When Your Spirit is Crushed

My spirit is crushed,

and my life is nearly snuffed out.

The grave is ready to receive me.

2 I am surrounded by mockers.

I watch how bitterly they taunt me.

3 “You must defend my innocence, O God,

since no one else will stand up for me.

Job 17:1-3

These are the words Job cried out to God when he lost everything.  Job had it all - a beautiful family, wealth, fabulous home, land, flocks, servants - and he lost it all in an instant.  Job didn't understand why.  He knew he'd been faithful to God throughout his life and though others accused him of having unconfessed sin, Job proclaimed his innocence.  Needless to say, his spirit was crushed.   

Have you ever felt crushed by life?  I have.  I can vividly remember feeling so desperate and so crushed that I honestly didn't believe I would survive.  I felt like a tiny insect whose life was squashed right out of it.  The mire and the quicksand of this life had sucked me so far below the murky depths, I felt as though I had no hope.  So,  I did the only thing I could - I cried out to Jesus, hoping against all hope that He would hear me.  But I didn't just 'cry', I screamed out to Him from the depths of my soul.  Though my words inaudible due to my heartwrenching sobs, I reached out to Jesus with all that was within me - praying that He would find me and rescue me from this horrid pit of despair I found myself in. 

And you know what happened?  Amazingly, He heard me!  In an instant, I felt Him reaching for me.  I felt His overpowering presence enveloping me, grabbing my arms, raising me out of the depths of that nightmare.  His presence was so strong, it was as though I could almost see Him there with me, reaching for me, pulling me out of that pit.  My sobs of despair turning into sobs of joy with the realization of what was happening in my soul.  Then, just like that, a peace like I had never known overflowed from the very core of my being.  For as much turmoil that had been in my heart just moments before, there was even greater peace and joy.  He shored up my crushed spirit with His Holy Spirit- invicincible and victorious!

When Your spirit is crushed, there is only One who can restore.  Like Job, we can reach for Him today.  Cry out to Him!  He will hear you and He will answer.  He so wants to give you life!

In His Love, Cathy