If so, you’re not alone. We’ve all had moments when life feels overwhelming and our strength seems to fade. But it’s in those very moments, those raw and vulnerable spaces, that God gently reminds us: You are not alone. I am with you. And I will strengthen you.
I’ve learned that God’s faithfulness often shines brightest in the dark. During seasons of waiting, loss, or uncertainty, His presence becomes more real. It’s not always in a dramatic answer to prayer, an instant miracle, but in the quiet assurance that He sees (El Roi, the God who sees), He knows what’s going on in our lives, and He’s holding us together when we feel like we and our lives are falling apart.
Isaiah 41:10 (NIV) says, “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 uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
What a promise! God doesn’t just give us strength—He is our strength.
I’ve often asked God, “Why am I still struggling in this area?” Whether it’s a persistent fear, an old wound, or a habit I can’t quite shake (can anyone say “Sugar addiction”?), I’ve discovered that weakness isn’t something to hide from God—it’s a doorway to His power.
The Apostle Paul reminds us that God’s power is made perfect in weakness, so we don’t have to pretend to have it all together. Not to God or anyone else.
“And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:9-11, NKJV)
When we bring our broken pieces to God, He doesn’t shame us—He strengthens us. God makes masterpieces out of our brokenness.
Spiritual growth often begins where our comfort zone ends. To grow, we have to let God stretch us, prune us, and sometimes even break us—but never to harm us. He shapes us with His unconditional love, like a potter with clay.
Recently, I took a pottery wheel class, something that I’ve been wanting to do for literally years. It was so fun. It was part of my September 20 birthday gift from my husband Ray. He took the class with me. He had taken a pottery wheel class in high school, but I never had.
Our pretty, Asian instructor’s name was “Cloud” (yes, really) and she was amazing. I signed up for a private lesson. Driftwood Ceramics studio in Kansas City, Missouri, requires two people (to pay) for a private lesson, so Ray went with me so that I could take the class.
I want to take more classes! I believe that God has something to teach me through the pottery wheel. I saw so clearly why God is called the “Potter” and we are “the clay.”
“The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: “Arise, and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will let you hear my words.” So I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was working at his wheel. And the vessel he was making of clay was spoiled in the potter’s hand, and he reworked it into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to do. Then the word of the Lord came to me.” (Jeremiah 18:1-23)
The clay can “fight” the potter and even fall apart. But you can start over new with more clay, which is exactly what God does with you and me. He makes us into His new creation as we learn to trust in and submit to Him and His refining processes.
It’s in those quiet moments of surrender, when we say, “Lord, I can’t do this without you,” that the Holy Spirit fills us with His strength and power.
Fear has a way of creeping in when we least expect it. It whispers lies like “You’re not enough,” “You won’t make it,” or “This is too much for you.”
But the truth of God’s Word always has the final say. When fear rises, I anchor myself in scriptures like 2 Timothy 1:7 (NIV): “For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.”
Fear may knock on the door of our hearts, but we don’t have to let it in to have coffee with us! We have authority through our faith in Jesus Christ and can command fear to go in His powerful name.
Looking back, I see how God has used past struggles not to break me, but to build my trust in Him. Each difficulty became an opportunity to see His faithfulness in action.
When I didn’t know how things would work out, He showed up in unexpected ways. God has done miracle after miracle in my and my family’s lives. And when there was no “instant miracle,” then He helped me to endure and taught me to trust Him and His eternal word. God does not lie! He is faithful and He is good and all powerful.
When I felt weak, He strengthened me—not always by changing the situation, but by changing me in the midst of it. I am there right now, in a dark valley, having to lean on and trust in Jesus every day. Jesus will never leave us or forsake us. He walks with us through the valley and will see us safely to the other side.
Friend, wherever you are today, whether standing strong or barely holding on, know this: the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead lives in you. You don’t have to muster up your own strength. Lean in. Let Him fill you, guide you and lift you. He is faithful, He is near, and even now—He is strengthening you.
Below is a free printable for you. I pray that it blesses you.
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Want to learn more? Check out my book, Walking With God: In the Valley of the Shadow, available for sale on Amazon by clicking here.
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