The world will forever be a mixture of good and evil because God allows people freedom. Rather than losing heart over the bad in the world, we need to keep focused on God’s work, trusting in the harvest to come.

Like the disciples, caught in a storm on the Sea of Galilee, we are often anxious and afraid in the face of life’s troubles. Jesus can calm the storm, and give us the courage to continue on in faith.

In the midst of the darkest times in the history of Israel, Jeremiah found hope in God. His hope was well founded, for bright times were coming! Today, even in the toughest times, when it seems that all is lost, we can find genuine hope in God.

Why is there such evil in the world? The Bible leads us to understand not only the origin of evil, but the answer to it. We will never save ourselves; but the good news is that God is acting through Christ to deliver us from evil.

When storms hit in life, we often wonder where God is. The Scriptures affirm that while God may allow the storm, God yet reigns over the storm. When we put our trust in God, we can see beyond the clouds, and we can find the strength to journey through the storm, upheld by the grace of God.

We live in stormy times. How can we journey through a world full of such evil and trouble? The story of Noah is an archetypal image of how we can make it through the storm when we put our trust in God.

Who are the “meek”? The Biblical answer may surprise you. When Jesus says, “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth,” he is talking about what sort of people find fulfillment in their true destiny.

Jesus says, “Blessed are the persecuted.” Through all the beatitudes, Jesus teaches that people who are hitting hard times may become especially blessed. What is Jesus saying to us when we confront rough times?

“Blessed are the pure in heart,” says Jesus, “for they shall see God.” What does it mean to be pure in heart? Jesus points here to the center of the blessed life.

Forgiveness is hard. It can be hard to forgive ourselves. It can be hard to forgive others. Yet Jesus says “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.” How do we experience God’s mercy in life?