To the Woman in Pain:

 I want to write to the woman, the daughter of God, who's in a season of pain. 

Don't pretend life isn't hard. Don't pretend your trial isn't hard. Let it be heavy when it's heavy. And also, look for the light. 

Let joy sit beside your pain - 

not instead of it. 

You can be grieving and still be grateful. Exhausted and still hopeful. Feel the weight of today while still believing GOD IS FAITHFUL. 

Joy doesn't erase the hard, but it has a beautiful way of reminding you that despair isn't the only truth. 

Joy is directly related to how we think about God.

 It's the settled assurance that God is in control of all the details of my life, the quiet confidence that ultimately everything is going to be all right, and the determined choice to praise God in all things. 

Think about Habakkuk 3:17-18 for a minute. 

"Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines, the labor of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat, the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation."

Habakkuk was in a season of pain. God's people were suffering injustice, violence, and a spiritual decline. He starts the book off asking God, "how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear?" and ends with worshipping him.  These couple verses describe devastation. 

No figs = no fruit

No grapes = no wine

Failed crops = no food

No flocks or herds = no livelihood

He basically says, even if everything I depend on disappears - my security, my stability, my provision - YET I WILL REJOICE. 

And who is he choosing to rejoice in? GOD. HIs joy is rooted in who God is, not in his circumstances changing. 

Let's notice what he didn't say.

He didn't say: "I will pretend everything is okay" or "I will ignore the loss." In fact, he acknowledges the loss first, then says, even though this is happening, yet I will choose to trust God. 

Verse 19 comes after: "The Lord GOD is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds' feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places..."

God did not promise Habakkuk that circumstances would become easy. Nor does he promise us that. Instead, God promised him that he would become his strength within the circumstances. 

Your today may feel dry, empty, even dead. 

Look at this picture. It's the same tree, just a different season. 

Girl, don't give up in your hard season. Choose to continue holding onto God and choosing to trust his character. 

Remember that God is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart. 💔And he is a healer who gently binds the wounds.