In America, the majority of adults will experience some form of depression. Popular culture labels a wide range of emotional conditions as depression. From “blah” to “blue” to “burned out” to “blank,” depression is a widespread and elusive occurrence. It has many causes and different degrees of symptoms. What’s comforting is that the Bible is not silent on how to navigate the dark nights of depression. We can trust and know that God is there for us, even in our darkest times.

Insecurity robs us of our confidence. Uncertainty keeps us playing it safe. The problem is, God didn’t call us to “safe” lives. God calls us to a risk-taking faith. Insecurity says “no” to risks. Our insecurities show us that we are finding our identity in something other than God. Insecurity means our strength, courage, and confidence are misplaced. As Christians our identity must come from another source: who we are in Christ.

In Romans 8, Paul makes it clear that our actions are the byproduct of where we put our attention. The stakes couldn’t be higher: setting our minds on the things of the flesh leads to unrighteousness and death. While setting our minds on the things of the Spirit leads to righteousness and life. For many, the lies of enemy have a stronghold in their minds. Strongholds are the lies we live by.

On that first Easter, Jesus appeared to two people walking the road from Jerusalem to Emmaus. They were despondent because of the events that had just happened. They had been looking for a political Savior, but He had come to rescue His people from sin, not from Rome. So often, we put our hope in the wrong things, only to be disappointed. The only real hope is found in the one who conquered death and left behind an empty tomb.

Good Friday was the darkest day in human history, but Friday was not the end of the story. The time between the crucifixion and resurrection was only a few days, but it seemed like a lifetime to the disciples. They had dedicated their lives to following Christ but now that dream had ended. The story of Easter teaches us that God will have the final word. We may be living in Friday, but Sunday is coming.

Jesus told his followers that unavoidable trials aren’t aberrations, they are expectations. And as difficult as it may be to believe, they can actually serve a beneficial purpose. Why? Because God can redeem, use, or work through the undeserved and unavoidable trials in our lives, even when we can't see it. But in order for that to happen, we must remember the character of God, believe and persevere.

Life comes to us a piece at a time, almost as individual ingredients that make up the larger recipe. There are seasons of life filled with joy and prosperity, while others are filled with hardship and loss. Even when we can't see the bigger picture of God's plan for our lives, we can trust that God is always working to make something that is all-together beautiful.

We've all experienced periods of waiting—times when something is wrong, but we can't fix it ourselves. It's hard being there, waiting, not knowing the outcome. And in those moments it's easy to question God and wonder if we've been forgotten. But God's silence is not evidence of his indifference; there's more going on than we know. So how do we "wait well" during these times?

In response to Jonah's outburst, God gives him an object lesson. God causes a vine to grow up, protecting Jonah from the scorching heat. It says that Jonah was "very happy about the vine." At dawn the next day, God used a worm to kill the vine, and Jonah was so upset by this turn of events that he wanted to die. In the end we see that people are God's highest priority, and should be ours as well.

The second chapter of the book of Jonah is very much like a Psalm. It is the poetic record of Jonah's prayer while in the belly of the fish. The prayer is really a celebration of Jonah's deliverance from drowning in the sea (Jonah saw the fish as God's means of deliverance). In this prayer, Jonah reminds himself of several key aspects of God's character: God's mercy; God's sovereignty; God's grace; and God's power.