Holding On to God When Life Feels Messy and Unclear
...“Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel;
for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed.”
for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed.”
Genesis 32:28
“When God is doing a deep work, there is a lot you can’t explain. There’s a knowing yet no plan. There’s unshakable hope yet endless tears. There’s gratitude while learning grit. You don’t know what comes next, but you do know this: Whatever He is doing, you’ll never be the same.”
I wrote those words in the middle of a season that felt impossible. I felt God calling me away from a job I loved, yet I had no idea what came next. In the days after, I felt stuck and painfully uncertain. I held on to God with all I had, but His plans seemed hidden. I craved clarity, but all I had was the faint sense that He was still at work - despite my panicked heart.
Maybe you’re in your own in-between season where God’s plan feels hard to grasp. And yet you’re determined to hold on to Him. These are the moments when we wrestle with Him.
When you wrestle with someone, it’s up close and personal. It’s messy and exhausting and demands all you have.
Consider the way God came to wrestle Jacob in Genesis 32. Jacob found himself stuck between leaving his past and stepping into God’s call for his future. God could have intervened in any way, but He chose to wrestle. For Jacob, this was an act of clinging to the One he struggled with while releasing the outcomes he had tried to control his whole life.
Sounds familiar, doesn’t it?
But the wrestling itself wasn’t the point. After a long night of grappling, Jacob demanded a blessing - and God gave it to him: “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel;
for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed.” (Genesis 32:28).
When the struggle ended, Jacob walked away with a limp but also with a new identity. Jacob wanted God to remove the challenge, but God wanted him to be changed.
Your wrestling isn’t wasted. Like Jacob, your struggle will mark you - not with defeat but with God’s transforming work. I know this because I’ve lived it.
The season that once left me feeling lost and unsure was the very place where God met me. I didn’t get the clarity I wanted, but I got something I needed: a deeper trust in Him. The wrestling was never about where I was going; it was about who I was becoming.
You may not know what comes next, but you can trust this: God’s not just working on your circumstances. He’s also working on you. Your struggle isn’t proof of God’s absence but a sign of His nearness. Hold on! When you come through this, you’ll see you were never alone.
Lord, I believe I’m in a season of wrestling, and I don’t understand what You’re doing. Help me to hold on to You, even when it’s hard. Change me through this process, and remind me that Your work in me is always good. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
- Ashley Morgan Jackson
Provided by "Proverbs 31 Ministries"
Q&A: What Does It Mean That Christians are Not of This World?
The phrase not of this
world is found in John 18:36 where Jesus says that His kingdom is “not of this
world.” The context of Jesus’ statement is His interrogation by Pontius Pilate
during one of His trials. Pilate had summoned Jesus into the palace and, in
trying to ascertain the charges against Him, basically asked Jesus to
incriminate Himself. The conversation went like this:
Pilate asked, “Are you
the king of the Jews?”
Jesus responded with a question of His own: “Is that
your own idea, or did others talk to you about me?” “Am I a Jew?”
Pilate
replied. “Your own people and chief priests handed you over to me. What is it
you have done?”
Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my
servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my
kingdom is from another place.”
“You are a king, then!” said Pilate.
Jesus
answered, “You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came
into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth
listens to me” (John 18:33–37).
When Pilate asked Jesus if He was a king,
Pilate was thinking of a political position and that Jesus was possibly guilty
of sedition against Caesar. In saying that His kingdom is “not of this world,”
Jesus denied that He was a king in that sense - and His words were proved by
the lack of any subjects fighting to release Him (John 18:36).
But Jesus does
not deny His kingship wholly; He has a kingdom, but it is “from another place”
(John 18:36). He says He had “come into the world” (John 18:37), with the clear
implication that He was from some place other than this world (John 3:3). His
kingdom is heavenly and extends over the hearts and minds of His subjects. It
does not originate in this world: “His royal power and state are not furnished
by earthly force, or fleshly ordinances, or physical energies, or material
wealth, or imperial armies”.
As His followers, Christians are members of His
kingdom, which is “not of this world.” We know that “our citizenship is in
heaven” (Philippians 3:20). As a result, we “put aside the deeds of darkness
and put on the armor of light” (Romans 13:12). We wage spiritual battle, but
“the weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world” (2 Corinthians
10:4). We “seek first his kingdom and his righteousness” (Matthew 6:33). And we
rest in the knowledge that our King gives us eternal life: “The world and its
desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever” (1 John
2:17).
We are on earth for now, but our earthly lives are nothing but a vapor in
comparison to eternity (James 4:14). “This world in its present form is passing
away” (1 Corinthians 7:31). The sufferings and trials of this world are part of
life. But, in remembering that we are “not of this world,” we know that such
things are just for a little while (1 Peter 5:10). The knowledge that we are
not of this world gives Christians hope even in the darkest times (1 Peter 1:6–9). This broken place is not where we ultimately belong, and it is not where
we will stay (Hebrews 13:14). “We are receiving a kingdom that cannot be
shaken” (Hebrews 12:28).
Christians, as part of Jesus’ kingdom, are not of this
world. We have been adopted as heirs of heaven by God Himself, and that is
where our citizenship is (Titus 3:7). Until our King returns, we wait (Titus
2:13), and we hope (Romans 5:5), and we do what we can to bring others into the
“not of this world” relationship with Jesus Christ.
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Provided by "Got Questions Ministries"
Jesus Wants You To Know...
"Walk with Me in holy trust, responding to My initiatives rather than trying to make things fit your plans. I died to set you free, and that includes freedom from compulsive planning. When your mind spins with a multitude of thoughts, you cannot hear My voice. A mind preoccupied with planning pays homage to the idol of control. Turn from this idolatry back to Me. Listen to Me and live abundantly!"
Even Jesus Pushed the Pause Button
Matthew 4:11
I shuffle into the kitchen, every movement weighted by a slurry of invisible cement. Leaning against the wall to prop myself up, my heart pounds, and a heavy fog muddles my thoughts. I’ve become a snail, barely able to move while life races around me. I try to harness the motivation that once empowered my actions, but I can’t. My energy tank is depleted. I need help; I can’t keep pretending I’m OK.
My diagnosis is double edged. The good news is I’ll get better with time. The difficulty is I must take a break and rest to heal. Not a three-week sojourn but a complete stoppage of activity for an extended period.
I groan and struggle - this is not easy, nor am I very willing. It feels wrong. An inferno of questions swirls in my mind. What about my family, work and ministries?
But then it's like Jesus asks me, What about you? You matter too.
Pausing my tirade as the churning within me calms, I sense the heart of Jesus. Each of us matters to Him. However, it seems impossible to prioritize rest. Our hectic lives are demanding, and in many ways, productivity is glorified while slowing down is shunned. Is it possible that it’s different with Jesus? Is it safe to push the pause button? To help me understand the value God puts on rest for His children, Jesus draws my attention to His personal story.
After Jesus’ 40 days of testing in the desert, the Gospel of Matthew documents a divine intermission: “angels came and ministered to Him.” (Matthew 4:11). Intriguingly, in the space of these words, there is no recorded movement on Jesus’ part.
Instead, Jesus seems to have pushed the pause button on His activity, not rushing through this holy interruption. Jesus prioritized rest so He would be refreshed. He purposefully stopped to accept the divine nourishment sent from heaven rather than receiving His sustenance on the run as He raced to the next thing. In this sweet interlude, Jesus experienced the tender care of God the Father for the Son He loves.
God's Word assures us that we can do all things with the strength He gives us (Philippians 4:13). This “all” can include rest. In our active lives, there are moments when we need unhurried pauses to breathe. In some seasons, we need interludes of unrushed days or weeks to be refreshed. Other times, we require an extended hiatus to heal.
As God’s beloved children, we matter to Him. Through holy interruptions, God expresses His love and care for us. Indeed, we can follow Jesus’ example. If He pushed the pause button, it is OK for us to do the same.
Dear God, thank You for loving me and creating spaces for me to be refreshed. Help me see and understand when You position these spaces before me so I may enter them without worry and find rest as I receive Your tender care. Help me believe that I can safely push the pause button with You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
- Leanne Esau
Provided by "Proverbs 31 Ministries"
The Mind of Christ
Scripture:
The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. “For who has understood the mind of the Lord as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.
- 1 Corinthians 2:14-16
Reflect:
How do we as believers in Jesus Christ have “the mind of Christ”?
Hundreds of years before Paul wrote today’s verse, the prophet Isaiah wrote the words that Paul was referencing: “Who can fathom the Spirit of the LORD, or instruct the LORD as his counselor? Whom did the LORD consult to enlighten him, and who taught him the right way? Who was it that taught him knowledge, or showed him the path of understanding?” (Isaiah 40:13-14, NIV). Isaiah was saying that wisdom, knowledge, and understanding are completely from God. God was not taught these things by anyone and no one knows better than He does.
In today’s verse, Paul says that the “natural person” views things of God as “folly” and they are “not able to understand”. Why? Because they have not accepted Christ and therefore, the Holy Spirit is not in them. Without the Holy Spirit, they are not able to discern spiritual things.
So who is able to discern the things of the Spirit of God? Those of us who are in Christ Jesus! In 1 Corinthians 2:11-12, Paul explains, “So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God” (1 Corinthians 2:11-12, ESV).
As believers in Jesus Christ, the Spirit of God dwells within us. Because we have His Holy Spirit, we are able to discern spiritual matters. The Holy Spirit illuminates our minds so that we are of one mind with Christ.
So how do we access this understanding that God has given us? One way to understand the mind of God is through His Word. But even unbelievers can read the Bible. In order to rightly interpret and understand the Scriptures, we need the Spirit of God to enlighten us. In Luke 24:45, it says that Jesus “opened their minds to understand the Scriptures” right before He ascended to heaven.
Friends, in Christ, you are filled with the Holy Spirit. God’s Spirit lives in You. You have the mind of Christ and have been given wisdom and discernment. As Christians, we are not “natural people” who view the Word of God as “foolishness.” We are spiritual people who view the Bible as the Truth of God. Whenever you read the Bible, ask the Holy Spirit to shed His light on His Word so that you can correctly understand and interpret what He said.
Pray:
God, I want to be of the same mind as You. Open my mind to Your Word. Thank You for Your Spirit that dwells in me and gives me wisdom and discernment so that I can understand Your ways and Your Word. Amen.
- Nat Crawford (Provided by "Back To The Bible")
Jesus Wants You To Know...
Though My blood has fully redeemed you, your mind is the last bastion of rebellion. When My Spirit is controlling your mind, you are filled with Life and Peace.
What Is Easter Sunday?
Easter Sunday, or Resurrection Sunday, is one of the most significant Christian holidays on the calendar. The day commemorates the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, who showed Himself alive after three days in the tomb. The first Easter Sunday changed everything, and every Easter Sunday after that reflects the joy, amazement, and worship those early disciples had when they first saw the risen Lord.
Luke gives the account of what transpired that first Easter Sunday as the women followers of Jesus discovered the empty tomb: “On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, ‘Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen!’” (Luke 24:1–6).
The Bible teaches that the resurrection of Jesus Christ was a physical raising of His body back to life (see Luke 24:39). Easter Sunday proved Jesus’ deity, confirmed His prophecies, validated the Scriptures, triumphed over the forces of evil, provided for our justification (Romans 4:25), and guaranteed the resurrection of all who trust in Christ.
Easter always roughly corresponds to the Jewish celebration of Passover, since Jesus was slain at Passover time (Luke 22:15; John 13:1; cf. 1 Corinthians 5:7) and rose again three days later. Indeed, Easter is sometimes called Pascha, a word derived from the Hebrew pesach, meaning “Passover.”
Easter Sunday marks the end of Holy Week, the end of Lent, and the last day of the Easter Triduum. Easter always falls on a Sunday. All of the Gospels state that Jesus rose from the dead on the first day of the week (Matthew 28:1; Mark 16:2; Luke 24:1; John 20:1, 19). And that event is foundational to all we believe as Christians: “If Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. . . . And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins” (1 Corinthians 15:14, 17).
Jesus’ resurrection is certainly worthy of being celebrated (see 1 Corinthians 15). Whether we use the term Easter or Resurrection Day or Pascha, it is good to commemorate the event that sealed our salvation and changed the world forever.
However we choose to celebrate Easter Sunday, we should not allow the associated fun and games to distract our attention from what the day is truly all about - the glorious resurrection of Jesus from the dead. Christ Himself should be celebrated every day, not just Easter Sunday. He is the Resurrection and the Life (John 11:25), and He is worthy of praise more than once a year.
- Provided by "Got Questions Ministries"