“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”–Psalm 46:1
Sometimes, life deals blows that feel beyond hopeless that there’s any way to salvage some semblance of contentment ever again. It’s debilitating when our world falls apart. I can attest to this sense of hopelessness, helplessness, and vulnerability. In these times, it seems even more difficult to accept that God has everything under control, primarily because His plan isn’t necessarily obvious, and what I think makes sense is nonexistent. I have often struggled with trusting His sovereignty in these times despite what I know to be true.
One of the most challenging times in my life was when I found myself in a position that I’d never imagined I’d be in–raising a child by myself. I had placed my trust in a person who was not deserving of my trust, and once I began down that road, I couldn’t find a way to detour at all. That man stole from me, taking what didn’t belong to him without my permission, and rather than run the other way, I blamed myself for being in the predicament and accepted it as my fate. God intervened, however, and after even more painful experiences, I was finally free from him and focused on raising my son in peace, though I was very much alone. Unfortunately, there are always consequences for the decisions we make.
I know much of what I’m saying here may seem vague–what I want you to understand is that sometimes God allows the mountains in our lives so that we will believe when He moves them. I could not see how life could continue after the mess I’d made, and that wasn’t the only one I’d make, of course. It’s taken this much of my life to even begin trusting God as my refuge and relying on Him for my strength. He is present in the midst of our trouble. He never leaves or forsakes us (Hebrews 13:5). Even when it seems He is unaware of our situation, we can trust that He is in the midst of it, working even our worst mistakes for our good.