Lysa TerKeurst's Blog, page 12

How to Hold On to Hope in Your Most Devastating Seasons

Have you been feeling like you’re in desperate need of some hope to make it through your difficult circumstances? I know what it’s like to be where you are…



…to wonder if you’ll ever survive this time of suffering and come out on the other side.

…to receive devastating news that makes your mind race, your throat tighten and your eyes swollen from crying.

…to try to pray to God in those moments where He feels so incredibly distant.



The last couple years of my life I’ve had to face one hardship after another. At many points I’ve wondered how I would make it through. It’s hard to feel confident in the goodness of God when circumstances don’t at all feel good.



But that’s exactly why I created “How to Hold On to Hope in Your Most Devastating Seasons.” To remind us that God is near to us in our heartbreak and He cares about our despair. With this resource, you’ll be equipped to:

Find comfort in the midst of painful situations with specific scriptures that show the Lord is with you and for you.
Stop trying to control or manipulate circumstances by resting in the reality that God is the One who will fight this battle.
Stand strong in the face of devastation by clinging to five core truths we must believe and live out.

Download it for free today by clicking here.

Related posts:

Rest and Reassurance
Rejection, Heartache, and a Faithful God
Why Isn’t God Answering My Prayer?

Rest and Reassurance

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” — Matthew 11:28



We all have those times we wish the voice of God would audibly speak so loudly there’s no way we could miss it: “This is the direction I want you to go.” Then we’d know whether to stay the course or head in a new direction.



Have you ever wished for this kind of certainty? I have.



Most of us want to know what to do. Without that confidence, sometimes we stay in a place too long. But the greater loss happens in those times we quit too soon. Then, we can live with this nagging sense of “what if?” What if I’d persevered one more year, one more month, one more day?



Knowing when to stop and when to keep on keeping on is a crucial life lesson. One I want to learn well. Often, the more I struggle on my own, the less confident I am with the right next step. It’s exhausting!



But the truth is, I don’t need to be confused or tired. There is one central place I can go for direction and rest. In Matthew 11:28 Jesus encourages us, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”



I used to get so frustrated with this verse because I thought, I don’t want rest. I want reassurance! I’m burdened by this decision I have to make. I don’t want to mess up by missing a cue from You, God.



But the rest Jesus offers is not a spiritual sleep aid. The Greek word for this kind of rest is anapauo, which has as one of its definitions, “of calm and patient expectation.”



In other words, Jesus is saying, If you come to Me, I will take your exhaustion and uncertainty and turn it into a calm expectation.



But how?



My friend Jennifer Rothschild does this enlightening exercise at some of her conferences. She tells the audience to imagine her writing two different words on a large chalkboard. She then speaks the letters as she draws the first word into the air . . . R-E-S-T.



She does the same for the second word . . . R-E-S-I-S-T. Then she asks what is the difference? The difference is, of course, “I.”



“I don’t know what to do.”

“I can’t figure this out.”

“I’m worn out.”

“I’ve tried everything I know to do.”

“I’ve given all I have to give.”



I’m familiar with these “I” statements because I’ve said them myself. We can only find anapauo rest—fresh hope—as we stop running ragged and simply take on the next assignment Jesus gives.



In verse 29 of Matthew 11, Jesus gives us the assignment: to take on His yoke and learn from Him. Ask Jesus to show you how to rest in Him. It might mean sitting quietly, asking others to join you in prayer, or clearing your calendar to read the Word. Once you’re still, take the next step. Not ten steps. Not the whole path. Not the Google map with the highlighted route. Just the next step.



Complete that step with excellence and an open, humble heart. Listen and look for all Jesus wants to teach you in this next step.



This is your part of the equation.



But after the assignment comes the reassurance in verse 30, “My yoke is easy and my burden is light.” We don’t have to have all the answers. We just have to stay connected to the One who does. Where our strength ends is the exact point where His will begins.



This is God’s part of the equation.



I must do all I can do. Then trust God will do what only He can do.



Should I stay? Should I go? Maybe the better question is, “God, what is the next step I’m to take today? I’m going to do my part. And trust the rest to You.”



Dear Lord, I am tired, and I can’t figure things out. Please help me see Your part in this equation. Where my strength ends is where Your will begins. Help me, Lord, to look to You for my very next step. I will wait in calm expectation. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

If you ever feel like it’s hard to hear God’s voice about all the chaotic noise competing for your heart’s attention… the struggles, the worries, the hurts, the betrayals… I understand.



Sometimes we underestimate how much courage it takes to release our desire to fix it all and make the choice to fix our eyes on Jesus. That’s exactly why I pulled together a collection of devotions from my recent books, blogs and personal journal for my new book, Embraced: 100 Devotions to Know God Is Holding You Close.



The devotional doesn’t release until March 27th, but if you pre-order your copy now you’ll receive free gifts including 14 days of devotions so you can start reading right away! Click here to get your copy of Embraced.



I’m also giving away 3 copies of Embraced today. To enter, leave a comment below telling me how you spend your quiet time with the Lord.

Related posts:

How Can I Grow Closer to God?
Rejection, Heartache, and a Faithful God
I’m Scared to Pray Boldly

How Can I Grow Closer to God?

I’d love to tell you I have a long and impressive list of things I do every day to feel closer to God. But honestly, I just ask Him to renew me and shape me into the woman I need to be as I get into His Word. And I commit to following hard after Him, no matter what.



This helps me grow ever closer to God—pressing into Him so He makes the deepest impression on me.



In Luke 9:23b, Jesus tells His disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.” His words seem surprising at first. The disciples had already given up everything to follow Jesus. Or so it seemed …



Family. Friends. Jobs. The comforts of home.



Yet, in our key verse today, we find Jesus telling them the cost is going to be even higher than they had originally anticipated. The disciples aren’t being asked to lay down some things. They are going to need to lay down everything. Their plans. Their agendas. Maybe even their own lives.



And while it may sound like a lot to ask, because of their willingness to continue following hard after Jesus they will get to experience a level of closeness with Him unlike anyone else.



Closeness when they take communion with Him before He is crucified. (Luke 22:12-20)

Closeness when He bends low to wash their feet. (John 13:1-17)

Closeness when He eats with them after His resurrection. (Luke 24:36-43)

Closeness when they are among the first to receive the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:1-4)



So not only did they have the promise of eternity with Him in heaven, they also had the privilege of experiencing unparalleled intimacy with Him on earth.



Could they have received any sweeter gift?



This is what my heart hungers for when it comes to the Lord. I want connection. I want communion. I want closeness. Not only in a distant heavenly future but right here. Right now.



That’s why I’m so thankful Jesus’ invitation to the disciples in Luke 9:23 is for us, too. We are also invited close. Which means we are also called to deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow Him.



I realize “taking up our cross” may sound strange or vague at first, but for me it’s meant breaking old habits to create space in my heart for new growth. It’s meant moving beyond a plastic Christian checklist … Go to church. Read the Bible. Don’t cuss. Be nice. Pray. Give to the poor … and letting God mess with any and every area of my life.



It has meant things like offering Him my willingness to step away from TV for a season, fixing my eyes on Him first in the morning, instead of my phone and allowing Him to call me to a new level of discipline in my eating habits. Things I have said “yes” to because I long for an ever-closer walk with Him.



I don’t know exactly what following wholeheartedly after God will look like for you. But I do know that if we want to grow closer to God we’ll have to distance ourselves from whatever is distracting us. We’ll have to lay aside whatever we are prone to delight in more than Him.



Let’s ask God which distraction we need to distance ourselves from in order to grow closer to Him, and then let’s do the hard and holy work of denying ourselves. Because a deeper level of intimacy with Him will always be worth the cost.



Lord, show me what stands in the way of intimacy with You, and give me the strength to lay it down—for a season or maybe even forever. I long to be closer to You. No matter the cost. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Related posts:

You’re Invited…

You’re Invited…

Is your greatest desire to grow in your relationship with the Lord this year? To find a new way to get excited about studying His Word as you seek the help and wisdom you need?



Me too. Because, I have to be honest — this past year was really hard for my family and me.



If there are parts of your story that are heartbreaking right now too, I want to personally invite you to something I think will help you discover a deeper connection to the Lord and a renewed passion for Scripture: The Word Alive. I’ve partnered with LifeWay for this immersive conference that will equip you to:

Experience Scripture with elements that will help you see, taste, hear, and touch the Holy Land without leaving the country.
Stop seeing your time in God’s Word as mundane or confusing by developing a genuine passion to study and practically apply scriptures.
Know how to identify some often misunderstood details of crucial Bible stories.
Connect more deeply to God as you read His Word with more understanding and sense Him speaking personally to you.

The Word Alive is unlike any event you’ve been to before! Seats are limited and I’d really love to have you join me in one of these cities this year:



March 23-24, 2018 — Oklahoma City, OK

April 7, 2018 — Washington, DC (for a special gala event at The Museum of the Bible)

October 12-13, 2018 — Athens, GA



Don’t miss this event! The only regret you’ll have is that you didn’t invite more of your friends.

Find out more and get your tickets to The Word Alive by clicking here.

What others are saying about The Word Alive:



The Bible became alive! I learned a new way of study and contemplating what I am reading. — Carolyn



The Word Alive with Lysa is the most epic, unique conference I’ve ever attended. It was full of meaningful, hands-on experiences right from our seats. — Danya



Molding clay, pressing dust into my Bible and tasting hyssop and olive oil bring to mind the teachings in such a way that live beyond a 2 day conference. — Lisa



I am much more confident in my ability to get in the Word and apply it to my life. — Melissa



The experience hits you at every sense and results in stirring up your love and affection for Jesus through the beauty of God’s Word. — Joel

Related posts:

Anger Is Not the Way
Lord, help me see beauty
Don’t just read God’s Word. Experience it!

Anger Is Not the Way

The other side of the doors. There’s always another side to consider especially with people.



It’s not that we will always agree. But maybe we can be mature enough to not jump in swinging and slinging more hurt. Maybe we should challenge ourselves to pray more words over issues than we speak about issues.



And when we need to take a stand calling for change, may we consider men like Martin Luther King Jr.



He modeled the very thing he was calling for in others. Let’s not take a stand against the harsh words of others using harsh words ourselves.



We are better than that.



Let’s listen, learn, love, forgive, and walk out the message of the Gospel.



Let’s live Truth. Let’s make sure our hearts stay pure enough to shine the light of hope.



God never said that the world will be changed by our angry words… but only by His love working in us and through us.

Related posts:

Rejection, Heartache, and a Faithful God
The Crushing Times
Letting God Fill in the Blanks

Lord, help me see beauty

My word for this year is “beautiful.” I want to…



— create beauty for myself and others to enjoy.



— redefine beauty using my soul more than my eyes.



— notice beauty that others might miss.



I just had these doors installed in my bedroom in the entryway to my bathroom. They were discarded when an old building here in Charlotte was demolished. An antique dealer rescued them and sold them to me. They were dusty, rusty, and battered. But to me, they were beautiful.



I cleaned the dust off but other than that I left them untouched.



In the back of the antique store they were nothing but discarded doors in a pile. But in my room, they are my favorite part.



Beauty… only those who choose to see it, enjoy it.

Related posts:

Rejection, Heartache, and a Faithful God
When You Don’t Know What to Say
Letting God Fill in the Blanks

Sharing an Update With You

Thank you for all of the amazingly kind comments from my last blog post. Your words are absolute treasures to my heart. I’m so grateful for friends like you.

On Monday night, I shared another update on Facebook Live. If you didn’t have a chance to watch that, please see the video below or click here.

I so appreciate your prayers for me, my family, and my doctors over these next couple of weeks. Through each moment, I’m standing on the absolute assurance that God is good, God is good to me, and God is good at being God. Amen!

Related posts:

Rejection, Heartache, and a Faithful God
Pressing Through the Pain
I Have Trust Issues

God’s Unfailing Love

“But I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God; I trust in God’s unfailing love forever and ever. For what you have done I will always praise you in the presence of your faithful people. And I will hope in your name, for your name is good.” (Psalm 52:8-9)

Thank you for your love and prayers these many months since I last posted.

Not one prayer you’ve whispered on behalf of my family has been wasted. God is moving and we are so thankful. Art and I are both praying for a miracle and walking the road to healing.

We are clinging to the promises of God on this journey full of twists and turns, ups and downs. There is often a process God will take people through to prepare us for the Promise.

We are a work in process. And this process is often messy and unpredictable. I don’t know exactly what tomorrow will look like but I do know who I’ll be looking to… the Lord… whose love is unfailing and whose hand is the safest place to entrust my hope.

P.S. My mom lovingly suggested (completely bossed me around

What is God’s Will?

I used to think it was crucial for me to know God’s will. If I knew His grand plan for at least this season of my life, then I could direct all my decisions to fall in line.

Is it His will for me to stay in this job or change to that one?

Is it His will for me to send my kids to that school or make another choice?

Is it His will for me to teach that Bible study, serve on that committee, or go on that mission trip?

I ponder and I pray. I ask friends. I read the Bible. I look for confirmations that point in one direction or the other.

I assume there is one right answer and in order to stay in God’s will I must make the right choice.

That’s a lot of pressure for a simple girl like me. After all, I’m choosing between one good thing and another good thing. And so I fret and wonder, which of these things is God’s will?

But what if I’m wrong?

What if God’s will is more simple than that?

It’s great to pray, ask friends, and look for confirmations. But what if God is more concerned with us looking for Him than looking for answers?

What if God just wants us to pay attention to Him in the midst of whatever choice we make?

Recently I heard a story that shook me to the core. It had been a busy day at a restaurant with lots of customers coming and going. But at one point a guy came up to the manager and handed her a card. He told her, “This is for your staff.” And with an emotional catch in his throat, he said, “I just wanted to make sure they knew.”

The customer then turned and left as the manager tucked the card into her apron pocket.

A little while later, she had time to open the card.

It was a note directed to the staff thanking them. It wasn’t for their service or for the food. It was for their smiles.

He explained in the letter that he’d made plans to take his life that day. But their gift of simple conversations with simple smiles gave him the gift of hope.

As I heard the story, I cried.

Something stirred deep inside of me.

I got this overwhelming feeling that this is such a beautiful picture of how God’s will works. He intersects our lives with people that need His hope and whispers to us, “You have the hope they need… give it to them.”

Maybe it’s to offer them a little of our time. Maybe it’s to share a little of our story. Or maybe, like with this customer, it’s to simply offer a smile. And when we listen, a shift happens. It’s like the world splits open with each of our simple acts of obedience to God and His light breaks apart the world’s darkness.

God instructs us to let our light shine. This is His will. This is His plan. This is His instruction.

And when we get in the habit of obeying His instruction today, we’ll develop a keen awareness of His direction for tomorrow.

The more we pay attention to these moment-by-moment instructions by God, the more our thinking starts to line up with God. Our mind gets in a new rhythm of seeing what He wants us to see, so that we can do what He wants us to do.

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.” (Romans 12:2, NIV)

This is why I wrote The Best Yes. I want to unrush my schedule, unrush my life, unrush my soul… so I can have enough space to pay attention to God. To see those divine opportunities with people who need hope and to be able to say yes to God’s instruction. These are my Best Yes moments. And I don’t want to miss them.

I suspect the same is true for you. Leave me a comment today telling me what stirs in your heart as you consider your “Best Yes.”

Related posts:

Facing the Impossible
What We Can Do About This Election

Rejection, Heartache, and a Faithful God

No person’s rejection of me can ever exempt me from God’s love for me.

“A Gut-Honest Look at Love.” That was the title of my first blog post of this year. Based on 1 Corinthians 13, I wrote, “Love isn’t what I have the opportunity to get from this world, love is what I have the opportunity to give.”

This perspective on love has been a lifeline during the most painful season and decision of my adult life. I so wish we were sitting face-to-face so you could see my tears and hear the deep grief in my voice as I share this with you. My husband, life partner and father of my children, Art TerKeurst, has been repeatedly unfaithful to me with a woman he met online, bringing an end to our marriage of almost 25 years. For the past couple of years, his life has sadly been defined by his affection for this other woman and substance abuse. I don’t share this to harm or embarrass him, but to help explain why I have decided to separate from him and pursue a divorce. God has now revealed to me that I have done all I can do and I must release him to the Savior.

Anyone who knows me and Proverbs 31 Ministries knows how seriously I take marriage. I’ve always encouraged women to fight for their marriages and to do everything possible to save them when they come under threat. So, for the past couple of years I have been in the hardest battle of my life trying to save my marriage.

When I first found out about Art’s infidelity 18 months ago, I made the decision not to divorce him. I had just finished fasting and praying for 28 days and really felt led by the Lord that I was to love Art in my reaction to this shocking news and trust God for every step moving forward. I was still committed to doing everything I could think of to make our story one of restoration, even in the face of the worst kind of betrayal imaginable. I prayed continually. I sought counsel from family and other wise friends. And Art and I even made repeated trips across the country together for intensive counseling especially designed for marriages in crisis. But sadly, though I have repeatedly forgiven and accepted him back, he has continued to abuse substances, be unfaithful, and refused to be truthful to me and our family.

I believe I have the capacity to love Art and to forgive him, but his steadfast refusal to end the infidelity has led me to make the hardest decision of my life. After much prayer and consultation with wise, biblically-minded people, I have decided that Art has abandoned our marriage. Yet, the Lord has been so faithful to help me at every step of this very painful journey and has now assured me I’ve done all I can do.



I am brokenhearted beyond what I can express. But I am more committed than ever to trusting God, His promises, and His plans, whatever they are from here.



As many of you who have followed our ministry know, I’ve never shied away from sharing how God has gotten me through tough seasons and even grown me through my struggles. Thankfully, my story has been one of learning that I’m not defined by my circumstances. I’m Lysa, a beloved child of the one true God. My true identity doesn’t shift or fall apart under life’s strains, failures, my own imperfections, setbacks or heartaches. While people—even God’s people—change, I’m so glad I serve a God who doesn’t. I love this verse in Malachi 3:6—“I the Lord do not change; therefore you, children of Jacob, are not consumed.”



So what does all of this mean for Proverbs 31 Ministries and for me? Well, for over 20 years I’ve had a calling supported by my family for equipping women to deepen their relationship with God, study His Word, and to share their stories for God’s glory. Though my heart is so heavy that I’ve certainly pondered giving up, I’m determined not to let darkness win here. Therefore, after a season of rest and continued Biblical and professional counseling, I will continue to do ministry with an even deeper belief in the goodness of our God and a greater empathy for the deep heartbreak that happens to us all in this broken world.



Many people think Proverbs 31 is a picture of a perfect woman; but the Proverbs 31 woman is, at her core, someone who seeks the Lord in everything she does and trusts Him wholeheartedly with her life. Our mission is to meet women where they are in the real, hard places we all experience, and to intersect God’s Word right there. We are simply a group of women sold out to saying yes to God—and He truly does the rest.



“I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.” That’s what the Psalmist wrote long ago (Psalm 27:13) and it beautifully reflects what I’m holding on to in the midst of the deep grief my children and I are now walking through. We have some amazing counselors and pastoral leaders who are committed to helping us pursue healing and learn how to move forward.



What can you do for us? I’d simply ask you to pray. Pray for my precious children and grandchildren. Pray for me. Pray for our team at Proverbs 31. And yes, please, please pray for Art.



I love you all. Most of all, I love the Lord, who first loved me.

Related posts:

Why Isn’t God Answering My Prayer?
The Rejection Infection
You can help save a marriage before it starts!