He Leads You Through the Wilderness - February 25th

He Leads You Through the Wilderness
Your Nightly Prayer
by Amanda Idleman

TONIGHT’S SCRIPTURE

"He guided them safely, so they were unafraid." - Psalm 78:53

SOMETHING TO PONDER

God does not abandon you in hard seasons- He walks with you. There are things in this life that we are afraid of. Situations we dread or fully believe we would fall apart if forced to face. For me, having a child with complex medical needs was something I felt I could never handle. As a young mom, my anxiety around illness was rampant. Every cold, cough, and fever was a reason for panic. 

Then last year God invited us to say ‘yes’ to fostering and eventually adopting a baby girl who was severely ill. Fear threatened to flood my mind as I was informed:
She probably won’t make it.
She probably will need a feeding tube long-term if she pulls through.
Her cognition may be severely impaired.
She has a severe form of Spina Bifida.
Even if she makes it, her life will always require additional medical attention. 

With the abrupt introduction of this new life into my story, I was invited to face my fears. To offer a radical yes that I knew would test my faith, endurance, and would require me to pour out my life in a way I never thought possible. But I would face it with God and his gentle leading. With His safe guiding hand on my life, my husband and I felt nothing but utter peace and total love for this tiny baby girl who was alone in the NICU, fighting for her life, attached to tubes and cords, and facing an uncertain future. 

We walked with her through the valley of the NICU, the pain of brain surgery, the exhaustion of life with a newborn on many medications at home, and the anxiety that hangs when you choose to love someone with an uncertain future, especially when fostering. Though this was the hardest thing our family had ever done, we felt God lead us through this wilderness. He sustained us when we felt afraid, exhausted, heartbroken, and unsure. God did so many unimaginably generous miracles! What Grace is given to those who choose to believe. 

If God can do so many amazing miracles for the least of these, a sick, forgotten baby - He can do it for you! He loves us more than we can understand, and amazingly, that love becomes even more vibrant in the tougher seasons life offers us. 

YOUR NIGHTLY PRAYER

Father,
We are so thankful that you lead us through the wilderness. We are never alone, and we can trust you through every season life brings our way. Help us to see You, not just our fears. Give us the strength to trust you through the valleys, and to have faith when our circumstances appear bleak. We need you every day! We thank you for your great love for us.
Amen. 

THREE THINGS TO MEDITATE UPON

1. How is God inviting you to trust Him even as you wander in the wilderness? 

2. Write down your greatest fears in this season. Ask God to show you how you can surrender each of those fears to Him. 

3. Remember how God has been faithful in the past. Don’t give up. 

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/Sven Vee

Amanda Idleman is a writer whose passion is encouraging others to live joyfully. She writes devotions for Your Nightly Prayer, Crosswalk Couples Devotional, Your Daily Prayer, and more. She has work published with Her View from Home, on the MOPS Blog, and is a regular contributor for Crosswalk.com, Biblestudytools.com, and Christianity.com. She has most recently published a devotional, Comfort: A 30 Day Devotional Exploring God's Heart of Love for Mommas, alongside her husband’s companion devotional, Shepherd. You can find out more about Amanda on her Facebook Page or follow her on Instagram.

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