Hurts

What do you do when you can’t pray? When the words won’t come. When your soul is exhausted. The great missionary J. Hudson Taylor came to that point. When anxiety filled his heart, he said, “I can’t read. I can’t think. I can’t pray. But I can trust.” We can all trust and know that the Holy Spirit is praying for us at a level we cannot comprehend.

The pain we endure in life hurts. Sometimes, our journey takes us through times of devastation and discouragement. The loss of a job, illness, relationship breakups, an unrealized dream, and death are just some of the adversities that can bring about “sufferings of this present time.”

When your world begins to shake, you can go in one of two directions. You can turn to God and trust him to steady you. Or you can turn away from God and conclude he doesn’t care…maybe, he doesn’t even know what to do, so you’re better off on your own. At the end of the day, here’s the question: Which way will you turn?

Mary was the first person to receive Jesus on his terms. Many people want Jesus to come and meet their needs, fix their problems, and heal their hurts. Their expectations are centered around what Jesus can do for them. Mary was different. Check out her response to the angel Gabriel, who told her she would have a child.