God’s Faithfulness When We Are Stuck - The Crosswalk Devotional - May 8
The Crosswalk Devotional
Audio By Carbonatix
By Sarah E. Frazer, Crosswalk.com
God’s Faithfulness When We Are Stuck
By Sarah Frazer
Bible Reading:
“To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.” Psalm 25:1 (ESV)
My eyes were wide open, but I couldn’t see in the dark. As I lay in bed, I glanced at the clock: 4 a.m. With a sigh, I rolled over. Making a decision always keeps me awake at night. For hours, my husband and I talked through the decision, looking at it from one angle and then another. We decided to pray about it and sleep on it. Praying was easy; sleeping was not.
I listened to my husband snore softly and envied his ability to put off the thoughts for the morning. My heart struggled to find peace because I could see both sides and didn’t know which path to take.
Whether the decision is big or small, feeling stuck is not a good feeling. Sometimes, we are forced to wait because life needs us to stay the course, even if we want to make a decision to move. When my children were very little, my days felt like a constant repeat of the same day over and over. I felt like I wasn’t making “progress” at all.
My dream to write, create, and publish books was on hold. My spiritual life felt non-existent because time with God was put on the back burner. I didn’t have many friends and rarely left the house. In all areas of my life, I felt stuck. If you have found yourself in that position, it might be time to sit down, stop striving, and “be still,” as Psalm 46:10 says.
God often leads us to a place where we might feel “stuck,” but actually, it is a place we need to be so that He can show us something about Himself. Over and over again, during seasons where I didn’t feel like I was moving forward, God has remained faithful. It is God’s faithfulness that is brought into deeper clarity during times when we feel stuck.
Looking at Psalm 25, we see many areas where God is faithful, and this faithfulness fuels us when we feel stuck. First of all, God is faithful in teaching us His truth. In verses 4-5, the psalmist rejoices that God is teaching him even though he feels stuck. Maybe our time of feeling “unproductive” or that we aren’t really moving forward is when we learn new truths or are reminded of old truths about God. God is always faithful in teaching us, no matter what season we find ourselves in.
God is also faithful in loving and forgiving us. The psalmist says that God’s faithful mercy and steadfast love are “from of old” (Psalm 25:6-7). God’s love for us goes back to even before the earth's foundation. (Ephesians 1:4) Although our lives feel like God might have left us, we know He has always and will always forgive us faithfully. 1 John 1:9 says that God is faithful to forgive.
Our God is also faithful in leading us. Sometimes that means to wait, but as you wait, be ready to move. God will tell you when and how to move. As we wait, we can know and rest in that God is faithful to guide us through every season, even the waiting ones. (Psalm 25:8-10)
In Psalm 25:14, we read that God is faithful to be our friend. While we might feel stuck, we can get to know God. Our relationship with God can grow and mature as we learn more about who God is. He is faithful to us!
Finally, God is faithful in saving us from our season of waiting. God sees and hears our sorrow. (Psalm 25:16-21) God is our comfort, our salvation, and we listen to Him when we cry out. No matter how much you feel stuck, you are not away from God and His plan for your life.
Intersecting Faith & Life:
At the end of Psalm 25, it says, “I take refuge in you.” If you are in a season that feels like you aren’t moving forward, how can you reach out to God in prayer and seek Him as a refuge? Although you might look at your life and feel you have failed God, how does knowing His faithfulness isn’t based on your merits give you comfort today?
Further Reading:
Lamentations 3:22-23
2 Thessalonians 3:3
Psalm 36:5
1 John 1:9
Hebrews 10:23
Photo Credit: ©Raychan/Unsplash
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Listen to the Jesus Calling Podcast!
Welcome to this special bonus episode of the Jesus Calling Podcast, inspired by the topical themes from Sarah Young’s seasonal prayer devotional Jesus Listens: Prayers for Every Season. Today, we are featuring guests who speak to themes that all of us might be experiencing in this season of winter. As the days grow shorter and the night longer, we are offered a rare gift: permission to stop. This season can be a challenging time for many, and if you are struggling with low spirits, please know you are not alone, and help is available. This episode is an opportunity to honor your weariness, to resist the urge to rush, and to discover the profound healing that happens when we simply let ourselves rest in the stillness. If you like what you hear, be sure to follow Jesus Calling on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!
