“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.” Isaiah 43:2 (ESV) Have you ever had one of those weeks that just wouldn’t end? The kind that weighs so heavily it feels like you’re drowning? After a tough week, my heart felt exhausted, and getting out of bed was the last thing I wanted to do. Light creeping through the window urged me to rise, but I pulled the covers tighter, refusing to get up. I felt my furry friend’s paws pounce on me, whiskers brushing my face as soft purrs encouraged me to greet the day. Reluctantly, I let the heaviness in my heart carry my feet to the floor. Grief makes even the smallest steps hard. Although God’s Word promises deliverance, I wrestle with what that looks like when I feel anything but delivered. How can I bear this season? How long will it last? Heartbreak makes me question God’s goodness, challenging my belief in His sovereignty. Like struggling to get out of bed, grief can make trusting God feel impossible—but it’s not. In my wrestling, the narrative of Shadrach, Meschach, and Abednego in Daniel 3 reminds me that a steady walk with God through trials IS possible. As mighty men tossed the friends into the flames, intense heat instantly consumed the executioners. Yet these three survived—without a burn. I’m amazed. My struggles feel nothing like this. Hardship doesn’t leave me untouched—it beats me down, chews me up, and spits me out. I can almost smell the smoke, a raw reminder of how pain marks me. Note that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego didn’t expect God to remove the fire (Daniel 3:17-18). They knew God was able, but they trusted that whatever God chose was best. Their faith didn’t rely on a bodily rescue, but on God alone. In life or death, God would be with them. And He was. Scripture says a fourth figure walked in the flames. Immanuel, “God with us,” physically showed His faithful love in the fire. As the friends stood unharmed in the furnace, God fulfilled a 200-year-old promise: “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you” (Isaiah 43:2). Friend, steady faith isn’t painless living—it’s the quiet assurance that God sustains us when we’re hurting. If pain makes you want to give up, keep getting up. Remember—pain’s presence is not God’s absence. Christ promises to be with you always, even to the end of the age (Matthew 28:20). Know that God isn’t a promise-breaker; He’s a promise-keeper. Whether He removes the fire, takes you out, or leaves you in—He’s still God. Still sovereign. Still good. Believe that nothing separates you from His love (Romans 8:31-39). Even in the weeks that feel never-ending, when every day is a battle just to rise, “God with us” gives just enough grace to keep going, one small step at a time. Photos courtesy of Pexels.com

The post When Grief Makes You Want to Give Up appeared first on This Lovely Mess.

Kristybrung’s Substack

When Grief Makes You Want to Give Up