You are not forgotten. God is constantly restoring what's been taken and using what seems to be useless. No matter how small and insignificant you feel right now, you have a Heavenly Father who sees. He will give you beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, a garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.
I write these words as a reminder to myself as much as to you. I know these truths down deep in my soul, but there are still times when I struggle to trust that God hasn't forgotten about me. I know He hasn't, but it doesn't always feel like He's very concerned about me. Just the other day I released a flood of tears over pent up frustrations. God isn't disturbed by strong emotions. We aren't robots, and when we feel the pain of failure or insignificance, He doesn't condemn us.
I didn't stay in that place of frustration long. Meeting with a friend, I shared how I felt and it turned out that she felt some of the same things. We encouraged one another with the truth. I shed a few more tears, but they were the cleansing kind.
The truth is - God has given me comfort in every trial. He's repeatedly shown that His ways are better than my own. God will restore and provide. He IS restoring and providing. When Satan whispers lies that I don't matter to anyone, the best way I've found to combat them is to thank God for what I do have. I thank Him in advance for what He's doing through struggles and what He's going to do to redeem them. God loves a thankful heart.
God will surely provide for your needs and likely many of your desires. Even if your hope is gone... When you're afraid and alone, God sees you. He knows your need.
Psalm 40:1-5 (ESV) says, "I waited patiently for the LORD; he inclined to me and heard my cry. He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the LORD. Blessed is the man who makes the LORD his trust, who does not turn to the proud, to those who go astray after a lie! You have multiplied, O LORD my God, your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us; none can compare with you! I will proclaim and tell of them, yet they are more than can be told."
When God rescues you, don't forget to praise Him. Don't forget to share your story and let it bring glory to God. If you need to feel God's power today, take a moment to read the psalm below out loud. Jesus quoted this psalm in the temple and said the "me" was Himself. Jesus was sent to bind up our broken hearts and proclaim freedom from our captivity. Let joy fill your heart as you read.
Isaiah 61 (NIV)
61 The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, 2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, 3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion— to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.
4 They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations. 5 Strangers will shepherd your flocks; foreigners will work your fields and vineyards. 6 And you will be called priests of the Lord, you will be named ministers of our God. You will feed on the wealth of nations, and in their riches you will boast.
7 Instead of your shame you will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace you will rejoice in your inheritance. And so you will inherit a double portion in your land, and everlasting joy will be yours.
8 “For I, the Lord, love justice; I hate robbery and wrongdoing. In my faithfulness I will reward my people and make an everlasting covenant with them. 9 Their descendants will be known among the nations and their offspring among the peoples. All who see them will acknowledge that they are a people the Lord has blessed.”
10 I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. 11 For as the soil makes the sprout come up and a garden causes seeds to grow, so the Sovereign Lord will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations.
Let me leave you with one thought today. Satan is a liar and the father of lies (John 8:44). If you're suddenly dealing with thoughts that you don't matter to anyone and your situation will never change, that thought is directly from him. Tell him to go back to the pit of hell where he came from and start singing praise to God. If circumstances have you entangled in a situation where your response is, This isn't a lie. It's total reality. God hasn't forgotten about you. Your identity isn't in your job, your marital status, your wealth, or anything else. You are a child of God! A joint heir with Christ! (That means that everything that belongs to Christ belongs to you.) God created this entire world, and He will certainly create a way out of this mess for you. Sometimes the way out of a mess is to walk through it, holding tightly to Jesus' hand.
Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we may boldly say:
“The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” (Hebrews 13:5-6)
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