When Life Is Hard
When Life Is Hard
By Anne Reed
A coworker greeted me and asked how I was doing today. I responded, “Taking it one day at a time.”
Am I a bad Christian because I didn’t instantly respond with a beaming smile, “Oh, I’m blessed and highly favored!”?
I know that I am blessed. I know that I’m a child of the King of kings. Yet sometimes life is just hard. Sometimes it takes every bit of strength we can muster to keep ourselves from drowning.
“But you should be depending upon God for your strength,” I just heard someone say from the shadows. Yes, I know that too. But sometimes exhaustion sets in and lights grow dim.
As a mom, I’m not sure I can think of any set of circumstances that brings a deeper sense of emotional weariness than uncertainties directly related to the wellbeing of my children.
I’m often moved by King David’s writings in the Psalms. He expresses his fears, anger, and uncertainty in surprisingly honest terms. I find myself asking, “Did he just say that?”
David – the guy who pretended to be a crazy slobbering lunatic to save his own life, the guy who danced in the streets in his underwear, the guy who abused his power to commit adultery and arranged for the death of a loyal soldier to hide it.
Sometimes I wonder why it was David who was adorned with the title, “A man after God’s own heart.” Why David? Why not Joseph who passed all the tests with flying colors?
I don’t pass all the tests either. I relate to David.
Sometimes I’m selfish. Sometimes my faith waivers. Sometimes I am overcome with a sense of hopelessness.
If it weren’t for David, how would I know that God is near to the brokenhearted (Psalm 34:18)? Would I even be able to honestly feel and process my emotions before our holy God without his example?
And inevitably from David, I am led through a line of descent toward a man named Jesus – toward God Himself. Of this man, the writer of Hebrews said,
“For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” – (Hebrews 4:15-16, NASB).
On those days when it takes moment-by-moment effort to hold in the tears, and the only honest words I have left are, “God help me,” I can know that this great High Priest is interceding on my behalf. And so can you. Whatever you are going through, you can lean into His love and care.
And when you and I feel numb and lost, we can be assured that
“…the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God” – (Romans 8:26-27, NASB).
When life is hard, God is there.