Good morning…
“Everything that could go wrong yesterday did,” she emailed me, “and this morning didn’t start off any better. I felt totally abandoned by God, even though I know He tells us, ‘I will never leave or forsake you.'”
She was right, God has promises repeatedly, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” 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, NIV). (Also see Deuteronomy 31:6, Joshua 1:5, and Hebrews 13:5.)
She continued: “But, I started praying, asking Him what I’d done or said wrong, or if I didn’t do or say something He told me to do or say.” I sensed her deep diving into the experience of Psalm 139:24 (MSG): Investigate my life, O God, find out everything about me; Cross-examine and test me, get a clear picture of what I’m about; See for yourself whether I’ve done anything wrong— then guide me on the road to eternal life.
God’s guidance kicked in palpably, as she explained: “Then I began to realize that the enemy of God was working on me, so I asked my prayer friends to pray for me. As the day went on, I began feeling better. On a deeper level I now KNOW that my precious Lord has NOT abandoned me, so I’m praying for peace, calm, wisdom & guidance as I face this stressful situation. Thank you for your prayers and your promise to continue to pray for guidance & wisdom from Him for me. I’ve had so much pressure on me these past two weeks I think I’m simply worn out/tired and that’s when God’s enemy strikes. Hopefully, I can get away for a few days or just shut down my phone, television, and outside distraction so that I am able to get some much needed rest. Thank you again, dear friend, for responding when I reached out for your prayer support.”
Together we accessed the dynamic power of James 5:16 (AMPC): Confess to one another therefore your faults (your slips, your false steps, your offenses, your sins) and pray [also] for one another, that you may be healed and restored [to a spiritual tone of mind and heart]. The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous person makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working].
I responded: “I am grateful God nudged you to reach out to your prayer friends, and I am glad that you included me. My deep prayers for you will continue. I trust God to give you peace and strength as you face these challenges. ‘Moving forward with God brings freedom.’ If we were able to share a meal at a Chinese restaurant today, I think these words would be tucked inside your fortune cookie!”
…Sue…
