When I Feel Helpless - iBelieve Truth: A Devotional for Women - April 16, 2025
"Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10 (NKJV)
I self-diagnosed myself on the internet. I learned these sharp pains shooting from my back down my leg were called sciatica.
Meanwhile, I kept moving forward with all the things necessary to publish a book. God had to intervene because I learned that this pain could last for several weeks. I didn’t have time for that! I had a book signing scheduled for our local fall festival in a few weeks. I had a speaking event approaching after that.
When I realized the heating pad was no match for the incredible pain, I went to one of those urgent care offices. Fear began taking hold. They gave me a small supply of medications that helped some, but when they ran out, I went to my primary care doctor.
He explained as he sent prescriptions to the pharmacy on his computer: “Sciatica is a symptom of something else, so we must find out what that is. I’m ordering x rays. I can give you some injections today to help with the pain.”
Those injections worked quickly, and when I got home, I harnessed up my guide dog, Iva, to go walking. We had not walked for several days because of my pain. I rejoiced in the ability to walk without pain. Iva had missed our walks too. I couldn’t go far since I began feeling groggy from the injections. I cautiously walked back and forth in front of our house until I had to go inside and sleep it off.
When I woke up, I remembered the pain had disappeared, but as soon as I began to move, a sharp pain quickly reminded me that it had returned. That was the last day I walked Iva for three months.
I couldn’t believe what the nurse said when she called. “You have spinal stenosis and there is no surgery for it. He wants you to get the MRI and go to physical therapy.
I went back to the internet searching for a treatment, but I could find nothing. My pain and feelings of helplessness increased. Was physical therapy my only available treatment? Why hadn’t God intervened? The debilitating pain continued and forced me to cancel my events. I couldn’t understand why God allowed this. Why was the enemy winning?
God is our strength and help in times of fear and confusion. We have no reason to be afraid of the unknown or the bad diagnosis because God is with us. He never leaves us. No matter how gruesome the pain gets or how difficult our world becomes, we can count on God.
Psalm 10:14 says the helpless commit themselves to God.
It’s normal to feel scared and frustrated when medical professionals cannot give us a plan of action, but we can’t allow these feelings to consume us. Our flesh tends to feed on fear, and the enemy uses fear for his own purposes.
In these times, we must commit to trust God. When doctors can’t help, God can. When the diagnosis sounds horrible, God has a plan. When doors don’t open, God holds the key.
What’s creating fear in your life? What doesn’t make sense and frustrates you? Our flesh wants to sulk in these emotions, but we need to remove ourselves from these feelings. They cannot dictate our lives.
Take extra time in prayer and in the Word of God. This is where you meet with your Helper. This is where He renews your strength. This is when He builds up your faith and casts away your fears.
Remember what God has done for you in the past. Count those things as blessings. He had healed my husband from leukemia. He had carried me through depression. He had healed my hearing loss when doctors did all they could do. God can come through for me now.
He can come through for you too, my friend.
Several months later, a spine surgeon took a full back x ray and found I had scoliosis, and I had major surgery. After a long recovery, I am in a much better place.
"Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from destruction..." Psalm 103:2-4 (NKJV)
Let's pray:
Heavenly Father, I am afraid and helpless, but You are my divine help. I trust You to remove the fears and provide wisdom. Help me hold onto You in these difficult days. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/francescoch
Carolyn Dale Newell is a best-selling author and certified speaker. She knows the bitter taste of suffering from blindness to chronic pain. Her passion is to encourage women to keep their eyes on Jesus and not their circumstances in her devotional, Embers of Endurance: Rising Above Chronic Pain and Illness. You can connect with Carolyn on her website and her women’s ministry group on Facebook.
Related Resource: Let Go, Trust, and Stay Rooted When Life Feels Unsteady
When life feels unsteady, many of us respond by holding tighter, trying harder, and carrying more than we were meant to bear. But Jesus offers a different way. In this episode of Unhurried Living, Gem Fadling is joined by Yvette Henry, writer, speaker, and author of Release, Rest, Remain, for a thoughtful conversation about learning to let go, trust God, and stay rooted in his presence when life feels overwhelming.
Drawing from Jesus’ words in John 15, this conversation explores what it means to release the pressure to hold everything together, rest in God’s love, and remain spiritually grounded in the middle of real life. Together, they reflect on spiritual exhaustion, the invitation to abide rather than strive, and how spiritual fruit grows naturally when we stay connected to God.
This episode is for anyone longing for peace, stability, and a deeper sense of trust when life feels uncertain. If this episode helps you recenter your work and life on God, be sure to follow Unhurried Living on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!
