Feeling Down and Discouraged? God will bring you through this too
This article is republished from Dianna Hobbs’ “Your Daily Cup of Inspiration,” one of the Top 100 blogs for women of faith. To get more inspiration like this, visit YourDailyCupOfInspiration.com.
It was bad outside this morning, as expected. Yesterday, weather forecasters predicted that there would be a winter snowstorm in Buffalo on Thursday and Friday. Buffalo Public Schools and some other organizations and businesses shut down today. We’ll have to wait to see what happens tomorrow.
Despite the storm, my two daughters’ classes at local colleges were not canceled, so we had to brave the conditions to get them to school. One rode with my husband Kenya and the other with me. As snow flurries swirled in the wind, blankets of white made it hard to see. It felt like driving through fog but worse, thanks to icy, snow-covered roadways. While riding along in my car, my 19-year-old daughter Kaiah brought up that one time when I tried to drive her to dance school in the snow, but the weather was so bad, I was forced to turn around and drive back home.
“Do you remember that?” she asked me. I confirmed that I indeed recalled that horrifying trip. At the time, there was a travel advisory in place, but there was no driving ban, so motorists were free to commute. It was almost 5 o’clock in the afternoon when, suddenly, high winds created white-out conditions. The strong gusts sent the rapidly-falling snow flurries flying, and they all seemed to surround my vehicle, creating a thick wall of white around the windows.
When this happened, Kaiah and I were already a few miles away from home, and I knew there was no way I could safely move forward. I couldn’t see the shoulder of the road, so I was unable to pull over, and I was essentially driving blind. Let me tell you, it was frightening! I prayed fervently that God would protect us. Were it not for Him, we would not have made it through that storm.
As I reflected today on how terrifying that previous experience was, I felt thankful. Though it was a slow and difficult drive this morning, at least this storm wasn’t nearly as bad as that one.
Sometimes, when you get caught up in a storm of life, it’s good to reflect on past storms, and think about the tough—far worse—things God brought you through. By doing that, you find reasons to praise God. David certainly reflected on his past storms when he wrote Psalm 18 after God delivered him from his enemies, specifically Saul, who sought to kill him.
David said, “He drew me out of deep waters. He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me. They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the Lord was my support” (v. 16-18).
There’s something about remembering former hardships that makes victory taste that much sweeter, right?
“Rejoice over past breakthroughs as you believe God for your next one. This is how you remain full of joy, peace, and gratitude in the wait.”
David did not forget the traumatic days he endured as a fugitive before God delivered him. In verses 4-5, he described the nightmare he lived through with language like, “The cords of death entangled me,” and “The cords of the grave coiled around me.”
Death seemed inevitable for David, so when God spared his life, gratefulness poured out of him. I wonder, what memories do you have that make gratefulness pour out of you? I can think of many things!
Most recently, yesterday, my husband Kenya and I received great news. God gave us a breakthrough in an area we have been praying about for a while. Though there are a few more things that need to fall in place before our prayer request will be completely answered, when we received the positive update, we rejoiced. Although everything isn’t perfect, yesterday marked a huge milestone and a big step in the right direction. When we look back on where we started versus where we are today, our hearts overflow with gratitude.
Friend, there are some things I’m sure you’re yet believing God to do as well. As you wait for your answer, I challenge you to consider what He has already done and how He has proven Himself faithful up to this point. Rejoice over past breakthroughs as you believe Him for your next one. This is how you remain full of joy, peace, and gratitude in the wait.
Whatever struggle, challenge, storm or enemy you may be facing today, remember, the same God who brought you through the previous storm will bring you through this one too. You will testify as David did in the latter half of Psalm 18:19 NIV, which is what I’m stirring into your cup of inspiration. It says, “…He rescued me because he delighted in me.”
As you drink down the content of your cup, know that your rescue is inevitable. Our faithful God who has caused you to triumph so many times before is up to something incredible again. Trust that the manifestation of the victory He has already secured for you is on the way.
