Marriage Anchors

"Had God forgotten me?"

"but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint." Isaiah 40:31 NIV

I was in sick in bed many years with depression that led to a culmination of several illnesses.  I fainted frequently and could barely walk. I would lay in bed and watch traffic for something to do. I often cried or slept. I lost most of my friends, pushed everyone away, and went into years of desperation and loneliness.

I felt I was cracking, and that God had forgotten me. I thought, perhaps, He was mad at me.  I hated the verse listed above because it was everything I wasn't. I'd waited years on the Lord and my strength was not renewing. I would profess God's goodness knowing I was being tested but deep down I was desperate for relief. I needed hope.

People who are chronically sick grow weary.  I don’t know of any church ministry entitled,

“We Want You If You're Bedridden"

What company or establishment would hire someone with a résumé requiring years of sick days? I felt totally worthless and burdened.  I couldn’t meet the needs of my husband and daughters. I was emersed in shame.

My help didn't come till much later in God's perfect timing. Every word is true of Isaiah 40:31. God has a uniquely written and timed plan of delivery for every saint of His. He brought me through four doctors, thirty appointments, five medications, surgeries, and a spiritual rehabilitation that came through my parents that I never could've imagined.

In my case, they miraculously found the exact medication regimen to help treat my ailments. God uses the broken, the sick, and the imperfect to confound those who are proud. He sends a message to those people who think they have it all together. “You don’t.”

He loves you right where you're at today. He loves you…the real you…the one who is not even close to being perfect: The one who is weak. The one who is forgotten. The one who is sick. The one who fails. The one who needs a Helping and Saving God.

Sometimes The Lord Jesus will heal or deliver you. Other times He renews your strength and lifts your faith so you can keep soaring, running, or even just walking in this race. If you call on Him, He will show up.

“And everyone who calls on the Name of the LORD will be saved;” Joel 2:32a NIV

Do not give up.

Wait for God. He will renew you. 

By Anne Borgen 

Hey, check out my website, "envoy" with this link: https://annechristineborge.wixsite.com/envoy