We often feel beaten, battered and worn. The loss of a loved one, the loss of a job, the loss of a home or a privilege and so much more. We also encounter hard times, difficulties or situations that we find ourselves in and we just don’t know how to break through. As we get older our responsibilities increase and we are forced to be better planners and more disciplined beings to survive the challenges that life catapults our way.
As we experience the lows of this life, we often question our purpose, the existence of God or if not his existence, his interest in our affairs. We know it is really serious when we feel like we have lost our purpose, we are insignificant to God and to people who we care about. We know we are in need of help when we no longer feel like enjoying the things that we truly find pleasure in. We know we are in need of support when our body feels heavy, tense and frozen. Life can overwhelm us and seriously sap our energy. It is in moments like these that we seek to encircle ourselves with a few genuine friends who would truly intercede on our behalf, who would not see us as a burden but embrace our struggle extending empathy to us. True friends who would love us through the thick with no desire to judge us or to know the fine details.
When life overwhelms us it is the ideal time to frequent your closet (private place of prayer), close that door and cry out to God for his wisdom, his strength and his peace. Express yourself freely to him, press upon his face and ask for the desires of your heart.
When life overwhelms you ask God to search you and show you anything in your life that is not pleasing to him. It may be inappropriate thoughts about someone, it may be failure to obey him or the instructions in his word. It is always good to search ourselves and seek to grow and change becoming more beautiful. Yes, we can certainly grow through our tough times.
When life overwhelms you, remind yourself of the promises of God. You can say them aloud. God’s promises are for real and we can use them to obtain strength and renew our hope in God’s plan and purpose for our lives.
Isaiah 41:13 says “For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear, I will help you.”
That’s a promise to be claimed by everyone who believes.
