Devotion #11 - Strong Enough

Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. - Joshua 1:9

Did you cry out for God to save your child & believe He would? Did you ask Him to come near, but He kept you waiting & wondering? Do you feel as if God gave you the silent treatment& didn't respond in the way or in the timing you thought He should have? I would have to admit that all the answers would be yes for me.

God, where are You? I would ask. But all I woudl hear is silence. Silence made me feel uncomfortable. I almost thought God had abandoned me. I felt alone. But has He really? Just because He hasn't responded in the way & timing that I expected, does that mean He has hung up on me? No...maybe He is waiting to respond in His timing & in His way. I may get frustrated at that truth, but God has bigger plans. God may want me to learn to trust Him through this silence. God says, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you" - Hebrews 13:5. God is a God of truth. He never lies. He has not abandoned you or rejected you but is there, even if you don't sense Him. He is your Healer & wants to help you grow to know/trust Him more. He is there listening, caring, & feeling your pain even if you don't hear from Him in the way that you desire.

Strong Enough by Matthew West
You must think I'm strong to give me what I'm going through. Well, forgive me. Forgive me if I'm wrong. But this looks like more than I can do on my own. I know I'm not strong enough to be everything that I'm supposed to be. I give up. I'm not strong enough. Hands of mercy won't you cover me. Lord right now I'm asking you to be strong enough, strong enough for the both of us. Well, maybe that's the point - to reach the point of giving up. Cause when I'm finally at rock bottom. Well, that's when I start looking up and reaching out.
Cause I'm broken down to nothing. But I'm still holding on to the one thing...You are God and you are strong when I am weak. I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. And I don't have to be strong enough.

Lord, where are You? You didn't respond in the way or timing I had expected. I feel abandoned & hurt. I feel disconnected & distant from You. Are You listening? Silence makes me feel uncomfortable & rejected. Even though I can't see You, I know You are there. You say You will never leave me or forsake me. Please be my Healer. Help me grow & trust You more. I want to know You through this silence. Show me how. Amen