According to my due date, we’ve only got about a month left before we meet our baby “on the outside.” Despite this short time frame, when I feel the aches of physical pain or emotional stress I feel like those particular challenges will be forever. The hope that comes from “just hang in there” dwindles as these fatigues increase while I’m making breakfast.
For whatever circumstances we are in, where can we find reliable, lasting encouragement when waves of discouragement break on the shore of our heart? And when we feel we could be swept away by a current of self-pity, doubt, or fear?
We need a durable, enduring, rock-like hope. These words from one of David’s psalms come to mind:
“Hear my cry, O God, listen to my prayer; from the end of the earth I call to you when my heart is faint. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I” (Ps. 61:1, 2).
Jesus is the Rock. His grace has the upper hand over every single one of our circumstances and over the greatest problem in our lives, namely, our sin. The promise of Jesus’s help and presence and strength is more certain than any transient consolations.
Richard Sibbes compared our faith in Christ to an eagle flying high in the sky. Faith looks up to see Christ on his throne in heaven, and faith scans the earth to see Jesus ruling over all things for his glory and our good. These eagle eyes of faith see how our holy Triune God is for us. Placing our hope and faith in Christ does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us (Rom. 5:5).
When you feel like you “just can’t do this anymore,” whatever “this” may be, wait patiently as you cry out to the Lord. He will draw your heart out of the miry bog and set your feet upon the Rock. And when he puts a new song of praise in your mouth, belt it out with everything you’ve got! And many will see and fear, and put their trust in the Lord (Ps. 40:1-3).