Mar 16th 14 Posted by Natalie Nichols

God Still Clothes the Lilies, Lesson 3: Hope in God Alone

Are you pleading with God to bring a change in your circumstance? Have you been praying and believing God for a miracle deliverance but it hasn’t occurred? The third lesson and action step to implement in seasons of suffering and uncertainty is: Lesson #3: Hope in God Alone Our hope and expectation are to be in God alone—not in the government, or insurance, or a doctor, or a spouse, or a... read more

Mar 13th 14 Posted by Natalie Nichols

God Still Clothes the Lilies, Lesson 2: View Your Needs from Heaven’s Higher Perspective

Does it seem God isn’t providing for your needs? Has this caused you to become angry, disillusioned, despondent — perhaps even to the point you find it hard to pray? I can relate. I’ve felt that way even recently. So I’m revisiting a truth I learned years ago. The second lesson and action step to implement in seasons of suffering and uncertainty is: Lesson 2: View Your Needs from... read more

Mar 11th 14 Posted by Natalie Nichols

God Still Clothes the Lilies, Lesson 1: Rest in God’s Sovereign Rule

In yesterday’s post, I mentioned that I’m in a season of great uncertainty and compacted suffering. The latest shoes to drop, so to speak, involve the loss of my health insurance and the illness of a family member and consequent financial, physical, and logistical demands. Together with the trials of the last few years this has felt like an avalanche of overwhelming, suffocating, destructive... read more

Mar 9th 14 Posted by Natalie Nichols

God Still Clothes the Lilies: 10 Lessons for Seasons of Uncertainty (Part 1)

I just mailed my last insurance premium … my last for a while, anyway. Because of Obamacare my insurance cancelled—insurance I’ve had for fourteen years for a preexisting condition (having a preexisting condition was a prerequisite for eligibility with this insurance). Insurance on the exchange is far more expensive than my Risk Pool coverage has been—too expensive for me to... read more

May 22nd 13 Posted by Natalie Nichols

God’s Power in Weakness (5): Scriptures About Weakness and Strength

What better way to end this series about God’s strength in our weakness than by looking to the source of our strength, the Word of God—the Living Word, Jesus Christ, and the written word, the Bible. It’s vital that our minds be renewed through scripture, giving us an understanding of God’s perspective of our weakness. But victory through weakness doesn’t occur by mere head... read more

May 20th 13 Posted by Natalie Nichols

God’s Power in Weakness (4): Too Much Going for You

When Gideon was first called, he felt weak, insignificant, inadequate. He said to the Angel of the LORD (Jesus), “O my Lord, how can I save Israel? Indeed my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house” (Judges 6:15, NKJ). In spite of this weakness, when it came time to fulfill his call, Gideon had too much going for him—so much going for Him that God... read more

May 15th 13 Posted by Natalie Nichols

God’s Power in Weakness (3): Spurgeon, Murray, and Wilkerson on Weakness

Great men of God throughout history have had at least one common experience—weakness in the face of God’s call. Below are excerpts from C.H. Spurgeon, Andrew Murray, and David Wilkerson regarding weakness. These excerpts helped me view my weakness through God’s eyes. I can easily become so preoccupied with the temporal realm, so accustomed to judging life from a human standpoint, that I... read more

May 6th 13 Posted by Natalie Nichols

God’s Power in Weakness (1): Jamie Grace, An Inspiring Example

Do you think you can never fulfill your dream, your calling, because of a weakness or inadequacy? God chooses the weak to shame the strong! His power is accomplished in our weakness and inadequacy! Weakness is actually an incredible opportunity. Jamie Grace is a beautiful example of this truth. BGEA published an inspiring article about the Dove-award winning singer/songwriter. In it she talks about her... read more

Mar 28th 13 Posted by Natalie Nichols

The Confrontational Language of the Cross (Mini-Post)

“In our attempt to win the world by impressing the world, we have abandoned the confrontational language of the cross for the wooing language of power, might, success, and winning. The true power of our faith is power that the world calls weakness, and the victory of our faith is victory that the world calls failure. The Christ we profess to follow was made “perfect through suffering.” [Heb.... read more

Jan 24th 13 Posted by Natalie Nichols

Three Truths for Stormy Seasons

This is a guest post by Tami Lee Hughes. You can read more about her below. At an early age, I learned that life is an adventure with highs, lows, and everything in between. Although we embrace the good times, we also experience hardship, loss, suffering, and things that are difficult to understand. I entered an intense period of trials just over one year ago.  In a period of three weeks, my aunt died... read more