Strengthened and Upheld. Isaiah 41:10

Michael always prided himself on providing. As a contractor, he worked 14-hour days to keep his business running. Early mornings started with loading lumber onto his old Ford flatbed, coffee thermos wedged between toolboxes. Life was exhausting, but he wore his work ethic like armor.

Michael thought strength meant carrying it all alone—until God showed him true strength.

Then came the downturn. One by one, contracts fell through. Delayed payments became unpaid invoices. He maxed out credit cards to pay his crew, hoping the next job would cover it. But the calls stopped coming. The day his foreman quit was the day Michael realized he couldn’t keep up the façade any longer.

He spent nights in his truck, parked by job sites he couldn’t finish, staring at the empty lots under moonlight. Fear pressed on his chest so heavily he felt like he couldn’t breathe. “God, I don’t know what to do,” he whispered into the darkness, tears soaking his calloused hands.

One morning, he opened his Bible app through blurry eyes. The verse of the day read: “So do not fear, for I am with you… I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Michael broke down sobbing. He realized he had been carrying burdens never meant for him alone.

That afternoon, he called his wife. “I’m sorry,” he said through choked tears. “I’ve been trying to hold this all together myself.” She replied softly, “You don’t have to anymore. Let God hold you.”

Michael called his pastor and asked for prayer. The pastor connected him with a local Christian construction group needing part-time help. It wasn’t his company, but it was a start. On his first day, as he nailed planks for a wheelchair ramp at an elderly woman’s home, he felt peace flood his chest. The burden lifted slightly with each strike of the hammer.

Each strike of the hammer reminded Michael who was really holding him up.

Weeks turned into months. Michael worked steadily, paid down debt, and began to dream again. One evening at dinner, his young son asked, “Daddy, are you happy?” Michael smiled, tears brimming. “Yeah, buddy. I’m happy. God is holding us up.”

Today, Michael runs his business again, but with a different heart. He starts every morning reading Isaiah 41:10 out loud, reminding himself of the truth: he is strengthened and upheld—not by his own power, but by the righteous right hand of God.

Which part of Michael’s story do you relate to most right now?

• 0%Feeling like you have to carry everything alone
• 0%Being afraid to ask for help
• 0%Experiencing God’s strength holding you up
• 0%Trying to rebuild your life after loss

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