You'll Get Through This
So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Isaiah 41:10
Best-selling author, Max Lucado, describes an occasion when he had a moving encounter with a woman from his church. He writes:
She had a tremble to her – a kind of inner tremble you can feel with just a hand on a shoulder. I happened upon her in a grocery store and since I hadn’t seen her in some months, I asked her about her husband and kids.
She tried to maintain her composure but could not. Her chin began to quiver, and her eyes began to moisten.
After twenty years of marriage and three kids, he’d decided he wanted a younger woman and had traded her in. Right there, between the stacks of tomatoes and the heads of lettuce, she began to weep.
Whispering a prayer for wisdom, this is what I said to her:
“You’ll get through this. It won’t be painless, and it won’t be quick.
But God has a way of taking these messes and using them for something good. In the meantime, don’t be foolish and don’t be naïve. But don’t despair either. With God’s help, you’ll get through this.”
With God’s help, you’ll get through this.
Over the past months, I’ve talked with many people who are experiencing a similar sort of emotional earthquake. From debilitating depression to a difficult job loss, from the death of a spouse to the rebellion of a child, from a devastating diagnosis to grim financial realities.
Now, on top of that, we’re all facing the terrible uncertainty and painful reality of the COVID-19 pandemic. And the shock waves from this earthquake will be unsettling in a whole new way.
Yet, through the pen of Isaiah – who certainly knew what it was to live in shaky times – we are given three wonderful promises:
1. The Lord is with us.
Time and again, God’s people are reassured that though they, in fact, might go through deep water or a dark valley, they need not fear. Not because the situation isn’t threatening; but because there is One with them who is bigger than the situation.
Time and again, God’s people are reassured that though they go through deep water or a dark valley, they need not fear. Not because the situation isn’t threatening; but because there is One with them who is bigger than the situation.
And not only is He with us at those times – He will never abandon us in those times. Moses reminded the children of Israel of this fact: “The Lord goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged” (Deuteronomy 31:8).
With God’s help, you’ll get through this.
2. The Lord will strengthen us.
It’s one thing to know that there is One who is strong and who walks by our side during tough times. It’s another thing to know that He offers us the strength to handle those tough times.
The Apostle Paul recognized this full well even while in prison, facing a very uncertain future. He boldly declared, “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).
With God’s help, you’ll get through this.
3. The Lord will uphold us.
While it’s wonderful to know that we can be assured of God’s presence and power, it’s also reassuring that when we stumble and even fall, He will be there to pick us up.
The psalmist wrote, “The Lord upholds all who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down” (Psalm 145:14). No criticism. No rebuke. Just a gentle helping hand to help us get to our feet.
With God’s help, you’ll get through this.
“The Lord upholds all who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down” (Psalm 145:14). No criticism. No rebuke. Just a gentle helping hand to help us get to our feet.
I don’t know what you’re facing. Your valley might be dark. Your waters might be deep. Your earthquake might be severe. But here’s what I do know: you’ll get through this.
It won’t be painless. Have you wept your last tear? Probably not.
And it may not be quick. Will this be resolved overnight? I doubt it.
But God has a way of taking these messes and, over time, using them for something good. In the meantime, don’t be foolish, and don’t be naïve. But don’t despair either. With God’s help, you’ll get through this.
PRAYER
Lord, life seems so uncertain right now. It was tough enough with the various issues I was grappling with on a micro-scale. Now there’s this macro mess called COVID-19. I have to admit that I’m anxious…indeed, I’m frightened. Bring me back to the promises that I know are true. Help me to hear your whisper, “You’ll get through this.”
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