God is with you in the wreckage
Before I begin today’s devotion, let me first say, thank you so much for donating to the ministry’s GivingTuesday campaign. By the grace of God, we have exceeded our giving goal!
Daily Cup family, my heart is overwhelmed with joy over your outpour of love and support. Because God has used your hands to be a blessing, the team at our 501c3 nonprofit will be able to do exponentially more good for those in need. I could go on and on about my gratitude all day. It’s hard to contain my excitement.
If you wish, you can read my full statement posted by my team at EmpoweringEverydayWomen.org.
Now let’s get into today’s devotion, shall we?
About a week ago, I solicited prayer on behalf of a family member who is gravely ill. I am thankful for everyone that prayed. So far, his condition has dramatically worsened.
While my family and I believe God can do anything, we also know that the Lord has the final say in all matters, and we trust His will completely.
Before I received the phone call with the bad news of my loved one’s failing health, it was a day like any other. I was not expecting our family to be thrown headlong into a storm.
But life is like that, isn’t it?
One day you’re going along, and all is well. The next, a treacherous situation develops seemingly out of the blue, and you’re doing your best to figure out how to navigate the angry seas.
It reminds me of when Paul the Apostle got caught in a storm in Acts 27 on his way to Rome. He was aboard a ship carrying 276 passengers in total. The winds were against them, and they got caught up in a hurricane-like tempest called the Northeaster. Their vessel was violently battered, and the ship was ultimately destroyed.
“Though the storm may rage, and the battle may be fierce, this will not destroy me, because the Lord is with me.”
Though God spared everyone’s life, because the Lord previously said He would (vv. 22-25), Paul and the others onboard did not escape the terror of the intense storm. In verse 20, Paul describes in vivid detail the bleakness of the situation. He said, “When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and the storm continued raging, we finally gave up all hope of being saved.”
Can’t you just sense the ominous conditions? The absence of any natural light whatsoever. Have you ever been in a hopeless situation where you couldn’t see the light? Battered by life? Unsure about whether you would even make it through?
If so, I get it.
It’s hard, but none of us gets to completely escape such moments. As believers, there will invariably be storms we must face. But God, who can carry us through any and everything, will forever be faithful to get us through the storm.
In today’s lesson we see that the passengers on the ship, after many days of being in survival mode for what must have felt like an eternity, eventually floated to safety on broken pieces (v. 44).
The good news is that God was with them in the wreckage.
Friend, there are seasons when God allows you to totally escape the storm and walk away completely untouched. He has done that in my life many times over. In other seasons, however, in His sovereignty, He allows the storm to rip through our lives and leave things in pieces. When that happens, you know what God does?
He gets down in the wreckage with us and guides us to safety.
We may be battered and bruised during these times, but God heals bruises, sews up wounds, caters to the brokenhearted, and restores joy to those who are crushed in spirit. If you’re going through something tough today, know that God is with you in the wreckage. The light of His Holy Spirit shines in the darkness when you are unable to see any light at the end of the proverbial tunnel.
Though it may look and feel like it, this storm will not destroy you. God has fortified you, for His power is active within you.
To encourage you, I’m stirring 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 KJV into your cup of inspiration, which says, “We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;”
As you drink down the contents of your cup, declare over your life, “Though the storm may rage, and the battle may be fierce, this will not destroy me, because the Lord is with me.”
Again, God is in the wreckage with you, and at the appointed time, He will put the pieces of your life back together again. Continue to hope in Him. He will never leave nor forsake you!
Now, let’s pray.
God, thank You for assuring me that even through life’s toughest storms, when I see nothing but wreckage all around me, You get down in the wreckage with me and make me whole again. I declare that this storm will not destroy me. But I will emerge with a testimony, because You are my refuge and shelter, and a strong deliverer in the time of storm. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
If you desire prayer, please allow me, along with my intercessory prayer team, to stand in faith with you for breakthrough. We would be so honored. We have seen God work over and over again. There is power in agreement. Click here to request prayer now.
As always, thanks for reading and until next time... may today's cup of inspiration uplift, encourage, and empower you!
