Lament - the place where we pour out our hearts to God, no matter how ugly and confusing it gets, and trust that as we put the full weight of our pain unto Him, we will find that God truly is as good and strong and faithful as we thought.

The book of Job deals with hard, intense questions. Through it all, God enters our pain to suffer with us and give us hope.

The book of Acts was the beginning of the age of the church, and that age continues today. May we be both encouraged and challenged that today we have that same spirit, calling, and mission as those in the early church.

The hope that we have in the person of Jesus Christ is not a flimsy wish that if we cross our fingers, maybe we’ll float up to heaven when it’s all over. It’s a firm and secure, confident expectation and anticipation grounded in the truest of all realities—that death has been overturned, the new creation has begun, the resurrected, living and breathing King Jesus is ruling and reigning, and that he has chosen to make his gathered people the place of his dwelling on earth, which means our life right here in the flesh matters. We have this hope that is a firm and secure anchor for our souls.

By looking at the life of the Apostle Paul, we can see that the witness of the church is not just found through action and productivity. It also happens by having patience, having faith in the midst of difficulty, and by refusing to sin to bring about a quick result.

Some encouragement for your week. Through changing seasons, dark valleys, or uncertainty, God is with you and leading you forward.

A big question to consider: what's the next step that will draw you nearer to the Lord? The next step that will help you curve out for the sake of others? The next step that will help you shine the light of Jesus into the world?

How do we make decisions? What is God's will? Let's explore these ideas as Imraan Haq reflects on the apostle Paul's steps in Acts 21.