Do You Doubt or Reach Out?

       It truly is the hard times that break or save us. One of these times for me was freshman to sophomore year in high school. High school was a huge transition for me from getting more acne to feeling even more awkward in front of my peers. As I interacted with those around me, I realized that I didn’t fit in. I was looking for a group of Christians that would support me, but instead I found cliques, gossip, and seclusion. Even my church group created cliques, leaving me on the outside looking in, and I didn’t know where to turn. This seclusion made me very critical of myself and began my downward spiral of depression.

        But God was there. I would come home from school and break down almost every day because I felt so alone. Usually I opened my Bible to Job, thinking about how much this man and I had in common, and I would pray for relief. It took about two years before I finally found happiness again.

         Going through depression saved me, as crazy as that may sound. When I overcame it, I began to enjoy life and see myself in a completely new way. I gained confidence and realized that God had a greater purpose for my life than I had for myself. My life has changed so drastically and it still amazes me how much God transformed me.

        Something I’ve noticed in my Christian and non-Christian encounters is that many believe that prayer is like making a wish to a magical being. When they pray and don’t see results, they say God isn’t there. Or even when something bad happens, they become angry and turn away from God. We are all entitled to feeling angry about our situations, but during these times continuous prayer is vital. Not only should we ask God to fix something, but also talk to God as a friend about how we feel.

Please read Judges 6:11-24

         When we go through trials and hardships, many times we look to the sky and wonder if God is truly intervening. It requires strength and a deep love of Christ to praise Him when life becomes out of control. Judges 6:13 says, “Gideon answered, ‘Please don’t take this wrong, but if the Lord is helping us, then why have all of these awful things happened?’” Gideon doubted God’s presence, yet God spoke to him, saying that He would help him. However when we are in situations like Gideon’s, do we doubt or reach out?

Please listen to the follow video.

          My favorite part of the song is the verse, “I can count a million times/ People asking me how I can praise You/ With all that I’ve gone through.” In our trials and even defeats, we must look to God and pray for comfort. We can’t view God as a celestial Santa Claus or magic genie that will give us whatever our hearts desire. God knows us better than we know ourselves; after all He did create us. When God intervenes in our lives, we can’t expect the outcome to turn out the way we intend. We must trust that God will provide for us. Please open your heart and pray to Him now.

Dear Merciful God, I am sorry for all the times I haven’t trusted You. I pray that from now on You help me see You even in the hard times. Help me to love You in all circumstances and look to You when my life is falling apart. In Your Name, Amen.