This week on Wellness Wednesday, we explored a difficult but important reality: What do we do when things don’t get better? So many people in our digital community are struggling—whether with mental health, relationships, unanswered prayers, or just the weight of life—and they’re looking for real answers. My mission with Wellness Wednesday is to bring practical pastoral care to the digital space, creating a place where we can have honest conversations about faith and hardship.
In this session, we asked the hard questions: Is God even listening? Is it a lack of faith? Does He actually protect people, or are we just hoping in something that isn’t real? Instead of settling for easy answers, we dug deep into Scripture, the wisdom of the church throughout history, and the lived experiences of believers who have walked this road before us.
Here’s a link to the original video: https://youtu.be/NBABqgizSvM
1. The Long Road of Trust: Faith as a Long Walk in the Same Direction
Psalm 61:1–4 – Hear my cry, O God, listen to my prayer; from the end of the earth I call to you when my heart is faint. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I, for you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the enemy. Let me dwell in your tent forever! Let me take refuge under the shelter of your wings!” (ESV)
“Hoping does not mean doing nothing. It is not fatalistic resignation. It means going about our assigned tasks, confident that God will provide the meaning and the conclusions… It is the opposite of desperate and panicky manipulations, of scurrying and worrying.”
— Eugene Peterson, A Long Obedience in the Same Direction
Psalm 61:1-4 speaks of running to God as our refuge, but what if you’ve been running for a long time and still feel exposed? What if you’ve prayed and prayed, but nothing seems to change?
Hebrews 11:1,13 – “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen…. These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.” (ESV)
Hebrews 11 reminds us that faith is not about immediate results. Many of the great believers in Scripture died before seeing God’s promises fulfilled—yet they were commended for their faith because they kept walking.
So how does God sustain us on this long road?
The Ordinary Means of Grace: Training for the Long Haul
The church has long taught that spiritual strength doesn’t come from bursts of effort but from steady, ordinary habits:
- Prayer – Not just desperate cries, but daily communion with God.
- Scripture – Not just searching for quick answers, but immersing ourselves in God’s truth.
- Worship – Not just for Sundays, but as a habit that reorients our hearts.
- Fellowship – Not just for fun, but as iron sharpening iron.
- Sacraments – Baptism and communion are not rituals, but reminders of our life in Christ.
“We must establish ourselves in a sense of God’s presence by continually conversing with Him.” — Brother Lawrence, The Practice of the Presence of God
Brother Lawrence understood that consistency in faith—not emotional highs—was the key to endurance. Faithfulness in the ordinary makes us strong for the extraordinary.
You don’t train for a marathon during the race—you train every day, so when the race comes, you are ready.
2. The Discipline of Looking to God in the Midst of Struggle
Psalm 123:1–2 – A Song of Ascents. – To you I lift up my eyes, O you who are enthroned in the heavens! Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maidservant to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the LORD our God, till he has mercy upon us.” (ESV)
Psalm 123 is a Psalm of Ascent, meaning it was sung as people traveled up to Jerusalem. Their eyes weren’t just on the road—they were fixed on their final destination.
For Christians, our pilgrimage is heavenward. But many of us don’t always lift our eyes to God—we look to something else for our security, comfort, or peace.
Where Do Your Eyes Go?
- Do you look to your bank account—believing security comes from having enough money?
- Do you look to the government—trusting policies to fix what’s broken?
- Do you look to your medication—hoping that physical relief will bring soul-level peace?
- Do you look to controlling others—thinking if people just listened to you, life would be better?
- Do you look to entertainment—numbing yourself instead of dealing with reality?
- Do you look to your talent or intellect—thinking that if you just work harder, you can fix everything?
- Do you look to approval from others—chasing validation to feel worthy?
- Do you look to comfort—seeking an easy life rather than a faithful one?
None of these things hold up under pressure. They crumble when the weight is too much.
Looking to God isn’t about ignoring reality—it’s about anchoring yourself to something stronger than your current storm.
3. The Fortress That Withstands the Storm
Isaiah 25:4 – “For you have been a stronghold to the poor, a stronghold to the needy in his distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat; for the breath of the ruthless is like a storm against a wall, (ESV) “
This passage paints a striking image: the enemy’s breath crashing like a storm against God’s protection. The question is, what kind of wall are you standing behind?
What Are the Storms Made Of?
- Doubt – “Did God really say…?” (Genesis 3:1) The enemy always starts by trying to erode our trust in God.
- Accusation – “You’ll never be good enough.” Satan is called “the accuser” (Revelation 12:10).
- Temptation – “Wouldn’t it be easier if you just compromised a little?”
- Fear – “If God loved you, wouldn’t He have fixed this by now?”
- Relational Conflict – Fighting with a loved one, being ignored, feeling misunderstood.
- Personal Loss – Losing a friend, death of someone close.
- Failure – Feeling like you’ve disappointed everyone, imposter syndrome, unemployment.
- Sin and Guilt – Having succumbed to temptation and feeling unworthy of God’s grace.
What Happens When the Wall Isn’t There?
- If your security is in money, a financial crisis will wreck you.
- If your security is in relationships, betrayal will leave you shattered.
- If your security is in your own strength, failure will break you.
- If your security is in your reputation, being misunderstood or rejected will consume you.
- If your security is in temporary pleasure, you’ll find yourself empty when it fades.
But when God is your fortress, the storms may rage, but they cannot break you.
The storm will come. The question is: where will you stand?
4. Christ: Our Strength, Not Just Our Example
1 Peter 2:21–23 – For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.” (ESV)
Hebrews 4:15-16 – “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
Many struggle with the idea that Jesus was perfect. “How does His perfection help me?” The answer: He isn’t just a model—He is our strength.
A Story: Jesus Calms the Storm (Mark 4:35-41)
- The disciples were in a boat, in a real, physical storm.
- They were panicking: “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?”
- Jesus was asleep.
- When they woke Him, He rebuked the wind and the waves: “Peace, be still!”
- The storm obeyed—but Jesus’ main concern was not the storm. It was their faith.
Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?
How Does This Help Us Today?
- Jesus is present in the storm. He isn’t panicked. He isn’t caught off guard. He is with you.
- Jesus has authority over the storm. The enemy’s breath, the accusations, the doubts—they cannot overpower Him.
- Jesus rebukes not the storm, but our fear. He wants us to trust that He is in control, even when we don’t see immediate relief.
The disciples still had to ride through the storm. But they had Jesus in the boat—and that made all the difference.
How Do We Apply This?
- Build your wall before the storm comes. The fortress of God’s presence is made strong through prayer, Scripture, worship, and daily obedience.
- Examine where your eyes go. What are you relying on for peace, security, or comfort? Is it stable?
- Recognize the storms for what they are. Not every hardship is random—sometimes it’s an attack designed to shake you.
- Hold fast to Christ. He is not just an example but an active, present help in time of need.
Final Thought
This isn’t a feel-good message—it’s a stand-firm message. The storm may rage, but you are not alone, and you are not without hope.