⁹ I have called you back from the ends of the earth,
saying, ‘You are my servant.’
For I have chosen you
and will not throw you away.
¹⁰ Don’t be afraid, for I am with you.
Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you.
I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.

Isaiah 41:9-10 [NLT]

If not for any other reason, I think today happens to be one of those days where I could choose any other attitude or mood, and still have a valid reason to be bitter, angry, frustrated and disappointed. For the last few days, I have been praying, and hoping that God would somehow heal and remove the hemorrhoid that is causing a lot of discomfort and pain. After three days of not being able to sleep properly, and struggling with the most simple things like getting up or sitting down, I could feel that urge to want to curse and swear!

Getting up this morning and finding the will to take a shower, or even to sit down to eat my breakfast felt like a chore. It took so much energy that I honestly felt like I was having a full body workout. Things that would’ve be so easy and natural felt so difficult and challenging today. And to make things worse, I feel like my neck and shoulders are also aching/sore because of how uncomfortable the sleeping posture has been for the past few nights. I didn’t have a choice. It was the only way that I could relieve some of the discomfort that I was experiencing.

Even though I do want to occasionally share my experiences candidly online, the reality is, it is always a little difficult to try and put everything into words. As self-expressive as I am, there are still some things that are never easy for me to talk about openly.

So yes, it is in that context that you must understand that I still go through a lot of things in my life that I will never fully reveal publicly. There are certain struggles that I will experience that you may never ever know about. But I also like to think that this is the very same for a lot of people as well.

God Knows Your Struggles [All Kinds]

As I am sitting here writing this daily bread entry, trust me when I say this, I really need this message myself too. Especially on a day like this. I needed to be reminded that God sees all our struggles. Not just the kind that we watch online in some inspirational YouTube video that someone else shared on their LinkedIn feed. Or maybe in one of those real-life stories type of TV shows. Too often, as believers, when we think that our struggles aren’t as “serious” or “big” as the ones we watch online all the time, we begin to think that God has bigger issues to deal with than our struggles.

But that is the wrong way to think about it. To God, He loves us all just the same, and He sees all our struggles without any kind of discrimination. I believe that God is trying to remind each of us that He cares about everything that we are going through today. Whether it’s something that others can see, or if it’s something that we are struggling with privately behind closed doors.

He is also Here to Help

It is also important for each of us to realize and understand that God doesn’t just see and know our struggles. He wants to help us as well. He wants to help get us through whatever it is that we are struggling with. I can understand how sometimes when we are in the midst of a really prolonged struggle, or a very intensed one, it can seem like God isn’t there. Maybe like me, you have been crying out to Him for the much needed healing power of Jesus Christ, but for some reason, there hasn’t been any answer. And it can seem frustrating, I know. Trust me. I am struggling right now.

But I am also doing everything that I can to remind myself that I can either allow the negative emotions to take over me, or I can decide to be positive, and to keep trusting that God will come to my aid when the time is right. Because He has proven that time and again. And every single time, He is always right on time.

Personal Prayer for Today

Dear Heavenly Father,

I want to tell You that I am frustrated, and that I am agitated and I am exhausted because of the hemorrhoid that I have been struggling with for the last few days. I’ve cried out to You for help, and I have prayed and asked. But for some reason, You haven’t answered. And it seems like I may have to pay for the minor op tonight instead.

Today has been a particular difficult day for me. And for all the reasons and purposes, I could’ve been really negative at You and I have been tempted to want to curse and swear at You. But instead, I have chosen and decided to keep my faith and hope in You instead. I choose to believe that You always see and know our struggles, even the ones that others will never know about.

Thank You for reminding me that when I was struggling in the past, You have always come to my aid in the nick of time. It may not always be convenient for me, or when I wanted it to happen. But You always did come through. And for that I am always grateful.

Thank You for reminding me about that today. I vow to give You all of my praises and all my glory.

In Jesus’ name I pray.

Amen.