• Home
  • Welcome
  • Blog

Brenda Bradford Ottinger

Encouraging Women to Live Rooted in the Sacred

in Uncategorized

Thirsting for Rest Amid Stress

I’d barely tiptoed into dreamland before hearing a clamor down the hall. Rising in the moonlit shadows, I tend to the night-owl-noise of my offspring before shuffling back to the warmth of my sheets.

Yet my mind has long forsaken sleep, wandering instead through a mental desert of checklists and concerns. A tide of trouble beats against the shores of my soul, begging a prayer or two or ten. My heart’s not skilled at laying down a world of worry without putting my sticky fingerprints on it again and again and again.

Oh, Father, that You’d spring up a well in this desert, I pray.

And in the soft glow before dawn, my thoughts drift to another weary mom named Hagar, who we meet in the pages of Genesis.

God promised a son to Abraham and his wife Sarah, but Sarah grew tired of waiting and arranged for Abraham to father a child with her maidservant, Hagar.

As Sarah’s maidservant, Hagar was regarded as belonging to Sarah, therefore Hagar’s child would belong to her as well. Sarah’s plan for parenthood succeeded, and Hagar delivered Abraham’s firstborn child, Ishmael. Sadly, as Ishmael grew, so did the tension between these two women in Abraham’s life. (Genesis 18, 21)

Of course, God remained faithful to His promise, and in His appointed time, Sarah gave birth to Isaac. But the conflict between Hagar and Sarah continued, reaching an all-time high when Sarah witnessed young Ishmael harassing Isaac, and she demanded Abraham send Ishmael and Hagar away.

While trekking alone through the dusty desert with nowhere to go, Hagar and Ishmael depleted their last drop of water. Anguished, Hagar placed her son in the shade to eventually die, sat down by herself and sobbed. For all the worry and exhaustion of sustaining the survival of her family, her weary heart wept.

And, Oh, how her cry echoes through the centuries, resonating in my modern-day soul. So often I drain my last drop of physical and mental reserve—yet still, I thirst for rest amid stress.

Walking out our responsibilities as women isn’t always easy and charmed, is it, friend?

But take heart—hope abides in the most parched of places, for this wasn’t the end of Hagar’s story. The Bible tells us that the Lord saw her pain, saying, “…What’s the matter, Hagar? Do not be afraid…” (Genesis 21:17, NIV)

God called her by name. Her knew her and saw her, and cared for her anxious heart as only He could.

God calmed her soul-deep fears for the future, assuring her He would take care of her and Ishmael, repeating the promise given to her in Genesis 16:10. “Lift the boy up and take him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation” (Genesis 21:18).

There in the midst of Hagar’s desert, God provided a wellspring of relief, for: “God opened Hagar’s eyes, and she saw a well full of water. She quickly filled her water container and gave the boy a drink” (Genesis 21:19).

And here, in this timeless tale of a worn-out, worried woman, fresh life abounds for our dehydrated spirits.

Beloved, God knows our names too, and His faithful eye is tracking us through every desert of distress we travel. He hears our cries and comforts us with the tender calm of His whisper: “Do not be afraid,”  bringing healing and life to the parched ground of our weary hearts.

Be encouraged, sweet friend—He’s still the God who forms living water from desert dust.



How have you sensed God’s presence and provision in the deserts of your life? This week, journal the ways God’s shown His faithfulness to you. Return to this list when your strength needs refreshing. ♥

We’d love for you to join the conversation over at Proverbs 31 Ministries today.

Leave a Comment

Thanks for the Company!

Subscribe to receive updates and 15 lovely printables created just for YOU!

Thanks! Keep an eye on your inbox for updates.

« When You Wonder Who You Would Have Been
Seeing God in the Middle of Your Messed-Up Plans »

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

CommentLuv badgeShow more posts

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Thanks for the company!

Thanks! Keep an eye on your inbox for updates.

Let’s Connect!

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter

Tags

(In)Courage But God Callings Children Control Faithfulness Family Fear Fill in the Blank Freedom Friendship Giveaway God Graceful Guest Posts Home Hope If My People Inclusion Marriage Motherhood Nature P31 Pain Prayer Proverbs31Ministries Purpose Quotes Racism Rejection Rest Seasons Sisterhood Surrender Teens
  • Home
  • Welcome
  • Blog

From the Author

Encouragement for Today Badge

Let’s Connect!

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter

Thanks for the company!

Thanks! Keep an eye on your inbox for updates.

Oh, friend, if you too have ever cried the prayer, Oh, friend, if you too have ever cried the prayer, “Lord, we don’t know what to do, but our eyes are on You,” …

I hope you’ll join me on the Proverbs 31 Ministries, Encouragement For Today Podcast today for this short 5 minute encouragement.
.
You can find the Encouragement For Today Podcast  in your podcast app, or at: encouragement-for-today-podcast.transistor.fm/
.
How can I pray for you today as you wait in worship for the Lord’s victory in you life? 💕🙏🏻
.
.
.
#praise #worship #prayer #victory #godsvictory #battle #weary #scared #overwhelmed #waitongod #waitwell #fightonyourknees #faithfulgod #godisable #proverbs31ministries #proverbs31 #p31 #devotion #podcast #encouragementfortoday #writer #christianwriter #ministry #struggle #hope #help #godisgreater #noweaponformedagainstmeshallprosper #bible #godisgood
I wonder how these same palms I lift in praise can I wonder how these same palms I lift in praise can grip so tightly to a thousand concerns.
.
Long have I held my concerns close, because sometimes letting go feels like giving up, and often I confuse the restless management of life with perseverance.
.
I ponder the familiar words of trust and hope and confidence…trying to remove them from my Sunday School vernacular; willing them to to become foreign to my vocabulary so they might become alive again to my understanding.
.
…Oh, friend, if you have ever heard the familiar phrase, “Let go and let God,” and wondered…okay, but how?
.
Me too.
.
In today’s Proverbs 31 Ministries devotion, I share how the Lord met me in this struggle, and showed me how to trade constant concern for quiet relief.
.
You can read the full devotion over at Proverbs31.org.
.
How I pray that today dawns anew for you in this area, my friend, as you release the cares of your life to the God of your life.
.
What cares are you gripping today? Praying for you, friend. 💕
.
.
.
#worry #concern #weary #stress #fear #overthinking #angst #wellbeing #security #success #perseverance #restless #relief #trust #faith #hope #confidence #stability #release #openhands #quiet #calm #Godisable #christianwriter #ministry #p31 #proverbs31ministries #weariness #letgoandletgod #freedom
How did yesterday get so far away? . 35 years this How did yesterday get so far away?
.
35 years this man and I have mini-golfed our way through Labor Day.
.
We skipped “Selfie 101;” our photos are forever random. We’re fancy like that. 🙃
.
I’d rather have a picture of a flower than a picture of my face every day of the week. 🌸
.
Time, I don’t know how you do it. How you turn 1988 into 2023 with just a wink.
.
But I do know that the best traditions are always the ones that choose you.
.
Oh, for 35 more. 💕
.
.
.
#firstdate #anniversary #yesteryear #yesterday #love #tradition #thankful #time #marriage #life #showup #makememories #onelife #liveyouronelife #choosehappy #makeeverymomentcount #grateful #blessed #anwriting #ministry #influence #christianwriter #serve #wifelife #family
Oh, friend, if you’re in a season of “trying” that’s making you just plain tired…
.
Grab a copy of Tired of Trying, by @ashley.morgan.jackson . In this book, Ashley vulnerably shares her story of holding on to God when she felt forgotten by the world amidst a long season of hardship.
.
So much goodness in these pages for understanding how to release the frustration of feeling tired and stuck.
.
Plus layers of wisdom nestled chapter upon chapter, offering insight into the blessing that comes with the wrestle, as we hold on to the One who forever holds on to us.
.
If you decide to read, I’d love to hear your thoughts! May the Lord meet you in its pages, my friend. 💕
.
.
.
#tired #tiredoftrying #weary #tiredoftryingbook #wrestle #stuck #wrestlewithgod #blessing #trust #newrelease #bookrelease #rest #faithfulgod #bible #frustrated #faith #wait #purpose #identity #worth #beautyforashes #goodnessofgod #holdon #holdontogod #worthy transformation #amwriting #ministry #influence #christianwriter #worthygod
Follow on Instagram

Copyright © 2023 · Market theme by Restored 316

Copyright 2023 Brenda Bradford Ottinger · Log in