Why are you crying? Twelve reasons – one solution.

Why are you crying?                                    

                     Twelve reasons – one solution.



Why are you crying? Is it because:

-      your child has become a prodigal, wondering far from God?

-      you’ve received a terrifying diagnosis for yourself or a loved-one?

-      you’re overwhelmed and exhausted with circumstances of life?

-      you or a loved one is struggling with addiction?

-      the chaos in your home is out of control?

-      frustrations of world events seem unresolvable?

-      of fear that lost loved-ones won’t receive Jesus’ salvation before it’s too late?

-      your child is leaving home and you’re concerned about snares and dangers that lurk in the unknown.

-      your spouse has fallen out of love with you?

-      your financial situation seems hopeless?

-      you’re pregnant, unmarried, and don’t know where to turn?

-      your friend has betrayed you?

—just to name a few reasons.  

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You’ve heard about the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. But, do you remember His first recorded words after being quickened back to life?



Mary Magdalene was the first to encounter the risen Christ. She had found His tomb empty and began to cry, for she didn’t know who had taken Him nor where they had laid Him. Bewildered and with tear filled eyes, she turned to go, when there, standing before her, was Jesus. But she didn’t recognize Him. 


He said, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” (John 20:15).

She still didn’t realize it was beloved teacher and friend.


Then He spoke her name, “Mary.”


Instantly, she knew Him. There He stood, alive and well. Her grief, anxiety, and tears turned to joy, peace, and hope. He was right there and concerned about her tears. And He had a plan. 

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What are the things that make you cry? What causes tears to well up in your eyes? What thoughts cause some degree of anxiety to prick your soul?



Easter is approaching. Our celebration of Resurrection Day will soon be here. 


Let’s allow the truth and hope of Christ’s resurrection redeem our emotions from the downward pull of those things which bring us to tears.


He is risen! He has come to set the captives free. He is here and He has a plan.

For His followers, the resurrection of Jesus trumpets authentic truth. The sting of death has been eradicated and the grave will not hold us. And there’s more. In addition to eternal life, joy and hope are resurrected in us as well.


“Women, man, why are you crying? Whom are you seeking?”


When you come face with the risen Christ you have found the One you’re looking for whether you recognize Him or not. Listen. He’s calling your name—my name. He has come to resurrect life and joy. He’s right here.

Tell Him why you’re weeping—why you soul is vexed. He has come that you (we) may have life and have it in abundance (John 10:10). 


True story: Just a few days ago, I spoke with a woman who poured out her heart, with tears streaming. Her husband was chronically ill. She feared for the life and well-being of her alcoholic son. Her eight-and-a-half-month pregnant granddaughter, a drug addict, was in jail. My goodness! We can understand her tears. Any one of those situations could provoke weeping. 


This troubled woman was asking for prayer, turning to God for answers. She was seeking the right person. Only God has the answers to all her concerns and she is trusting Him to resurrect life in her loved-ones, as well as hope and peace in her own soul. 


Jesus said, “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly” (John 10:10 NKJV).


God created tears as a means of releasing emotion. But He doesn’t want our tears of sadness and fear to be the end point of our trials. 


Jesus gave His life so we may have life, both now and into Eternity. He’s alive—resurrected from the grave. Abundant life comes when we cast our cares on Him, confident He hears us and, when we do things His way, will work things out for our good (1 Peter 5:7; Philippians 4:6-9; Romans 8:28).

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When we focus on Jesus and God’s Word our worries and fears tend to fade away. Jesus wants us to trust Him.   


As we enter the Easter season, and beyond, let’s remember Jesus’ question, “Why are you weeping?” 


When anxiety of any kind arises, lets tell Him about it because He cares. He loves us with unfailing love; He has the right answers; and He has a plan.


So, Rejoice! And be mindful of these truths during this season and all of your days. 


Thank you for reading my blog post today. Think of a time when God has helped you move from weeping to peace. Feel free to share your experience below if you’d like. Your comments are welcome. 


©Copyright 2019 Connie Wohlford

Rejoicing in Hope: First Aid for Marriage

Rejoicing in Hope: First Aid for Marriage



Do you see the progression here? Rejoicing in hope -> patient in tribulation ->  continuing steadfastly in prayer (Romans 12:12).


Hope can save lives. A person without hope is at risk of suicide. A person with hope—even a glimmer—finds reason to want to go on living. 


The Hebrew word for hope is tiqvah (Strong’s 8615*), pronounced teek’-vah. Its literal meaning is cord. Its extended meaning is expectancy—something that’s longed for and eagerly anticipated. 


The scarlet cord that Rahab placed in her window was a tiqvah cord. It literally gave her and her family the hope of being rescued from death when Joshua conquered Jericho (Joshua 2:12-18).


Rahab had recognized that God was with the Jewish people and knew it would be futile, even deadly, to oppose them. Therefore, she protected and helped the Israelite spies who had come to stake out the city of Jericho. When they left her home, which was on the city wall, they instructed her to put a scarlet cord in the window. When the Israelite army approached the city, they would see the scarlet tiqvah and rescue those inside. On that infamous day, when the ancient city of Jericho fell, only Rahab and her household were spared. The walls of Jericho came tumblin down and no one else survived.


Ecclesiastes 4:12 says, “Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken” (NASV). 

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Many like to relate this passage to marriage. In a marriage the husband and wife are each represented by a strand of cord and are wrapped together making a stronger two-strand cord. If they are followers of Christ and invite Him into their married life, they have a three-strand cord—Jesus being the third strand. The strength of that marriage is then supernaturally multiplied. 


In my own experience, when Jesus was invited into our marriage, its strength was multiplied. My husband was not a Christian when we got married. Yes, we were unequally yoked together and, no, I don’t recommend that kind of marriage. Our early years were filled with trials, hurt, and discontent. Many marriages would not have survived what we went through. 


Finally, when my husband got born-again, becoming a Christ follower, things changed dramatically. Jesus became the third strand in the cord that held our marriage. He brought hope and renewed love into our relationship and our home. I no longer suffered under the dark cloud of concern that our two sons would become victims of a broken home. 


Though I sincerely thought there was little hope for our marriage, I continued to hope we would make it. I remember thinking, “If something doesn’t change, a year from now we will not be together.” 


Because I knew my God, I found reason to rejoice in the small ray of hope. With God’s help, I was “patient in the tribulation.” When a friend challenged me saying, “How’s your prayer life?” I recognized it was lacking. That’s when I began to continue “steadfastly in prayer.”


It was at about that time I read the chapter titled, “Love Your Husband to Christ,” in Beverly LaHaye’s book, The Spirit-Controlled Woman. I could see that my waning love for my husband needed a boost and that my prayer life needed to intensify. For the sake of our children, I asked God to help me in both of those areas—and He did. 


It was evident to me that my love for him, which began to grow, was beyond my own capacity at that time. And that unconditional love gave me a greater unction to pray for him. In less than a year, it happened—we were no longer unequally yoked. 


If you lack hope in any area of your life, I want to ask you this question: “How’s your prayer life?” If it’s lacking, get it in gear. “The effective prayer of a righteous man (or woman) can accomplish much” (James 5:16b). [Parentheses mine]


Let the tiqvah cord from God—the hope and expectancy of good things—come into your spirit because He is well able to make a way where there seems to be no way (Isaiah 43:19).  


With Him, hope gives us the power to look up (Luke 21:28); gives us the strength to go on (Psalm 46:1-3); and makes a way when circumstances are bleak (Hosea 2:15). Follow Paul’s instructions in Romans 12, which includes rejoicing in hope, being patient in tribulation, and continuing in steadfast prayer. 


Honoring God and following godly instructions will always yield good results. I'm not saying everything will then be perfect, but the end result will be for our good. I’m sure glad I took Paul's advice over forty-five years ago. I hope you will too.


©Copyright 2019 Connie Wohlford


* “Hebrew and Chaldee Dictionary,” Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, Crusade Bible Publishers, Inc., Nashville, TN - 1890, page 126.

My Twelve “Rs” of the Great Pursuit – Part 1 of 2

My Twelve “Rs” of the Great Pursuit – Part 1 of 2

What is your great pursuit—that quest that grips you?

You think about it every day. Visions of what it could look like live continuously in the crevices of your mind.

If you’re an athlete, maybe it’s to break records or win a championship. If you’re a realtor, perhaps you want to be the top seller in your agency. If you’re a writer you may strive to write a compelling novel that will captivate thousands of readers and launch you onto the cover of Writer’s Digest Magazine.

If you’re a serious follower of Jesus—a Christian—maybe your deep desire is to grow more like Him every day and show others the way of Salvation. In The Fire That Never Sleeps, Dr. Michael Brown encourages us to let God be our “great pursuit.”  

Here are My Twelve “Rs” of the Great Pursuit.

1- Remember. Bring to remembrance things that God has done for you in the past. Do you have a history with God? If you’re a new believer, you may not have much experience with Him. Even so, you can probably recall times in your life when He seemed to intervene in your situation—maybe protected you from some catastrophe.  

Now a senior citizen, I have a pretty long history with God. I can remember many occasions when God has been there for me in small ways as well as in supernatural ways that amazed me.

Remembering works God has done is mentioned several times in the Bible. In Psalm 143:5, David wrote, “I remember the days of old; I meditate on all Your works; I muse on the work of Your hands.”

Remembering God things we’ve witnessed ourselves, as well as accounts we learn about in His Word, or from others, is encouraging and faith building in our great pursuit. 

2- Righteousness. Outside of Christ Jesus, no one is righteous (Romans 3:10). Without His death on the cross, paying our sin debt, we cannot be righteous. No matter how hard we try and how good we are, we have all sinned and are separated from our Creator. “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21 NKJV).

In our great pursuit, with gratitude, let’s be mindful that in Christ we are righteous and have access to Father God.

3- Reverence. We need to have a realization of just Who God is.

Here’s a little exercise. On a piece of paper draw a picture of yourself. (A stick figure will do.) Next, think of all the attributes of God you can come up with in thirty seconds. Now, draw a picture of God next to the picture of you. I have a hard time with this because there’s no comparison. I’m smaller than a speck next to God.

I don’t know about you, but when I genuinely consider who God is next to who I am, I’m on my face before Him. God is holy and we’re flawed, but we are made in His image and as a result of His love and grace, He provided a way of redemption.

“Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear” (Hebrews 12:28 NKJV).

Let us reverently, yet boldly, come to His throne of grace in our great pursuit (Hebrews 4:16).

4- Rejoice. “Rejoice in the Lord always; and again I say rejoice” (Philippians 4:4 KJV), is the first thing that comes to my mind when considering this word.

We who are in Christ have many reasons to rejoice. Even in our suffering, Paul tells us to rejoice. “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us” (Romans 5:1-5 ESV).

So, let us continue to exalt our God and rejoice in all things as we move forward in our great pursuit. “But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy, and spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may exalt in you” (Psalm 5:11 ESV).

5- Refresh. Rejoicing in the Lord can help bring about a refreshing to our souls and spirits. To refresh is to take a breath; rest; take a break; find relief.

A day at the spa can refresh our muscles, skin, and nails. It’s relaxing and rejuvenating, sending us out with renewed strength. (Though I’ve never experienced a “spa day” I know many people who have so I have a general idea of its benefits.)

Daily (not occasionally) soaking in God’s Word, massaging it into our minds, spirits, and souls renews and refreshes. Applying the oil of the Holy Spirit, welcoming His involvement in our lives, along with communing with our Maker through prayer, can bring a refreshing that gives us energy and power to accomplish mighty feats and to overcome ominous obstacles.  

“Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord” (Acts 3:19 NKJV).

In our great pursuit, let us continuously refresh ourselves in our Savior and remember that, “A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed” (Proverbs 11:25 NIV).

6- Resist. We need to recognize and resist anything that comes our way which does not please and honor God. “Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you” (James 4:7 NASB).

The best method for avoiding sin is found in Psalm 119:11: “Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You” (NKJV). When we know God’s Word—hiding it in our hearts through memorization—we are much less likely to commit sins.

Speaking of sin, please make it a point to know the difference between a sin and a mistake. A mistake is doing or saying something without knowing it is wrong. A sin is doing or saying something, while knowing that it is wrong.

When someone cheats on their taxes or has sex outside of marriage, they’re committing sin, not simply making a mistake. When someone accidently dials a wrong number on their phone, they’ve made a mistake.

People will often call their sin a mistake in order to minimize their guilt but God knows the difference and we should too. As we continue in our great pursuit, let’s give and receive support from other Believers. We can help one another resist the temptation to sin. “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another” (Proverbs 27:17 NIV).

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So, here are the first six of My Twelve “Rs” of the Great Pursuit. Please tune in to my next blog post for the remaining six. Meanwhile, let’s put God in the forefront of our minds, hearts, and souls and make Him our great pursuit.

“When He becomes our great pursuit, by default, anything that does not reflect Him or honor Him will be stripped out of our lives; we simply will not tolerate it.” –Dr. Michael Brown *

©Copyright 2019 Connie Wohlford

*The Fire That Never Sleeps: Keys to sustaining personal revival; by, Dr. Michael L. Brown and John Kilpatrick, with Larry Sparks; Destiny Image Publishers, Inc.; 2015; page 58.