This year has been a challenging journey for me. There have been unexpected detours that felt overwhelming and stressful. Truthfully, they left me feeling weary.

Some days all I could see was everything that had gone differently than I imagined.
Some days the temptation was to just camp out in the land of discouragement. 

But God.

During the moments I felt I was stuck at a roadblock, I was reminded of how God’s hand has been evident in each circumstance. 

Yes, there had been tough news BUT God provided.
Yes, there were some tough realities to face BUT God covered with His peace.
Yes, there were tough times BUT God was present.

Once the Lord helped me reframe my thoughts, gratitude overflowed as I praised Him for His faithfulness and goodness. 

Then, I was reminded of David from the Bible. When one hears his name, the immediate thought is how he was the shepherd boy who killed Goliath or the chosen king of Israel. But when reading his story in depth, he had some tough times. 

2 Samuel 16:5-13 describes one: a member of Saul’s family was cursing, stoning, and showering dirt on David and his men. Yikes! To make matters worse, he was fleeing his son Absalom who was trying to kill him. Yikes x 100!! Talk about feeling overwhelmed and stressed!

During this time, scholars indicate that David penned Psalm chapter 3 as he prayed in desperation to God: 

3 “But you, Lord, are a shield around me,
    my glory, the One who lifts my head high.
4 I call out to the Lord,
    and He answers me from His holy mountain.
5 I lie down and sleep;
    I wake again, because the Lord sustains me.
6 I will not fear though tens of thousands
   assail me on every side.”

David chose not to remain weary or discouraged. Instead, he looked to the Lord, his source for help. 

Dear Friend, I don’t know what you may be facing today, but I pray these lyrics sung by Meredith Andrews encourage you. God is with you and He loves you:

“And every step, every breath, You are there
Every tear, every cry, every prayer
In my hurt, at my worst, when my world falls down
Not for a moment will You forsake me …
After all, You are constant
Yes, after all, You are only good
After all, You are sovereign”
~Joyce

Photo Credit: Alexey Taktarov on Unsplash