Hope That EnduresSample

When Your Strength is Gone

Have you been through an extended battle that took all your strength? I’ve been through many of them, and after long periods of stress and anxiety, there have been times when I’ve told my husband, “There’s nothing left. I’m done. I don’t have anything left in me to fight anymore.”

Are you there today, sweet friend? Constant worry takes a toll on us in so many ways. And when we’re faced with situations where there seems to be no answer, it takes our hope away.

We pray about it—often long and frantic prayers. We do everything we can to make the situation better. We read our Bibles and claim God’s promises, but sometimes it feels like He isn’t doing anything, like He’s a million miles away.

All those times when it looked like God wasn’t doing anything, He was actually busily at work behind the scenes. I just couldn’t see what He was doing.

It reminds me of something that happened in our family many years ago when our sons were small. In the evenings after dinner, my husband, myself, and our three little boys would take a walk through our country neighborhood. After we’d walked for a while, we’d reach a long steep hill. Going down was fairly easy, but as we turned around and headed back home, that big hill was a pretty good climb for all of us.

On this particular night, we got partway up the hill and our youngest son looked up at his daddy and said, “My legs are rusty. Will you carry me?” My big strong husband picked our son up, snuggled him close, and carried him the rest of the way.

I walked behind them and smiled as we finished our walk. It was so sweet to see our son held securely in his daddy’s arms.

Today would be the perfect time for us to do the same with our heavenly Father. When we’re in the midst of the battle, it might not seem like He hears our prayers, but He does. He hears the long, fervent prayers, and He also hears our desperate whispers, “Lord, my legs are rusty. I have no strength left. I’m done. Will You carry me?”

I love what God says in Isaiah 46:4: “Even to your old age, I am He, and even to gray hairs I will carry you! I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you.”

I don’t have the words to tell you what a difference it makes to feel God’s presence in the middle of hard times, but just knowing He’s there makes all the difference—even when the circumstances are still the same.

I can now look back at tough situations and realize that all those times when it looked like God wasn’t doing anything, He was actually busily at work behind the scenes. I just couldn’t see what He was doing. And without fail, He’s carried me whenever my legs have been rusty. Trust Him today, dear one, because His strength will be sufficient—even when your strength is gone.

Prayer

Father, I’m weary. I feel as if I’ve been bombarded with situations that are too big for me to carry, and I can’t even catch my breath before the next big problem arrives. There seems to be no way out. My grief overwhelms me. I need Your strength today, or I won’t make it through. Thank You for Your promise that You will carry me and that You will deliver me. You are my hope, and I’m so grateful that Your strength will be sufficient for whatever I may face. Amen.

Reflection Questions

1. Describe some situations when your strength was gone.

2. How does it impact you to know that God will carry you through difficult times?

3. What are some past circumstances where you’ve experienced God’s strength and deliverance in your life?

Reach the World Around You

There’s a hurting world all around us. What can you do to share God’s love with someone who is hurting? What are some specific ways that you can be an extension of God’s hands to help carry them through their time of difficulty? Jot down a list. Make it a family project to choose someone each month to help and encourage.