The darkest of times

“The Lord is near the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.”- Psalm 34:18

“For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”- 1 Samuel 16:6

As Charles Stanley continues Chapter 6 of Waiting on God, he notes that when we go through extended times of waiting, we often feel “alone and utterly rejected.”  That is why it is crucial for us to remember this encouragement from Dr. Stanley as our adversity persists:

“You can be courageous because the Lord is with you in the darkest of times and will see you through this.”

Perhaps a particular failing or a seemingly insurmountable event from our past makes us think the Father couldn’t possibly love or bless us.  Scripture, however, testifies that the Father is closest to us when we feel most unworthy and defeated.

Whether we sense God’s presence or not, we must be intentional in affirming the truth that God know exactly what we are facing during our time of darkness and is walking alongside us in that darkness.  The Lord is with us, He hasn’t deserted us, and He never will forsake us.  What matter is not who or what we know, how intelligent or strong we are, or how much we’ve achieved in life.  Rather, we are powered by the Spirit of the living God in us and His active influence in our life.

Today’s question: What has enabled you to experience God’s presence in the darkest of times?  Please share.

Tomorrow’s blog: “The path for your victory”

 

The darkest of times

Courage and determination

In Chapter 6 (“Staying on Track: When the View Becomes Dark”) of Waiting on God, Charles Stanley states that it certainly is true that our wait can continue to be absolutely disheartening, especially when events don’t go our way or our burdens increase.  To our finite vision, it may appear as if the Lord never will come through for us.

When our emotions leave us raw and fragile, the smallest criticism or words of unbelief from another person may leave us reeling with hopelessness because those words confirm our worst fears rather than being a support to us.  We feel it is futile to go on and that there is little or no reason to try.  We are plunged into the darkness of despair because our problems and pressures persist.

This brings us to Dr. Stanley’s fourth and final requirement of waiting on the Lord, courage.  Dr. Stanley defines courage:

“Courage is a quality that enables us to endure suffering, danger, opposition, and the challenges of life steadfastly, fearlessly, and with confidence in God’s provision and protection.  It is this attitude of courage that is stretched and refined in these painful times.”

Joseph faced his dark time in Egypt with courage and determination, even though conditions increasingly worsened for thirteen years before God raised him up to be a great leader.  He stayed on track with God’s purposes and took hold of the truth that God would take care of him.

Today’s question: What Bible verses have bolstered your courage following your vocation loss?  Please share.

Coming Monday: the new Short Meditation, “My Lifesong”

Courage and determination