“The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” - Psalm 34:18 (NIV)
My nine-year-old recently confessed a struggle with her beliefs. I don’t think I believe in God anymore,”turned into a somber, “how do I know Jesus is really real,” and gradually became a firm, “I don’t believe in that.” Missing friends from her old school sent my nine-year-old into a wrestling match with her faith. Though it broke my heart, I assured her it’s normal to question our faith when the bottom falls out of our lives. Scripture says we will be tested in a way that will make it hard will to continue to believe. The truth is we’re never alone, but it’s hard to believe it when the trials we endure seem deep and wide enough to swallow us whole.
God is near, listening, and in sovereign control. Fight fear and flex the courage to ask him the hard “why’s.” Release the floodgate of tears and collapse into his compassionate embrace. The journey is universal. When broken-heartedness threatens to paralyze, unleash all emotion, hindrances, and composure to God. Keep sowing seeds of truth, and faithfully water them daily. Hold on to them for dear life, repeating them until the waters reside.
After a string of hard days, as my daughter adjusted to the change shaking up her life, I found a picture of Jesus hugging a little girl tucked into her line of stuffed animals. Hope restored, she skipped happily down the stairs to start her day. I thanked Jesus for faithfully blooming every good seed in perfect time. He is faithful to do more than we can ask for or imagine (Ephesians 3:20), even when we struggle to find our faith.
20 Truths from Scripture to Hold to When You Struggle to Find Your Faith:
1. “The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” Psalm 34:18
2. “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; never will I leave nor forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:6
3. “The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you.” Romans 8:11
4. “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:20
5. “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will hold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10 NIV
6. “God is our strength and our refuge, an ever-present help in trouble.” Psalm 46:1
7. “Oh, that you would bless me and expand my territory. Let your hand be with me and keep me from harm so I may be free from pain.” 1 Chronicles 4:10
8. “When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit.” Ephesians 1:14b
9. “Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, ‘The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.” Lamentations 3:22-24
10. “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever-the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.” John 14:16-17 NIV
11. “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the spiritual forces of the evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm them, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.” Ephesians 6:10-18 NIV
12. “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:4-7
13. “For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light.” Colossians 1:9-12
14. “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20
15. “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” Hebrews 12:1
16. “I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.” John 15:15
17. “He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what lies in the darkness, and light dwells with him.” Daniel 2:22
18. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believe in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16
19. “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6
20. “Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this:” Psalm 37:5
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Meg Bucher writes about everyday life within the love of Christ. She stepped out of her comfort zone, and her Marketing career, to obey God’s call to stay home and be “Mom” in 2011. From that step of obedience her blog, Sunny&80, was born, a way to retain the funny everyday moments of motherhood. Meg is also a freelance writer and author of “Friends with Everyone.”She loves teaching God’s Word and leading Bible study, being a mom, distance running, photography, and the Cleveland Browns. Meg resides in Northern Ohio with her husband, two daughters, and Golden-Doodle.
