Why is this happening to me?
You may have been here before. The day when your diagnosis comes in, when your job is terminated, when your loved one dies, when your dream ends. The day when everything changes.
For me, it was the day my husband died unexpectedly. I experienced pain I never thought possible. My life changed forever, and my grief was unbearable. I wished I had died with him.
You might be in a time like this right now. What do we do when all seems lost? God makes a promise for such a day… He says, “When we go through the rivers of difficulty, we will not drown. When we walk through fire, we will not be burned. Do not be afraid for I am with you” (Isaiah 43:1-5).
When you lose all sense of direction, God is your guide. When you are overwhelmed with pain, He is your comfort. When you do not know where to turn, He is your refuge.
God promises us that if we cling to Him during these times, He will lead us out of our dark place and into the “future we are hoping for” (Jer. 29:11).
In my time of grieving and loss, I grabbed a hold of the word of God. It became my lifeline. The word of God brought light to my path. It told me this season was not my forever, I have a future worth living for. I found that God is able to heal and restore every broken piece and put me back together.
And He did just what He promised. I am on the other side and seeing the goodness of God in ways I never dreamt possible.
I want to encourage you—don’t give up! God has a good future for you. And He will not only heal you, He will use your story to pull others out of their place of pain. God will turn your “valley of trouble, into a gateway of hope” (Hos. 2:15).
Stand firm today on what God has said. Allow the promises of God to restore your hope and lift you out of despair. God is with you today and He who promised will not fail!
by Pastor Cari Stewart