If Suffering Is Not for Nothing, What Is It For?
God uses every trial in our lives to anchor us, shape us, and draw our hearts toward eternity.
8 min read
Published in Daybreak Devotions and Nighttime Prayers
Lilka Finley Raphael2 min read 
Editor's Picks
Revive Our HeartsJoy Uchennaya
Do You Feel Like You’ve Messed Up Too Much for God?
“God, help me, I feel like the worst person in the world.””How can I even come to You again, after I didn’t listen the last time?””I don’t think You’d even want to hea…
2 min read
Lisa Price
How to Best Love a Prodigal-
The muddle promptly becomes messier when we are called to love a prodigal child. A prodigal can be defined as anyone who once knew God (or knew of God) and has since walked away from any pretense o…
5 min read
Eliezer Gonzalez
Fight To Stand On The Word
God has spoken by His Son. Stand firm on His Word, even when it’s costly. Hebrews 1:2 calls us to trust Christ’s authority above all others.
2 min read
Lilka Finley Raphael
Lilka Finley Raphael has been a licensed pharmacist for over thirty years. Still, she has learned that the most potent prescriptions are not in bottles. Prayer and persistence are far more effective than any medication dispensed. A love for writing, gardening, and photography prompted Lilka to share her experiences and life lessons on her blogs God, autism and me, B Is for Blessed, and God and the Garden. Lilka’s most recent accolades include a Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference 2024 Selah Award Finalist for the Published Devotion category and recognition at the Asheville Christian Writers Conference as 2024 Sparrow Award winner. Lilka is also a monthly contributor to Edie Melson’s the Write Conversation, a Writer’s Digest top one-hundred website for writers. However, Lilka’s greatest achievements are her two adult sons who have flown the nest. Happily married for thirty-one years, she lives east of Atlanta, Georgia with her husband, Rod. They share their home with two German Shepherds—Holly and Ivy—and one naughty kitty, Moxie. Lilka's musings and photography are available at lilkaraphael.com