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Grace For Tough Times by Mary J. Nelson

The Secret Path

Then Jesus said, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest."

Matthew 11:28

Carol readjusts the cap covering her bald head and fidgets in her chair. It would soon be her turn to give an update. She listens as a young woman with a recent breast cancer diagnosis tearfully shares her story. She thinks about her own first night. How long had she been coming to the prayer meeting? It must be almost two years by now. It seems like forever. She's back in treatment again. Life is an emotional roller coaster. Doctors discover cancer in her liver and tell her to set her affairs in order. She refuses and finds different doctors. She receives several rounds of chemo and the tumors shrink. Praise God! Time passes. Another checkup shows the tumors are growing again. She receives more chemo, but this time, no response. She receives a different chemo and the tumors shrink. Side effects from the chemo land her in the local hospital, but for now, things look good. Until the next checkup. The tumors are growing again. She receives more chemo. Another trip to the hospital. Again she waits, daring to hope. Three months later, scans show spots in two more organs. More tests, more waiting. Never mind, the lesions are benign—a sigh of relief and another glimpse of hope. But soon, tests show new tumors growing in the liver. She receives more chemo. The cycle repeats. Over and over, the cycle repeats. As she updates the group on her latest rounds of tests and treatment, there is deep weariness in her soul. She wonders if it will ever end. Will life ever return to normal, or is this the new normal? What will the future bring? She's not sure she can go one more day, let alone the rest of her life.

* * *

Howie carefully tucks the latest rejection letter in the file with the job description, company information, and interview notes. He tosses it on top of the growing stack of files. A year ago, when the bottom fell out of his life, he vowed to replace the senior-level job he lost. He made job hunting his full-time job. Now the stack is over a foot high. He's a registered user of every job search Web site on the Internet, and he networks regularly with fellow job seekers. He cold-calls target companies and follows up on every lead. He's applied for hundreds of positions and starts a file on the best opportunities. He's had many interviews. He's even been a finalist several times for positions outside his industry. He's sure this one would have been the perfect fit. His eyes gaze down at the stack on the floor. He's tired of diligently following each opportunity only to reach a dead end. He's tired of the waiting, tired of the emotional highs and lows, and tired of the process. He wonders if he can keep going. Will he ever work again?

* * *

There is a weariness deep in our souls that comes from carrying a heavy burden or living through an extended crisis. It goes beyond the physical fatigue that we can cure with a good night's rest or a weekend getaway. The only rest for long-term emotional exhaustion is supernatural. When the flames consume us and we feel we can't go one more step, God offers a secret path to restoration. Jesus experienced it during His earthly ministry. Large crowds seeking hope and healing followed Him everywhere. He faced constant opposition from His enemies as they secretly plotted His murder. He rarely had time alone and often prayed throughout the night (Mark 3:7–12, 6:46–47, 14:1–2). But He never wearied. He knew the secret. His Father restored His soul and gave Him strength.

Only Jesus can give us rest when our weary souls need refreshing. When we're too emotionally exhausted to take another step, we're quick to cry out to Him. Oh, Lord, I'm so weary! Please give me your rest! And then we go immediately back to our busy schedule and the business of trying to survive the fire. The Lord wants to give us rest. He gives power to those who are tired and worn. He will fulfill His promise to lift us up on wings like eagles' wings, high above the most difficult crisis. But the Lord said those who wait on Him would find new strength (Isaiah 40:29–31).

That's right. We need to wait on the Lord and give Him our complete and undivided attention. Part of His process of restoration is to get us to slow down and listen to Him. We may need to take an entire day to just sit in His presence, read His Word, pray, and listen to His voice. In that quiet place, Carol and Howie discovered the secret path. In that quiet place in the presence of Jesus, He can reveal His will. He can show you the solution to a problem you've been trying to fix on your own power. He gives you His peace. He gives you rest for your weary soul.

Is there heaviness in your soul today? Perhaps the fire rages on and on, with no end in sight. Emotionally, you're exhausted. You can barely take another step. You're tired of fighting and your soul thirsts for refreshment. You hear His voice through the fire: Come to me and I will give you rest. When you hear His call, you sit at His feet. You give the Savior your undivided attention. He takes you to a place of refreshing green meadows. You soak in His unfailing love, and your soul bathes in His healing waters. You experience His ultimate rest—a peace found only in His presence that is not of this world (John 14:27). You've discovered the secret path to restoration—an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ. Come. Let Him bring rest to your weary soul.

Heavenly Father, I can't take another step. My soul is weary and longs for refreshment. Thank you for your secret path of restoration. Thank you for your unfailing love, your healing power, and the peace of your presence. Lord, help me to wait on you. Show me how to carve out time in my busy day just to sit at your feet and hear your voice. Only you can give me strength to face tomorrow. Please give me a fresh infilling of your Holy Spirit. Let me soak in your love and feel the rejuvenating power of your presence. In Jesus' name, amen.

The Sounds of Silence

Be silent, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world.

Psalm 46:10

The pain was excruciating. Joe had been doctoring for several months, seeking relief for his nagging back pain. He had tried specialists, chiropractors, and massage therapists. He had tried pain-killers, muscle relaxants, and, of course, prayer. Lots and lots of prayer. After all, he was a prayer minister at his church. He had prayed for hundreds of people in worse shape than he was—people with cancer and other life-threatening diseases; people who had lost their jobs or businesses and were in deep financial trouble; people who had kids in jail, cheating spouses, and broken marriages; people with addictions; people in pain. And now he was one of them, and the pain was worse than ever.

A week ago, he bent over to move some boxes. Something snapped in his fragile back. The doctor ordered bed rest. It wasn't too difficult to keep the order, since he couldn't move without coming to tears. He couldn't sleep. He couldn't find any comfortable position. The pain medication made him sick to his stomach. Friends and family gathered around him in prayer. They prayed for a good night's rest; they prayed for pain relief; they prayed for supernatural healing. He wanted to get back to work and back to the business of living. He wanted to avoid a risky surgery and a lengthy rehabilitation regimen at all costs. He wanted a miracle, but God gave him silence.

There are times in our walk with Jesus when we find ourselves in a place of silent waiting—waiting for healing to come, waiting to learn the fate of a loved one, waiting for good news while fearing the worst, waiting for a miracle. When we are in this place of waiting, there is nothing we can do in our own power to move the situation forward. Like a helpless little bird, we desperately flap our wings, but nothing happens. Try as we might, we can't take off. We can't move. We can't make God move. Our inner voice screams "Do something!" into the stillness. But God is silent.

When their brother Lazarus became very sick, Mary and Martha sent an urgent message to Jesus. They knew He could heal their brother because they had witnessed His miracle-working power. Jesus loved this family from Bethany. When He heard they needed Him, He waited two full days before responding to their cries for help. He had a bigger plan. He told the disciples that Lazarus's sickness would not end in death, and God would receive glory for what He was about to do. During these two agonizing days of silence, Mary and Martha watched their brother die.

When Jesus finally arrived, Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask"(John 11:21–22). Jesus assured her that Lazarus would rise again. When Jesus saw Mary and the others weeping and wailing over his death, He was moved with compassion and indignation, weeping with them in their sorrow. But He also grieved over their hopelessness when they had every reason for hope. The Son of God stood right in the middle of their pain! And indeed, He had a bigger plan. Jesus prayed and called Lazarus out of the tomb. He raised him from the dead to give glory to the Father. All those around Him witnessed the power and sovereignty of Almighty God. But first, there was a time of silence (John 11:1–44).

God's silence always has a specific purpose. His delays might make us think He doesn't hear, He isn't answering our prayers, or He's not answering the way we would like Him to answer. Mary and Martha mourned the silence, just as we often do. But in His silence, God trusted them with a far greater revelation—that their prayer would be used to glorify the Father. If we believe in our hearts that God always hears and always answers our prayers—if we believe He will never give us a snake when we ask for a fish—His silence can be a cause for joy, not despair. It proves that God has heard our cries and has made us part of His sovereign plan—just as He did with Lazarus. In His perfect time He will meet our needs according to His divine purpose (Matthew 7:7–9; Philippians 4:19).

Joe received his healing. God sent him a skilled surgeon, a good physical therapist, and several months of rest. The Lord raised him from the fire, but not before he reached a place of deep humility and a new understanding of his total dependence on God. In the process he gained an even deeper level of compassion for the hurting people he ministered to, and he experienced the beauty of God's grace, the power of His presence, the strength to endure, and growth of his character for God's purposes (James 1:3–4). But not before a time of silence did a mighty work in him!

Today, you too may find yourself in a place of silence. You watch the world around you continue to spin and the people come and go, but your world doesn't move. God has built a wall of fire around you, and there is nothing inside but stillness and waiting. Listen ... can you hear Him calling? Take heart, my child. I have overcome your pain and suffering (John 16:33). Draw on my unlimited resources and I'll give you strength to endure the heat (Ephesians 3:16). My power is mighty and my timing is perfect (1 Peter 5:6). He wants you to know when the stool collapses underneath you—when the world strips everything away and only the sounds of silence remain—you still have God. And He's orchestrating the perfect plan to bring glory to His Father. You are privileged to be a part of what He's about to do! Be silent, and know that He is God.

Heavenly Father, I want so desperately for you to break the silence! I'm sorry for doubting your sovereign purpose and for pushing ahead of your perfect timing. Even in the stillness, I know you have heard my cries for help; you stand with me in the middle of my pain. Thank you for trusting me with your silence. I believe in my heart you always answer my prayers according to your will. Lord, let your answer to my cries for help bring glory and honor to your name. Please give me strength to endure the heat as I wait in silence for your plan to unfold. In Jesus' name, amen.

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Grace For Tough Times by Mary J. Nelson