When Tough Times Come

So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid
and do not panic before them.
For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you.
He will neither fail you nor abandon you. ~  Deuteronomy 31:6 NLT
 
At the start of this year, I felt the Lord call me to new heights in my relationship with Him. The Holy Spirit gave me Colossians 3:1-3 as my verse of the year and I felt the Spirit tell me that this year would be one to break down the strongholds that have kept me from knowing Christ more deeply. I prayed a bold prayer over this year that went like this:
“Please, Holy Spirit, come into my heart and mind and help me to keep both set on Christ. Heal the brokenness in me that keeps me from experiencing all the good and perfect gifts that Christ has for me- especially himself.”

I was soaring spiritually when I prayed this prayer and forgot that healing brokenness is often painful and isolating. I’ve spent the last months feeling more and more defeated as the trials continue to come, and only just realized that God may be answering my prayer. I’ve been relying solely on myself instead of looking to Christ for help.

When we take our eyes off Christ and focus on the giants in front of us, it’s easy to become downcast and defeated. If you’re there right now, you’re not alone. Hear the cries of Psalm 42:9, “” O God my rock,” I cry, “why have you forgotten me? Why must I wander around in grief, oppressed by my enemies?””. Pain is isolating when we face it alone, but the beautiful truth is that we don’t have to. We have a great high priest who knows our struggles, who endured far more pain than we can even comprehend, who sympathizes with us and draws near to us.

God promises us in Deuteronomy 31:6 that he will “personally go ahead of us. He will neither fail us nor abandon us.” When the road you’re walking feels lonely and more than you can bear, when it feels like there is no hope left, claim Psalm 42:11, “I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again- my Savior and my God.” He is the hand holding yours as you walk through the tunnel of darkness, and He is the light at the end of the tunnel that calls you forward. 

Friends, be blessed to become all God created you to be as you surrender everything to God, especially your fears. I bless you with strength and courage so that you can face your giants with confidence, trusting in the Lord who personally goes before you into battle. You will never be left alone; you will never be forsaken. Claim victory over fear and hopelessness as you “hold tightly without wavering to the hope you affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise,” (Heb 10:23).

Claire Savageau – May 9, 2023