“If you are tired from carrying heavy burdens, come to me and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28 CEV)
Although age is a privilege that many poor souls are denied, age is certainly not kind in numerous ways. Pain, critical health issues, and loss of loved ones come along, uninvited, to hinder our lives and deny us peace — so much so, that we may reach a point where our spirit just gives up, unable to endure any more. Tears are the only relief.
I have several painful health issues that restrict my activity, yet I know that my discomfort is nothing compared to the health issues that others are suffering. I pray for relief, but I am often denied that.
Emotional pain can be just as devastating. At the age of 49, my youngest son contracted an infection that caused a heart attack and deprived him of oxygen for seven minutes. So many people prayed for his recovery, but he died without regaining consciousness, and we had no time to say goodbye. I could not handle the anger and deep anguish, so I threw my Bible aside and gave up praying.
As time passed, I knew that inner peace could be restored only by leaning on God. I had always found spiritual calm when I read Psalm 23, but I had denied myself even that. Gradually, I was drawn back to my Bible. I needed to eliminate the dreadful grief that haunted my every waking moment.
“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me.” (Psalm 23:1-4a NIV)
I returned to the power and reassurance promised in those words.
Whatever our struggle might be — age, health, financial issues, relationship differences, or concerns over COVID — let’s allow ourselves some quiet time when we can open a Bible and find some words of comfort that work for us. No Bible? No problem. We can access God’s words of encouragement at https://www.biblegateway.com.
Let’s take a courageous step forward, because the first step is always up to us.
Whatever comes next for us, when even tears bring no relief, let’s hold on to the strength that can be found only in God’s Word. Only His wisdom can bring us the calm and reassurance that we need, but we have to reach out for it and believe that given time, life will become more harmonious. God’s Word will feed hope to the emptiness of despair, and that’s something that tears cannot accomplish.
Prayer: Abba Father, bless us and sustain us, no matter what comes our way. Help us to draw closer to You, no matter what is causing us anguish, and give us the strength that comes only from You. Amen.
Copyright © 2022, by Patricia Day <pattersday@gmail.com>, first published on the PresbyCan Daily Devotional presbycan.ca .
Barrie, Ontario, Canada
Reprinted from PresbyCan with author’s permission
