| Isaiah 40:31 – “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” |
I think we all have times in our lives when things are going well – we have a good job, satisfying relationships, and happy/healthy kids and grandkids. God is blessing us, and we feel that we are soaring through life. Small issues come up from time to time, but we cheerfully attack them, and we continue on. Other times, things are a bit challenging – a child is acting out at school or there is stress at work. But God’s faithfulness helps us to keep running the good race.
But I doubt there is a person alive who hasn’t experienced a time when everything was falling apart. Health, job, finances, family, or even a natural disaster – not an area of your life is unaffected. It’s like the old saying, “When it rains, it pours!” Sometimes it is so hard to even put one foot in front of the other, and we may even fall on our knees and attempt to crawl across the rocky ground of our life. But those are the times we need God the most, and we rely not on our own strength but God’s to help us through our most difficult days.
I recently experienced a time of struggle in many areas of my life. I had financial worries, family stress and illness, health concerns of my own and a loss of my job – all at the same time. Each burden on its own was challenging enough but adding them together felt like I was being crushed under the weight of it all. In my desperation, I called out to God, and I felt his loving arms around me – lifting me up, helping me to take things one step at a time. I was close to fainting, but God was there to help me. And he will help you, too, if you ask him.
Prayer: Dear God, thank you that I don’t have to try to navigate the trials of life on my own. Help me to make spending time with you in your word and memorizing scripture more of a priority, along with turning my struggles over to you for resolution. When things are going well, help me to praise you. And when things are difficult and all my strength is gone, come and lift me up so I can continue to walk with you. Amen.
– Betty Gossell
