May 15, 2024
Rescue Is Coming — Don’t Give Up Yet
MEREDITH BROCK
Lee en español
“Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” Isaiah 43:19 (ESV)
I had never told anyone my full story. No one had ever asked about the events of my life or seemed to care about the heartbreak I carried inside.
Seventeen years old and stumbling into adulthood with no parental support, I was painfully alone, carrying 17 years of horrors … until she came into my life.
Tracy was a youth leader at a summer camp. She was gentle, unassuming and patient with my slow, awkward answers to questions I had never been asked. She listened, absorbed my hurt, and always pointed me back to the Truth found in the Scriptures she loved.
I ended up living in and out of Tracy’s home for six years before I felt brave enough and healed enough to launch into adulthood on my own.
Through those years, I opened up about the fractured parts of my story, sharing my pain in hopes that there was more than hurt to be had in the world. I breathed in the grace and mercy God had been waiting to lavish upon me. There were tears and laughter, “whys” and “how comes.”
Through a woman who started as a stranger and is now one of my dearest friends, God met me in my darkness with His Word. God used Tracy to start a new thing in me.
Now, over 20 years later, God has positioned me as the CEO of Proverbs 31 Ministries. I wish I could take 17-year-old Meredith’s face in my hands and say, “God will send rescue. But it’s not who you’re expecting. It won't be a mom, a dad, a college degree or a man that will rescue you. It will be a woman who loves Jesus and His Word and will share it with you. Just be patient. He is doing a new thing.”
Friend, if you’ve found yourself in a season of darkness — wishing someone would take your face in their hands and remind you that rescue is coming — let me be that person for you today.
Take a deep breath, and hear these words: I promise you, based on the words of Scripture, that you are not alone. Whatever you are facing, hold on; don’t give up. Even if you can’t see it, God is starting a new thing in your life. It may not be what you’re expecting or when you’re expecting it, but it is coming. Hold on to the hope in Isaiah 43:19: “Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.”
No matter what season you’re in, take some time to trace the faithful hand of God in your life so far. Cry tears of gratitude for His rescue. And then, when your heart starts to lighten, rejoice in God’s faithfulness.
I’m rejoicing with you! Our God is so good and so generous. I want to challenge us both, like Tracy did for me, to cling to the comfort God has provided in our troubles so we can also comfort others in their brokenness (2 Corinthians 1:4). God is inviting us to be carriers of His grace, His Word and His love.
Here at Proverbs 31 Ministries, this is our heartbeat. We long for women around the globe to know the Truth and live the Truth because it changes everything. We have seen this for ourselves, and we want to keep creating opportunities for others to experience Jesus.
Just like Tracy, you can be an unexpected rescue for a woman in need, a woman like 17-year-old Meredith. Maybe the first step God is calling you to take today is to partner with us through prayer or financial support. With your help, we can continue to provide biblical resources for the woman who is desperate for hope in the middle of the darkness she’s facing. Pray with me, and find out more, below.
Dear God, thank You for the new thing You’re doing in each of us! You’re our Rescuer, and we thank You for inviting us to take part in Your rescue mission. Help us to be willing to comfort others just as You have comforted us. Remind us that our obedience to You will change lives. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
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FOR DEEPER STUDY
2 Corinthians 1:3-4, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God” (ESV).
What new thing do you see God doing in your life? How can you play a role in God’s rescue mission for someone in need? We’d love to hear from you! Share your thoughts in the comments.
© 2024 by Meredith Brock. All rights reserved.
Proverbs 31 Ministries
P.O. Box 3189
Matthews, NC 28106
www.Proverbs31.org