Friend to Friend

Pastor James Moore of Houston, Texas tells the story of a young man whose wife died, leaving him with a small son to raise alone. After a beautiful and moving memorial service, the young man and his son returned home from the cemetery.

Family and friends had all gone home. The man was lost. Numb with grief, he decided he and his son would go to bed early because there was nothing else he could bear to do.

After tucking the little boy into bed, the young father laid in the darkness – heartbroken and weeping – wondering how he could go on without his wife beside him. The voice of his son broke through the darkness with a haunting question, “Daddy, where is Mommy?”

The father could not speak. He simply got up and brought the little boy to bed with him. The child could not fall asleep. He was confused by the day’s events. Although he did not really understand all that had happened, the child knew something was very wrong. He tossed and turned, disturbed and restless, occasionally asking questions like “Why isn’t she here?” and “When is she coming back?”

When the weary father had run out of answers and the anxious little boy had run out of questions, he finally said, “Daddy, if your face is toward me, I think I can go to sleep.” The father turned toward his son, wrapped his arms tightly around him, and asked God to strengthen them both for the days ahead. In just moments, the little boy grew quiet and was soon fast asleep.

The father lay there in the darkness for a while, staring into the beautiful face of his son. A new resolve took root. It was just a tiny broken seed, but that is all faith requires when placed in the hands of God.

So in childlike faith, the shattered and desperate young man cried out to God, “Father, I don’t see how I can survive this. The pain is just too much, Lord! The future looks so lonely and so miserable. But God, if your face is toward me, I think I can make it.”

Girlfriend, that is exactly what the Messiah came to teach us – that God’s face is always towards us. No matter where you are, no matter what you are facing – rest your wobbly and oh-so-feeble faith on this bedrock conviction – you and your God are in this together.

Let God replace your fear with His peace.

And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:7, NASB).

Expect God to meet your every need.

And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of His glory in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19, NIV).

Believe God is your safe place.

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble (Psalm 46:1, NIV).

Rest in God’s plan for your life.

‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future’ (Jeremiah 29:11, NIV).

Trust God to deliver you from the darkness.

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 (Psalm 40:2, NIV).

Know that Jesus Christ will never leave you or forsake you.

God has said, ‘I will never leave you; I will never abandon you’ (Hebrews 13:5, NCV).

Pain can rip our lives apart. We frantically try to find some way to put it all back together, but the broken pieces don’t seem to fit anymore.

You may be desperately clinging to the broken and mismatched remnants of your life, wondering how you can go on. Whispers of the enemy creep into your heart, soul, and mind, taunting you with the lie that you are just too dirty and too broken for God to love or use. You might as well give up, the devil taunts. Do. Not. Believe. Him.

Trust God. Like the children of Israel, just stick your toes in the water, and watch God part the raging sea before you. His face is always toward you.

Let’s Pray

Father, I come to You – desperate and broken. I don’t have the strength to go on, Lord. You are my first and last hope. Hear the cries of my heart, God. See the shattered pieces of my life.

Jesus, I come … I come.

Amen.

Now It’s Your Turn

Read Philippians 4:7 (NIV) “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Make a list of the dark places in your life today. Surrender each one to God. Ask Him to bring light into your heart and mind and help you walk in His peace today. When the waves of darkness come, remember each one now belongs to your Father.

More from the Girlfriends

You and I were created to live life at its best and to experience a life of victory. To live that kind of life requires an unshakable faith that will see us through every storm and every trial we will ever face. In Mary’s new MP3 download, 4 Steps to an Unshakable Faith, she shares the four steps we can take to experience an unshakable faith and shows us how we can apply it to our lives.

Be sure to check out the FREEBIES on Mary’s website and connect with Mary through email or on Facebook.