There is nothing I love to do more than to help people follow Jesus, and interviews like the one I did today with Perry Atkinson of The Dove TV & Radio in Medford, OR, give me opportunities to do that. I hope that, even through the messiness of imperfect human communication, this conversation encourages you to follow Jesus more courageously.

The colors of autumn are muted this year, thanks to a leaf fungus that has metastasized inward from the edges, speeding death. Still, radiant yellows, glowing oranges and hemorrhaging reds have exerted stubborn, spotty brilliance, bordering winding roads with breathtaking surprises. The saturation level is disappointing, but the glory is resilient.

I am not just talking about leaves. I am talking about people. People like those I met on the streets of Portland not long ago. Trudy, slumped and sunken by life’s hardships, yet tender and vulnerable. Shannon, penniless and bruised by abuse, but still dreaming of a medical career. Even Jack, filthy and drunk as he was, displayed with his wit and grit the residue of wasted potential.

Diseased yet glorious. That is what creation is, and that is who we are. A little lower than the angels, spotted with the fall’s decay, waiting for the restoration that will surely come at winter’s end.

The great theologian Calvin (not John, but the friend of Hobbes) said that one of the remarkable things about life is that it’s never so bad that it can’t get worse.

And when things go from bad to worse, when the dreams we had for ourselves turn into a nightmare, we can’t help but ask the question, Why did God let it happen? I mean, aren’t we the apple of God’s eye? Didn’t Jesus promise us an abundant life? Then why all these trials? We can’t help but ask that question when life is difficult.

Thankfully, it’s a question God wants to answer. There are certain mysteries that He is silent about, but the purpose of suffering is not one of them. The Bible tells us exactly what is God doing when we are hurting. I hope this message helps you to see beyond your pain to the purpose behind it.

Ever feel lost?

I was talking to a friend who had made a big decision that resulted in a tectonic shift in his life situation. He was trying to settle into his new normal, but everything felt abnormal, and he couldn’t help but wonder if he had done the right thing.

He had, and I knew it. Why? Because he had heard and heeded the voice of God? No, this was a decision he had to make at a time when God was silent. Yet I knew he was where God wanted him to be, because he was living as God wanted him to live.

I couldn’t remember the reference or the exact words of the promise, so I paraphrased it, and then later I tracked it down. It’s in Psalm 37:23, which says: “If the Lord delights in a man’s way, he makes his steps firm….” That verse tells us that obedience is the key to guidance. Of course it’s important to seek the Lord through prayer, Scripture, and wise counsel, but even when those commitments fail to yield clarity, we can walk through the fog with confidence, knowing that God will never let those who love Him get lost.

That’s what I told my friend, and after I hung up the phone, that’s what the Spirit of God told me. I too have oftened fretted about decisions I have made without clear direction. I have wondered whether I did the right thing, and how things might have been different had I chosen to go right instead of left. “Relax,” the Spirit seemed to say to me. “You’re right where I want you to be.”

And if your life is marked by obedience to God, so are you.

Don't you wish life always made sense?

I think we all want to believe that everything happens for a reason, but sometimes it feels like God is not quite as personally and purposefully involved in our lives as we'd hoped, doesn't it?

If you're feeling that way these days, I think you'll be encouraged by this message. Esther thought she was far from God, only to find that she was smack dab in the center of His will--which just might be where you are right now.