I had the honor of sharing a few thoughts at Liberty Church on Sunday and wanted to post it here for any that missed it. ❤

I believe God wants you to know that He’s with you and He’s for you. He has not forsaken you or forgotten you; you are not abandoned or alone. He loves you and He will never let you go.

Life can be hard, amen? Overwhelming at times. I was recently struggling with a relationship and my heart was feeling absolutely crushed. I knew that there were two options – that it harden to self-protect, or add a little water to form clay.

I wrote in my journal: “This is what defeated feels like.”

And God met me, with the line of a song and a verse from the Bible.

God sang hope over my situation: “By your Spirit I will rise from the ashes of defeat…” (from Resurrecting by Elevation Worship)

God spoke truth into my circumstance: “But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that this all- surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard-pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed…” – 2 Corinthians 4:7-9

→ We may be hard-pressed, crowded, afflicted, troubled and distressed… on every side, in every way – but we are not crushed! God is our Refuge, our Strength, and our Protector!

→ We may be perplexed, doubting, feeling like there’s no way out, not knowing what to do, at a loss – but we are not despairing, not at a complete loss or renouncing all hope, not destitute of resources… God can always make a way! With Him, all things are possible!

→ We may be persecuted, harassed, pursued by the enemy – but we are not abandoned or left behind, we are not deserted or helpless! God is our ever-present helper!

→ We may be struck down, thrown down to the ground – but we are not destroyed or ruined, we are not rendered useless or given over to eternal misery! Our salvation is intact because Jesus is victorious!

We may feel like jars of clay – weak, fragile, frail, prone to brokenness and cracking under the pressure of this life… BUT we have this treasure – the light of the gospel, the hope of Jesus, the glory of God – we carry it with us everywhere we go! He has raised to life what was destined to die. We are no longer strangers and aliens; we are children of God. We are redeemed! We were bought with a price. By His Spirit we can rise up from the ashes of defeat. His all-surpassing power is at work within us! Jesus promised to be with us always. God has spoken and His word will not return void – He will never leave us nor forsake us.

“The hardest things I endure hold the greatest potential for me to be a light.” – Lysa TerKeurst

We can endure hard things. And when we do, this treasure, the Gospel, His Light, shines so bright through us. Especially to those going through similar circumstances.

If you’re feeling abandoned, alone, or forgotten today, I would love to pray with you! If you need strength to endure, if you’re waiting for a miracle, for God to do what only He can do, I would love to add my faith to yours! Comment below or message me to let me know how I can pray for you.

Remember… God sees you, He hears you, He knows you, and He cares. May you be underwhelmed by your circumstances and overwhelmed by His love today!

❤

P.S. I totally missed the release of this song, so in case you haven’t heard it yet – take a listen! Good and Loved by Travis Greene & Steffany Gretzinger