God Sees Our Struggle

God Sees Our Struggle

I don’t know about you, but when I’m facing something, I can feel so isolated, even knowing that my husband is right there in the boat with me.

We can often be surrounded by a community that has said, “Let me help you,” yet still sit in our struggle all alone. I’m very guilty of this.

This reminds me of the scripture in Mark chapter 6. The disciples were in a boat, and there was a storm. They were struggling to paddle and get to shore. They were all in it together, but I bet in that moment they felt as if they were fighting alone.

Mark 6:48 says, “He saw that they were in serious trouble, rowing hard and struggling against the wind and waves. About three o’clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the water. He intended to go past them.”

The disciples were fighting the elements, and there Jesus was, literally walking on the water.

Now, Jesus wasn’t just walking past them to ignore them. He was walking past them in hopes that they would notice Him.

When we are struggling and fighting, it’s hard for us to see anything else. But did you know that God is literally right there, hoping that you will notice Him?

He’s right there with us in our struggles, just as Jesus was right there watching His friends struggle and waiting for them to cry out to Him.

Mark 6:49-51 says, “but when they saw him walking on the water, they cried out in terror, thinking he was a ghost. They were all terrified when they saw him. But Jesus spoke to them at once. ‘Don’t be afraid,’ he said. ‘Take courage! I am here!’ Then he climbed into the boat, and the wind stopped. They were totally amazed.”

This is so encouraging because it was almost as if they had forgotten what Jesus could do. We’re just like that. No matter how many times He shows Himself to us, provides for us, or does something miraculous, we are amazed, as if it were the first time every time.

None of our hard seasons are detours from God’s plan. They were already accounted for in His plan, and He is in every single one of them.

1 Corinthians 10:13 says, “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.”

Now, I understand that this passage is talking about temptation, but when we are struggling and trying to figure things out, we may very well be tempted to jump ship, change directions completely, or hide.

This scripture also tells us that God will provide a way out so that we can endure. That means no matter the season or how difficult things become, when we seek the Lord, He will provide what we need and a way through. It also means we must endure and keep moving forward.

When I was a young driver, I used to take every back road I could to avoid stoplights because they slowed me down, and I didn’t want to sit there and wait. I wanted to get where I was going as quickly as possible. Looking back, I was actually making the drive more difficult on myself.

When we are navigating life and notice something ahead that might slow us down or cause us to pause, we often do everything we can to avoid that roadblock, even if it's only temporary.

But what if that pause or stop is exactly what we need to assess where we are, make adjustments, refocus, and ensure we’re staying on the path God has for us? What if we avoid it, only to discover later that we missed exactly what God wanted to teach us?

You could be missing exactly what God had planned, and now there’s a struggle because God is leading you back to where you needed to be.

I don’t think every setback and struggle happens by chance. I think we cause some of them, and I also think many of them are things God lovingly orchestrates because He knows what we need, even when we don’t.

God sees your struggle, and you are not alone. He’s right there, and He has a plan to help you endure. Sometimes that stop is for your good.

Looking back on my life and all that I’ve walked through, I can see God’s hand in every part of it. There were times, like when I was driving, that I tried to reroute, but God still had a plan. There were times when I didn’t think I would make it through the storm I was facing, but God made a way through.

Endurance through God opens our eyes to His great glory.

Just as He parted the Red Sea instead of taking His people around it, the miracle was needed for them to place their faith and hope in the Lord and to know that His ways are right and true.

You are not alone in your struggle. God is in fact right there, waiting for you to notice and cry out to Him.