Cast your burden on the Lord and He shall sustain you. -- Psalms 55:22
Have you ever found it’s easy to believe and trust God when all is well, everything is settled, and life is good? But when things get difficult, sometimes we wonder where God is. At some point or another, we all experience extremely tough times. I’m not talking about minor inconveniences, but gut-wrenching, tragic life events that shred us to the very core. They hit without warning and hijack our life, emotions, and faith.
I will never forget when my husband went to see our family doctor for a headache and ended up in the emergency room. In one morning, he went from laying on the couch at home to laying on a hospital bed in the intensive care unit. My faith was really tested when I learned brain hemorrhages, like the one he had, are usually fatal. One week later, he came home and had no evidence of trauma. It was an absolute miracle! But the days while he was in the hospital were long, my heart was heavy, and my spirit was pressed into the heart of the Father, who truly sustained us.
In times like this, what we really believe becomes evident. We try to find purpose or a reason for what’s happening and ask ourselves what God is teaching us. Practically speaking, how do we walk through circumstances like this?
The Bible tells us to draw near to Him, and He will draw near to us (James 4:8). There are moments in life when we have to trust that, as we are vulnerable with our pain, He is faithful. He sent the Holy Spirit to walk with us. We have to believe He’ll never let us go, and even when we can’t see His hand, we can trust His heart.
It has to be a willful decision to have faith, be patient, and trust in His Word. When we are totally vulnerable before God, we find strength to take one more step. When our faith is put to the test, God’s presence and Holy Spirit calm us, heal our hurts, and renew our strength. The key to receiving His renewed strength is to give Him the entire burden we carry. This happens as we spend time in His presence and in His Word. Our part is to press in honestly and trust Him, and His part is to sustain us (Psalm 55:22).
Whether you’re facing a devastating situation or you feel overwhelmed in a certain area of life, you can run to the Heavenly Father and tell Him everything. He will carry your burden, and He will sustain you.
Prayer
Thank You God for always being there and for giving us the Holy Spirit so we will never be alone. Help us when we experience difficult situations and times of despair and stumbling. Give us faith to continue to seek Your presence and hear Your voice. Thank You for being steady and dependable, our Rock, and our Redeemer. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
For Further Study
- Psalm 34:17–18; Psalm 91; 1 Thessalonians 5:16–18; Hebrews 10:23
-- Mallory Bassham
Taken from Created to Be, a Gateway devotion.
