When Life Is Falling Apart: Cling to Jesus

by July 2, 2015


There are moments in life that are so devastating there are no words to utter. You see people surround you and their lips are moving, but the words cannot be absorbed. You try to move forward with a normal routine, but the world seems to move in slow motion as you walk in a trance giving your best effort to press on.

Life can hurt deeply. It can scar the tender parts of your heart and make you feel like life is completely out of your control.

The truth is, it is. Life is not ours to control. Life is manageable when bills are paid, kids are healthy, marriage is working, church is delightful, and work is enjoyable. When test results reveal serious illness or when your marriage is sitting on the edge of disaster, life is no longer controllable. Unexpected bills, heartbreaking conversations and a life of heavy burdens unload themselves into your world that seems to be shattering right before your eyes.

No one ever plans it this way, but somehow there are people all around us holding shattered pieces of life wanting desperately to put the pieces together again. It’s as if the anchor of your soul has been ripped from the deepest depth of your heart and your ship of life has been lost at sea.

What’s a desperate, hurting soul to do when life is completely out of control?

Cling to Jesus. If you know Him, He’s already with you. Right there, in the midst of the uncontrollable, He knows every single detail of your struggle. He is an anchor that does not budge. When everything else changes, Jesus is a constant.

But cling to the Lord your God, as you have done to this day. Joshua 23:8

If you don’t know Him, call out to Him. He’s waiting for you to come to Him and follow Him. Jesus is not a person I call on when life is beyond my understanding, Jesus is a constant friend who never leaves, never hurts and never makes mistakes. We can tell Him anything and everything and He cares. He sees. He knows. He loves unconditionally. Do you know Him?

There is a place of unchanging grace and mercy that draws me close. It’s not a church, a pastor or a counsellor. It’s the presence of my Savior. When I sit in His presence and allow His Spirit to fill in the holes between the shattered pieces of my heart, I feel complete no matter what reality says to me. I may be hurting, lonely or afraid, but God heals, comforts and gives me confidence that I cannot explain.

There’s still tears that fall, lots of them, but God listens and loves me even when I cannot understand. When I submit my shattered soul to Jesus and give Him every part, leaving nothing hidden, I no longer focus on feeling hurt, alone or afraid. I feel loved, complete and secure, and I can see God beyond my circumstances. God does that, He opens eyes and heals broken lives.

When life seems to be going on around you, and everything is in motion, and you feel like you are in the middle of your worst nightmare, it is time to sit in God’s presence a while. Get alone and allow God to fill in the shattered places. It might not happen overnight, and pain may continue for days, months or even years, but I’ve found that sitting in God’s presence gives me what I need for each day. I still cry and I still feel pain, but I don’t live shattered. I have an anchor that holds me steady through darkness, light, storms, and devastating winds.

Cling to Jesus.

Whatever you’re facing today, He wants to firmly secure you and fill in the broken places of your life. If you’re struggling for words to pray, try praying these with a sincere heart:

Dear Heavenly Father,

I need you. When life is too difficult and I cannot understand, I need you. When darkness surrounds me and I cannot sustain the pressure of life, I need you. When it seems my entire world is falling apart, I need you. When life is not what it seems it should be, I need you. Help me to see you, to know you and to feel you near. Give me grace and mercy to face another day. Give me strength and guidance to take a step forward. Fill in the shattered places of my heart and give me peace beyond my understanding. Lord, I need you.

In Jesus name, amen.

Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever. Hebrews 13:8

If this was an encouragement to you, share it with a friend. You never know who might be feeling a bit shattered today. Let’s cling to Jesus!

Love & Blessings,

Micah

About Micah Maddox

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  2. yes- sometimes there are no words and we do try to piece our picture of life back together. But I am learning to allow Jesus to reframe my situations and allow me to see something new. Thank you for the encouragement and reminder to hold tight. #livefree

  4. It’s so true. Those moments in life when nothing makes sense is when we look to control the most. My first husband left our family because of a drug addiction, and I strived to micro manage everything (including three small children), God was faithful, and today I am remarried with a fourth little babe.
    Visiting from Hearts for Home linkup.

    1. Sarah, I love to hear about God’s faithfulness following heartache. Thank you for sharing a piece of your heart!

  6. Micah,
    Thank you for sharing. Yes, I agree with you. During my years of infertility, adoption and more, I was at first angry with God. Then, I leaned into him, and found comfort. Like you, I find spending quiet time with God to be wonderful, even when I’m struggling.

    1. Crystal, I’m so thankful this was a blessing to you! I’m right there with you, sister. Oh, to stay and bask in His presence! Clinging to Him.

    1. Suzie, my heart has been heavy for you and your family and precious friends today. Many prayers for you today, friend!

      1. Micah, your words are so beautifully written! I especially like when you write about the “anchor of your soul.”
        Many times I try to keep situations in control, and I must remember to let go and hand over to Jesus.

        1. Carla, thank you. Yes. I know I need to have things over but sometimes it’s easier said than done. Learning every day! Full surrender.

  9. Beautiful post, Micah! This line here – “It’s as if the anchor of your soul has been ripped from the deepest depth of your heart and your ship of life has been lost at sea.” That’s some gorgeous writing! Thank you for sharing these thoughts with us at Grace and Truth this week. :)
    Jen @ Being Confident of This

  10. Micah thanks for sharing. He is our only hope when things are falling apart. I often wonder what people who don’t have Jesus do when they are going through trials. I could not have made it a few times without Him.

  11. Hello Micah, I am grateful God is an anchor that doesn’t budge. Nothing we face in life pushes Him over. Nothing Surprises Him!
    He alone is our safety net and place of refuge.
    God Bless Micah

  14. Hi Micah :)

    I knew by the title of this one that I MUST read it! I was correct in my assumption too girl as you just really blessed me with your precious story. I do love reading your writing – you’re so real and vulnerable when you write; there’s not a punctuation mark that’s fake about you. The way you can take a very sad situation and transition it into an uplifting, encouraging piece in the end is nothing less than splendid! I look forward to reading more of your work. May God bless you and yours with love, peace and joy in abundance my sweet sister.

    His daughter,
    Jodee

    1. Jodee, you are too sweet! You made my day! I pray that God gives the words that He wants written and shared. He gets the glory for every word. When I start getting in the way, it’s a mess. I hope you have a great week, girl!

  15. This line: I still cry and I still feel pain, but I don’t live shattered. I love this because I’m a crier and sometimes I wonder if I give the wrong impression, because for me, tears don’t mean doubt! I trust God, but sometimes life still hurts. Great post!

  16. Beautiful post, Micah. I’m afraid I do sometimes wait until I’m completely shattered before I desperately cling to Jesus and trust Him completely. Visiting as your neighbor today at #RaRaLinkup.

    1. I’m so glad you stopped by! I’ll check out your blog too! I’m also a Pastor’s wife :). Hope to see you more!

  18. Wonderful words of truth and comfort! It was in the depths of a broken life in a miry pit that Jesus found me 18 years ago. He totally transformed my life and over these years, He has taught me not to despise the hard times. Because it is in those moments that I might learn to cling to Him and that is how we grow in our faith and trust in Him. “I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the Lord, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel.” Isaiah 45:3. Followed you here from Unite.

    1. Cheryl, I love that! Thank you for sharing your experience and the inspiring Scripture! Yes, it’s in those moments we learn to cling to Him!

  20. I love the place of no words. When we’re arrested by His spirit, His presence commands a holy hush. Sitting with you in the quiet of his love and knowing He’s with me, even when I don’t feel it. Thanks for linking up with #GiveMeGrace this week! So happy to meet you.

    1. Lisha, so happy to meet you too! It’s an amazing place to be. Sometimes I get so busy I forget how precious the sound is.

  22. I love other encouragers. Thank you for the message, I can see you hit something right where people are at by the comments below. I too have felt the need to cling to Jesus as things are being piled on lately and keeping my eyes on Him is exactly how you get through it. Thanks for sharing.

  23. Micah, thank you for the encouragement to cling to Jesus. We all face those hard times…crushing circumstances, confusion and despair, but God knows the beginning from the end. He has a great plan and never leaves us!
    Thank you again!

  25. So many life changes in the past 4 years. My mom had a severe stroke in ’11. I had to live by her during the week for 4 months. She is now in adult foster care and cared for lovingly by Christian caregivers. I make daytrips to see her 2 times a month. In the last year my son became engaged, graduated from college, and got married (July 4). He and his wife now live in North Carolina (we are native Oregonians!) , so I am adjusting to him being so far away……..and to being a mother-in-law! All the change is hard. I am doing my best to cling to Jesus during all this. I am hard on myself and feel I should be able to snap out of it all and be joyful. Not feeling to successful at that. But I do not give up! Thank you for sharing your thoughts and encouragement!

  26. Oh, what a perfect reminder for today. I tend to freak myself out unnecessarily about life sometimes, and this is just what I needed today. Clinging to Jesus is the only way to get through sometimes.

  29. I was crying while reading this. I am hurting so bad right now.. My heart is aching so bad.. But while reading this and the prayer you shared, I don’t know what for are my tears, I think God is beside me right now, my tears are just flowing silently.. I’m having goose bumps.. Thank you for this blog.

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