Certainly God sometimes graciously answers our prayers to relieve our suffering. This too testifies to His greatness, and we should praise Him for answering. But when He answers no, we should recognize that He desires to demonstrate His greater glory. May we then bend our knees and trust His sovereign grace.

Isn’t it likely that a kind, all-powerful, and very compassionate God routinely prevents terrible tragedies in ways that we do not see and therefore do not credit as miracles? Perhaps one day we’ll hear those stories and marvel at how often God intervened when we imagined Him uninvolved in our world.

On November 14, 2019, Nanci wrote the following in her journal: “Today I am thinking about faith. I have learned so much about faith. ...Faith is being assured that God Almighty always acts according to His character and works. He never waivers.”

God’s Word contains countless expressions of concern and anguish about the hard times people experience and the fact that they sometimes don’t feel God’s closeness. In this fallen world, “Why?” is a common question.

This article by Melissa Kruger about the power of a quiet, ordinary, faithful, and Christ-honoring life resonated with me. Although Melissa’s original audience was women, her wisdom is applicable for every reader. Hope this encourages you as it did me.

So many who no longer believe in Jesus cite reasons that relate to church and Christianity and lack of love and credible answers. It makes me weep not just for those who are walking away, but also for the many who aren’t talking about it but lost their faith years ago.

Unfortunately, if our theology hasn’t prepared us for suffering, we may be more than just surprised when trials come our way. We might feel as though our faith—and God Himself—has let us down.

This article about Psalm 112, written by Desiring God’s Scott Hubbard a few years ago, is especially applicable now in the face of the coronavirus crisis. Instead of dreading the short-term future and further losses it can bring, may we daily trust our faithful God in whatever we face next, and look forward to our eternal future and the joys that God has promised await us.

I recently wrote about how “Famous Christians Are Losing Their Faith...and So Should You If Your Faith Is in Them.” The following article, by Nathan Tarr, is another reminder of the importance of not putting our ultimate trust in human leaders and of remembering that the gospel is all about Jesus.