I was told this morning about a young woman who had faced such hardship recently that she had given up on God. With all she had experienced, she could no longer believe in him. Such a sad, dark, and lonely place to be! When we come face to face with our own capacity for unbelief, the experience shakes our foundation. How could I have gotten to this point? At the same time we no longer believe in God, we are angry with him for allowing things to deteriorate to this point. We don’t like where we are or who we’ve become, but we have no strength left to fight the good fight, or even to try just a little. We are left with nothing, and we hate it.

We don’t like where we are or who we’ve become,
but we have no strength left to fight the good fight,
or even to try just a little.

Here’s the thing, though. The God who has allowed this tragedy is not finished. What feels like the end of the story due to its strength and finality is really just the beginning. The God who has placed his word and his spirit in you as a deposit does not give up so easily. I know there is a thief who is stealing, killing, and destroying, but do we really think the Lord Almighty, the Lord of Hosts, can be stolen from so easily?

I think we may be underestimating the strength, the might, and the resolve of our Lord. I think we may be underestimating the lengths to which he would go to rescue his beloved. It seems likely that we cannot even fathom the depth of his love for us – his love even while we sit in our unbelief, our anger, and our darkness.

Beloved child, do not be dismayed. The Lord can come to you gentle and riding on a donkey (Zechariah 9:9), or he can come thundering from heaven with lightning bolts and arrows (Psalm 18). He can, and he will.

Because you’re worth it.

So hold tight, Beloved. Or don’t, if you can’t. Either way, your deliverer is coming.

So hold tight, Beloved.
Or don’t, if you can’t.
Either way, your deliverer is coming.

author | Jamie