Through prayer, the Psalms teach us to bring our emotions to God and allow his Word to shed light on them. Rather than suppressing our feelings or being blindly controlled by them, we learn to ground our feelings and experiences in Christ and go deeper into his peace.

When hard things happen to you, do you question God’s love? Job didn’t understand the reason for his suffering, but he learned to trust God when he saw God’s power and control over all things. The cross shows us that there is love behind God’s sovereignty: Jesus suffered pain for you so that you could bring your pain to him.

Is God leading you to step up and take action? Esther took a leap of faith to save her people by trusting in God’s sovereignty. You also can live boldly and faithfully when you live in light of God’s ultimate power and control.

In Ezra & Nehemiah, the Israelites gave into discouragement over the community and city they were working to rebuild, so God said he would fulfill the role of restoring his people and world. In the same way, when you feel discouraged, know that God is at work in your work! God is using your efforts and redeeming them. He’s weaving them together in his plan, in ways you can’t even see or comprehend now.

In their times of doubt, the Israelites recounted stories of God’s faithfulness to them. When you question God and his love for you, you can do the same. Reflect on God’s past faithfulness, his love and forgiveness demonstrated on the cross, to maintain hope for it to continue.

Do you ever look up and wonder, “How did I get so far down this bad path?” In 1 & 2 Kings, the Israelites ignored God’s warnings and persisted in their sin. This eventually led to God’s judgment. Likewise, our sin deserves judgment, but Jesus took that on when he died on the cross! Because of Jesus, we can have the freedom and confidence to bring our struggles and failures into the light before God and others. Confession is the necessary step toward freedom from your sin’s power and shame.

Do you want to be used by God? Because David submitted to God as his King, God empowered him to lead well as Israel’s king. What God wants from you is not perfection but a heart that seeks his will and his power to walk in it.

“Where is God in the messy, broken parts of my life?”
Out of brokenness and tragedy, God redeemed Ruth and gave her a new life, weaving her story into his cosmic plan of redemption. Her story reminds us that our setbacks are not dead-end streets! Christ has for us a beautiful, eternal future, where one day all will be made right, and all our experiences will be redeemed to display the glory of God.

What happens when you decide you don’t like the path of following Christ? When you pursue things you know he commands against such as pornography, success at the cost of community, or sex outside of marriage?

In the book of Judges, God remained faithful to Israel even when Israel was unfaithful. Because Jesus fulfilled God’s conditions on our behalf, God loves us unconditionally. Your belonging doesn’t depend on your holding onto God but on God holding on to you! This good news is an invitation to respond to God with our loyalty.

Are you living with strength and courage, in dependence upon God’s power? In the way you share the Gospel; in the way you live on mission in your work and community; in the way you’re fighting sin in your life?

In the book of Joshua, the Israelites were able to enter the Promised Land with strength and courage because they knew the battle belonged to God and His victory was certain! Today, Christians boldly join Jesus in his work by living in light of the victory that was secured on the cross.