In the
beginning you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands.
They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a
garment. Like
clothing you will change them and they will be discarded. But you remain the same,
and your years will never end.
Psalm
102:25-27
I feel afflicted and weak from time to time, in
body, but also in my spirit and soul. What struggles frighten you and make you
feel inadequate? We tend to act the way we feel, and allowing inadequacy and
fear to take hold makes us weak.
A weekend trip to Colorado reminded me of just how
small and insignificant I am. The mountains stand strong, robed in majesty, as
they have for centuries, a testament to the power of the God who “laid the
foundations of the earth.” God is so much greater than I am.
Recently, I
experienced a setback in my plans, a rejection of years of work. I felt weak,
insignificant, inadequate, doubtful, and uncertain of the future. It reminded
me of how small I am and how many people are better and more capable than I am.
Surrounded by successful, confidant people who won awards for their work, the
rejection of my own efforts was even harder.
The part of Psalm 102 that struck me almost as much
as the word of the psalmist himself was the note my NIV Bible placed at the
beginning. “A prayer of an afflicted person who has grown weak and pours out a
lament before the Lord.” I was allowing myself to feel afflicted when, in spite
of rejection, I received another opportunity and an unexpected blessing. God
never leaves us at a dead end. He always has something else waiting up ahead.
Just as those mountains showed me how small I am in
the scheme of things, they reminded me of how great my God is all of the time.
The mountains will not stand forever. An earthquake could destroy them in
seconds and God will someday bring them crashing down to be replaced with
something better. However, the psalmist goes on to say that God remains the
same forever, no matter what happens to His creation.
If you struggle against fear, inadequacies, and
insignificance, look to your Creator. He has a plan for you, and He will see it
carried through to completion. All that is required from us is to take the
opportunities offered and do our best, seeking God’s help. He will never let us
down when we are trusting in Him. He will offer another path. Look for it and
go forward in His strength. I may feel afflicted, but God never fails.
©
Copyright by Norma Gail Thurston Holtman, June 23, 2017
Don't forget every comment this month gets your name in the drawing for our Grand Birthday Prize and our Runner-Up Prizes giveaways!
About the author:
Norma
Gail is the author of the contemporary Christian romance, Land of My Dreams, winner of the
2016 Bookvana Religious Fiction Award. A women’s Bible study leader for over 21
years, her devotionals and poetry have appeared at ChristianDevotions.us, the
Stitches Thru Time blog, and in “The Secret Place.” She is a member of American
Christian Fiction Writers and Romance Writers of America. Norma is a former RN
who lives in the mountains of New Mexico with her husband of 41 years. They
have two adult children. If you’re interested in connecting with me, I invite
you to follow my blog, join me on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, Goodreads, or Amazon.
