Today you are feeling discouraged. (Maybe it’s a feeling that’s lasted a lot longer than just a day.)
Maybe you’re wondering: Is God real? Does he care? Does prayer change anything? Sometimes you pray and have answers. Sometimes you pray and don’t have answers. You’re hurt. You’re discouraged. You’re tired, maybe tired doesn’t even begin to describe it. You are exasperated.
You know you ‘shouldn’t’ have these questions. Logically you know the answers, and you also know that if anyone at church heard your thoughts, they’d give you a classic ‘christian one-liner’ to cheer you up: “Faith and fear can’t coexist.” “It’s okay, it will get better.” “Phil 4:8 says to focus on the good.” “Keep praying. Prayer doesn’t always change your circumstances, but it will always change you.”
You even wonder what God is thinking about your thoughts, like if he heard, he’d probably send a wasting disease upon you like he did the faithless, scared, complaining Israelites.
I’m here to say, have Grace for yourself exactly where you are. God is in the habit of meeting people where they’re at. He is in the habit of saving, rescuing, and providing for his people exactly where they’re at in their hurt and sorrow, questions and depression, anxious thoughts, anger, bad choices are hard letdowns.
He saved Lot from Sodom and Gomorrah. He rescued Sarah from the king’s harem. Jonah was redeemed out of a whale’s mouth. Job was restored from the ashes. Lazarus was raised to life from the grave. Everyone in Old testament and New testament was or had been distressed, discouraged, exasperated, in bad circumstances, doubting God, mad at God, or you name it, He dealt with it. In every single instance, God’s love and mercy was bigger than the hurt place of his children. Every single instance, God’s hand pulled them up and out of the pit and place them on solid ground.
That is the God we serve. The God who wants to and is willing to and ready to redeem, heal, save, speak and provide for His people RIGHT where they’re at.
But the one thing all of these people (redeemed) had in common was an openness, a willingness to be saved. So today, have grace for yourself exactly where you’re at, but also have an expectation that God will come for you and respond to Him.
The hand of God is fighting for you. You must only be still.
Katie's Corner 