As believers, it's often in the heartaches of life that we turn our eyes upward, and come to realize that all the comforts of this world mean nothing compared to a childlike trust in the good and sovereign hand of Almighty God.
– Stacy Reaoch
About the Episode
In this episode of The Hope + Help Project, Christine Chappell interviews author and writer Stacy Reaoch. They discuss her book, Wilderness Wanderings: Finding Contentment in the Desert Times of Life to examine God’s big-picture plan of the Israelites’ trek through the wilderness, and how their journey helps us find hope and wisdom for the desert times we face in life.

The episode addresses questions such as:
• Why it's important to turn to God—and not lesser things—for comfort in sorrows.
• Why it's easy to become blinded to God's promises in the midst of suffering and hardship.
• Why God's way of escape from temptation may be hard, but the right way nonetheless.
• How the story of the Israelite's wilderness journey gives us courage when facing challenging circumstances.
• Why it's dangerous to be a Christian "lone ranger."
Listen on iTunes
Listen on Google Play
About the Podcast
The Hope + Help Project podcast offers compassionate biblical conversations about life's challenging problems. The purpose of the podcast is to share Christ-centered comfort and clarity for those seeking biblical solutions for the struggles they face. The podcast accomplishes this by offering a mix of interviews with seasoned biblical counseling professionals and ministry leaders on a variety of topics. Listeners can expect to receive biblical wisdom as well as practical steps for facing suffering, struggling and sin with courage and grace. Hosted by author/writer Christine M. Chappell.
About the Guest
Stacy Reaoch is a pastor’s wife and mother. She’s passionate about studying the Bible and helping women apply God’s life-changing truth to their daily lives. Her writing has been featured at Desiring God, The Gospel Coalition, Revive Our Hearts, Risen Motherhood, and she also writes regularly at her website. Stacy and her husband, Ben, live in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with their four children.
About the Book
Wilderness Wanderings: Finding Contentment in the Desert Times of Life • Our broken, fallen world is marked by a constant struggle for contentment. In the difficulties of each day, we can be prone to complain and think the grass is greener on the other side. We can doubt God’s goodness and plan for us, especially when our path is dark and we feel lost in the wilderness of life.

The Israelites’ journey to the Promised Land was a journey much like our own. Fear, discontentment and a failure to trust God plagued the very people he had miraculously delivered from slavery. In this gospel-centered devotional, busy women will find encouragement through the ups and downs of life as they glean insights through daily readings, short teachings, and personal-reflection questions for each day.

The chronological readings through Exodus and Numbers will allow women to see God’s big-picture plan of the Israelites’ trek through the wilderness while finding hope and wisdom for their daily trials of life. God’s mercy, judgment, faithfulness, and sustaining grace through hardship will come alive as women see parallels in their own lives with the journey of Moses and the Israelites.

These 25 devotionals will guide women through a significant portion of the biblical storyline, while steering them to find contentment in the only One who will truly satisfy.
Helpful Resources from Stacy
Get Outside Yourself in Suffering
It’s harder to see needs around me when I’m constantly thinking about my own problems. My sinful tendency to throw a pity party and navel gaze flares up when the storms of life arise. And in my own world it becomes easy to judge others for not reaching out to me in my pain.
God Fills Our Lives with Trials
Christians are not exempt from troubles. In fact, we’re promised troubles for the very fact that we follow Christ (John 15:20). Yet often, our responses to the trials in our lives reveal that we think we deserve something better. So if we’re not to be surprised when difficult things come into our lives, the implication is that we should be prepared.
The Cure for Bitterness
Bitterness is like a slow poison, one negative thought leads to another, and soon we’re tossing and turning at night, replaying hurtful interactions and making a new plan to get even. The book of Hebrews warns us about allowing bitterness to take root: “See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no ‘root of bitterness’ springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled” (Hebrews 12:15).
*Disclosure: Bear in mind that some of the links in this post are affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase I will earn a small commission. Keep in mind that I link to these resources because of their quality and not because of the commission I receive from your purchases. This does not affect the cost of the resource, and the decision is yours whether you choose to purchase them from my link or not. Thanks for your support!
About Your Host
Christine M. Chappell
Author, Writer, & Podcast Host
Christine Chappell is the author of Clean Home, Messy Heart, Help! My Teen is Depressed (forthcoming with Shepherd Press in March 2020), and is the host of The Hope + Help Project podcast. She writes frequently about depression, sorrow, grief, and motherhood at her blog, and has completed biblical counseling certificates with the Institute for Biblical Counseling & Discipleship. Christine's writing has been featured at Desiring God, The Gospel Coalition, Risen Motherhood, Servants of Grace, Thrive Moms, Devotable, and For Every Mom. 
Recently on The Hope + Help Project Podcast
Click to learn more about my weekly resources.
Every week, a different topic. Carefully curated Christ-centered resources designed to equip you to face life's spiritual challenges with courage and clarity.

Helpful for sufferers, strugglers, and supporters alike.

Click the picture to the left, or the mail icon above to learn more about my weekly deliveries.

Or, if you know you want to receive them already–complete the form below.