Facing the Struggles - Part Two | Devotions to Produce Spiritual Growth
with Diane K Hiltz Chamberlain
How many times have we felt so overwhelmed by a circumstance; that we panic and lose sight of God’s presence? Each trial we face…no matter how big or small can overwhelm us, to the place where we feel as though a heavy wave is about to knock us down. In II Samuel 22:6-7, we read…“The cords of the grave coiled around me, the snares of death confronted me. (7) In my distress I called to the Lord; I called out to my God. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came to his ears.”
Our circumstances can be felt in a similar way, to what we are reading in these verses today. We can feel as though each problem becomes coiled around us, while we feel confronted by the deep hurtful feelings that make us feel as though we cannot press on any longer but when we cry out to a God of great strength and power, rather than yelling into the face of a circumstance; then we will soon discover a peace that becomes a gentle wave that can calm the tempest and tossed waves of circumstance.
Do we feel as though God cannot hear us, since we are here on earth and He resides in the heavens? We must remember that when we meet God in the center of our hearts; we will find that He is closer to us, then what we first imagined. I remember a time, when I was facing very overwhelming circumstances in my life and as I was sitting and thinking on all that was taking place at the time, a thought came to my mind, which made me realize that all I needed to do; was to pull up a chair and sit with God and have a heart to heart talk with Him. I found that within a short time, a wave of peace began to come over me and the hurtful feelings I once experienced were now beginning to fade, into the background of my life.
Why do we find it much easier to confront the circumstance head on, rather than to turn to a God, who is longing to exchange our circumstance, for His loving peace? It just goes to show how much we need God each day in our lives. When we have a clear connection with God, then we will find that no amount of evil can intrude and attempt to disconnect us from His presence. In these trying times, we find that life can be much more difficult than what it used to be but no matter how difficult life can seem; God’s strength and power will always rise above these moments, when we are willing to turn to Him, instead of the problem.
