When the Road is Long and the Way is Weary

Some days, your body is weary of pain. Some days, your mind is weary of the inner battle no one sees. Some days, your heart is weary of this sinful, sorrowful world.

Some days, it’s all three at once.

And when it is, it can be hard to lift your eyes in hope. Peace feels elusive. Despondency casts its shadows upon your spirit.

Doesn’t God see? Doesn’t he care?

There are moments in the Christian life when you know God can part the Red Sea. You plead with him to do so as dire circumstances close in, and you watch with anticipation for what he will do. And yet, to your great dismay, the waters don’t part and you’re left with confusion, hurt, and a shaken faith.

Can God part the Red Sea? We know he can. Does he always? No. At least not in the way or timing we expect or want.

Sometimes we’re simply left with a choice. Do I dive in and start swimming in my own strength because I don’t trust his way is best anymore? Do I turn back to the comforts of Egypt (independence from God) – the very place he freed us from? Or, do I choose to remain steadfast, trusting him even as the impossible looms ahead and terrors close in from behind?

It’s a hard-fought battle for faith. True, genuine, scar-filled faith that is no longer satisfied by empty cliches and spiritual one-liners, but a faith that sees every possible reason to question, and chooses to trust that God still is who he says he is.

To be honest, some days I want to crawl into bed and never get out. Some days I want to scream and pound my fists because I don’t think I can take one more thing. Some days I simply cry out in weariness and desperation to see God’s tenderness and compassion over my frailty. And some days, I give lies and doubts far too much real estate in my mind.

Can you relate?

And yet, somehow there is a seed a faith that refuses to give up, stay down, or walk away. And I simply believe it’s because God promises that he will not let us go.

I know the hardships we face pale in comparison to much of the world. And the blessings in my life are immeasurable, as they likely are in yours as well…if we really take the time to look. But pain is pain. Loss is loss. And a broken heart, mind, and body can leave you gasping for air no matter where you live or what circumstances surround you.

And yet, time and time again, we must come back to this: “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life”(John 6:68-69). There is only One. And so we press on, continuing to pray, “Lord, we don’t know what to do, but our eyes are on you.”

A day will come when we will sit in awe of all he’s done. And when we do, it will be all the sweeter because of the bitterness we’ve tasted.

Weary friend, whatever “Red Sea” moment looms before you, will you join me in standing firm on the foundation that God will not abandon us in our darkest hour? He never has. He never will.

So in the same breath that we say, “Lord we don’t know what to do, but our eyes are on you,” we sing a song of praise in anticipation of his future faithfulness.

“I will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea. The Lord is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exult him. You have led in your steadfast love the people whom you have redeemed; you have guided them by your strength to your holy abode.”

Exodus 15: 1-2, 13

Home is around the corner,

Sarah

To read more of Sarah’s writings, you can pick up a copy of He Gives More Grace: 30 Reflections for the Ups and Downs of Motherhood, Hope When It Hurts: 30 Biblical Reflections to help you grasp God’s purpose in your suffering), Tears and Tossings (short evangelistic resource on how God carries our sorrows), or Together Through the Storms (for married couples navigating the trials of life). Lastly, you can now order Sarah’s Pilgrim’s Progress inspired children’s book based on the account of the Prodigal Son, titled “The Long Road Home” (Crossway).