God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear even though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though the mountains tremble at its swelling . . . Psalm 46:1
There are times when our lives are completely disrupted. Perhaps it’s the loss of a job, a loss of revenue, the loss of health insurance, or the loss of a loved one. These terrible disruptions are sufficient to rattle your world. So I don’t want to sound glib when I say to that one soul out there who needs to hear this today that even though you’re hurting and the day looms dark ahead of you, choose to lean on God’s strength. C.S. Lewis – a man who deeply grieved the loss of his spouse, wrote, “If you wake up feeling fragile, remember that God is not, and then trust Him to be everything you need today.”
Acknowledge your pain. Talk to your heavenly Father, pour out your grief, your fears, your worries, your questions. Go ahead, He already knows your thoughts and His shoulders are wide enough and strong enough to handle your greatest Whys. Give yourself permission to grieve. Reach out to the friends he’s brought into your life and allow them to pray for and minister to you.
God has not dropped the ball. He is still working for you even in your darkest hour. As often as you need to, tuck yourself under His wing and breathe deeply of His love. Trouble will come – that’s a certainty. But what is also certain is that He is a safe place to hide, especially in the midst of our fiercest storms.
Prayer: Lord, I am not strong enough to handle this, so I’m turning it over to you in all of its rawness and complexity. I don’t have what it takes to face this day but you do, so pour into me what is lacking. Help me take that one baby step forward today and trust you for the rest. In your name I pray, Amen.
Thought: “No matter what the day holds, or how the season unfold, God holds and enfolds.” Charles Spurgeon
Okay, you wrote this one just for me, knowing I would read it today, right? 🙂 It does speak to me and encourage me. I’m hanging in there, as they say. But more than that – our precious Lord assures me that when I have no one else, not only is He present, He is enough — and what a soft warm blanket when that’s what’s needed.
I can’t say I didn’t have you in mind when I posted it but I wrote it before your recent struggle. Just like that one last week that I wrote a while ago but spoke to my heart the very day I needed to hear it. That’s what God does: He knows who’s going to need what and when. It never ceases to amaze me the way He works. To Him be the glory.