...And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him” Hebrews 11:1, 6
The faith chapter of Hebrews 11 is full of mighty men and women of God who rose above their current circumstances and believed God for great things. Whether it is Noah who built the ark, Abraham who left everything for the promised land that God would show him, or Sarah who ‘considered Him faithful who had made the promise’ of a son, they all trusted in what they did not see. I find it even more encouraging that these men and women of God found in the faith chapter were not perfect. They struggled in their faith at times and even tried to help God. However, God looked past their human struggle and into the inner recesses of their heart to find people who truly wanted God to work in their lives and in their circumstances.
I’ve heard it said that there is a heartache in every pew, meaning we all carry with us hurts, disappointments, grief and fears even though we try to portray on the outside that everything is fine in our world. I’ve been in that place myself where you struggle to reconcile your situation with an all-powerful God that doesn’t seem to be intervening in your life, but when you’ve been through a valley and come out the other side, you can assure others that God does see you. He does care about what you are going through, and while He has chosen not to remove your mountain or your burden, He has promised to take you through it. It is often through the valleys that God is able to speak to us and minister to us the most. I’m not sure what you are facing in life, but I would like to leave you some promises from God’s Word that ministered to me in my valley.
“There has not failed one word of all His good promise” 1 Kings 8:56b
“Cast your burden on the Lord, and He shall sustain you” Psalm 55:22a
“Fear not; for I am with thee” Isaiah 43:5a
“I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not” Isaiah 41:13a
“He that keepeth thee will not slumber.” Psalm 121:3b
“As I was with Moses, so I will be with thee.” Joshua 3:7c
and lastly, one of my favourites, Luke 1:37, “For no word from God will ever fail”
Leave your burden with Lord, my friend; he cares for you!
- Heather Block
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Disclaimer: opinions expressed are those of the writer.
