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April 6, 2018 |
“For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent and set me high upon a rock.” Psalm 27:5 (NIV)
I scooted closer to my mother as I felt the power of God in my 6-year-old body. Moved by my daddy’s preaching, I could sense God’s power within me as a little child. Then things changed … when I began to realize my dad, the pastor, was not all I thought he was.
His choices proved something much different.
Ponytail swinging, ruffles bouncing and giggles abounding, I ran into life as a 6-year-old girl without a problem in the world. Then suddenly right before my eyes, everything I knew about God shattered. I woke up to a new home with one bedroom that I shared with my brother and my mom. Dad was gone.
I could give you the gory details, but perhaps you’ve heard stories like mine. A man of God makes a bad choice that causes him to lose his ministry, his family and what could have been his future.
Though this sounds heart-wrenching and dreadfully sorrowful, God has redeemed my story and my life. He’s taken something that easily could have sent my brother, my mother and me into a life of despair and transformed it into a beautiful picture of His grace.
Thankfully I had a faithful, godly mother who pointed me to God’s Word. She reminded me often that “God didn’t bring us this far to leave us.”
And then came Clay, a man only God could have chosen to rescue us. He walked into our lives and adopted us. He gave us a new name and new identity. He taught us godly men don’t have to stand on a stage to be heard, but they can sit in the life of a child who is desperate for love and let God’s light shine brightly in that small place.
By God’s grace, today both my brother and I serve in church ministry. We’ve been given the gift of being able to share our story so others might see that God is bigger than the pain of this world. When sin threatens to take everything comfortable away, God offers the grace, mercy and comfort we truly need.
People will make mistakes and hurt your heart deeply, but I want to offer you this truth: “God didn’t bring you this far to leave you.” He has a plan greater than we will ever know. Don’t let someone else’s mistakes make you someone you never intended to be.
I don’t know what you have been through in your life, but I know this: God is faithful. He binds up wounds when we think we will never heal. He mends our hearts when we think they are too broken to bind. And He offers His grace when life gives us so much more than we can handle alone.
God is not done with your life. He can take the most broken and bruised and transform it into the most beautiful. “For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent and set me high upon a rock” (Psalm 27:5).
Dear heavenly Father, when I feel betrayed and alone, help me know You are near. When it seems things will never work out and life feels broken, give me hope to press on and peace to pursue You more. I need You today. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
TRUTH FOR TODAY:
Psalm 46:1, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” (NIV)
RELATED RESOURCES:
Feeling called to write or speak words that move people, but don’t know where to start? Are you chasing a dream without the encouragement and support you desperately long for? Then get your ticket for this year’s She Speaks Conference or She Speaks Studio — registration is now open! Click here to learn more and sign up!
REFLECT AND RESPOND:
Has someone hurt you deeply? What’s one thing you will do today to draw nearer to God in your pain?
How is God redeeming your story?
How are you looking to share your story of God at work in your life? Join the conversation and let us know!
© 2018 by Micah Maddox. All rights reserved.
Proverbs 31 Ministries
630 Team Rd., Suite 100
Matthews, NC 28105
www.Proverbs31.org
