Thou shalt cry, and He shall say, Here I Am. Isa. 58:9 KJV
I will be going along fine with God, running alongside Him, keeping pace, working strongly in the power of His Spirit, and trusting Him. But then every so often, something will catch my foot, and I will trip and fall flat on my face! And there I am, lying face down in the mud. I lose my confidence and courage in God. All of a sudden I can’t remember what it was like to work in the power of the Spirit, and at that moment I don’t feel like I can do anything to serve God. I look up from my muddy landing place and wonder, “What happened?”
I feel like Elijah when he had just completed amazing acts of bravery for God. But then Jezebel threatened to kill him, and he lost all courage and ran away. “‘I have had enough, Lord,’ he said. ‘Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.’” (1 Kings 19:4) But despite that, God was gentle and understanding with him. He restored him physically by allowing him to rest and then He sent an angel to cook lunch for him! Then He revived him spiritually by meeting him on the mountain of God and giving him a new mission.
Like Elijah, I lost my courage and confidence and even trust in God. But He so gently and kindly took care of me too. As I was praying, feeling hopeless and distraught, I fell asleep in His arms. When I awoke, my husband was having a snack. So I did too! Between these two things, I felt a little better. Then God spoke reassuring words to me through my husband, and comforted me through an email from a friend at just the right time. And although I had felt like I had nothing more to write for God, He showed me what He wanted me to write about! God was restoring me physically and spiritually, just like Elijah!
These may seem like little and unimportant things, but God knew what each one would mean to me. By them He was saying to me, “I hear you. I care about you, and I love you.” It was balm to my wounded soul. God is so gentle and loving with each of us, even when we lose all courage and faith. He knows just how to gently restore us physically and spiritually. What a Great Provider He is!
Oh so true! I’ve been there so many times, about to throw in the towel b/c life just gets way too hard sometimes. Blessings to you as you run into His arms of Love. Robin
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Isn’t God good? It’s precisely because He chooses those “little and unimportant things” to reach us that we see how intimately He knows us and how much He loves us. No generic touch here, He makes it personal.
So glad you’re finding your comfort in Him.
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Thanks for the reply!!!! Gonna go add my own 2 cents there too on the post, cuz I agree with ya!
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What a great devotional. Are you sure you don’t have a teaching gift? Good stuff- very rich and stirring. Thanks for sharing it!
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Mom2olivia, I love to hear your words of encouragement! Bless you!
Joannamallory, He does know all about us, doesn’t He? I love that about Him, and that He cares enough to use His knowledge to bless us and care for us. He is so awesome!
Diane, thank you so much for your encouragement! It blesses me so much. May God bless you too!
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