Lisa Worthey Smith, author, writing and speaking coach/consultant: Grace Fox - Finding Hope in Crisis:Devotions for Calm in Chaos

Finding Hope in Crisis:

Devotions for Calm in Chaos

by Grace Fox

Welcome, Grace! Congratulations on your new release.

This seems to be a time when many are experiencing crisis and chaos. How does your book guide the reader to find hope and calm?

The ninety meditations gently direct the reader’s heart into God’s truth. Each meditation leads the reader to pause on the day’s story, ponder the personal application question, and pray. An inspirational quote reinforces the day’s focus.

No better way to instill His truth. Have you personally experienced times of crisis?

I’ve experienced a few crises. During those times, I shifted into survival mode. I desperately needed encouragement from God’s Word but found it difficult to read and remember lengthy passages of Scripture. I needed short meditations, something that was doable when my mind was on overload. I wrote Finding Hope in Crisis for people in that position—in survival mode. My prayer is that these brief nuggets from the Word will provide much-needed encouragement during the difficult days they’re experiencing.

Who would benefit from this particular book?

Anyone experiencing a crisis. Many of my readers have already purchased multiple copies and gifted them to friends who are facing cancer, the death of a spouse or parent, or job loss. One reader gave a copy to her next-door neighbor—an unbelieving police officer who lost a comrade in the line of duty. Another gave a copy to someone struggling with isolation due to pandemic lockdowns.

Here is a sample~

An Everywhere God

So he took Joseph and threw him into the prison where the king’s prisoners were held, and there he remained. But the Lord was with Joseph in the prison and showed him his faithful love. Genesis 39:21-22 (NLT)

Pause
Joseph was a teenager when his jealous brothers turned on him. Their actions thrust him into slavery in a foreign country where he no doubt experienced culture shock. Then a false accusation landed him in prison where his captors bruised his feet in fetters and held his neck in an iron collar (Psalm 105:17-19).

Where was God when Joseph’s story went from bad to worse? He was present with him in the cell. The writer of this account mentions God’s presence three times. Repetition in Scripture indicates something significant. It’s like a light flashing to capture our attention. It says, “Don’t blow past these words. You need to understand their importance.”

Suffering might cause us to question God’s presence. Where is he? Has he forgotten me? Joseph’s story reminds us of the truth. His situation seemed hopeless, yet God was with him in his cell. He’s with us in our hard places, too, even when circumstances point to the opposite.

Ponder
How has God shown you his faithful love in your situation?

Pray
Lord, thank you for your presence with me in this hard place.

“You are before me and behind me, above me and below me, around me and in me. You hem me in with your reassuring presence, whether I’m coming or going. It’s a wonderful thing to ponder Thank you for being my prepositional God.” –Twila Belk, Raindrops From Heaven: Gentle Reminders of God’s Power, Presence, and Purpose

About the author

Grace Fox grew up in Alberta, but she’s made her home in places such as rural Nepal, urban U.S.A. and coastal British Columbia. Today she lives on a sailboat near Vancouver, B.C. with her husband of 38 years. She’s the mother of three grown children and grandma to nine precious littles.

Grace has written ten books, has stories in five compilations, and has published hundreds of articles in magazines including “Focus on the Family,” “Insights,” and “Today’s Christian Woman.” Her small group study, “Moving from Fear to Freedom: A Woman-to-Woman Conversation” won the 2012 Selah Award for Honorable Mention in Excellence in Bible Studies. She’s a regular contributor to Guideposts’ “Mornings With Jesus” annual 365-day devotional and a member of the First 5 writing team (Proverbs 31).

Grace’s new book, “Finding Hope in Crisis: Devotions for Calm in Chaos” was recently released by Rose Publishing/Aspire Press.

Fox is a popular speaker at women’s events worldwide, and the national co-director of International Messengers Canada, an interdenominational ministry that offers creative short-term and career service opportunities in more than 25 countries. She and her husband train and lead short-term ministry teams to the post-Communist bloc countries every summer.