What a Broken Heart Feels Like is a poem I wrote in 10 minutes this Sunday morning. I hope it affirms your hurt and encourages you if you have a broken heart.
There are 7 spiritual reasons you might be waking up in the middle of the night. You might think it’s just insomnia or indigestion if you’re waking up in the middle of the night, and that could be true.
However, it might be a special way God wants to speak to you, too.
Here are 7 spiritual reasons you might be waking up in the middle of the night.
Do you count yourself among mothers who are enduring hard things?
In honor of Mother’s Day, let’s look at these 10 mothers in the Bible who endured hard things.
They can encourage us in our own journeys as mothers now.
1. Eve
Eve’s name means “mother of all the living,” as described in Gen. 3:20.
She was the first woman to bear a child when her son Abel was born.
Sadly, she was also the first woman to endure the loss of a child, when her son Cain took Abel’s life (Gen. 4:8).
Though she endured this terrible difficulty, she was blessed with the birth of more children, including Seth (Gen. 4:25).
Seth was in the bloodline of Jesus, the Savior to come from Eve’s lineage, as described in 1 Chronicles 1.
Eve’s story is encouraging because God redeemed the bad for the greater good.
2. Hagar
Hagar was an Egyptian slave in Abraham’s house.
Since his wife Sarah could have no children, Abraham agreed to Sarah’s idea to have a child through Hagar.
However, after Hagar conceived, Sarah mistreated Hagar, so she fled, as told to us in Gen. 16.
Though Hagar was mistreated and abused, God met her in the wilderness and spoke encouraging promises about her pregnancy.
The angel announced God’s promise to her:
“I will increase your descendants so much that they will be too numerous to count.” (Gen. 16:10, NIV)
Though Hagar suffered, God took care of her and fulfilled His promise to her, as He takes care of us too.
3. Sarah
Sarah was Abraham’s wife, and she dealt with the hardship of infertility.
But God opened her womb well into her eighties.
The birth of Isaac when Sarah was 90 years old made her laugh and brought her great joy, as described in Genesis 21:1-17.
Through Sarah’s story, we learn that God can do miracles even in situations that seem impossible.
4. Leah
Leah was unloved by her husband Jacob, who was tricked into marrying her.
However, God saw that Leah was unloved, so he blessed her with children to comfort her (Gen. 29:31).
Leah received the honor of being Judah’s mother.
Judah was the one chosen in the 12 tribes of Israel to be the bloodline of King David and eventually Jesus.
God redeemed Leah’s sadness and turned it into a great blessing for many.
5. Hannah
Hannah was childless and tortured by her husband’s other wife, who had children.
In her distress and grief, she poured out a request to God in prayer:
“Lord Almighty, if you will only look on your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head” (1 Sam. 1:11, NIV)
God honored her request, and Samuel became one of the greatest prophets in Israel.
Through Hannah’s story, we see the power of prayer and the blessing of a mother’s sacrifice.
6. Bathsheba
Bathsheba was Uriah the Hittite’s wife. However, King David wrongly took her, slept with her, and impregnated her. Sadly, the baby only lived a few days before dying.
Though Bathsheba endured much pain, including infant loss, God restored her story.
Eventually, King David married Bathsheba, and they conceived another son – Solomon.
Bathsheba enjoyed the blessing of seeing her son Solomon become the wisest and richest king the world has ever known.
God took Bathsheba’s struggles and turned them into good, as promised in Romans 8:28.
7. A Woman in Solomon’s Time
When Solomon was king, a dispute arose between two women as described in 1 Kings 3:16-28.
Both women had baby boys, but one baby had died in the night.
One of the women switched the babies in the middle of the night. Yet each woman claimed the living baby was her own.
To settle the dispute, Solomon boldly proposed to divide the living baby between the two women. However, the real mother cried out on behalf of the baby, and then Solomon knew she was the true mother and protected the baby’s life.
This woman received God’s abundant grace in a desperate time of need.
8. Mary
As a teenager, Mary was chosen to be the mother of Jesus, the long-awaited Messiah.
She had great faith when she said to the angel:
“I am the Lord’s servant. May your word to me be fulfilled.” (Luke 1:38, NIV)
Her willingness to face shame and criticism as a young mother is inspirational.
Her unwavering commitment to her Son, especially after watching Him suffer, was essential at the start of the early church, as noted in Acts 1:14.
Mary’s practice of pondering things in her heart likely helped Luke write his gospel, which has been a blessing to countless millions.
9. A Canaanite Woman
A Canaanite woman had a child suffering from demon possession.
Canaanites had long been enemies of the Jews. But since she was desperate for her daughter to be healed, she cried out for Jesus’ help, risking rejection.
However, Jesus commended her great faith and granted her request, and her daughter was instantly healed as described in Matthew 15:21-28.
God cares when our children are sick and troubled, and He hears the heart cries of mothers pleading on their behalf.
10. Eunice
Timothy was a young pastor under Paul’s teaching. Timothy’s mother Eunice was a Jewish believer, but his father was Greek, as told in Acts. 16:1. It’s possible that this difference of belief created friction in the family.
Timothy’s grandmother Lois was also a believer.
These two women passed on their beliefs to Timothy, whom Paul commended for his “sincere faith” (2 Tim. 1:5, NIV).
The intentional acts of Eunice and Lois to pass their faith on to Timothy were instrumental in helping the Gospel spread in the early church.
Their example can inspire mothers today to be faithful in passing on their Christian beliefs to their children, even if fathers don’t share in the belief.
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We are Easter people is a favorite quote from my dear pastor friend, and I’m pondering it with you today.
We Are Easter People
Today I’m reflecting on a 46-day journey of blogging every day for Lent. After reflecting on so many quotes, I couldn’t pick a better quote than this one to celebrate Easter.
Pastor Mark Martin is now with the Lord. I can only imagine his joy today as he celebrates Easter in heaven. He was my pastor for many years, and he was also my friend.
Every Easter Sunday, Pastor Mark proclaimed this message with verve. He wanted us to live in the joy that is possible every day this side of the cross, when all the prophecies about Jesus have been fulfilled.
Because we are Easter people, we can live with joy, hope, and peace. We live with joy that Jesus died for our sins and took away the curse of death from us. He’s now preparing a place for us in heaven, as long as we personally and individually commit our lives to him. We can have peace knowing that though we have many troubles in this world, Jesus has overcome them for us and has much better things in store.
Today, I thank God for the friendship I had with Pastor Mark. More than anyone else, he taught me about small group ministry. He was the first to encourage me to write for the church and gave me unique writing opportunities. Pastor Mark counseled me, baptized my children, and attended my grandpa’s funeral. He and I laughed together and enjoyed good fellowship. I’m grateful for his constant encouragement.
Living as an Easter Person
Today, I commit to living as an Easter person, not just on Easter Sunday, but every day. This experience of blogging every day for over six weeks has renewed my joy and healed me. Surely Pastor Mark would be happy to know I’ve written every day and healed through the process. I can’t wait to catch up with him in heaven someday.
I hope you will live as an Easter person today too. May God renew your joy, hope, and peace today as you spend time in prayer and worship. I also encourage you to worship with others in church because community is essential. That’s where I met Pastor Mark who had such a powerful impact on my life. I pray you meet a supportive brother or sister in Christ in church as well.
'We are Easter people...' - ponder this quote with me. #quote #quoteoftheday #easter #spiritualgrowth Click To Tweet
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Also, if you make a purchase from any of the links on this post, I receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support!
I send my weekly newsletter Tea on Tuesdays at 3:00 p.m. Central time every Tuesday. I write an exclusive devotion for you each week that I share with you first.
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As grief wells up is a part of a quote from my book Hope for the Hard Days, and I’m pondering it with you today.
For Lent 2025, I’ll be writing new blog posts every day. I’m writing for just five unedited minutes on a quote of the day to deepen our faith in this Lenten season.
Day 46 of Lent 2025 – April 19
I’m using my own books for quotes this final week of the Lenten season. This quote is from the chapter called The Second Round of Grief in Hope for the Hard Days.
Here is the quote in context:
The difference between the second round of grief and the first is that I have the advantage of seeing it coming…
One thing I’m doing on this second round of grief is inviting Jesus into each moment with me. I envision him standing beside me back in that first round, when grief suddenly crashed into me like tsunami waves. He was right there, holding me when I felt his presence and especially when I didn’t feel his arms around me.
The second time around, Jesus and I will be standing there together, watching the original scene. I’ll see him standing there with me the first time and feel him standing beside me the second time too. He’ll embrace me as grief wells up, and as it ebbs away.
Though my knowledge of the situation the second time around increases my grief for a moment, he will be offering grace in heavenly abundance to me.
This Easter weekend, you might be dealing with grief. Perhaps it’s another round of grief from something you lost before. I encourage you to spend some private time with the Lord, grieving what happened to you. I hope that what I’ve shared above about inviting Jesus into that moment with you will be helpful.
In Hope for the Hard Days, I often write about grief. It has been an enormous challenge for me to choose hope amid all the grief I’ve faced. However, with God’s help, that has been possible. That’s why I wrote the book – to encourage you to find even just a bit of hope for the hard days. If your hard day happens to fall on Easter this year, I pray my book will encourage you.
You can order bulk signed copies of my book for the cheapest price in my Etsy shop. It’s where you can get a signed copy from me. Check it out HERE, and don’t forget the discount codes below!
Join me again tomorrow for another reflection on a different quote.
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Find all my additional resources for Lent on this page.
Are You Looking for a Book Launch Manager or Virtual Assistant?
If you’re launching a book in 2025 or beyond, be sure to book a call with me HERE to discuss your book launch. I’ve had over 50 clients since 2022, and I’d love to speak with you soon. I’m also taking on new VA clients. You can learn more and book a call with me on THIS PAGE.
If you liked this post, I would appreciate your shares on social media!
Also, if you make a purchase from any of the links on this post, I receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support!
I send my weekly newsletter Tea on Tuesdays at 3:00 p.m. Central time every Tuesday. I write an exclusive devotion for you each week that I share with you first.
To receive the newsletter, please subscribe below. I can’t wait to share personally with you each week!
Want to know more about me before you sign up? You can read my story here and learn more about my books here. By signing up, you are agreeing to the terms of my privacy policy.