How’s your soul? Where does it draw its strength from?
Save me, O God, for the waters have come up to my neck. I sink in the miry depths, where there is no foothold, I have come into the deep waters; the floods engulf me. I am worn out calling for help; my throat is parched. My eyes fail, looking for my God. – Psalm 69:1-4
This is one of many moments throughout the Psalms where David is inviting you into his desperation and brokenness. When reading this specific portion of David’s total vulnerability with the Lord, maybe you can relate.
Truth is, life has a way of taking unexpected turns for all of us, and any of us can sometimes find ourselves feeling like David: desperate yet hopeful...and very much in search of God. So, while you may know He is with you, low moments can have a way of causing you to question the very promises He’s given you.
Even though life can be tough and unpredictable in rock-bottom soul-shattered moments, God has given us all so many reasons to not only trust him, but to allow him to be our source of strength in these very hard moments or seasons. Let’s explore three:
1. God’s Promises Never Fail
Unlike humans, God is perfect, unfailing, and has given promises to declare over your life in times (or seasons) of sorrow and hardship. In His Holy Word, God declares that He is capable, willing, and is going to supply your needs.
And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. – Philippians 4:19
His word also provides you with details on what exactly He will supply when times are tough. Yes, he supplies salvation through Jesus, but he also supplies tools to use throughout the day to help you live your life to the full. (John 10:10)
And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. – Philippians 4:7
When times are tough, it makes sense that you might find yourself sad, hurt, broken, or spiraling out of control. You may even find yourself battling the temptation to run back to old habits and addictions that leave you feeling more empty and broken.
That doesn’t have the be the only option though. Like Phil 4:7 says, with God there is a peace that can overtake you that goes beyond what your human mind can understand. With God, you have access to a Holy peace that guards you from those thoughts that rob you of joy and send you back to the places that left you feeling empty.
James 4:8 is another great example of a beautiful promise the Lord sends us. When feeling low, remind yourself that His word says “come near to God and he will come near to you.” So when the doubt wants to come in, and the battle between truth and lies invades your mind, you can declare this truth that God is near, because you drew near to Him.
His word says that He will not fail, will supply every need, and when you come near to God, he responds by coming near to you; therefore, he is with you.
2. God’s Word Is Full of Examples
The Bible is not only full of his commitments God makes to His children, but also examples of Him following through on those commitments. In the Old Testament, prophets share about a coming King who will be unlike any king the world had yet to experience. And in the New Testament, we see that promise fulfilled through the life and death of Jesus.
Another example where God follows through with his promise is through the life of Job during his hardest season of life. Job was a normal man just like me and you, and then things began to change when hardship took over his world and threatened to shatter his soul. He became the man who struggled with all of the hardships none of us ever want to experience.
For example, he experienced the loss of his spouse, children, livelihood, and most friendships over a short period of time. Yet through the desperation, He clung to the promises of the Lord and refused to deny his faith.
His friend tempted him, his mind wanted him to slip away from truth, yet he drew near to the Lord in his darkest moments. In response, as God promises, the Lord drew near to Job. In Job 42:10 we learn, “the Lord restored his fortunes and gave him twice as much as he had before.”
God is a promise keeper, and there are countless moments where you can see Him hold true to the promises He gives:
After this, Job lived a hundred and forty years; he saw his children and their children to the fourth generation. And so Job died, an old man and full of years. – Job 42:16-17
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3. You Are Loved So Deeply
All of the above is a gift to the hurting soul, but the best gift any of us could have ever been given—and the greatest truth you get to cling to in times of desperation—is knowing how deeply God loves you and how committed He is to that love.
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. – John 3:16
Sometimes applying His truth can come with a set of challenges; but receiving the truth that you are so loved by your Heavenly Father can free you from those challenges if you take time to really let that sink in.
When you’re in a low spot—or even seasons you fear your soul may not recover from—always remember that God’s love isn’t that of empty promises. His love for you is perfect, holy, and righteous.
He loves His children and will always be with you—even in the hardest times.
Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/digitalskillet
Rashawn Copeland is the author of Start Where You Are: How God Meets You in Your Mess, Loves You through It, and Leads You Out of It, and the founder of I'm So Blessed Daily and Without Walls Ministries. A writer for Church Leaders, God TV, and the God's Not Dead blog, he is also the host of the Scripture and Stories podcast on the Converge Podcast Network. He also serves on the Life Church (YouVersion) Bible app team with Pastor Craig Groeschel, assisting with global digital outreach, and serves at Elevate Church in Moore, Oklahoma as a Staff Evangelist. He is a graduate of the University of Central Oklahoma and is currently earning his MDiv at Liberty University. He lives in Oklahoma City with his wife, Denisse, and their three children.