When I’m feeling discouraged, frustrated and feel like life is impossible, I flip open my bible to Ezekial 37. In it, we find God and the prophet Ezekial having a walk and talk in the middle of a valley filled with dry bones. Almost immediately God asks him, “Son of man, can these bones live?”

No spoilers here, you’ll have to dig in and read it for yourself but let me just say, that what transpires in chapter 37 never ceases to remind me of God’s promises and all that He is able to do.

Which is exactly why I turned to this chapter to begin with. Extremely long hours at work, bouts of frustration and worry, poor sleep and eating habits and very limited time for myself and my family had left me wondering if this was all my life was chalked up to be. I’d been traveling this road for more than 18 months and when I met a good friend for lunch, she took one look at me and said, “Oh my goodness Amy, you’re not just exhausted, you are bone dead tired.”

Yep! I needed me some rest in Jesus.

As I continued to read, 4 highlighted words at the bottom of chapter 36 caught my attention, “Once again, I will.”

Wait a minute, what?

Again…? You will…?

Mic drop.

Ok Lord, I hear You.

Perfect timing, again.

Once again, I will.

A promise given. A promise kept.

Lord, you knew my heart before I knew how much I needed You.

I’m in this sticky wicket because I didn’t rely on God.

Notice I didn’t say that God didn’t show up, I said, I chose to do life without Him.

How many times have I done this?  Countless.

How many times has the Lord been with me? Every. Single. Time.

God never leaves my side. He shows up in my life like no one else. Providing hope, meeting tangible needs, answering some of my prayers while thankfully foregoing others, all so that I could repeatedly experience His goodness even when I don’t deserve an ounce of it.

God is good. He is gracious. He is kind and loving and never, ever leaves my side.

Now that’s not to say, the human in me, doesn’t get frustrated because when I’m at my lowest and needing a friend, I feel like a need a human presence to walk with me. I cry out in frustration and anger because I feel lonely.

I need a friend, someone to hold my hand, lend a hug and remind me that it’ll all be alright.

God is with me, closer than any friend.

When I’ve worked myself into exhaustion or when life has kicked me down too many times I can’t get back up, I pick up my bible, grab my journal and start talking to Jesus.

He’s been waiting.

It doesn’t matter how many times we fail, fall down, or forget. God is waiting for us to look up and remember, He is with us, ready to act on our behalf.

Thank You Father.  

The Psalmist in 145:8-10 reminds us that, “The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. The Lord is good to all, and His mercy is over all the He has made. All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord, and all You saints shall bless you!”

A call to remembrance and joy.

When you look at your life, how many times can you think of God doing good? Or lending a listening ear when you needed it the most?

I’ll admit, I’m human and I forget all the Lord has done for me.

Amazing, miraculous, stunning, beautiful miracles that 99.9% of the time I take for granted.

Like the days I held each of my sons, moments after they were born.

Sheer perfection!

Or when He took my father home to heaven before Parkinson’s could completely ravage his mind and body, saving my mother from future memories that would’ve haunted her forever.

A prayer answered.

And with each one, His gentle whisper reminds me, Once again, I will.

Can you look back on your life and define those moments where God’s hands were tangibly working out every detail? Are you able to look back in hindsight and then upwards in gratitude for the good God has done in your life?

I pray you will be able to see that our God is good, He is faithful and has shown you just how much He loves you.

Take time, look back, see what God has done and be thankfully mindful today for all the good in your life. And when life gets the best of us again, let these memories come flooding back, drawing you back into the arms of God who will always say to us, “Once again, I will.”

Until next time, I will be praying for you.