Don't Hang in There

Have you ever been in the middle of a difficult season and someone says to you, "Hang in there!" Maybe you've said it to a friend just recently yourself.

I think we mean well with phrases like this, and our aim is to encourage our friends or loved ones, but let's be honest: "hang in there" doesn't actually do much to lift our spirits or strengthen our resolve.

If I can be even more honest, sometimes I think we say "hang in there" because we're not prepared to minister to people who share their suffering with us. So what should we say the next time someone opens up to us?

There are many things we can say, and we need to equip ourselves to comfort those in trouble (see 2 Corinthians 1:4). But, for the sake of today's devotional, I want to examine a phrase that has given me much comfort: "I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I hope." (Psalm 130:5)

"Hang in there" and "Wait for the Lord" are similar because they both encourage us to endure difficulty. However, there's a life-changing difference between the two: "Hang in there" hopes in the individual's resolve while "Wait on the Lord" hopes in God.

Why should you tell others to wait on the Lord? Here are four reasons (and I know you can find more in Scripture):

1. Love

The Lord is not simply a loving God; no, he is the definition, the essence, and the source of love (1 John 4:8,16). We can "hang in there" when life gets hard because our destinies are held in the hands of the One who is love. Everything we experience, no matter how hard, is a result of God's love in our life

2. Wisdom

Most people look for answers to life in experiences or research or data, but for the Christian, we find our wisdom for life in a relationship. The Lord is wisdom, just like he is love. That's why Paul tells our hearts to be encouraged in Christ, "in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." (Colossians 2:3)

3. Power

It may not seem like it during times of difficulty, but our God is a God of unchallenged rule. We're reminded of this so powerfully in Daniel 4:34-35 (print these verses out and post them in your house). We can "hang in there" when life gets hard because our stories are written by the One who is in absolute control of every element.

4. Grace

Grace, in this context, means God has given us everything we need to be what he wants us to be and to do what he calls us to do in the situation where he has placed us (2 Peter 1:3). We have a new identity and new potential, so we can face the difficulty realities of life without crumbling in fear

So, the next time a friend or loved one shares their suffering with you, don't advance the conversation with "hang in there." No, encourage them to wait on the Lord of love, wisdom, power and grace. Rather than being weakened by difficult circumstances, we can actually grow stronger as we wait!

Now that's a reason to hang in there!

by Dr. Paul David Tripp -- a pastor, international event speaker, and a best-selling and award-winning author. With more than 30 books and video series on Christian living, Paul’s driving passion is to connect the transforming power of Jesus Christ to everyday life. https://www.paultripp.com/

Jesus: The Death Defeater

“It was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.” – Acts 2:24

Death reigned as an undefeated champion over human history. He cast his dark and inevitable shadow over every passing day of every human life. 

Death was a champion that had no need to rush; he was more than willing to wait his time. When people became powerful or wealthy, Death did not mind. When people felt like they would live for ever, Death simply smiled. Like a stealthy predator crouching in the grass, he knew that all he had to do was wait. Every tick of the clock whispered the same reality—time will pass and then Death will come. That is just what it means to be human in a world under God’s curse. Death reigned.

Of course, Death had his limits; he could not touch the eternal Son of God who dwelt in immortality, but there was plenty of other work to get on with. Then, in an act of breathtaking sacrifice, God became man and entered this cursed world, placing himself in the firing line.

Death could hardly believe what he was seeing—what an opportunity to do some real damage. From the moment Jesus drew his first breath as a baby, Death was stalking him. The clock was ticking. Death was the inescapable end of the line.

There were a few moments in Jesus’ life that might have caused Death a brief wobble. On three separate occasions Jesus raised dead people back to life. This was certainly more power than Death was used to dealing with, but surely these were just blips. Jesus might have postponed Death for a few years but each of them would die again. Death remained confident and undefeated.

And then came the moment for Jesus. It was earlier than might naturally have been expected; Death came prematurely at the hands of violent men. But Death didn’t mind. Whether through violence or sickness or accident or age, Death always had the final word.

As Jesus hung on the cross gasping for air, Death was gleefully poised to gather in one more trophy. As Jesus breathed his final breath, Death stepped in to claim his prize. Like so many who had gone before, Jesus was simply the latest victim of the all-powerful reign of Death.

Tragic. A life ended too soon. So much potential. So much good that he could have achieved. Now he was gone. Consigned to the history books, never to be seen again.

But Death got a terrible shock. There was something different about this man—something Death had never experienced before. When Jesus died, a deeper power was unleashed that was shaking the very fabric of the universe. There was a rumbling of change that Death was not ready for. The once all-powerful Death was suddenly staring defeat in the face.

In a burst of glorious light, Jesus broke free from the hold of Death and emerged victorious into the stunning reality of a brand new day. That Sunday morning, the sun rose on a new beginning. That Sunday morning, the Son rose to bring about a new era.

 Just as light drove back the darkness on the first day of creation, now the Light of the world drove back the darkness of Death to bring the glorious hope of a new world. Behold the conquering, death-defeating High King of heaven.

Ever since that day, the power of Death has been broken. Death still stalks; he still seeks out victims. We still stand at gravesides and weep. We still experience the frustration of bodies that are declining and frail. We still live with the shadow of Death hanging over us and one day each of us will face Death. But because of Jesus, everything has changed.

Death is a defeated enemy. Death has lost his sting. Anyone who is united with Jesus will share in his great victory. Death will not be able to keep hold of us, and we will rise to the life that is far beyond the clutches of sorrow and pain.

Jesus has walked that road already—he has fought that battle and won. Death can bring us pain but he is no longer powerful. Take heart and hold on.

Jesus is wonderful because he has defeated death completely and opened the door to life.

Where do you feel the shadow of death? How does the resurrection of Easter Sunday morning give you hope today?

Excerpt from More of Jesus: 50 Truths to Turn Your Heart to Praise by Jonty Allcock, pastor at The Globe Church in central London. He is married to Linda and loves being a dad to three sons. He is also the author of Impossible Commands.

Repurposing Old Sins With Modern Tools

C.S. Lewis’ The Screwtape Letters continues to strike a nerve—especially with Millennials and Gen Z. These generations, immersed in questions of identity, meaning and authenticity, are also more digitally distracted than any in history. That contrast—between spiritual hunger and technological noise—makes Lewis’ wartime satire feel oddly prophetic.

Though first published in 1942, the book feels tailored for today. Its brilliance lies not in predicting the future but in exposing timeless spiritual truths. The packaging of temptation may change—scrolls instead of cigarettes, curated posts instead of polished piety—but the strategy remains the same: keep the soul from God not through overt evil but through endless distraction.

One of Lewis’ sharpest insights is that the devil rarely invents new sins; he simply repurposes old ones with modern tools. There’s no need to create fresh temptations for the digital age—just hand us our phones and let TikTok loops, envy-laced Instagram filters and YouTube Shorts do the work. These platforms turn habit into addiction, presence into performance.

In Letter XXII, Screwtape rants against music and silence—“How I detest them both!”—because they lead the soul inward or upward. He praises noise as “the audible expression of all that is exultant, ruthless and virile,” and vows to fill the universe with it. Today’s noise isn’t always loud, but it is relentless: podcasts, reels, playlists and ambient notifications crowd out the still, small voice that might be speaking to us.

As Screwtape writes with chilling prescience: “It’s funny how these humans picture us as putting things into their minds. Our best work is done by keeping things out.”

This is where the digital world excels. Push notifications, autoplay and infinite feeds have transformed our tools into temples of distraction. According to Digital Information World, the average American now spends over seven hours a day in front of a screen; for Gen Z, it’s closer to nine. Screwtape wouldn’t need to invent a thing. The safest road to hell is now algorithmically optimized.

Lewis understood that spiritual ruin does not begin in rebellion, but in drift—in the slow erosion of attention, the dulling of desire. In the end, the soul doesn’t need to reject God; it only needs to forget He is there.

In Screwtape, Lewis portrays the Christian life not as calm or convenient, but as a battleground. He came to faith in his early 30s, after years of resistance. He knew how deeply truth unsettles before it sets free. The real war begins after conversion. As Screwtape writes: “All the habits of the patient—the attitudes, the beliefs, the emotions—are still in our favor.”

Lewis didn’t write The Screwtape Letters to amuse. He wrote to wake us up—before we drift too far. And in an age where attention is under siege, his warning feels prophetic.

Lewis doesn’t urge us to reject technology, but to reclaim our attention—to notice how our habits shape us, and whether they’re drawing us closer to Christ or quietly away.

When was the last time you sat in silence without reaching for a screen? Screwtape hopes you never ask. Which is precisely why you should.

 

by Max McLean, a stage actor, writer, and producer; founder and artistic director of the Fellowship for Performing Arts, a New York City-based company that produces live theater and film from a Christian worldview.

Max is known for his stage adaptations of books by author and theologian C. S. Lewis. Some of McLean's adaptations include The Screwtape Letters (written with Jeffrey Fiske), The Great Divorce (written with Brian Watkins), and C.S. Lewis Onstage: The Most Reluctant Convert (based on Surprised by Joy). C.S. Lewis Onstage was adapted into a film, The Most Reluctant Convert: The Untold Story of C.S. Lewis, which starred McLean as an older Lewis and was released in 2021.

Outside of his work regarding Lewis, McLean wrote the play Martin Luther on Trial with Chris Cragin-Day, and narrated KJV, NIV, and ESV versions of "The Listener's Bible", an audio Bible.

 

What is True Freedom?

True freedom is submission to God. Freedom is not casting off all restraints and pursuing
whatever we want. It is embracing the right restraints and aligning our wants with God’s will, so we can pursue what is true and good and beautiful.

Modern freedom is often defined as individual autonomy—the ability to choose without external constraints—but this vision is ultimately empty. True freedom isn’t about the absence of limits but about embracing the right ones, as every meaningful relationship requires sacrificing some freedoms for the sake of love and commitment.

The Bible presents a deeper vision of freedom, not as mere self-determination but as alignment with God’s will, seen in how Israel was freed from Egypt to worship God and how Jesus came to liberate us from sin. In his first sermon, Jesus declared himself the long-promised Liberator, giving up his life so we could be truly free—not for self-indulgence but for a life led by the Spirit. Real freedom isn’t doing whatever we want; it’s wanting what’s good, true, and beautiful, and walking in the freedom Christ supplies.

The Christian life is one of death to self and rising to “walk in the newness of life” (Romans 6:4), and that new life is characterized by thoughts about Him who saved us, not thoughts about the dead flesh that has been crucified with Christ. When we are continually thinking about ourselves and indulging the flesh in sins we have been freed from, we are essentially carrying around a corpse, full of rottenness and death. The only way to bury it fully is by the power of the Spirit who is the only source of strength. We strengthen the new nature by continually feeding on the Word of God, and through prayer we obtain the power we need to escape the desire to return to the old life of sin. Then we will realize that our new status as slaves to Christ is the only true freedom, and we will call upon His power to “not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires” Romans 6:12

“You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:32  

HT: Trevin Wax

The Gospel Is All About Jesus

“Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.  Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles.  Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.” – 1 Corinthians 15:1-8

Tragically, many reject God because of the behavior of those who profess to be God-followers. I do know many honest and loving and gracious and generous Christians. Unfortunately, you will rarely see them in newspapers and on television, and in my experience, I don’t see all that many online either. This is very sad. I believe it grieves the heart of God.

How should we respond to this, when it’s brought up as an objection to the gospel? First, I think we should acknowledge to our skeptical friends that there are indeed many hypocrites. (And if you are a hypocrite, then repent, ask forgiveness, and trust God to empower you to no longer be one. And if it happens again, repent again, and get help from those walking with Jesus who can help hold you accountable for your attitude, actions, and words.)

But we also need to explain to our unbelieving friends that it makes no sense at all to reject Jesus because some of His followers, including us, can sometimes be hypocritical!

What, after all, is the gospel all about? Is it about us? No! Consider what we’re told in Acts 16:29-31:

The jailer…fell trembling before Paul and Silas…and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.”

It’s notable that Paul and Silas were in jail and instead of complaining about it, were singing songs of praise to God. So yes, their example was important. The jailer wouldn’t have been drawn to their faith had they not been visibly different than the average prisoner. The same is true for us in our neighborhoods and workplaces and locker rooms. People should see Jesus in us!

However, note what Paul and Silas did not say to the jailer:  “Believe in us—since we’re so great—and you will be saved.” No, they said, “Believe in Jesus and you’ll be saved.” The Good News is not about how great you and I are (thank God for that). It’s about how great Jesus is and the wonderful things He’s done for us.

Regarding the problem of hypocritical Christians keeping people from believing, we should point out that many people of all sorts, including atheists and agnostics and Hindus, don’t live consistently with what they profess to believe. (For instance, some of the most intolerant people I know pride themselves on their tolerance, and are blind to their own intolerance, e.g. toward the sincere beliefs of Christ-followers.)

In other words, Christians don’t own the monopoly on hypocrisy. Furthermore, there are plenty of humble, loving, and generous Christians. People need to open their eyes and see them. Unfortunately, the attention typically falls on false Christians or loudmouths or hypocrites.

This is all part of Satan’s diversionary tactics. But the gospel is all about Jesus. The Jesus that Christians believe in is good, even when His followers violate His teachings. The Bible never says you have to believe in Christians to be saved. (If it did, I could not believe the gospel!) It says you have to believe in Jesus, who said, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life; no one comes to the Father but by Me” (John 14:6). He’s the One we’re invited to come and see (John 1:46). He’s the only One who can save and transform us.

 

by Randy Alcorn, founder and director of Eternal Perspective Ministries (EPM), a nonprofit organization dedicated to teaching biblical truth and drawing attention to the needy and how to help them.

A New York Times bestselling author, Randy has written over sixty books, including Courageous, Heaven, The Treasure Principle, and the Gold Medallion winner Safely Home. His books have been translated into over 70 languages and have sold over 13 million copies.

Before starting EPM in 1990, Alcorn co-pastored for fourteen years Good Shepherd Community Church outside Gresham, Oregon. He has ministered in many countries, including China, and is a popular teacher and conference speaker.* Randy has taught on the part-time faculties of Western Seminary and Multnomah University, both in Portland, Oregon.