God’s Help Through Life’s Storms
Words from Jesus
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“That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our inner strength in the Lord is growing every day. These troubles and sufferings of ours are, after all, quite small and won’t last very long. Yet this short time of distress will result in God’s richest blessing upon us forever and ever!”—2 Corinthians 4:16–171
No matter what hardships the world may throw at you, you have—in Me—everything you need to persevere. Despair is a deep pit, and sometimes you totter around its edges, precariously close to falling in. Your only hope at such times is to fix your eyes on Me. The more perplexed you are—bewildered by complex circumstances—the easier it is to lose your balance. To keep from falling, you must change your focus from your circumstances to My presence. This requires strenuous effort on your part, because you have not fully accepted the limitations of your mind. Your natural tendency is to keep thinking about a difficult situation ad nauseam—trying to figure it out. However, I am always nearby, eager to help you change your focus time after time.
Though you may be hard pressed on every side, you need not be crushed by difficulties. You are not alone in your battles, because I will never, ever abandon you. Even if you are struck down by a fatal blow, you will not be destroyed. I am the shepherd and guardian of your soul—the part of you that is indestructible. I give you eternal life, and you will never perish. No one can snatch you out of My hand!2
I want you to make it
“Since we have such a huge crowd of men of faith watching us from the grandstands, let us strip off anything that slows us down or holds us back, and especially those sins that wrap themselves so tightly around our feet and trip us up; and let us run with patience the particular race that God has set before us.”—Hebrews 12:13
Just keep hanging on, no matter how difficult it seems and no matter how little progress you feel you’re making. I see your heart and I know what you are experiencing, and I’ll help you each step of the way. As long as you’re holding on and fighting, you’re making progress in My eyes and I’m pleased with you.
I know this is a very trying time for you; it’s confusing, and you’re faced with some very important decisions. You’re battling to know what you’re supposed to do. You feel so unprepared and worn out spiritually that you feel like you can’t possibly do it. But I’ve promised that I won’t allow you to face more than you can take. I won’t allow one speck more than you can handle. You can trust Me completely on this, because I know exactly what you’re going through right now, and I won’t fail to pull you through if you keep fighting and keep trusting.
I know it all seems overwhelming right now, but I promise that there is a light at the end of the tunnel, and if you just keep going one step at a time, you’ll come to the end of the tunnel and into the light. Things will not always be this way. You won’t always feel discouraged or worried, wondering what to do, because I will pull you through this battle and you will rise above to victory, as long as you hold on to Me.
I want you to make it! I don’t want to see you hurt or unhappy, and I’ll help you make it. But you have to understand that at times it will hurt a little, and at times you’ll need to make sacrifices. I can’t protect you from every single bit of hurt in life; there’ll be some hurt, but I promise that as you come to Me for comfort, I’ll comfort you. My comfort will wash away the feelings of hurt.
Come to Me whenever you feel discouraged or down. Don’t wait for days, or even for half a day. Come to Me and let Me speak to you and comfort your heart and give you words of encouragement to help you to keep going.
I won’t fail you. I’m here for you, and I promise to love you, to comfort, to encourage, and to give you the anointing and power to carry on, no matter what you are facing, if you come to Me.
I go before you
“Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.”—Deuteronomy 31:84
I Myself go before you—opening up the way. I will never leave you nor forsake you. Therefore, you need not be afraid or discouraged. I realize, though, that feelings often fail to submit to logic. So don’t be surprised when your emotions rebel against your will. David—who was both a mighty warrior and a gifted poet—expressed fearfulness, trembling, and even overwhelming horror in one of his psalms. Yet his trust in Me was genuine and deep. His life and His writing demonstrate that fear doesn’t “trump” trust: They can coexist. This is why David could proclaim, “When I am afraid, I will trust in You.”5
Trust is a relational word. It’s one of the prime ways you can draw near Me. When you are afraid, don’t blame yourself for having that very human emotion. Instead, acknowledge what you’re feeling; then affirm your trust in Me—out loud or in a whisper. This affirmation protects you from the lie that feeling fearful means you don’t trust Me. Even better, it brings you consciously into My presence, where you can find comfort and hope. The light of My presence illuminates the vast dimensions of My love for you—empowering you to grasp how wide and long and high and deep My love is.6
Don’t hesitate to ask for My help
“I will not abandon you or leave you as orphans in the storm—I will come to you. In just a little while I will be gone from the world, but I will still be present with you.”—John 14:18–197
Weakness is not something you are to be afraid of. When you’re tired, when you’re worn, when you’re feeling under the weather, don’t be ashamed or afraid to come and ask Me for help. Don’t try to get through, struggling the whole morning or the whole day—or longer than that—when you can come to Me and ask Me to help you. It saddens Me to see you become spent and discouraged because you try so hard to do something yourself when you don’t have it within you to do it alone, when you need extra help.
Come to Me whenever you need an extra boost, and I’ll carry you through. You won’t need to try to carry the burden; I’ll help you carry it. You won’t need to have to try to think everything through on your own; I’ll help you do that. The challenge won’t seem as big anymore as we tackle it together. With Me, you may still have to weather the storm, but at least you can rest assured that you have a good Pilot and your safety is guaranteed, even if it is a violent storm. I have promised that I will never leave you comfortless.
Published on Anchor August 2015. Read by Gabriel Garcia Valdivieso.
Music by Michael Dooley.
1 TLB.
2 Sarah Young, Jesus Lives (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2009).
3 TLB.
4 NLT.
5 Psalm 56:3.
6 Sarah Young, Jesus Lives (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2009).
7 TLB.
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