97. DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE FALLEN THROUGH THE CRACKS?
(The Abundant Life Series – Batch 1)
Some months ago, I cried out to God. I told him that I felt like I had fallen through the cracks of life and life’s system. Whereas other family members and people I knew seemed to be getting on with their lives, making progress in their careers, marrying, buying homes and having babies, I felt that I was lying in a dark, horrible, confusing space, while the world continued. I had been there for a while and I longed to get back up but yet, as the years rolled on, I just continued to remain stuck, unnoticed and ignored.
No matter how hard I tried and even prayed, time went on and I was still lying in that dark, cold space. Yet, I still prayed to the Lord because I knew that he had the ability to still change my situation, although everything in life, including my career, the hope of finding love and having a family of my own one day, seemed to have turned out so wrong.
There are many women, including Christian women, who feel how I felt. They feel stuck in life, unloved and unsupported. Many feel hopeless in their situation because of one or more factors and know that they don’t have the power within themselves to get themselves out of their mess.
For some women, they think that their past is too ugly and that they have sinned too much, for God to redeem them or restore them from it. For others, they think they are too old and been in a situation for too long, for them to experience transformation, miracles and a new season.
These are all lies from the devil. What God has said in his Word the Bible is true and so, whenever you feel like it is all hopeless and you should give up, I urge you to put your trust in Jesus Christ and cast all of your cares upon him.
Be honest with him. If you are a Believer, ask him for forgiveness where you may have messed up. Let him know that you feel like you have fallen through the cracks of life and don’t know how to get out. Admit your mistakes and ask for his help. Don’t be afraid to let him know how weak you are in a society that praises those who appear to be strong, highly intelligent and perfect. Let him know, even as I did, that you desperately need him to intervene in your life and to bridge your endless weaknesses with His strength.
For one thing I know, no matter what you face or what you have been through or how dead a situation looks like, there is ALWAYS hope in the mighty name of Jesus.
Jesus stated in John 11:25 before he raised Lazarus up from the dead, “I am the resurrection and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.” Keep in mind, that Lazarus had been dead and stinking for four (4) days!
What is your situation? What is it that you are facing that you think is too big or too hopeless for the Lord? Trust me, I know how it is, having been in some tight situations myself and still going through some right now, as I type these words.
Yet, nothing is too much for Jesus to handle or too far gone for him to reverse. The Word of God states that He (Jesus) is greater than all, that He sits as King over the flood and that nothing is too hard for him to do, even where there is no earthly solution.
Some women think they have made too many mistakes in their past or too much time has passed or that they are too old for God to grant them a godly husband and the family they have always dreamed off. Some think that they are too unintelligent and have been put down too many times by people at their workplace, in their family and in general, to ever have a successful life and career. Others may be plagued by the guilt of their past, which makes them feel inferior to others.
It doesn’t matter what you face. If you are a Christian woman who feels that you have fallen through the cracks of life, that you are stuck and have not a clue where to begin to get out, I encourage you, to take it all to Jesus. Be honest with him about where you used to be, where you are now and where you would like to go. Repent where you need to repent and confess where you need to confess, (to God and to at least one Christian brother or sister that you know cares sincerely about you and your spirituality and who you can trust to help you). Come to God through Jesus Christ his Son, truthfully and believe that even if you cannot possibly think of a way for your life to turn around, Jesus knows what to do and he can still deliver.
The verses below are what speak to my heart whenever I feel discouraged, tired and fed up with how things are going in my life and when the devil tries to convince me that things will never change. When it is too much for me to bear or the situation looks too hopeless or I see too much ruin in my life for there to ever be beauty, I remember what these verses say about God and his ability to step in and transform ANY situation.
When Jesus rose from the dead, he told Thomas, who he appeared to because he had doubted that he was alive “…be not faithless but believing.” (John 20:27)
He said a similar thing to Jairus whose daughter was sick to the point of death and had come to Jesus to ask that she be healed. While Jesus was on his way, news came to Jairus that his daughter had died and he was told “Thy daughter is dead: why troublest thou the Master any further?” (Mark 5:35)
No doubt, such news would have been discouraging to hear as it seemed that it was too late and that there was now no hope. YET, Jesus, who is the resurrection and the life, told Jairus, “Be not afraid, only believe.” (vs. 36).
Today, Jesus’ message is the same to you, no matter how low you have found yourself in life and what you are going through. Your situation may seem hopeless (as mine has seemed for many years), yet Jesus beckons to be not faithless but believing. Fear may be trying to rear its ugly head, to make you feel like this is how your life will be forever and that it is too late and you’re too old for things to change. People may even believe this about you and cast their noses down at you because they see you as a colossal failure. Yet Jesus says be not afraid, only believe.
Only believe.
Believe in God and his Word and he will reach down from heaven with arms of love and scoop you up from that place where you lie. Even when the whole world has not noticed that you are lying beneath the floor boards because you have fallen through the cracks, God sees you where you are at and he wants to help you get back up.
Whether you are dealing with financial issues, job issues, relationship issues, rejection issues, singleness issues, barrenness issues, age issues, past issues, ridicule issues, confusion issues, stuck issues, self-esteem issues, depression issues or fatigue issues, the Bible has something wonderful to say about God’s awesome power and his ability to inject life into dead situations.
I would recommend that you take at least one of the scriptures listed below that apply to your situation and if you believe in Jesus Christ, hold on to it and believe it in faith, no matter what.
Even if you have no one to encourage you (and trust me, I have been through that), do like David did when he faced the crisis of his life and had no support: He encouraged himself in the Lord (SEE 1 Samuel 30: 1-19).
Encourage yourself even as I have been doing with God’s words of truth from his book of truth the Bible and believe that your transformation (as God sees fit) awaits, no matter how many weeks, months or years it takes. I know that I have fallen through the cracks but I believe that God is powerful enough to lift me up out of it.
When the situation is upside down, trust God’s consistent character and power. If you genuinely believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and he is truly Lord over all areas of your life, then whatever he said he is able to do for his children, he can do for you. Even where he made promises to the Israelites in the Old Testament, this means because his power is unchanging, that he is able to do the same for you, if you ask him.
You can even take the verses below or whatever verses speak to you from his Word and include it in your prayer to him, to see the change you would like to see in your life.
VERSES ABOUT GOD’S AMAZING POWER AND ABILITY TO INJECT LIFE IN DEAD, HOPELESS SITUATIONS
- GOD IS ABLE to raise the poor out of their financial situation and provide for them – “He RAISETH UP THE POOR OUT OF THE DUST, and LIFTETH THE NEEDY OUT OF THE DUNGHILL.” (Psalm 113:7);
- GOD IS ABLE to take a single, rejected, lonely, unloved woman and even a barren woman and give her a loving husband, a home, children and a future – “God SETTETH THE SOLITARY IN FAMILIES: he bringeth out those which are bound with chains…”(Psalm 68:6) “He MAKETH THE BARREN WOMAN TO KEEP HOUSE and to be a joyful mother of children…” (Psalm 113:9);
- GOD IS ABLE to provide a way of escape and deliverance in situations where it is not humanly possible to see any way because there is a dead end, just like he did for the Israelites who were trapped between the Red Sea and their enemies the Egyptians, who were fast approaching them. Just as he miraculously and unexpectedly parted the Red Sea for them to walk through back then, he is able to create a door of escape for you to walk through from your dry, dead end situation. – (He said): “…I will even make A WAY IN THE WILDERNESS and RIVERS IN THE DESERT.” (Isaiah 43:19);
- GOD IS ABLE to do all things without limitation and absolutely nothing is beyond his power or impossible for him to bring to pass – “With men this is impossible; but WITH GOD ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE.” (Matthew 19:26);
- GOD IS ABLE and wants to use our weaknesses because they present him with the perfect opportunity to showcase and show off his strength, so that his name (not ours) would be glorified – (He said):“…MY STRENGTH IS MADE PERFECT IN WEAKNESS.” (2 Corinthians 12:9);
- GOD IS ABLE, no matter how low in life we get, how stuck in a mess we are, how much confusion surrounds us, how dark our path seems and how overwhelmed and unsure we feel as to how we should move forward. He is able to lift us out of every situation, put us in a stable, safe and secure place and guide us on the path we should take in moving forward – “HE BROUGHT ME UP also OUT OF AN HORRIBLE PIT, out of the miry clay, and SET MY FEET UPON A ROCK, and ESTABLISHED MY GOINGS.” (Psalm 40:2);
- GOD IS ABLE to take a dry, sterile, seemingly hopeless and ruined situation and bring about restoration, hope, new beginnings and fruit – “Thus saith the Lord God, In the day that I shall have cleansed you from all your iniquities I WILL ALSO CAUSE YOU TO DWELL IN THE CITIES and THE WASTES SHALL BE BUILDED. And THE DESOLATE LAND SHALL BE TILLED, WHEREAS IT LAY DESOLATE IN THE SIGHT OF ALL THAT PASSED BY. And they shall say, This land that was desolate is become like the garden of Eden: and the waste and desolate and ruined cities are become fenced, and are inhabited. Then the heathen that are left round about you shall KNOW that I THE LORD BUILD THE RUINED PLACES AND PLANT THAT THAT WAS DESOLATE….” (Ezekiel 36:36);
- GOD IS ABLE to bring any dead situation back to life, no matter how far gone it is – “The hand of the Lord was upon me and carried me out in the spirit of the Lord and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones. And caused me to pass by them round about: and behold, there were many in the open valley; and lo, they were very dry. And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord God thou knowest. Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus saith the Lord God unto these bones; Behold, I WILL CAUSE BREATHE TO ENTER INTO YOU AND YE SHALL LIVE. And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin and put breathe in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am the Lord. So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone. And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them and the skin covered them above…Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold, they say, Our bones are dried up and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts. Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, O my people, I WILL OPEN YOUR GRAVES AND CAUSE YOU TO COME UP OUT OF YOUR GRAVES, and bring you into the land of Israel. And ye shall know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves, And shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I the Lord have spoken it, and performed it, saith the Lord.” (Ezekiel 37: 1-14)
(Written on 25th September, 2017)
Dear Reader, if you found the above Article to be informative, interesting, edifying or beneficial, you may also be interested in reading the following under the ‘BIBLE-BELIEVING Daughters of God’ Page:
- Note 26 – ‘Please…Allow Him To Blow Your Mind’
- Note 30 – ‘The Price Tag Of Success’
- Note 68 – ‘Lessons I Have Learned From The Lazarus Story’
- Note 71 – ‘…But God’
- Note 74 – ‘Whose Report Will You Believe?’
- Note 80 – ‘We Serve A ‘Let There Be’ God’
- Note 81 – ‘Are You One That Has To See Before You Can Believe?’
- Note 82 – ‘Unbelief Cannot Come’
- Note 86 – ‘They Say I Can’t But By God’s Grace I Will’
- Note 92 – ‘Next Stop – Victory!’
- Note 104 – ‘If That Tree Could Talk’
- Note 106 – ‘They Can Think Whatever They Like – God Will Do Whatever He Pleases.’
- Note 121 -‘When God Blows Your Mind With His Answer And Leaves You Flabbergasted’
- Note 123 – ‘God Calls Me Hephzibah’
- Note 124 – ‘It Is Well’
- Note 125 – ‘When God Promises To Write-On A Write-Off’
- Note 126 – ‘A Hopeless End Or An Endless Hope?’
- Note 127 – ‘Left For Dead…Then Resurrected’