“The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid, do not be discouraged.”-Deuteronomy 31:8

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. – Isaiah 41:10 

 Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. – Lamentations 3:22-23 

 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead, he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. – 2 Peter 3:9

But For Thee

You’re there for me in the dark of night
When I find I cannot sleep.
You comfort me, take on my fright;
You listen while I weep.
You take my hand when I’m dismayed
And facing the unknown.
You hold me up when I’m afraid;
Let me know I’m not alone.

Oh God, but for thee
I could never stand the pain.
Thank you, God, for you’ve rescued me
Without judgment without blame.

You are my strength when I am weak;
You help me to stand tall.
You push me through when life is bleak;
You help me face it all.
You allow me to see the once unseeable
The hope beneath the fear.
Speak to me in a voice inaudible
Yet, A voice that I can hear.

Oh God, but for thee
I’d be lost in the arcane.
Thank you, God, for you’ve rescued me
Without judgment without blame.

God, I give my thanks for your faith in me
Throughout my faithlessness.
For your patience Lord, on bended knee
I pray my gratefulness.
Yet, one more time, I repent of sin,
And know you will forgive.
I recommit my Lord, from deep within,
It is you for whom I live.

Oh God, but for thee
My life would be profane.
Thank you, God, for you’ve rescued me,
Without judgment without blame.
© Linda Troxell 02/2017

 

The last time you woke in the middle of the night to a world too still and empty, feeling utterly alone and unable to think of anything but your fears or uncertainties, how long did it take you to invite God into that situation? Chances are it took hours, perhaps even days. Why do we so often take an extraordinarily long time, each time, to ask for help from the only one who can help? We, humans, are either slow learners or very stubborn; or both. We continue to wait until we are out of options before we ask God into our troubles. Even though we know that He alone can change our circumstances and He alone will not judge or blame us. But, in the midst of our fear and loneliness, it is difficult for us to understand how God could change our circumstance. Even more difficult, is to believe He will. That’s when it is helpful to remember how God changed the circumstances of others. Joseph, while he was stuck in a pit, sold as a slave and wallowed in jail, probably had a difficult time believing that God was going to change his circumstances. And, he probably had an even harder time understanding how God could change his life. But God was faithful and changed Joseph’s entire life by making him second in command over all of Egypt.

It isn’t easy to understand the way God works in our life because it isn’t ours to understand. In trying to figure out how God could possibly change our circumstances we only limit Him. Because we have neither the information that God has nor His imagination. While we cannot know what God will do or how He will do it, we can be sure that God is always faithful and will never forsake us. Deuteronomy 31:8 tells us: “The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid, do not be discouraged”. That means that whatever God’s plans are, they are for our good. Look at Job; if anyone should have felt forsaken by God, it was he. Job suffered through some pretty tough ordeals for a very long time before receiving his double recompense. (Job 42:10). Yet, Job never doubted that God was using all for his good. No matter the appearance of his circumstance, no matter who told him that God had abandoned him, Job never believed that God had forsaken him.

We know that God rarely changes our circumstances in the blink of an eye or the snap of a finger. Most often His plan is long and intricate, as it was for both Job and Joseph. Chances are that whatever it is that wakes us and keeps us up in the middle of the night, God is already laying His plans for its resolution. That doesn’t mean that we have to sit back and wait alone while God works on that problem. No, our God is the original multi-tasker. He can work on changing our lives and still be there for us to lean on and depend on when we are running low on strength and courage. He can still help us to feel hopeful and to have insight. God is available to us at any time of day or night for help with anything big or small. Isaiah 41:10 tells us “I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand”. Although God longs to be involved in everything about our lives big and small, He doesn’t hold it against us if it takes a while for us to call on Him. Time means little to God. It doesn’t matter when we trusted Him last, or last asked for His help, we know from Lamentations 3:22-23 that: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. We can count on God to be faithful and to renew His compassion for us each day. Whether we invite Him into our life a hundred times a day or only once in a year, He waits, without judgment, for our call. He is patient with us “for He wants no one to perish but everyone to come to repentance.” –2 Peter 3:9

Now, let’s recap what we know to be true of God from just the several scriptures referenced above. We know that God will not forsake us Deuteronomy 31:8; He will strengthen us, help us and uphold us, Isaiah 41:10;  His compassion never fails and is new every morning Lamentations. 3:22-24; and He is patient with us because he wants everyone to repent so as to not perish 2 Peter 3:9. Additionally, from looking at an overview of the lives of Joseph and Job, we know that God can and does change the circumstances of those who trust Him. So, again, why do we wait until we are out of options to for help from our Father in heaven who loves us and who is the only one who can change our circumstance?

 

Points for Prayer and Pondering

 

1. How long did it take you to call on God the last time you woke in the middle of the night scared and alone? Write a paragraph about why you think that you took so long to invite God into your troubles. 
2. Do you believe God can change your circumstances? If yes, do you believe He will? Why or Why not? 
3. Think of a struggle you are presently involved in. Describe what you would like the resolution to be. Be as detailed as you can. Next, write the same description in the form of a prayer asking God for that outcome. Do you believe God will give this to you? Why or why not?