Sometimes you march confidently on my smooth path.

Sometimes you tiptoe through the tangled weeds.

You let yourself get distracted and your toe hits a rock you didn’t expect.

Try this instead: recognize your fatigue and frustration. Rest when you’re tired.

But even on the days when you wander off my path, when you let discouragement and despair roll in like a thick fog, allow me to restore you.

I am with you when you swing your arms boldly on my clear path. And I am with you when you stumble in confusion because you wandered into a swamp.

Let me revive you in those days.

Because I will always be by your side.

 I will never forget this awful time,
as I grieve over my loss.
 Yet I still dare to hope
when I remember this:
 The faithful love of the Lord never ends!
His mercies never cease.
Great is his faithfulness;
his mercies begin afresh each morning.
I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance;
therefore, I will hope in him!”
Lamentations 3:20-24

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. All rights reserved.

My book, Cutting Through Despair: Dare to Hope, expands the idea of trusting God in hardships.