14 Days of Strength in Any StruggleSample

When You Wonder if God is Really with You by Kayla Craig

I’m a thrifter and once came home with a 1960s telescope. I know nothing about astronomy, but I love stargazing. The new telescope came with a menagerie of lenses, which were confusing. But my family and I cobbled pieces together with a screwdriver and a prayer.

A lunar eclipse was coming, so we brought the vintage telescope outside. There it was: the moon, big and bold, a reminder that the One who hung the stars was keeping watch over us.

The telescope didn’t help us see the moon like we expected. We squinted and adjusted the lenses, but what we saw was a bit . . . blurry. It was easier to see with our eyes.

God’s ever-present grace is like the swirl of the galaxies around us. We may not be able to see or even fathom it, but it’s with us.

Sometimes, we just need a shift in perspective. We can focus so much on having the right set of circumstances (or right telescopes) that we miss the glory all around us.

How often have you fallen into that if-then thinking? Maybe you’ve found yourself thinking, “If I just read my Bible more, then maybe I would see God’s presence in my life,” or “If I just prayed more, then maybe my circumstances would be better.”

While Scripture reading and prayer are essential practices, the Kingdom of God is all around you, forever, like the moon. The daylight might obscure the moon, but that doesn’t mean the moon isn’t there.

In the moments when you’re most overwhelmed and wondering if God’s goodness can really be trusted, look at the night sky. May the stars remind you that even when you feel most alone, God sees you. The Maker of the heavens and the earth calls you beloved. The presence of Christ says you are worth finding. The grace of God says the Maker of the stars delights in you.

Lift up your eyes and look to the Heavens: who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one and calls forth each of them by name. Because of His great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing. ISAIAH 40:26

Where are you finding God’s strength today?