Held Through Every Transition - Your Nighlty Prayer - April 18th

Held Through Every Transition
Your Nightly Prayer
by Jennifer Slattery, host of the Faith Over Fear Podcast

TONIGHT’S SCRIPTURE

The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms. He will drive out your enemies before you, saying, ‘Destroy them!’ - Deuteronomy 33:27

SOMETHING TO PONDER

Have you ever celebrated and mourned something simultaneously? I suspect that’s the dichotomy every parent feels when their children, minor or adult, transition to a new stage. At least, that’s been my experience almost from the moment I brought her home. My aching back rejoiced when her stumbling steps turned to walking, then running, while hoping she wouldn’t outgrow her desire to be carried on occasion. I cheered when she learned how to read while knowing she was inching closer to the day when we’d no longer snuggle together in her bed with a storybook opened between us. And I threw her a party when she graduated high school while suppressing tears as I watched her pack her things for college. Then, four years later, mourned yet again as she received her degree, started her career and got married—all in the same week. She tends to process internally, which can make her decisions feel sudden once made. Thankfully, this isn’t the case. I’m comforted knowing that she researches the pros and cons of options and opportunities, solicits advice from those she trusts, and seeks divine guidance through prayer. 

I know this now, and I knew this then. 

But, while my confidence in her logic reduced my anxiety for all the unknowns she’d face ahead, it didn’t erase the sting of loss I felt once she left. One evening, perhaps a month after her wedding, I visited her in her apartment to work on a craft together. I think we both could sense that our relationship had shifted. Whereas I was once the person she turned to first for support, her husband now needed to fill that role. For their relationship to thrive, he needed to become the most important person in her life, other than Jesus. I recognized how important that was. I wanted that for her. Yet, still I cried on my drive home as my sorrow for what was lost mixed with my joy for all the blessings I knew awaited us all. In giving myself space to grieve, I also freed my soul to embrace all the good ahead. 

I imagine the ancient Israelites felt equally convicted as Moses, their liberator and longtime leader, gave his farewell address. For forty years, they’d followed him into the unknown, surrounded by little more than rock and sand. Together, they’d experienced hunger and thirst, followed by the relief that came through God’s miraculous provision. They’d fought battles with themselves, one another, and a fierce raiding people group that targeted the weakest among them. They’d rebelled, received grace, and rebelled again, and endured four decades of consequence for their disobedience. For forty long years, Moses remained with them through some of their most frightening encounters, beginning with the night they fled their land of captivity toward the Promised Land. 

They doubtless assumed he’d accompany them across the Jordan, as well. What went through their minds when they learned that their beloved mentor, and the man who spoke to the Almighty as one might a friend, wouldn’t join them for the next part of their journey? I suspect they grieved this loss while also rejoicing over all that lay ahead. Most importantly, they knew they’d never be alone. The Lord would remain with them and would go before them, leveling mountains, breaking chains, and defending and protecting them from anything that tries to pull them from His good and hopeful path. Just as He’s done for my daughter and me, through all our transitions and the often contradictory emotions they evoke. 

YOUR NIGHTLY PRAYER

Father,
Thank You for Your faithful presence. You are El Roi, the God who sees me. You understand my pain and celebration and encourage me to give myself space to feel both. You remain with me in my celebration and my grief, in the uncertainty and familiarity, and every moment and emotion in between. You don’t fault me for my sorrow or my fears. Instead, You offer me more of what my soul needs most, and that’s You. The One who rejoices over me with singing also draws close enough to catch my tears. Thank You for Your grace, Your love, and Your promise that, in every season, the hard and the happy, that good is still to come. Help me to trust in those truths when transitions come. When change leaves me disoriented, fasten my soul to that which never changes—You.
In Jesus’ name I pray,
Amen

THREE THINGS TO PONDER UPON

1. God’s goodness toward you isn’t limited to one season, relationship, job, or opportunity. His mercies, His hesed, are new each morning. In the original Hebrew, one could phrase this as, “His lovingkindness” or “His steadfast love” are new each morning. You will never encounter a hardship or celebration in which He’s not present, attuning to your soul. 
2. The Lord wants you to experience enduring, unshakable joy and peace. This means you will laugh and dance again, even if you lose whatever enlivens your heart today. Just as winter eventually turns to spring, so too God will one day turn your tears to shouts of jubilant praise. 
3. You can grieve and celebrate simultaneously. Sorrow doesn’t mean you don’t appreciate God’s blessings, but neither does delight automatically eradicate the pain. Scripture encourages you to give space to both, and to invite the Lord into each experience. Your attentive Father will always respond to you in the way you most need—even when you yourself don’t know what that is.  

Reflect on tonight’s prayer and share how God met you there. Join the Your Nightly Prayer discussion on the Crosswalk Forum.

 Photo Credit: ©Unsplash/Anna Pritchard

Jennifer Slattery is a writer and speaker who co-hosts the Faith Over Fear podcast and, along with a team of 6, the Your Daily Bible Verse podcast. She’s addressed women’s groups, Bible studies, and taught at writers conferences across the nation. She’s the author of Building a Family and numerous other titles and maintains a devotional blog at JenniferSlatteryLivesOutLoud.com.

She’s passionate about helping people experience Christ’s freedom in all areas of their lives. Visit her online to learn more about her speaking or to book her for your next women’s event, and sign up for her free quarterly newsletter HERE and make sure to connect with her on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and GodTube.

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