Til the Day I Die: A 6-Day Devotional With Fellowship CreativeНамуна

EVEN SO

Angela De la Peña

We’ve all been through or will go through seasons of pain that seem impossible. Maybe you’ve been struggling with doubt. Maybe you’ve been battling anxiety or depression. Maybe you’re dealing with losing a loved one and asking God, “Why? Where are You?” Jesus tells us through scripture that while we may have hope and peace through Him, we will face trials and sorrows here on earth.

John 16:33 (NLT) says,

“I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth, you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”

Two years ago, I received word that my aunt was sick. I quickly stopped what I was doing and began to pray for healing with faith that God was truly working and that He would restore her health. Weeks began to pass, and her health slowly declined until we eventually knew she would soon be sitting at Jesus’ feet in Heaven. As each week went by, my confidence and faith seemed to slowly turn into fear and anger. In my mind, I knew God was in control, yet I still found myself questioning, “How? Why? When are you going to step in, God?”

As Christians, it can be easy to think that we should not deal with certain things. You may think to yourself, “I’m a Christian. I shouldn’t be dealing with depression or loneliness, right?” Have you ever felt anything like this? Abandoned? Hopeless? Lonely? Congratulations. You’re human. Whatever you may be dealing with, you are not alone. Throughout the Bible, there are examples of godly people who loved God wholeheartedly, trusted and feared Him, yet had moments where they struggled with these feelings and emotions.

In Psalm 13, David reaches an ultimate low as he tries to evade Saul’s attempt to take his life. Running for his life and hiding from his enemies, David cries out to God, “O Lord, how long will you forget me? Forever? How long will you look the other way? How long must I struggle with anguish in my soul, with sorrow in my heart every day?” (Psalm 13:1-2a, NLT). David feels abandoned, not only by his friends but by God. What a relief to know that David, the man after God’s own heart, dealt with these feelings too. We concoct a picture-perfect image of what we think the Christian life should look like, but God doesn’t expect that from you. Whatever your ultimate low looks like, even then, He will never leave you.

David’s turning point in the midst of his fear came when he cried out to God in prayer through the pain.

“But I trust in your unfailing love. I will rejoice because you have rescued me. I will sing to the Lord because He is good to me” (Psalm 13:5-6, NLT).

The game-changer here is not just expressing how you feel but bringing it to God and worshiping Him even so. Even through pain and chaos, we can be confident that we are not alone and that God will never leave us. He will faithfully bring us through it all.