Keeping the Faith: How to Find Strength When You Run out of Answers

No matter how studied, you will eventually run out of answers.

Greg Rakozy

 

BEARING THE IMAGE of God has its perks.

We are capable of creativity, one of the Almighty's key traits. In the history of humanity, God first appears as creator, materializing the universe with mere words. When you read a novel, watch a thrilling film, or explore some architectural marvel, you enjoy the product of creativity.

Language is another differentiator among created beings. You're reading a message which is an encoding from your past (my present) containing my thoughts. As you read these words, your mind decodes them to derive meaning. It's an incredible transaction and a talent we share with our creator.

A third perk (among others) is our ability to reason and think in the abstract. God has granted us the gift of intellect. We can consider alternate realities, we can reverse engineer, and we can understand cause and effect.

And yet, as smart as we may think we have become, this third perk can also manifest as a curse.

The Unparalleled Gift of Gray Hair

A preview of August's email-only article.

Tim Mossholder

WHEN YOU PONDER growing old, you might not be inclined to celebrate.

Instead you might feel anxious or despondent. Perhaps we can chalk up these common responses to the premium our society places on youth.

But old age, King Solomon argued, is a precious gift.

In this month's email-exclusive article, we'll examine Solomon's words on turning gray and why old age is actually good news.

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SOCIETY WON'T JUDGE you for feeling despondent upon noticing your first gray hair. In the 21st century, such an event might as well come with a death sentence because that follicle change signals the beginning of the end.

GQ calls your first gray a "somewhat sobering milestone." Allure compares white hair to "an unwelcome house guest." Both outlets then proceed to offer advice on how to handle the distressing new revelation.

Why the despondency? It's not so much the gray itself but what it signals: the descent to 4:00 PM dinner buffets, copious physician appointments, and telling the same stories to the same people.

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What I Read in 2023: 3 Books You Might Also Enjoy

 Three of my favorite books from 2023, plus I'm giving one of them away!

Update, 6/18/24: Congrats to Sara from Newfoundland for winning the giveaway!

Dan Dimitriu

WITH AN EVER-GROWING TBR list, I came to the sobering realization recently that I will never be able to read all of those books before I die, even if I never added another one to the list. At least, not at my current pace.

The past twelve months have seemed especially devoid of leisure time due to various professional and personal commitments. Nevertheless I still managed to finish eight books in 2023. Here are three I think you will enjoy.

How the Wise Respond to God's Wrath

 A preview of February's email-only article.

Ben White

DO YOU EVER think about the wrath of God?

I know our heavenly father's final judgment is everyone's favorite pastime, but those who are wise do not shy away from the subject.

In this month's email-exclusive article, we'll examine Proverbs 16:14, its spiritual applications, and why God desires repentance, not penance.

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I LOVE THE multidimensionality of advice offered in the book of Proverbs. On the one hand the book provides practical guidance for life with passages like, "The slacker does not plow in season; at harvest time he looks, but nothing is there" (20:4, BSB). And on the other hand Proverbs pours out spiritual salves in verses such as "Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life" (4:23). 

Often, you get both levels of insight within the same verse. 

Proverbs 16:14 is a good example: "A king’s wrath is a messenger of death, and a wise man will appease it." The verse may not seem too practical since we do not answer to kings. Nevertheless we all have authority figures in our lives--bosses and teachers to name a couple--who have the power to impact our lives. Their wrath may not bring about death in a literal sense, but a termination or failed course can ruin one's livelihood. As a result, we would do well to prevent, if possible, their ire and, if not possible, to appease it.

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Cancel Your Plans: God Has Something Better for You

Freedom comes with responsibility.

Parabol

 

IF YOU ASK me, one of the great mysteries of human existence is the tension between freedom and the sovereignty of God. I have strong opinions on the matter, but even the most studied scholars would be foolish to claim they've unraveled the matter in totality; the wisest among humans is still a fool compared to God.

Some sects claim free will is an illusion. God controls everything like a master puppeteer or perhaps a computer programmer. Though it seems like we can decide things for ourselves, we can't.

Others reside on the opposite end of the spectrum. They say God does not intervene or regulate anything in our reality. Everything is up to us.

Change Your Entire Outlook on Death with this Weird Historical Fact

A preview of June's email-only article.

Christina Morillo

HAVE YOU EVER pondered the afterlife?

That's the question we're asking in this month's email-only article. No doubt you've though about what lies beyond death before, but maybe you've never thought about the privilege of revelation that we all enjoy today.

Every month I publish an exclusive article for my email subscribers, and if you'd like instant, free access, fill out the form below. (If you are already a subscriber, check your inbox!)

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Job's vision of death and the beyond is something much different than what you or I imagine. He sees an existence filled with darkness where even the light is like darkness. In fact, as many commentators have pointed out, Job actually uses three different Hebrew words to signify darkness.

At this point, Job just wants to be left alone so he can enjoy a few moments before he dies because, in his mind, death results in eternal gloom.

The question, then, is how did we transition from Job's view of eternal darkness to one of everlasting light?

 
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