Daly Focus Blog
A
lot of people wonder, “Can God truly be good, even when He allows pain and
suffering in my life?”
That
question deserves a serious, thoughtful answer. To that end, we’ve invited Dr.
Larry Crabb to join us on our Focus on the Family Broadcast “Trusting God When We Don’t Understand His Ways.”
Dr.
Crabb is author of the book When God’s
Ways Make No Sense. He has some
timely thoughts about how faith can anchor our lives in the midst of uncertainty.
On the 100th day of the COVID-19 global pandemic, I would offer to you that the world has learned a few lessons.
This list is hardly exhaustive, but it’s nevertheless irrefutable – at least from my perspective:
1. We are not in control. God is.
2. Humans are frail, fragile – and resilient.
3. Because of sin, bad things happen to everyone.
4. No matter how dark the night, the sun rises in the morning.
5.
Fortunately,
I got out of it. Not because I outsmarted anybody, but because somebody showed
me grace when I deserved judgment.
My final
year of high school I worked for a produce company in southern California. One
day my boss had me tag along with one of the truck drivers. We drove for hours
to drop off a load of potatoes, only to discover when we got there that all of
the workers had gone on strike.
The question we get from a lot of moms and dads as the spread of the coronavirus dominates the news is, “What’s the best way to do family devotions, practically speaking?”
Could it be that for all the uncertainty and fear associated with this pandemic, it also presents you with an opportunity to make the most of this unanticipated extra time together?
My wife Jean and I have done devotions with our boys all their lives.
The new and rapidly escalating COVID-19 outbreak has left families with far more questions than answers. As developments unfold hour by hour, it’s important to take a deep breath and remember that the Lord continues to hold dominion over every aspect of creation. Psalm 33:11 says, “The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of his heart to all generations.”
As I met with the Focus on the Family team this morning, I shared that the Lord’s words, “Do not be afraid,” have been at the forefront of my mind during prayer.
When Duck Dynasty’s Lisa Robertson was 16 years old, an abortion provider promised her that she was dispensing with a glob of tissue, would leave the clinic that day as good as new, and would never think about that moment again.
None of that was true.
Lisa immediately felt guilt about her decision. She sensed deep inside that something profoundly significant had just happened.
Years later, after she and Al married, she became pregnant with their first child.
The Bible encourages us to manage our emotions.
Proverbs 15:18 says, “A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, but he who is slow to anger quiets contention.”
Philippians 4:6 says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be known to God.”
Identifying and managing emotions can be challenging for adults. How much more difficult is it for children?
Kids experience big feelings inside little bodies and can easily be overwhelmed and confused by their feelings.
The most important question we can ask ourselves about life is, “What do I really believe to be true?”
There’s one thing that’s ultimately true for any belief: it’s not a mental exercise. It’s an action.
You don’t simply believe truth. You live it.
That concept came naturally to Abdu Murray. He grew up Muslim in Detroit, Michigan. In that culture, even Muslims who don’t read the Quran, pray five times a day, or immerse themselves in the traditions of Islam consider their faith part of their identity.
“I’m pregnant.”
Would you know what to do if your teenage daughter made that announcement? It’s not a pleasant situation to think about. But that’s why you should.
It’s the moment of truth for you as a parent. When you first hear the news, you’ll feel like the floor has dropped out from beneath your family. How you react sets the tone of your relationship with your child moving forward. It’s a scary, uncertain time for you and for your daughter.
Note: This article by Focus on the Family President Jim Daly appears in full on Fox News.
Once upon a time, the vast majority of Americans were affiliated with a particular faith community or tradition: Catholic, Baptist, Methodist, Lutheran, Episcopalian, Presbyterian, or Jewish, for example.
In recent years, though, secularism has been growing and a new wave of either atheism or agnosticism is rolling across the country. It may be true that a degree of “unbelief” has always existed, but with rising rates of people unaffiliated with any church or faith at all, the likelihood of interacting and being influenced by a person who believes in a higher power is similarly depressed.
Jim Daly is a husband, father and President of Focus on the Family and host of its National Radio Hall of Fame broadcast. His blog, Daly Focus, is full of timely commentary and wisdom designed to help you navigate and understand today’s culture. His latest book is Marriage Done Right.
