Tag: Psalm 34:18-19

The Anchored Soul – Day 32 – Held When You Can’t Hold On

On By KateIn Devotionals, The Anchored SoulLeave a comment

Psalm 18:16: He sent from above, he took me, he drew me out of many waters.

There are seasons when the trial isn’t merely difficult; it is overwhelming. Whether you are walking through the shadow of a debilitating illness, the agonizing pain of a fractured marriage, or the deep heartache of a wayward child, the feeling is often the same: you are holding on by that ever so thin, fraying strand.

Psalm 55:4-5 My heart is sore pained within me: and the terrors of death are fallen upon me. Fearfulness and trembling are come upon me, and horror hath overwhelmed me.

In these moments, words of encouragement fall flat. The body aches, the heart breaks, and human wisdom offers no clear way forward. You may feel as though you have reached the absolute end of your strength, staring down an abyss of uncertainty.

When you reach the end of your rope, you come to a profound realization: you were never meant to carry the weight of this world on your own. The Lord does not ask you to manufacture strength when you have none left to give. It is precisely in our utter helplessness that His power is made plain.

2 Corinthians 12:9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

Your weakness is not a failure of faith; it is the very place where God displays His strength. When the marriage seems past repair, when the child strays into deep darkness, or when the body declines, God’s capacity to uphold you remains completely unshaken.

The Bible’s invitation is not to hold on tighter to the frayed thread, but to release the burden entirely into the hands of the One who holds all things together.

Psalm 55:22 Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.

1 Peter 5:7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

He does not promise an immediate end to every trial, but He promises His unfailing presence through the trial. You do not have to pull yourself up; He lowers Himself to lift you out.

When you feel forgotten, abandoned, or pressed beyond measure, remember that the Lord sees the exact depth of your anguish. His faithfulness does not depend on your remaining strength.

Isaiah 43:2 When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.

Psalm 34:18-19 The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.”

Rest today in knowing that when your hands slip and your strength gives out, the everlasting arms beneath you will never fail.

Lord God, I come to You at the end of my strength. The weight of this struggle is too heavy for me to bear, and my heart is broken. Forgive me for trying to carry this alone. I cast my cares, my heartaches, my family, and my body into Your hands. Be my strength where I am weak, my peace where there is chaos, and my refuge in this storm. Hold me fast when I cannot hold on any longer. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Soar As Eagles – Fixing Brokenness

On By KateIn Devotionals, Soar As EaglesLeave a comment

Psalm 34:18-19  The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.  (19)  Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.

Even Christians experience heartaches that overwhelm their lives. How they deal with those heartaches is what makes them different from those who do not know Christ. With the Christmas holiday fast approaching, we hear stories of people who hate to see it coming. They are lonely and miss their families desperately, feeling the weight of their absence more heavily than ever during this season. Each day feels longer, filled with a sense of emptiness that is difficult to put into words. All they have are cherished memories that repeatedly come to mind, flickering like flames that briefly light up their hearts. Their minds wander through the laughter and warmth of past gatherings, but this bittersweet nostalgia only deepens their sadness. Their hearts are broken because they fear that there will be no future memories to be made, leaving them with a sense of hopelessness that looms as the holiday approaches, and it casts a shadow over what should be a time of joy and togetherness.

For those who do not believe, these verses are just text, offering none of the hope they search for. However, for the born-again believer, these two simple verses act as a defibrillator, revitalizing the heart. The Holy Spirit breathes life into them when a Christian reads them, initiating a domino effect: the broken heart finds hope, sorrow gives way to peace, and light appears at the end of the tunnel.

Overcoming fears and heartache is a given on the Christian spiritual walk. The way you process these trials is what grants you the power to soar as an eagle. You must permit God’s Word to penetrate your soul and mind, drawing it in completely through spiritual absorption, like osmosis. Upon meditating on them, you will discover that your spirit has been encouraged and strengthened! God will not lead you astray and only wants to draw you close by His side!

Psalm 145:18  The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth.

Isaiah 40:29  He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.

A Mother’s Heart – Day 10 – Peer Pressure

On By KateIn A Mother's Heart, Devotionals2 Comments

Psalm 34:18-19 The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.  (19)  Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.

We long for the day when he reaches out to restore fellowship. Then he might reflect on our efforts with a sense of appreciation rather than resentment. We can’t pinpoint one specific thing that we did wrong as he made it a point to list a plethora of our faults. We know some parents whose children turned to drugs, got in trouble with police, some have rap sheets that are quite long. While other parents have no idea what they did wrong, but you could probably find the root of the problem lying with worldly friends.

Children have a built-in desire for friends, as we all do. Their need for companionship is often rooted in the innate human longing for connection and understanding. That is how God created us. That is why He created Eve because God said it was not good that the man should be alone. (Genesis 2:18) The importance of good, equally yoked friendships cannot be stressed enough; these relationships provide a foundation for social skills, emotional support, and personal growth in the Lord. Friends can make or break your child if parents aren’t present in their social life. I raised my children in church but that doesn’t guarantee their immunity from bad choices in friendships. Unfortunately, the ones that my sons gravitated towards were not good for them. To top it off, they were the pastor’s grandchildren. We couldn’t very well forbid our sons from hanging out with them when they were attending the church’s private school. I regret the choice we made by having our sons attend there, but that is a mess that cannot be cleaned up. I won’t be able to tell this side of Heaven the extent of the damage this did to them. But what I do know is that my prodigal son holds deep-seeded resentment for this very thing. Not only was he bullied and made fun of, but he also claims things that cannot be shared here without dishonoring the man of God.

Our son prodigal will not have an open dialogue with us whatsoever. He has removed himself from any kind of contact with us. If only he could understand that we sent our children to private Christian schools in order to protect them from the evils of this world. We did not do it to keep them from what is called socialization today. We did it to protect them spiritually. Alas, the end result was that very thing we feared would happen! He caved in when it came to peer pressure, succumbing to the allure of a lifestyle that seemed far more exhilarating than the one he knew. He saw life outside the church as tempting and intriguing, filled with vibrant colors and moments of freedom that beckoned to him. It didn’t take long before the enemy and his world had their way with him, leading him down a path of choices that often felt greater than our teachings. Our other son, the alpha male, took the bull by the horns and created havoc in our home; his defiance echoed through our walls, challenging our authority and testing our patience.

The Book of Proverbs is filled with verses dealing with the fool, providing a stark reminder of the consequences of folly and the choices that lead one astray. As parents, we tried so hard to keep them from the world, shielding them with our beliefs, but we ultimately failed to teach them how the world really was, its complexities, and its challenges, leaving them unprepared for what awaited outside our doors. As I look back on the lack of my parenting skills in this area, it is with much regret, knowing that we could have better equipped them for life’s journey. Although they both have turned out to be wonderful men, each forging their own paths, just not men in love with God, which weighs heavily on my heart as I reflect on the decisions we made during their formative years.

I’ve said this several times so far in this series that we were not perfect parents, and I realize now that our journey has been filled with both triumphs and challenges. However, we did the best we could with what we gleaned from the Scriptures, the messages delivered in church, and the guidance we received from counseling. Our intentions were genuinely pure, rooted in love and a desire to guide our children toward a fulfilling life. Nevertheless, our prodigal son does not see it that way, and it pains us to acknowledge that he feels neglected and angry. The gap between our intentions and his perception has been difficult to bridge, especially since he no longer wishes to see us or speak to us.

Isaiah 40:29 He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.

Dear mother, don’t be discouraged! The same God who watches over us, watches over our prodigals, never taking His gaze away from them even in their wandering. His eye is on the sparrow, let alone one of His creation, created in His image, for each of us holds a unique place in His heart. We are promised that all things will work together for good, reminding us that even in the midst of trials and uncertainty, there is a divine purpose at play, weaving together the tapestry of our lives in ways we might not yet understand. I use the word tapestry a lot because that’s exactly what I see my life as. If I look at the underside of a finished tapestry, I see knots and scrambled threads. However, the finished side is the way the Lord sees His work. We won’t know until we reach Heaven just how beautiful our life’s tapestry will be. So trust in the journey that the Lord lovingly placed you in, for His love is unwavering, and in times of hardship, we can find comfort in the knowledge that He is always at work behind the scenes, turning our pain into purpose and our struggles into strength.

Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

If you happened on this page and would like to read more content on the various scenarios of a mother’s heart, you can find the table of contents here.