What should Christians remember in the midst of troubles?

 t was just after 11 p.m. on an unusually cold January night in north Florida when the knock came at our door — a dreaded knock that no parent ever wants to receive. The knock informed us that our 23-year-old firstborn son, a firefighter and paramedic, had just died.

And it felt as though we died. Our hearts were frozen stiff in that cold night air.

How do you go on? How do you endure in the midst of suffering? How do you face the deepest miseries of life? What are the things that will ballast your soul in fierce storms of this present evil age?

Here are three plain biblical truths that have helped me. They are not new truths. They are probably all things you already know and believe. They are certainly things that as a pastor, I had known and believed for many years, and yet they are truths that have, in the midst of personal tragedy, become more precious to me than ever before.

1. God is always good

After Sam died, I did what I often do. I read. I read the Bible. I read books on suffering, on grieving, on loss, on lament, and a lot of books on heaven. But of all the things I read, one of the most surprisingly helpful things came from a children’s book by Jonathan Gibson called The Moon Is Always Round. I had picked it up to read with my disabled daughter to help her process her loss. I think in the end, it may have been just as helpful for me.

In this little book, Dr. Gibson uses an analogy drawn from the phases of the moon to help explain the goodness of God. The simple illustration is that in spite of the way things may appear from our perspective, “The moon is always round.” Sometimes it may look like an apple slice or a squished orange, and sometimes it may give only a sliver of light, but however it might appear, the truth remains that the moon is always round.

And what is true of the moon is true of God. Sometimes, in the dark night of the soul, God’s goodness appears hidden: hidden behind deep sorrows, profound losses, and excruciating griefs. And yet the Scriptures testify to the fact that in spite of how it might appear, God is always good:

“For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations” (Ps. 100:5).

He is good in His being, in His works, and in all His ways, and He does not change (Mal. 3:6). So even when it is hard for us to see, even when His goodness seems hidden by the shadow of a difficult providence, we can trust in the goodness of God.

There is no greater demonstration of that fact than the cross itself. Nowhere does the dark shadow of God’s providence seem to cover His goodness more than at Calvary. And yet even there, even when His face seemed to be most hidden, the light of His goodness was shining in all its resplendent roundness. If this was true on that darkest day of history, then it is true in your darkest day as well.

2. God works evil things for good

The second truth is a corollary of the first. In Genesis 50:20, Joseph makes the profound confession that what his brothers had meant for evil “God meant for good.” The same God who summoned the famine was also the God who sent Joseph ahead of them to save them. In the end, Joseph would get to see the good that God had been doing. After all, Joseph says, “God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive.” Those people included his brothers and the whole house of Israel. But Joseph didn’t get to see that in the midst of the trial, in the pit, in the dungeon, or when his feet and neck were bound. In those times, the word of the Lord was testing him. Would he trust that God was good and working good in spite of how it seemed? (Ps. 105:16–19).

We may never get to see all the good that God is doing. The secret things belong to God (Deut. 29:29). But I trust that one day in glory we may yet get to behold the full tapestry of God’s providence. And perhaps then we will better appreciate how these perplexingly dark threads were woven into the whole of His purposes serving to make the surrounding threads of His goodness shine all the more brightly.

3. God is working all things together for good in me

The third truth is a corollary of these first two. Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” The good that God works is specifically “for those who love” Him and “who are called according to his purpose.” It is a particular sort of good: that we might “be conformed to the image of his Son” (Rom. 8:29).

Through suffering, God is conforming us to the image of His Son. When we are faced with personal tragedies, we should remember that God is not just working outside of us, but He is working in us. He is sanctifying us and shaping us to become more like Christ. It’s not in a way we might choose, but it’s in a way that He knows is best.

Just about every morning, I still walk to the cemetery where my son is buried. Some days it feels more like limping. And every day, I long for that day when Jesus will come again to wipe these tears from my eyes, to raise our bodies from the dust, and to make all things new. Until then, every day I kneel at my son’s grave, and I draw two things in the dirt. I draw a moon to remind myself that God is always good, and I draw a cross to remind me of the greatest expression of His goodness. And then I pray that this suffering would not be wasted on me, but that God would be pleased to use it to conform me into the image of His Son.

The liver performs hundreds of essential functions in the body

 The liver performs hundreds of essential functions in the body, including storing glucose from the food you eat, producing bile for the digestion of fats, and filtering harmful toxins out of the blood before they cause damage to other vital organs. Unfortunately, the carbohydrate-heavy Western diet and our modern sedentary lifestyles can cause fatty tissue to build up inside the liver, resulting in inflammation which limits the organ's ability to perform these crucial tasks.

A combination of diet, exercise, and a well-rounded supplement can assist your liver's natural ability to flush out toxins and fat, helping to relieve abdominal fullness, boost energy levels, and improve mental clarity.

The 5 Must-Have Ingredients for a Good Liver Supplement

N-Acetyl Cysteine (NAC)

N-acetyl cysteine is a precursor to the powerful antioxidant glutathione, which helps neutralize cell-damaging free radicals that cause inflammation and fatty buildup in the liver. In addition, NAC has been shown to play a pivotal role in promoting your liver's natural ability to filter toxins from the blood. In this way, this essential compound offers the dual purpose of liver protection and detoxification.

Milk Thistle

Milk thistle contains compounds collectively known as silymarin, a group of flavonoids which have been shown to protect liver cells from toxic substances. Like NAC, milk thistle is a strong antioxidant that supports healthy liver function by defending against oxidative stress. Keep in mind, however, that not all milk thistle has the same level of silymarin content. Look for milk thistle standardized to at least 70% silymarin.

Choline

Choline is an essential nutrient naturally present in meat, fish, poultry, dairy, and eggs. One critically important role of this compound is to transport fats out of the liver, thus avoiding lipid buildup within healthy tissue. Due to dietary restrictions, vegetarians and vegans are particularly at risk of a deficiency.

Dandelion

Dandelions are rich in antioxidants, which help protect the liver against free radical damage and the inflammation that follows. In addition, it supports the production of bile, which aids in the efficient digestion of fats and their expulsion from the body. Look for formulas which contain dandelion root rather than an extract of the entire plant, as the root has a higher concentration of liver-cleansing compounds.

Artichoke

Like milk thistle, artichoke contains silymarin and another similar compound called cynarin. While these antioxidants help promote optimal liver function, other compounds help improve bile flow to flush toxins out of the body. Artichoke leaf extracts are rich in liver-protective flavonoids, while extracts of the stem and root are less so.

Bible has been translated into its 800th language.

An estimated 6.2 billion people can now read the word of God in their native tongue, after the Bible has been translated into its 800th language.

Wycliffe Bible Translators is celebrating the milestone, but have reiterated there is still more to do as one in five people are waiting for a text in their own language. 

Some of the most recent versions being worked on include Weh and Mokpe (both spoken in Cameroon), Ifè (spoken in Togo and Benin), Koma (a language in Ghana), and Shor (in Siberia)

The number of languages that have had the complete Bible translated has doubled since 1998. More than 100 translations have completed in the past six years, giving a further 500 million people access to the word of God. 

The translators believe it shows a team effort between local translation teams, their communities, supporters and outside agencies, helped by technological advancements.

James Poole, Wycliffe’s executive director, said: “This is an extraordinary time for world mission. Over recent decades we have seen remarkable progress, with translation work accelerating in many parts of the world. Communities are receiving the Bible far sooner than would have seemed possible only a generation ago.

“That matters because it means people are gaining access to God’s word in languages they understand deeply and naturally. As churches engage with the Scriptures in their own languages, they are better equipped for evangelism, discipleship and ministry. God is at work, and we have the privilege of being part of this historic moment.”

He added that there is a “sense of urgency” to ensure all have access to the Bible, as “every language represents people whom God loves”. 

The Egyptian convert in a potential life imprisonment or death sentence.

Thirty-year-old Said Mansour Rezk Abdelrazek is due to stand trial at Egypt’s Terrorism Circuit Court on 15th June and faces a potential life imprisonment or death sentence. 

The fiancée of an Egyptian man who is facing trial over converting to Christianity has issued an urgent appeal for journalists to “break the silence” over what she describes as “state-sanctioned religious persecution”.

He is officially recorded as an international religious prisoner of conscience by the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF).

Sophie F who is Australian has joined Amnesty International’s “Urgent Action” appeal to bring attention to a “severe, time-sensitive international human rights crisis unfolding in Egypt”. They say Said's only "crime" is converting from Islam to Christianity and attempting to legally update his religious designation on his national identity card so he can marry his fiancé in a church.

According to his partner, following his conversion to Christianity, Egyptian authorities targeted him through arbitrary arrests and surveillance. In 2018, Said fled to Russia, where he sought asylum and obtained temporary protection status for a year. In 2024, the Russian authorities deported him back to Egypt where campaigners say he was subjected to horrific physical torture, including being severely beaten and suspended for hours in a "crucifixion" position to force him to renounce his Christian faith. He has steadfastly refused to return to Islam.

The campaign says Said’s case “exposes a deeply disturbing systemic reality” that “Egypt routinely weaponises anti-terrorism laws to silence peaceful citizens and religious minorities”. Freedom of religion or belief is part of Egypt’s constitution and the campaign says that by prosecuting private faith as a national security offence, it is in breach of its own laws. 

A Catholic bishop has been shot dead in Mozambique

 A Catholic bishop has been shot dead in Mozambique. Fifty-year-old Osorio Citora Afonso, the Bishop of Quelimane and Apostolic Administrator of Beira, was shot in the chest in what the Church is describing as "mysterious circumstances".

His body was found on 6th June at his official church residence in Quelimane, in the east of the country.

Nathalie Raffray from the Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) told Premier Christian News that he was a very popular bishop who was committed to promoting the values of peace and reconciliation.

She said he spoke openly about the troubles in Mozambique, and his death had left the Church in Mozambique in a state of shock.

"They received the news with profound sorrow, as we might imagine, and have appealed for the serenity of faith and the fraternal solidarity of the entire Catholic community and the Mozambican people in the face of this truly tragic event," she said.

Pope Leo said he had "learned with sorrow of this serious act of violence" and was praying for the people of the dioceses and for Mozambique.

The President of Mozambique, Daniel Francisco Chapo, also described the bishop's death as "an irreparable loss for Mozambican society and for the Christian community".

Although no one has yet claimed responsibility for Bishop Osorio's death, it comes at a time of increasing jihadist attacks in Mozambique.

The President of Mozambique, Daniel Francisco Chapo, also described the bishop's death as "an irreparable loss for Mozambican society and for the Christian community".

Although no one has yet claimed responsibility for Bishop Osorio's death, it comes at a time of increasing jihadist attacks in Mozambique.

ACN warned last week that Islamic extremists had openly declared their intent to establish a caliphate in the country. Raffray said that since 2017, 6,300 lives had been lost to jihadist violence, with more than one million people displaced.

She added: "It's just so shocking for all Christians, and even Muslims, because Christians and Muslims get on with each other in these parts of the world. These are extremists who are doing this, so there is a call for peace."