Today’s Truth

He gives strength to those who are tired and more power to those who are weak (Isaiah 40:29 NCV).

Friend to Friend

I love a great movie! To me, a movie is great when good wins over evil, nobody gets hurt and everyone lives happily ever after. A bit naive, I know. But I have decided there is enough harsh reality ripping through daily life without paying to see more on a movie screen.

With these criteria in mind, I went to see the movie “Sea Biscuit.” So, there I was, popcorn in hand, minding my own business and enjoying my brief respite, when his words slammed into my soul, yanking me back to the relentless power of truth.

“You don’t throw a whole life away just because it’s a little banged up.”

I was done.

Although I enjoyed the rest of the movie, those words lingered still because it seemed they were spoken for me.

The reality is that we’re all “banged up a little.” In “A Farewell to Arms,” Ernest Hemingway writes, “The world breaks everyone, and many are strong at the broken places.”

We all have hidden scars, fresh wounds, and broken places. The good news is that God is drawn to broken people. He accomplishes His greatest work through those who are most broken.

Isaiah 45:3 (NIV) “I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the LORD, the God of Israel, who summons you by name.”

God has gone before us and, in every trial and painful circumstance, has buried a treasure or stored rich secrets that can only be found through that darkness. The most powerful truths are revealed in the darkest times. Pain intensifies our need for God and can be counted as a blessing.

I struggle with clinical depression. The darkness has been a familiar companion for most of my life. Over the years, I tried just about everything to soothe the pain – food, success in ministry, the approval of others, perfectionism, doing good things … you get the idea.

In 1995 my carefully constructed world fell apart, and I spent two long years at the bottom of a dark pit of depression. I had no idea how to handle the pain and hurt. Finally, I cried out to God. He heard my cry and led me to a passage of Scripture that continually heals me and helps me handle hurt.

Psalm 40:1-3 (NIV) “I waited patiently for the LORD; He turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD.”

I don’t know what your particular pit is. But I know what you are feeling.

You may be desperately clinging to your life’s broken and mismatched remnants, wondering how you can go on.

Whispers of the enemy creep into your heart and mind, taunting you with the lie that you are too dirty and broken for God to love or use.

It seems that is your reality, so you might as well give up, throwing your life away.

Stop!

Nothing could be further from the truth. How we respond to pits and pain is our choice.

We can surrender to the darkness or embrace the pain and learn from it.

We can settle for a life defined by pain, or we can harness the power of our pain and use it for good.

We can try to ignore the pain and hope it all goes away, or we can face it and let God heal the broken places. Remember the promise of Isaiah:

“He gives strength to those who are tired and more power to those who are weak” (40:29 NCV).

I know you may be tired, ready to give up. God knows. God hears. God will breathe strength and power into the right choices we make. And today, He is asking, “My child, what will you do with your pain?”

Let’s Pray

Father, my heart is broken. The darkness is very real and filled with more questions than answers. But I choose trust over fear and faith over doubt. Today, I choose You.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Now It’s Your Turn

How has hurt impacted your life? Are you willing to face and deal with the hurt in your life?

More from the Girlfriends

Mary Southerland seemed to have it all until clinical depression brought her world crashing down. Experience Mary’s story through this powerful and practical message, Hope in the Midst of Depression.

Be sure to connect with Mary through email or on Facebook.

© 2022 by Mary Southerland. All rights reserved

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10 Responses to “A Happy Ending, Please!”

  1. Angela says:

    Please pray for my family. My daughter, son-in-law and 3 Grandkids have been living with us for almost a year. It has completely changed my husband and our relationship. They are looking for their own place but it is very hard to find right now. I know God is in control and I trust him. I pray for restoration for our family.

  2. Patricia says:

    Thank you Mary so much for your devotional this morning. I can certainly relate to it. It was a 1977 that God pulled me out of the pit of depression and hopelessness. God reached out His hand and lifted me up when I surrendered my life to Jesus Christ. It was than that God wrote a new story for my life. And this story comes with a happy ending. For God is faithful and true to all His promises. The happy ending is that I will spend eternity with my God when I come to the end of my story. But until then, I will trust Him to finish the work that He has prepared for me to do. May God continue to bless the ministry of Girlfriends in God. I know that it has been an encouragement to women from all around the world.

  3. Carol says:

    Just reading this writing; my mind lit up with Matt. 11:28, Jesus’ yoke is lighter, than our own, human yoke of worry, responsibilities and burdens.
    So many times in my life I’ve made things harder than they should have been. All I had to do, was pray for strength and faith, and ask that Jesus would do the heavy lifting!
    “Father God….we ask for your guidance and strength today. Help us see, that you are with us everyday, where ever we go. Where there is a burden, remind us that we need to ask for your help to carry on. Help us to lean into your presence, and as long as we do life together, that yoke of life will not seem so heavy. We praise you and love you, Lord. In Jesus name we pray…Amen.”

  4. Allie says:

    Please pray over our fertility journey. The pain in the waiting to become pregnant is unbearable at times. We do desperately want a positive pregnancy test. I sometimes feel forgotten by God …

  5. Patricia says:

    Thank you Mary so much for your devotional this morning. I can certainly relate to it. It was in 1977 that God reached out His hand and lifted me out of the pit of depression and hopelessness. God reached out His hand and lifted me up when I surrendered my life to Jesus Christ. It was than that God wrote a new story for my life. And this story comes with a happy ending. For God is faithful and true to all His promises. The happy ending is that I will spend eternity with my God when I come to the end of my story. But until then, I will trust Him to finish the work that He has prepared for me to do.
    May God continue to bless the ministry of GIRLFRIENDS IN GOD. I know that it has been an encouragement to women from all around the world.

  6. Trish says:

    What an anointed message this morning!!!
    My 99 year old Mother went to be with Jesus three months ago after being bedridden for two years after having a stroke. She lived with me and I was her full-time caregiver. Fortunately neither her mind nor speech were affected by the stroke, but her physical needs were great. There were times when I felt I simply could not go on. (I’m not a spring chicken myself 🙂). I definitely grew through the trial, however, some of the growing pains were deep – physically, mentally, and spiritually.
    GOD NEVER LEFT ME, although there were times I felt He was far away. I knew He had a plan but many days I struggled with not knowing what it was.
    You didn’t know, but you Girlfriends walked along with me through those days and I am so grateful. I praise God for you and your ministry. May He continue to bless you as he blesses others through you.
    Amen and Amen.

  7. Angie says:

    @Allie Don’t give up hope. I personally know 4 couples who struggled for years and years to get pregnant. They tried everything to get pregnant and still waited. They all have at least one child now!

  8. Kami says:

    I struggle with Bipolar Disorder so I vacillate between depression and mania with some “normal” thrown in. I lean heavily in God during the depression days and even the mania days. We get to have nice conversations on the normal days. If I don’t cling to him and wander off it gets bad. I’ve been in the hospital 3 times where I finally started listening and things got so much more manageable.

  9. Crystal says:

    I was in a very dark dark pit the last 2 years…until the day I was walking to one of our small grocery stores..God’s timing is always perfect!! There were 2 gentlemen from another village here for a Gospel Sing/worship, suffice to say…these fellow brothers in Christ were going to our community hall with another “brother” to set up the stage in preparation. Those 2 nights were the turning point for me…I finally found true freedom of ALL my past!! Every thing that had weighed me down (from a dark dark place!) I finally truly surrendered everything to God!! It was so freeing!! ❤️ God’s timing is incomprehensible but! I’m am forever thankful and grateful that He never ever gives up on pursuing His Children!!! 💖❤️✝️🙏🙌

  10. Bernadette says:

    @Crystal, Thank you for that reminder. God never gives up on pursuing His children.

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"We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well…" 1 Thessalonians 2:8