Encouragement for Today
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June 14, 2025 Trusting God When You’re Tired of Trying Lee en español |
“I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you.” Jeremiah 31:3b (ESV)
That morning, I picked up my phone off the nightstand with dread. Anxiety filled me at what I knew I would find there — other people enjoying their lives while I cried about mine.
Lord, am I going to feel like this forever?
I made a mental list of what I felt like I could no longer handle: battling relentlessly with my mental health, juggling two kids under 5, my husband’s unforeseen job loss, the sudden passing of my father-in-law, and ongoing financial pressures — just to name a few things.
There was no relief in sight, and it was hard not to feel frustrated, fed up, and forgotten by God. My soul was exhausted, and I was tired of trying. It seemed I had prayed every prayer I knew how to pray and studied every scripture about my circumstances. And yet nothing seemed to change.
Maybe you know this season all too well. You’ve been hurting deeply for so long. You expected to handle this better, to be stronger when everything came crashing down. But it’s OK that you’re feeling weak and unsure. God wants you and me to let go of having to figure it all out and instead let Him do what He does best: save us.
In the Old Testament, the Israelites never expected their freedom journey away from slavery to take so long or be so hard. But God took them through the wilderness to teach them dependence on Him and ultimately bring them into the good land He had prepared for them.
In reference to that time, the Lord said: “The people who survived the sword found grace in the wilderness; when Israel sought for rest, the LORD appeared to him from far away. I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you” (Jeremiah 31:2-3, ESV).
God hears our cries for deliverance. He has grace for us in our wilderness.
As I walked through my own wilderness, I realized that all the things I thought were breaking me, God was using to make me more like Jesus. I was exhausted because I believed it was all up to me. But as I chose to trust God to hold my broken heart and I received His grace each day, He revealed the good plans He had all along.
Will we dare to remember the heart of God when we don’t understand why He’s not fixing our most hurtful situations? Will we trust that we’ll find grace in our wilderness? Will we believe that God has rest for our worn-out souls and that He will never stop loving us?
Regardless of how we feel, we can stand in confidence that God will continue to be faithful.
Lord, thank You for hearing my exhausted prayers when life feels like it’s just too much and I’m desperate for solutions. Help me to hold on to You in faith and to stand on the truth of who I know You to be: a good, faithful, and loving Father who always has my best in mind. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
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If you’ve tried it all — saying the right words and prayers, reading the right Bible verses — but nothing seems to work, check out Ashley Morgan Jackson’s book, Tired of Trying: How to Hold On to God When You’re Frustrated, Fed Up, and Feeling Forgotten! Ashley is no stranger to spiritual exhaustion and discouragement. Rich with biblical encouragement, personal story, and practical application, her book invites you to wrestle with and face God in your greatest fears, pains, and unanswered questions. Order today!
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You can find more encouragement from Ashley on her Instagram, where she shares daily reminders about who you are and whose you are!
FOR DEEPER STUDY
Psalm 9:10, “Those who know your name trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you” (NIV).
What area of your life is making your soul exhausted today? If you stop to look, where can you see God providing grace in this season? Share your thoughts in the comments!
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Proverbs 31 Ministries
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Matthews, NC 28106
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