Do you ever have days where you feel like everything gets really heavy and hard? You might go from feeling like you are totally in step with Jesus and taking on the world, and suddenly you slam into a wall of your inadequacy, your unbelief or your questions. It happened so quickly you have whiplash as you try to steady yourself but can’t seem to find balance.
I was feeling that way last weekend. I felt all the pressures of preparing to share with women at the upcoming retreat, the uncertainty of book publishing, the frustration of not knowing how to help some of the people I was talking to in counseling. It all just compounded into a big, dark cloud that swallowed me up.
Monday morning (after wallowing most of the weekend in all the yuck), I was driving back from dropping my daughter at school. In front of me was a giant wall of dark grey clouds threatening rain and storms to come. And suddenly, I saw the most brilliant rainbow cutting right through the blackest part of the cloud. This rainbow extended from the top of the mountain I could see all the way up through the storm clouds in colors that laughed at the darkness.
God reminded me in that moment that He has made promises, just like He did with Noah when He first put a rainbow in the sky for him to see and remember. God had not abandoned me in the overwhelm, and I needed to look at His promises to see my way through. Corrie ten Boom said, “Let God’s promises shine on your problems.” So, this is what I started to do.
He has promised that He will never leave me or forsake me, not even when I get swallowed up by doubt or fear. He has promised to be with me through the valley of the shadow of death and the deep waters. He has promised to do the impossible through me. He has promised that I will end well as He brings me to completion. He has promised that He will work through all things for my good. He has promised that nothing can separate me from His love—not one thing!! He has promised to be my Prince of Peace, my Counselor, my Shield. He has promised to be strength in my weakness. He has promised to be my place of rest, renewal and where I can cast my burdens. He has promised to be my strong tower. And He has promised all of this for you too!
What promises do you need to shine on your problems today? I know that no matter how dark the clouds around you look, God’s promises can bring color and light to your day and remind you of hope in Him.
Everything we could ever need for life and godliness has already been deposited in us by his divine power. For all this was lavished upon us through the rich experience of knowing him who has called us by name and invited us to come to him through a glorious manifestation of his goodness. As a result of this, he has given you magnificent promises that are beyond all price, so that through the power of these tremendous promises we can experience partnership with the divine nature, by which you have escaped the corrupt desires that are of the world. 2 Peter 1:3-4