Life hurts. A lot.

No matter our demographic, pain, heartache and disappointment touches us all. From the time we exit the womb, until our last breath, life can hurt; a lot.

There are times, when I’m in pain, that cynicism creeps in to take over my thoughts and it paints a picture of doom and gloom. If I don’t quickly remember there is hope in the middle of all the chaos, I will fall apart. But my hope abounds in this promise:

I would have lost heart, unless I had believed That I would see the goodness of the Lord In the land of the living.

Psalm 27:13 NKJV

Even David spoke of losing heart. He was a man after God’s own heart. A warrior. A worshiper. A king. A lover of God and he still faced pain and disappointment; even abuse! He ran for his life for years from an evil king who was jealous of him and wanted his head! Many times David could have obtained his own deliverance by killing King Saul, but instead, he put his hope in God.

He maintained his integrity while in exile. He could have easily felt sorry for himself and compromised his conscience to bring about his own relief from his trouble. But he chose, instead, to trust God. It was not easy for him. In fact, King Saul chased him all the more.

It’s hard to trust God when things seem like they’re getting worse. When the pain gets unbearable and the road, more impassible. But like Peter said to Jesus, in John 6:68 NKJV:

“Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.”

The beautiful gift we discover in suffering and pain, is that God is trustworthy. When we’re exhausted from searching the world and using all its resources to help us feel better, discovering that God is the only One with the answers and the healing we seek, brings us to a place of peace and resolution.

I know this to be true from experience.

In fact, THE foundation that is build when we turn to God and trust Him with our outcome, is that His Word and promises become an anchor that holds us fast in the storm. We will get wet, may even be taken in the undertow, still, the Anchor holds us together and keeps us from being lost at sea. There is no anchor in this world.

Even that statement can sound cynical yet when we experience God is a sure and steadfast hope that will never disappoint or leave us, peace then becomes a broad place under our feet (Ps. 118:5). When trouble or heartache comes, yes, we hurt, grieve and travail, but we know that in it all, the Father holds us, shoring us up, and anchoring us in His steadfast love and care.

I can’t articulate how vital trust in God is to our lives, our mental wellness and overall joy, all I can do is introduce you to Who He is and let Him do the rest.

Let Christ be glorified in all!