When God Leads Us To Face What We’ve Been Avoiding - Encouragement for Today - March 18, 2026
When God Leads Us To Face What We’ve Been Avoiding
ASHLEY MORGAN JACKSON
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“The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.” Psalm 23:1-3 (NIV)
Something in me was screaming for relief. I could see this pattern I felt stuck in: I would feel the pressure of my circumstances, grow increasingly frustrated, and then decide I just needed to do more.
But it wasn’t working.
God won’t ever let us outwork our need for healing, and sometimes healing is messy. Instead of letting me take another lap while leaning on my own understanding and creating my own solutions, God allowed everything to come to a point I could no longer ignore. It was as if He whispered to my worn-out soul, Sometimes you’re going to have to trust Me with what I ask you to let go of, even when it hurts and doesn’t make sense.
So I let go.
Maybe you’ve been there too. You can sense God highlighting things you used to be able to tolerate. What once felt simple now feels impossible. You feel Him inviting you to look at what you’ve tried to ignore.
He doesn’t call us into these seasons because He wants to punish us but because He sees the places in our hearts that need healing.
God doesn't just prioritize what He wants to do through us but also what He wants to do in us. He invites us into messy healing, the place where we become sick of our own patterns and realize we’re the common denominator. He asks us to challenge our thinking and align with His Word over our feelings.
God began revealing the fears that had quietly driven me for years … the fear of rejection, the fear of not being enough, the fear of disappointing people, the fear of being unseen. These weren’t new wounds. They were just finally painful enough that I couldn’t pretend they weren’t there.
Friend, He is our Good Shepherd.
Psalm 23:1-3 tells us, “The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.”
He makes us lie down because sometimes we won’t choose rest on our own. He leads us beside quiet waters because life gets so loud we miss His voice. He refreshes our souls because they’re exhausted. And He guides us on the right paths — always for our good, always for His glory.
If you’re in a season where everything feels messy or unclear, maybe it’s not that you’re failing; maybe it’s that you’re being formed. Friend, you can be sure when you say “yes” to God, you will never regret it.
Oh, Lord, help me trust You when You ask me to let go of things I’d rather hold on to. I want to be transformed by Your Truth so I can live in true freedom. Help me come to You for healing, no matter how messy it feels. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
OUR FAVORITE THINGS
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ENGAGE
You can find more encouragement from Ashley on her Instagram, where she shares daily reminders about who you are and whose you are! And find out more about her book, Tired of Trying, on her website!
If you feel stuck in this season, Ashley has a FREE series for you called “What if You’re Not Stuck? 3 Days to Uncover What God Might Be Doing When You Feel Like You Can’t Move On.”
FOR DEEPER STUDY
Psalm 139:23-24, “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (NIV).
What anxious thought or hidden ache might God be gently revealing so He can lead you toward healing?
What would it look like today to let God care for the part of you that feels most tired or overwhelmed? Share your thoughts in the comments!
© 2026 by Ashley Morgan Jackson. All rights reserved.
Proverbs 31 Ministries
P.O. Box 3189
Matthews, NC 28106
www.Proverbs31.org
