"It's the pits." At least that's what it looked like. As I was driving to a prayer meeting, I had a vision of us digging a giant hole. We just kept digging. Shovelful after shovelful. The hole grew deeper and wider, but it didn't seem like we were accomplishing anything. We were just...digging. It felt mundane. Repetitive. Pointless. Like we were getting nowhere. Then I heard the Lord say, "You're not digging a pit. You're digging a basin for the outpouring of My glory." The digging hadn't...

We were all sitting there captivated by the television series Roots when my late father-in-law casually said, "Alex Haley, the author, is a good friend of mine." I nearly fell out of my chair. But it made perfect sense. My father-in-law was also a historian and author. While Alex Haley preserved the story of families searching for their heritage, my father-in-law devoted years to preserving the story of the Buffalo Soldiers—African American post-Civil War soldiers whose courage and sacrifice...

My jaw dropped. A struggling mother said to me, "My son will be healed from his life-altering disease as soon as God is finished using it." I knew she was trying to make sense of unimaginable suffering. But I couldn't help thinking: Holy Cow! That's not how our Heavenly Father treats His children. She’s not alone. I've heard it in Bible studies, small groups, casual conversations, and even heartfelt prayers. "God is in control." "God caused this for a reason." "Lord, if it’s Your will..."...