Have you been overwhelmed, exhausted, discouraged or just down right defeated? What do you typically do when you feel like God does not hear your prayers?
For me, I would like to say since I’m a “Christian Life Coach” I wait patiently on the Lord and trust He will provide for my every need. Well that would be a big fat lie! There are times I go through a cycle that goes something like this. The problem arises, I run to a friend, process it to death, grab some form of sweet fluffy carbs to eat my troubles away, toss and turn during long sleepless nights and then finally as a last resort go to God in absolute despair.
Why in the world do we put ourselves through such anguish when we can simply turn to Jesus, the Prince of Peace? My excuse has been, I’m human and my natural tendency is to run in rebellion instead of running to God. Just last week after fighting and trying to convince God that He did not love me or care about my situation He proved me wrong once again. He showed up in my weakest hour. He graced me with His presence and provided hope for me when I could only see darkness.
Isaiah 30:15 reads,
“Only in returning to me and resting in me will you be saved. In quietness and confidence is your strength.
When reading about the Israelites in the Old Testament and how they would trust God for a period and then completely disbelieve everything about Him, gives me hope. Hope to know that even though I question God and rebel at times, He remains the same no matter what I think or how I feel.
I would like to encourage you today that no matter what you think or feel about God and the trials you go through just be real with Him. Tell Him when you don’t believe in Him. Tell Him when you doubt His goodness in your life. Ask Him to forgive your disbelief. Once we are completely real with God, that’s when we find rest. That’s when we find quietness in our souls and become confident of who God says He is.
Leave a comment today in the link below about your times of disbelief and how God proved Himself to you.
Honored to Coach women at www.lindakuhar.com!
“The problem arises, I run to a friend, process it to death, grab some form of sweet fluffy carbs to eat my troubles away, toss and turn during long sleepless nights and then finally as a last resort go to God in absolute despair.
Why in the world do we put ourselves through such anguish when we can simply turn to Jesus, the Prince of Peace? My excuse has been, I’m human and my natural tendency is to run in rebellion instead of running to God.”
Wow Linda can I relate to what you posted here. I never thought of it that I am running in rebellion instead of running to God. Thanks for that insight!! I will really focus on changing that bad habit and turning to Jesus first!! Thanks Linda, God bless You in a mighty way!!
Yea Janet! I’m so glad you had a revelation!! 🙂
Yup I
I like the way that you have challenged us to put down a time of disbelief and how God proved himself to us. So many examples are going around my head right now. I think the biggest, and most recent is when my stress level got to an all time high and I just kept trying to do it on my own. It was not until I thought I was having a mental breakdown and could barely function that I cried out to him. It was not until I patiently and quietly waited on God that I began to feel his peace cover me. I think prior to being still, I was just moving too fast and could not feel his presence. When I look back over the last year, I see many moments when God has proven himself to me. I am now just noticing a lot of what he has been doing to help me cope with this problem. Thanks for your sharing! It is encouraging to know that I am now alone.
Stephanie, I love when we are able to reflect and see God’s goodness in our lives always. Praying that we can continue to trust in the Lord FIRST instead of falling into the pit of stress and then choosing to seek him 🙂
I’m really going through a hard time as my freshman college aged son (who up until now has always been a believer) wants to debate and question the existence of God at every turn. I feel completely undone and abandoned. Would appreciate prayers as mine don’t seem to be reaching quite far enough.
Marie, I am praying for patience, trust and peace as you wait upon the Lord to answer your prayers. When it’s our child it makes it so much harder to turn them over to the Lord.
Marie, Keep praying. It took ten years for my mom’s prayers to be rewarded but God was working in my life the whole time. Trust in God and keep praying. I will be praying with you.
Awesome insight! Thanks so much for this! I really needed to read this today!
Thanks Linda. Great post. The Lord knows our hearts and thoughts anyway so we need to verbally express to him our struggles even if it is with unbelief in His love and care for us.
HI Linda. As usual I love reading your blogs and words of wisdom. I am recently saved, about three years now.Before that I believed in God, but did not have a relationship with the Prince of Peace. Ever since I was saved I never doubted he was there, and have always been real with Him. He has shown me great peace, miracles and blessings.
Now, that doesn’t mean I don’t have days like you where my old self reaches for outside comforts like sugary sweets, or don’t feel peace. However, this verse has helped me so much. Again, thank you for sharing! I am learning and practicing the art of going straight to Him, for everything. He IS my everything.
Thanks Linda for sharing how you don’t always turn to The Lord first. I think how many times , I turn to friends or run to my Pastors, when I should be turning to The Lord first. I never related that to running in rebellion instead of going straight to God. My blog is Rest- God asks a question? The question was “do you trust me”. Where I realized God desired my vulnerability that which scares me. I relate to where you said the Isrealites would trust God for a period and then forget it. How often I bog down with questions when God says be still trust me. It is in the stillness I take time to listen. I am learning He wants me to be real .When I neglect to spend time in the Word and allow God to speak are the most stressful time because I give up . wow tell Him when I disbelieve and my doubts, be real. Thanks for that insight.
Be real with God….why does that seem so hard sometimes? I never believed that I would be motivated to exercise or eat healthier. I was so busy, overwhelmed and stressed out that I didn’t have time to think about it and when I did my thought was, “you will never do it.” I trust in God for my salvation, and for my families salvation. I trust that He will take care of things (most of the time). But I never believe He could help me with my lack of caring for this body He gave me. I don’t know when the exact moment was but I do know how I feel now….I am motivated. I am at peace with this change I need to make and I am ready for it! I know it is God that did this for me because alone I would never have done. I tried before but never really did it. Thank you for this wonderful post and reminder to be real with God!
God Bless You!
Thanks Linda, for the wisdom you share. I like how you said to just be real before God. I never thought that I was running in rebellion, but trying to do it my way, afraid of reaching out in fear of being hurt is running not trusting. I say I believe God is always with me but I don’t trust Him totally at time, here is the problem ” but”. This chapter has really made me stopped and pause and really look at the scripture and personalize it and that I needed to trust God more. He needs to have control. To be used by God I need to trust Him more and bring everything before Him an let it go. I need to come to Him first and not others. I need to be vulnerable and let the real me be seen and not afraid of other people’s expectation . I am ready to be real with God.
Hi, Linda,
Lately I have really been struggling with trusting God and not trying to control my life and my family. Just this week an unexpected condition took me to ER and surgery. While waiting for surgeon, there was a time when I was completely alone wishing someone would come into talk with me (my husband had run out to car) and The Lord showed up! He reminded me of a couple verses that just popped only mind and brought me such comfort and peace. I only needed Him! He is teaching me this and I hope I learn to trust more!!
Susan, that’s just like God to show up so powerful when we need Him most. I had a similar experience the day I was in the process of getting diagnosed with cancer. I believe each day we learn just a little more how to really trust Him. Lifting you up in prayer today and are feeling better.