Daily Devotion

At the Edge of Breakthrough

"Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary."  Galatians 6:9

In the last few weeks, I have heard so many examples of tried patience.  Even in my own life and family, we have been pushed to the edge of ending faith...and by ending faith I mean there seems to be very little left to keep going.  Because it is Christmas time, many families are struggling and having difficult times making ends meet so that they can share of themselves with their loved ones.  But people are not just suffering financially; the battles I am hearing of are spiritual.  Have you been to the place where it seems you just don't have the strength, courage or faith enough to keep going?  It seems like every obstacle known to man is testing your patience, and trying your faith.  Have you gotten to rock bottom where your only options are to give up or just stand still?  Are you at the place where there is little that you can do but wait on the Lord?  You get to that place, that critical point, and you are in the place where you can grow your faith or overthrow it.

James 5:7 says "Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains."  I take this not only to mean waiting on the Lord's return, but waiting until He acts on your behalf.  Wait until God moves that mountain you are believing to be moved.  Wait until He moves all of those people you used to hang with, wait until He clears all the obstacles from your view so that you can see clearly.  In these situations it is most certainly hard to believe and it is difficult to trust in Him.  But this is what you know, you're supposed to trust and wait on God.  The question is how.  And my answer to how is based on not knowing a particular solution, but just staying in God's presence in prayer until He did something.

Well I will recount the last 15 months of my life to you.  In September, I lost one of the cousins I loved most.  She had a beautiful spirit about her, and I had the pleasure of growing spiritually with her.  So I was distraught and heartbroken after her unexpected passing.  Then I had a very difficult relationship I was in--it seemed like everything I did could not help the situation.  Next my dad's health began to rapidly decline.  Every weekend I went home my dad was getting sicker.  I was having difficulties at work, and could not get it worked out for me to work from Columbia to spend more time with my family.  Then on New Years Eve, my mom is told my dad had less than 2 months to live.  Talk about a way to start the New Year...and the sermon focused on New Beginnings.  The 10th year is supposed to be a year of new beginnings.  Well so that relationship went south, and then as I am on travel, my dad is put on hospice, saying that he would pass away soon.  I am broken in every area, with no one to talk about my feelings but God, who seemed to have left me or at least was not answering my voice mails, lol.  My dad survived his 2 month death sentence and lived past the death sentence issued by his brother...gosh I miss my dad.  But imagine this, every area of your life, failing--oh not to mention my own health woes, I had just had a transplant the year before.  Then to culminate that: my family acts ignorant around my dad's death, my supervisor puts me on leave --WITHOUT PAY (yes I still have bills and work), and many of the people I thought I could count on become flakes or issue out ignorant statements that just simply shouldn't be said at this point.  I was there.  I just was so fed up.  I asked God why, why, why me.  All I can say is thank God that He reminds us of His many blessings.  Throughout all of that, I was delivered from an unhealthy relationship, things worked out at work that I had enough donated leave, I was able to spend time with my dad and get closer to him before he passed, and God definitely showed me my family's true colors and the people I no longer needed as a part of my life.  Furthermore, He revealed to me why; I had to be stripped of all that hurt and past hurts to be able to heal whole.  And today, without a single doubt, I know that God can do anything if you trust Him to do so.

Your why may be different from my why.  I had to experience those things to be sensitive and supportive of others in that situation.  I had to experience that so that I can minister to others who have lost someone they loved.  I had to be purged of some things and people.  And that was a breaking down process so that I could receive what God had next for me.  God is so amazing, and I thank Him for that experience because He grew my faith.  I never thought I could get through that, because I felt dead inside.  I felt as I was just going through the motions of life, not feeling anything because emotionally I had been battered by everything you can think of.  But little did I know my breakthrough sat right in front of me.  If the devil would have had his way, my life would be over.  Think of your most stressful moments and how they have negatively affected you.  Stress kills!!  And yes I was weary...I was so tired.  But God loved me enough to take my hand and guide me through it.  He reminded me of the blessings I have received and that He has the final say.

God is not a respecter of persons.  Your situation could be much worse than my own, and He will do a mighty, great work in your life.  Hey, look at Job!!! God restored him way beyond what he originally had.  He gave him a full reward.  If you will keep your eyes on Him when you get to the edge, He will let you walk on water, like Peter, and take you the rest of the way.  Trust Him, and stretch your faith.  God can do far beyond anything you imagine.  Our suffering is not our own, but to help someone else.  Press through it so you can be rewarded in the end.

"Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."  Hebrews 12:3