Today's post is inspired by a reading from Daniel 3:16-25, otherwise known as the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. These three men believed and declared that the Lord would deliver them from the fiery furnace and He did. Their story teaches us to have unrelenting faith and declare the Lord's deliverance over our circumstances. But sometimes deliverance doesn't look the way we want it to and that's when our faith is tested.

Single and Surrendered. You finally understand the beauty of God's design for mankind and marriage. You've established holy boundaries for dating and intimacy. You trust Him with the thing that was once the hardest to surrender. And yet...you're still hurting. You still feel the ache of your missing rib or missing mate. You fear missing out on love and intimacy if you don't settle. Being single and surrendered hurts. The price of hope is hurt. But without hope, there is only

God has always sought a home and a family. Even after Satan tried to steal His most precious creations from Him, the Lord found ways to remain present with His people and inhabit the earth. God's plan has always been to dwell with us on the earth. His presence endures with us always. In every situation and in every season, God is with us.

Cancer doesn't leave you untouched--not the patient nor the family supporting their loved one. But when the world turns you away, Jesus is still with you. When your hope is threatened, Jesus restores it. When you face a crisis that requires more of you than you have to give, Jesus strengthens and sustains you. Even in our times of greatest grief, all hope is not lost.

Your hope is proof of the thing not yet seen. Your hope is proof of the harvest to come. Your hope is the seed of the harvest to come. Your hope comes from God. He's not asking you to give it up. Let your hope be proof of God's goodness, proof of His love for you. Let your persistent hope be a reminder that God is working behind the scenes, aligning things that will one day present a harvest He ordained for you before you were even born.

This past week has been hard. As much as I've engrossed myself in God's Word, embedded His truths in me, and rebuked the lies the devil has poured into me, I could only hold my ground for so long before the hopelessness tried to take root again. But what happened this week is so much bigger than the past seven days, so I'm going to back up to the beginning.

No matter the circumstance you face, no matter how far you feel you've strayed, God is with you. God is waiting for you. God loves you. And, undoubtedly, His goodness has already shown up in your life. You need only to recognize it. The key to growing your relationship with the Lord and finding strength and peace in Him is through His Word. I encourage you to embark on your own journey through God's Word. Seek Him and you will find Him. Pray to Him and He will listen.