I Trust God, But I Am Wiped Out

“Let your life be a stepping stone to Christ and not a stumbling block.” 1 Cor. 8:13 & 10:31

"Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works and glorify God who is in heaven." Matt. 5:16

I Trust God, But I Am Wiped Out

By Rick Warren

Did you know that admitting your hopelessness to God can be a statement of faith? Trusting God yet feeling despair at the same time, David wrote, “I believed, so I said, ‘I am completely ruined!’” (Psalm 116:10 NCV).

This sounds like a contradiction: I trust God, but I’m wiped out!

David’s frankness actually reveals deep faith:

First, he believed in God.

Second, he believed God would listen to his prayer.

Third, he believed God would let him say what he felt and still love him.

Focus on who God is—his unchanging nature. Regardless of circumstances and how you feel, hang on to God’s unchanging character. Remind yourself what you know to be eternally true about God: He is good, He loves you, He is with you, He knows what you’re going through, He cares, and He has a good plan for your life. Raymond Edman said, “Never doubt in the dark what God told you in the light.”

When Job’s life fell apart, and God was silent, Job still found reasons to praise God:

• He is good and loving (Job 10:12).
• He is all-powerful (Job 42:2; 37:5, 23).
• He notices every detail of my life (Job 23:10; 31:4).
• He is in control (Job 34:13).
• He has a plan for my life (Job 23:14).
• He will save me (Job 19:25).

Rick Warren is author of the New York Times bestseller The Purpose Driven Life and The Purpose Driven Church, which was named one of the 100 Christian books that changed the 20th Century.