Dangerous Questions: A 5-Day Reading Plan by Brenna Blainনমুনা

Day Five: You Are Safe

God asks us not to hide in shame but to bring all our “stuff” to Him. And with a great gesture of gentleness, He asks if He can have it.

He wants to bring His love to our brokenness.

He wants to bring His holiness to our humanity.

He wants to bring us “a crown of beauty instead of ashes” (Isaiah 61:3).

You might be thinking, I am nowhere near ready to bring my stuff to God. You might question if you will ever believe in the redemption of past pains and brokenness. Can I just tell you that holding those questions is normal and more than okay? Not only that, but you are in good company. I’ve been there, and many others have been too.

As I wrestled with an eating disorder for years, I prayed at every meal, Would You be enough for me in the temptation and incongruent feelings? Praying that prayer wasn’t as hard as living it. It meant leaning into discomfort when I knew doing what I wanted would pacify my aching for a time.

But what once felt hard became only odd, and what once was odd became muscle memory. This new skill of reliance would bring me to Jesus day in and day out.

You can do the same, even in uncertainty. Your prayer might sound like, God, I don’t know how You could ever use or redeem the brokenness I have carried, but in courage, I want to step out and try giving it over to You. Would You help me to do that?

Although this path has been difficult, I have never been abandoned. So, the last question I leave you with is this: Will you bring your bricks to God?

This is the God who can do “immeasurably more” than all you could ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20).

The God who knows your heart better than you do and desires more goodness for you than you could dream up.

The God who wants to hear your dangerous questions and hidden doubts.

The God who invites you to come close, just as you are. And with eyes of compassion and love says, “You are safe here.”

Will you bring those bricks to the real God?

Response:

Using Brenna’s words above or your own words, tell God what you are feeling right now about the burdens you carry.

Prayer:

Lord, I bring my burdens and doubts to You, trusting that I am safe in Your presence. Help me to experience Your immeasurable love and to find peace in Your compassion. Guide me as I lean on You for strength and understanding. Amen.