Devotions for Times of Crisis ~ Day 10: "Where Do I Go From Here?"
When an unexpected event comes into your life and seems to strip you of your anticipated future and the normalcy of your life and daily routine, it’s normal to wonder “Where do I go from here? (Or if it’s something that impacts the whole family we wonder, “Where do we go from here?”). The question may be a sort of “wondering out loud” what the plan is now, or it may be a lament flowing from that sense of loss that overwhelms us.
The simple answer is this: You take it a day-at-a-time and follow the doors that the Lord opens up to you. God will see you through this crisis! Exactly how he’ll see you through no one can say, it’s a process that will unfold day-by-day. Worrying about the future will only drive you crazy. The most that any of us can do is to deal with the challenges of today as they come our way, and to look for the unexpected doors that the Lord will open for us every day. In a long, drawn out crisis we need hope. We need the long-term hope that comes through faith in Jesus, the hope of eternal life, the hope of God’s love, the hope of salvation. Yet we also need short-term hope, hope that “this too shall pass”, hope that gets us through today. The Lord will supply both kinds of hope to His children. So, every day look for that one thing – big or small – that will bring you hope for today.
Next, you pray. As the crisis goes on it may seem as if God isn’t answering your prayers, but He has promised that He will hear and answer them so trust in His promises and keep praying. Where else do you have to turn, anyway?
Use your common sense in addressing the problem today. Watch your diet, exercise, watch your spending, take your medication, spend some quiet time in prayer. You probably won’t be able to overcome the crisis in one day, but you can do little things to chip away at it each day. That’s using the common sense that God gave you.
Offer support to those around you who are going through it with you. If you’re single and going through it by yourself, then seek out someone to help. Helping others distracts us from our worries, and reminds us that our inherent self-worth doesn’t come from our health, our age, our work, but from God. There’s something about helping others that drives that point home.
Find a prayer partner – someone that will pray with you and for you and someone that you can hold in prayer.
Finally, pray some more. And then pray some more. And remember this: you may not know what to pray for, but the Spirit does, and He will be praying with you, through you, and for you!!! (“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will. And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” -- Romans 8:26-28.)
God will lead you. He will answer the question, “Where do I/we go from here” in His own time and in His own loving way. Trust that, and do what is set before you today and you’ll make it through this crisis!
Prayer: Father, I want to know where I’m supposed to go from here and I get frustrated that you won’t simply show me. Forgive me for my impatience. Please understand how important a quick resolution to this crisis is to me. In my impatience give me the humility to wait on You and Your timing; I know that Your timing will be best. In the mean time, help me to do what’s before me today, and please give me something today that will sustain my hope. Work through Your people and Your Word to remind me of your constant love and care for me, because I’m feeling very vulnerable right now, and not particularly lovable. I ask it in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Devotions for Times of Crisis ~ Day 10: "Where Do I Go From Here?"
When an unexpected event comes into your life and seems to strip you of your anticipated future and the normalcy of your life and daily routine, it’s normal to wonder “Where do I go from here? (Or if it’s something that impacts the whole family we wonder, “Where do we go from here?”). The question may be a sort of “wondering out loud” what the plan is now, or it may be a lament flowing from that sense of loss that overwhelms us.
The simple answer is this: You take it a day-at-a-time and follow the doors that the Lord opens up to you. God will see you through this crisis! Exactly how he’ll see you through no one can say, it’s a process that will unfold day-by-day. Worrying about the future will only drive you crazy. The most that any of us can do is to deal with the challenges of today as they come our way, and to look for the unexpected doors that the Lord will open for us every day. In a long, drawn out crisis we need hope. We need the long-term hope that comes through faith in Jesus, the hope of eternal life, the hope of God’s love, the hope of salvation. Yet we also need short-term hope, hope that “this too shall pass”, hope that gets us through today. The Lord will supply both kinds of hope to His children. So, every day look for that one thing – big or small – that will bring you hope for today.
Next, you pray. As the crisis goes on it may seem as if God isn’t answering your prayers, but He has promised that He will hear and answer them so trust in His promises and keep praying. Where else do you have to turn, anyway?
Use your common sense in addressing the problem today. Watch your diet, exercise, watch your spending, take your medication, spend some quiet time in prayer. You probably won’t be able to overcome the crisis in one day, but you can do little things to chip away at it each day. That’s using the common sense that God gave you.
Offer support to those around you who are going through it with you. If you’re single and going through it by yourself, then seek out someone to help. Helping others distracts us from our worries, and reminds us that our inherent self-worth doesn’t come from our health, our age, our work, but from God. There’s something about helping others that drives that point home.
Find a prayer partner – someone that will pray with you and for you and someone that you can hold in prayer.
Finally, pray some more. And then pray some more. And remember this: you may not know what to pray for, but the Spirit does, and He will be praying with you, through you, and for you!!! (“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will. And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” -- Romans 8:26-28.)
God will lead you. He will answer the question, “Where do I/we go from here” in His own time and in His own loving way. Trust that, and do what is set before you today and you’ll make it through this crisis!
Prayer: Father, I want to know where I’m supposed to go from here and I get frustrated that you won’t simply show me. Forgive me for my impatience. Please understand how important a quick resolution to this crisis is to me. In my impatience give me the humility to wait on You and Your timing; I know that Your timing will be best. In the mean time, help me to do what’s before me today, and please give me something today that will sustain my hope. Work through Your people and Your Word to remind me of your constant love and care for me, because I’m feeling very vulnerable right now, and not particularly lovable. I ask it in the name of Jesus. Amen.