There was Peter’s threefold denial, Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness, and my battle with a ham sandwich on day six of my forty-day fast: these are the great crisis moments in recorded church history.

Thankfully, Jesus escaped the temptation, while I faltered having been lured to the brink of perdition by that sumptuous pig. Though I failed in my forty-day fast, the good news is that I never sinned, because eating a ham sandwich doesn’t transgress any moral laws at least in this corner of the universe. To me, this is the beauty of fasting.

None of us like problems that come against us or people who are unfair. It’s easy to get discouraged and lose our passion. But God won’t allow a difficulty unless He has a purpose for it. He may not have sent the trouble, but He knows how to use it to your advantage. On the other side of every problem is promotion. The difficulty feels like a setback, but it’s really a setup for God to do something new in your life.

On September 2, 31 B.C., Octavian ushered in a time known as Pax Romana – “the peace of Rome” – when he defeated Antony and Cleopatra off the coast of Greece. In celebration of Octavian’s continued prowess, the Roman senate commissioned the building of an altar to the goddess, Pax. The Latin definition of pax is “civil order,” which the Romans experienced for 200 years. But altars to false gods and the trappings of the world will never rescue us or provide the long-term peace for which we yearn. According to the Bible, peace is only found in the person of Jesus Christ.

We have surrounded ourselves with screens. On the desk. In the family room. Even in bedrooms and kitchens. Increasingly in automobiles. One for every passenger on the airplane? And most importantly, hitchhiking on our person everywhere we go, the Precious in our own pocketses and handses.

Once upon a time, screens came attached to heavy, unwieldy boxes. Not anymore. Now they’re as thin as picture frames, and thinner. Some of us can count more screens in our homes than wall décor.

To be human in this imperfect world is to experience disappointment — the sadness and pain caused when one’s hopes are unfulfilled.

But what do we do as Christians when we experience disappointment with the Lord?

We all experience seasons of profound disappointment in life, and clichés from well-meaning people about praying more or reading more Scripture aren’t really that helpful.

When God was delivering the children of Israel out of Egypt, on the night of the Passover He instructed every household to sacrifice a lamb, then take the blood and put it over their doorposts (see Exodus 12). The power of the enemy was going to be broken on that night, and in the morning two million people with different opinions, different likes and dislikes, and different habits were leaving Egypt in a mass exodus out of Pharaoh’s hands.

“Here is the church. Here is the steeple. Open the doors. And see all the people.” This well-loved nursery rhyme with its clever hand motions has kept little fingers busy for decades. The ditty was created as a fun and simple way to teach children about community within the church. But have those wiggly, finger-parishioners become too content amongst themselves? Are our well-lit sanctuaries becoming the preferred venue for believers to let their light shine?

We may know that God is in control of all things at all times in all places, yet we often feel frustrated because we don’t understand what he is up to. So what do we do when life doesn’t make sense?

The Preacher in Ecclesiastes asked a similar question. Often, when someone mentions Ecclesiastes, we can think, “Whoa — he was a downer.” In reality, though, Ecclesiastes does not push the depressed over the edge, but rather gives the frustrated a foothold of joy in our puzzling world.

Since I became a Christian, it’s been a struggle to consistently connect with God. Like me, you may also tend to think that most other Christians are experiencing God more deeply than you are.

Is there something wrong with me because I’m not experiencing Him like others? Am I missing something?

I’m not alone in this.

We all have discouraging thoughts telling us what we can’t do, how we’re not going to get well or ever be successful. Sometimes people will speak negative words, say things that can limit our destiny. If we let the negative comments play in our mind, they will keep us from becoming who we were created to be. No one can make you think something. You get to choose what you dwell upon. When those lies come saying, “You’re not attractive. You don’t have a good personality. You’re too old,” you can dwell on it and let it poison you, or you can ignore it.