Rainy Days
It’s a dreary, rainy day as I sit here and write this post. I am definitely one of those people who is affected by the weather. On sunny days, I feel ready to work hard and get a lot accomplished. A rainy day? Not so much. I have learned to appreciate rainy days, though, because it helps me enjoy the sunny days so much more.
But sometimes, rainy days are just depressing. Sometimes they make you feel sad and discouraged. So here’s my encouragement for today. It comes right from Eeyore, from Winnie the Pooh.
The rain has to stop falling eventually. At some point, the rain will stop, the clouds will roll back, and the sun will come out once again.
A Season of Difficulty
You may be in a difficult season right now where it feels like the rain just won’t stop falling. You need the sun to shine, but all you see are rainy dreary days. That’s a difficult place to be, and my heart goes out to you. You have no hope that things are going to be okay. Maybe your heart is broken, and you don’t feel like it’s ever going to heal. Maybe you’re in a season of depression, and you can’t seem to move past it.
Sometimes life knocks us to our knees. It’s during those times that we need God the most, yet it’s often the hardest time to find Him.
If you’re are in a difficult season right now, I want to encourage you with three simple reminders.
1. God Loves You
It’s so simple, yet so often we forget. Let me be the one to remind you that God loves you. He loves you for who you are, not who you want to be. The flaws and imperfections that you see are what make you special to Him. He created you perfectly, and you bring immense joy to Him.
Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out; you formed me in my mother’s womb.
You know me inside and out, you know every bone in my body;
You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, how I was sculpted from nothing into something. Psalm 139:13, 15 MSG
Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. John 15:33 KJV
For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38,39 KJV
There is no greater way to know that God loves us than to remember He gave His very life for us. Paul also reminds us in Romans that absolutely nothing can separate us from God’s love. His love for us is so powerful that there is nothing that we can do or anybody else can do to remove His love from us.
2. God Is For You
In the midst of hard times, it is so hard to see that God is for you. In a time where everything seems to be against you, it’s hard to see that God is working for your good. During difficult times in my life, I have the hardest time believing God is for me. He feels so far away. It doesn’t feel like He’s doing anything to help me.
It’s during these times that Satan whispers to us that God is giving us “what we deserve.” He leads us to believe that God is punishing us, that He doesn’t care about us or what happens to us. These are all lies. We need to focus on truth instead. The truth is that God is working in every detail of our lives to bring about His plan for our lives.
As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the Lord is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him.
It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect. Psalm 18:30,32
3. God Hasn’t Forgotten You
This is usually what I need to hear the most in trying times. So let me be the one to remind you of this truth today. God has not forgotten you. He knows exactly what you are going through. He sees the hurt and the pain and understands the confusion, the doubt, and the fear. You may feel that He is so far away but know this. God is acutely aware of what you are going through. He hasn’t left you to go through this on your own. He reminds us of this truth in Hebrews.
…I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. Hebrews 13:5 KJV
God has promised that He will never leave us. When it feels the darkest, when it feels like God is far away, remember that God is with you.
One of my favorite Bible stories is the story of the disciples in a storm. Mark 6 gives us the account of the disciples being stuck in a storm. They were on a ship when a ferocious storm came upon them. It must have been really bad because these were seasoned fishermen. They were used to being out on the water. Whatever they saw in the storm terrified them.
Jesus comes to them in the midst of their storm. Then he steps into the boat with them. Jesus didn’t leave them to suffer through the storm alone. No, He came to them in their darkest hour and stepped into the boat with them.
That’s how I know God hasn’t forgotten you. In the midst of your storm, He will come to you and step into your storm with you. He may not make the storm stop, but He will keep you safe in the midst of it.
The Rainy Days Will Eventually Go Away
The rain will stop falling eventually. You will come to the end of this difficult season. At some point, the clouds will roll away, and the sun will shine brightly once more. Until then, remember that God loves you, He is for you, and He hasn’t forgotten you.
Book Suggestion
A great book to read during this season is It’s Not Supposed to Be This Way by Lisa TerKeurst. If anyone has a reason to complain and feel like God has forgotten them, it’s Lisa. She shares her story openly and with vulnerability in her book. I promise it will encourage your heart.
Moving Forward
If you have just come through a difficult season, you can find encouragement in my post- 5 Ways to Move Forward After a Difficult Season.
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