The Devil can be sneaky. He has a way of manipulating truth to convince you parts of the Bible don’t apply to you, both good and hard. How do you recognize his voice apart from God’s? Can you have victory over the enemy? Hear what lie Rachel didn’t know she was believing until it was exposed. We pray her story will help you find truth and freedom in yours too.

Some of you have already begun humming the tunes while others are avoiding any sight of snow or holiday cheer for another month or more. I’m typically a December 1st Christmas enthusiast, whereas my husband Michael has already been implanting the famous carols in my mind. I find myself singing them only to realize he was humming the song a few minutes earlier. Either way, the Christmas train is fast upon us. Though you certainly don’t need to rush this beautiful fall away, our guest writer, Jennifer Hare, shares a few excellent tips to get you prepared so you can enjoy this Christmas without emptying your wallet to do so.

“But there is still hope!” – There is always hope in the Lord! His grace and forgiveness are powerful. God loves a repentant heart and will forgive any sin.

I was fed-up! I was ready to get the pruning shears out of the shed and chop down the blackberry bush. It had become a huge nuisance.

The Lord is so gracious! He had giving them a fresh start to try again and some were apathetic towards His grace. Ezra and those who, “trembled at the words of the God of Israel,” lamented before the Lord and confessed the sins of their brothers. Then they ended in praise.

Is it true that you can be thankful even in your time of suffering?

God has done amazing things this year. I have much to be thankful for. Though it’s had hard moments, it’s been refreshing to be able to celebrate so many things.

God cares about every single person. Every name matters to Him in the genealogical record listed in Ezra 8? Why? Keep reading

There’s been lots of moving bits happening behind the scenes here at Hope Through Hard Times! There’s much I look forward to sharing with you over the next few weeks, months, and year!

It is clear that both kings Darius and Artaxerxes understood the Lord as “the God of heaven” (Ezra 7:12). They recognized His authority there, as well as over Israel and Jerusalem. The fear of the Lord was on these rulers as they handed permission and provision to the Israelites to return to their country and serve their God. There are a number of ways that the LORD showed Himself as sovereign and present in this chapter: