“In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation.”
1 Peter 5:10 NLT
Over the past couple years, I’ve had to endure some really difficult circumstances and life-threatening afflictions. I had a stroke at 40 years old due to a hole in my heart, which lead to a complication during my surgery which left me with a punctured lung, and I’ve recently found out the company I served faithfully for 10 years let me go after my most successful year with them. But in each one of these trials, I had a choice to make:
Was I going to choose fear when I was given the news about my heart? When my lung was punctured in surgery? In this season of uncertainty with being let go? Absolutely not, because I have faith in the God who restores as I stand firm in Him.
It’s in these moments that the enemy sifts through us, examining the most vulnerable parts to attack when we are at our lowest point. The way he does this is through seeds of fear, anxiety, depression, and shame or guilt. God does not desire us to let ourselves become overwhelmed by all of this weight. Rather, He wants us to allow Him to use these moments to strengthen us and use our testimonies to build faith in others.
I know that you probably have had to go through similar circumstances in your life. Chances are you may have gone through something similar like I have, one tragedy on top of another. And I know the pain you had or are currently going through is real. Let me encourage you with this: there are people in your life that know this feeling too. Let me say it another way: you have living and breathing testimonies in your life of the grace, love, and care of God.
The enemy may be sifting you right now, but the breakthrough others have had is the same that God is bringing to you. When you turn to the loving Father, that is when He begins to restore you to a state of being stronger than you ever were. He brings the miraculous into your life and allows you to be an example to others of the wonderous works He does for His people. I am living proof of this because I am healthier than I’ve ever been, and I have faith in His great purpose for me. Don’t back down; your restoration is coming.
Prayer
God, You have not forsaken me. In my lowest moments, I know that it is You who gives me the strength I need to endure and believe that this isn’t all there is. Instead, You had a greater path for me, a path with renewed strength and faith. I ask that You bring this restoration soon, but that You also build me as You lead me to it. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Extra Reading
“Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift each of you like wheat. But I have pleaded in prayer for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail. So when you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen your brothers.”
Luke 22:31-32 NLT
