We find our hope restored when we remember that He is God.

We find our hope restored when we remember that He is God.

Her face, drawn and dim, spoke of the suffering that wracked her body. Shoulders bent over in defeat. Eyes, familiar with the sparkle of life, glazed over — the light snuffed out. Tears trickled down cheeks that once knew the rosy blush of powder and rouge, now pale from pain.

“I can’t do this anymore,” she said. “Please don’t pray for me. There is no point. God doesn’t care. If He cared He would have taken this suffering away by now. He would have stopped me from having the surgery.”

Jenny’s* shoulders heaved as she sobbed. Surgery three months earlier had resulted in severe, allergic reactions to drugs that left her debilitated with shortness of breath and crippling pain. Her life, as she once knew it, faded into the past.

Hope stood still.

Faith? Her faith was shriveled. Wasted. Crying out to be heard by a Mighty God.

But I saw past the defiance. I saw a heavy heart, a spirit wounded by the onslaught of despair, tarnished with frustration and disappointment — disappointment in a mighty God who promised to take care of her.

That’s hard to swallow, isn’t it?

Hope restored.

Hope restored.

But haven’t we all been there from time to time?

We believe in a powerful, loving God whom we can trust to be faithful. We believe in His healing power. We believe the fervent, effectual prayer of a righteous person avails much.

We believe …

Jenny believed too, but now she was whimpering as she came to terms with the honesty she had just unleashed on the Lord.

I held her in my arms and began to pray. Waves of emotion washed over this precious woman. Sorrow, anger, disappointment, and despair gushed from her heart. The river of pain flowed, slowed to a trickle and then settled into a holy hush.

Words from A.J. Russell’s God Calling came to mind and I began to share:

“I will never leave you nor forsake you.” ~ Joshua 1:5

“Never leave. Never forsake. This does not refer only to My Presence. This refers to all that I am. I AM that I AM! My Love will never leave you. My Understanding will never leave you. My Strength will never leave you.”

Jenny’s face relaxed as tension oozed from her, a glimmer of light returning to her dark brown eyes. God’s Presence soothed her, reassured her and gave her hope. As she responded to God’s Word, a garment of peace wrapped her in a blanket of love.

Was Jenny’s pain over? No. Not her physical pain.

But her spirit rose within her and she stretched her hand towards heaven to take the hand of the One who was there all along.

And a beautiful thing happened.

Hope was restored.

Are you also finding your faith shriveling and the need for hope restored? I encourage you to be honest before the Lord — He is quite big enough for our tantrums.

But then … then … be still. Cease your striving and remember that He is God.

Think on those things worthy of praise so that your focus returns to the One in whom you have believed. Praise Him for who He is — Your Deliverer, Defender, Redeemer, and Friend. Your Savior, Your Peace, Your Shelter in the storm.

He is who He says He is!

We live in a fallen world where bad things happen to good people all the time. The rain falls on the wicked and the redeemed.

But the difference is that the Lord Himself is with the redeemed shining His Light into our darkness, causing all things to work together for our good — revealing Himself to His hurting child … if we will only be still before Him.

He is our hope — our hope restored.

Selah

*Name has been changed.

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Congratulations to Debbie Larue!

Debbie is August’s winner of an autographed copy of The Perils of a Pastor’s Wife. Thank you for subscribing Debbie. I pray the words of my heart give you strength for the journey.

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Are you looking for a speaker for your upcoming fall and Christmas events? I would love the opportunity to encourage your ladies in the Lord. For more information, please visit my website, www.NanJones.com