jesus. Get your eyes off of yourself, off your circumstances, and look into the face of Jesus. For there, “ the things of earth will grow strangely dim, In the light of His glory and grace”

God has given us such a gift in the words of the Bible. He’s given us language to explain and express the good and difficult states of our hearts. For those of you that are in a difficult spiritual state, remember the blessing of imagery. May we read our Bibles all the more! Consider using these words/images (and others!) to pray to God about what is going on in your life. Know that God, in His deep love for you, has given other people words to say, pictures to paint, and songs to sing that can be used to give you words and names for your difficulty.

We sin, we feel shame, that shame leads us to run away from God and others in isolation, then the isolation leaves us empty. Thus, turning to sin we begin the cycle again. Where do we go when we are trapped in this hell of a cycle?

God is near to you in your broken heart— No matter what the broken heart or crushed spirit came from. Beautiful.

A song for the discouraged soul. It is not your hold of Christ that saves, but His hold of you.

About six months into my seminary career; however, the excitement started to fade. God became less real to me. The God who bled and died for me became the God whom I merely read and wrote about. I eventually began to question God entirely. I went  through seasons in which I questioned my salvation, questioned the goodness of God, and even questioned the very existence of God.

People often say things like “things will get better” or “God is still working.” If we are honest, when we hear these things, it can be hard to believe they are true. But luckily we don’t just have my grandmother’s wisdom of “just stay on the bus and one day the view will be beautiful again” but we have the Scriptures from our king to rest upon and take courage from. You are not as alone as you thought.

Are you too dirty for church? Was Jesus too dirty for his religious culture?

Where do we turn when we go through spiritual darkness?