Psalm 23:4-6(NLT)
Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me. 5 You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. You honor me by anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings. 6 Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the LORD forever.
The passage in Psalm 23 is a reminder that the darkest of valleys does indeed exist, and even as Children of God, we will go through some very dark times in our lives. The encouragement from Heavenly Father is that we don’t have to remain in that dark place, nor should we be afraid of it. Hebrews 13:5 reminds us that Heavenly Father will never leave or forsake us. He’s with us everywhere we go. We need His comfort, particularly when we go through troubled spots in our relationships, because even though we’re partnered up, we can feel so alone.
A man I know has been married for over 20 years. He and his wife have three children, and he thought they had a pretty good marriage. They had a few bumps in the road but who hasn’t? Their marriage weathered the storm, at least that’s what he thought. His wife came home from work one day and said she was tired. It was a statement she’d made hundreds of times, but what she said afterwards took him for a loop. She said, “I’m tired of being married to you. I want a divorce.”
Sometimes we become so dissatisfied in life that we stop looking at ourselves and begin to find fault in our partners. When we do this, we can allow their habits and idiosyncrasies to drive us to disgust. We get burned out, and then want out of the situation. Most of us understand that this can happen in relationships, but when it happens to you, and you never suspected it would, it can take your breath away. It’s a pain that runs deep. Any time we go through heartbreak and hurt like this we must remember that God’s love runs deeper than any pain we might experience.
The discomfort of heartache is miserable, but just as the Psalmist said, we should not be afraid, because God is close. We must do as the Lord commanded His people in Deuteronomy 31:6 (NLT), “So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.”
Our wounds reveal our vulnerabilities. God desires us to let Him strengthen them. He doesn’t expect us to do it ourselves, because if we could, we wouldn’t be in some of the hurtful situations of life. Through the Holy Spirit that indwells us, God will walk us through hardship, especially when the unexpected strikes a blow, but He asks one thing of us. He asks that we trust Him. No matter how painful a situation feels, we must give it all to Him. He tells us in Isaiah 40:29 that He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. Yes, hurtful situations make us feel powerless, and hopeless as well, but just because we feel a thing, it doesn’t mean it defines us. God is close beside us, always and forever, and if we will continue to pray and be patient, His unfailing love will comfort and restore us, every step of the way.■
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
“God Is Close Beside Us”, written by Kim Times, edited by Reverend Fran Mack for Sundie Morning Sistas ©2019. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! SMS is dedicated to inspiring and encouraging Christian Women through the Word of God.