By Melinda Tietsort 
Troubled times really test our faith. They test our trust in God. They test our belief in ourselves and others. They make us question everything. We start asking God, “Why?! Why me?!”
When we are in those troubled times, sometimes we lose sight of God completely.
We grasp for Him but we are so lost in our troubles that our souls are in the darkness. We become consumed by it and that is all we can focus on. We can’t see His light . . . we can’t even find it. Depression, anxiety, fear, and grief all have the ability to leave us feeling crippled in the darkness. We feel alone and lost, still asking God, “Why me?”
And sometimes the people around us don’t know how to help us. Sometimes they just make it worse. They make us feel dumb or embarrassed. They can even make us feel like something is wrong with us for feeling a certain way. So we crawl deeper into that darkness, hide and feel even more alone.
But do you know who crawls into that darkness with us?
God does.
He is right there with you. He has his arms of love around you tight. He was always right there with you. You were never alone.
Even when you thought you were facing everything alone, HE NEVER LEFT YOU. And He will never leave you. You are way too special to Him . . . and you mean too much to Him.
When you’re on your knees begging for help, He is right there with His arm around you hanging on your every word.
When you think you can’t face another day, He gives you His strength to make it through.
When all you can find is tears, He wipes them away and pours His love over you.
When you can’t find the way, He reaches for your hand, ready to lead you to the path He has made clear for you.
Reach up for God’s hand. He wants to pull you out of the darkness. He wants you back in His light. He is whispering to you. Do you hear Him? He is faint in your heart until you give Him the microphone. He wants you to know His truth, not the enemy’s lies.
And if you crawl back into that darkness again after He helped to pull you out, He will crawl right back in there to get you and help to lead you out again.
Over and over, He will do that for you. Again and again.
He has never failed to save me again and again when I finally reach for His hand and hear His loving whispers. He brings tears to my eyes and instantly calms my soul. I see His light again, shining brighter than ever and I feel His love like never before.
Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you.” – Isaiah 35:3-4 NIV
I found a post several years ago that I loved and still love to this day. It helps me to see God’s light in troubled times. It said: I asked God, “Why are you taking me through troubled water?” He replied, “Because your enemies can’t swim.”
There is a reason for our troubled times, my friends.
This post originally appeared on the author’s blog
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