comfort – Balm 4 the Soul

What Time I Am Afraid by Tammy Nicole Glover

March 1, 2023March 1, 2023by balm4thesoulLeave a Comment

“What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.” Psalm 56:3 KJV

You told me to follow You and I galloped towards Your outstretched hand. I was sure I would land on my feet, but instead, I fell on my back. I looked up and was surrounded by darkness. It was no ordinary darkness. It was suffocating. I couldn’t even see my hand lifted in front of my face. The pain was excruciating. My whole body hurt. It hurt to even cry, yet I couldn’t control my tears. “

What did I do wrong, Lord? You told me to follow You and I did. Why didn’t You catch me? Why am I blind?”

I hear you whisper, “trust me.”

“Trust You,” I say. “I trusted You but fell. I’m in pain…in the dark…alone.”

“I Am with you,” You say.

“Really?”

“Who or what else do you have to trust,” You ask.

I think about it for a moment. It’s true. I have no one else but God. He is the only one that even knows where I am. He created the path I’m on. His way is perfect. He is perfect. I am only the created thing. I can’t even fathom the Creator’s simplest thoughts.

I take a deep breath and brace myself for the pain of getting back up. My body is broken, so I can no longer gallop. I can only limp towards His voice. However, as I keep moving forward, I feel strength returning to my legs.

“Keep going,” He says. “You’re almost there.”

I find myself limping a little less.

“I know the plans I have for you,” He says. “All of this is working for your good. Don’t be discouraged or afraid, but be strong and courageous.”

I look down, and His words begin to light my path. I keep moving even though I don’t understand. My God, I can finally see the sunlight up ahead. As I step into the light, I realize I’m not the same.

“I had to make you stronger for the task ahead. You were not ready,” He says. “I had to keep you in the dark because if you were able to see the enemy surrounding you, you would have surely fainted.”

“Wait, that wasn’t the task? There’s more to do?”

“Look up,” He said.

I look up to see a great mountain before me. I gulp and wipe the sweat off my brow.

“As long as You’re with me, Lord, I will trust You.”

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Lord, Don’t You Care Podcast Episode

July 12, 2021July 12, 2021by balm4thesoulLeave a Comment

You can now listen to the post, “Lord, Don’t You Care,” and others on the new podcast, Balm for the Soul with Tammy Nicole Glover. All new episodes will be available every Monday, starting July 12th, 12:01pm Eastern. Sit back, relax and be encouraged with devotions that soothe the soul. Episodes available at https://anchor.fm/tammy-glover

Lord, Don’t You Care? By Tammy Nicole Glover

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Finding My Faith By Tammy Nicole Glover

April 27, 2020May 1, 2020by balm4thesoulLeave a Comment

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1 KJV

I know it has been a while since I last posted something. The end of last year and continuing into this year has been quite the roller coaster. I’ve had to face the death of a sister and sister-in-law, caring for an elderly parent alone and relationship issues, personally and professionally. Not to mention adjusting to life during a full blown pandemic. I admit I have been tremendously overwhelmed trying to juggle everything while keeping the façade of being completely in control and calm. If you would have asked me how I’m doing, I would have convincingly told you, I’m fine but all the while I would be in full panic mode because I know at any point one of the balls I’m juggling is going to drop and shatter into a million pieces that can never be put back together again. And one of those balls could very well be my sanity. I found myself angry, depressed and asking God why was He allowing these things to happen to me. Couldn’t He see me drowning out here? Does He love?

It says in Hebrews 11:1 that “faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” I realized that I was no longer hoping and I wasn’t alone. It seemed like a lot of people around me were no longer hoping either. We were all scared and instead of sitting on the edge of our seats for something amazing to happen, we were bracing ourselves for the next storm. We were losing our faith.

Faith isn’t ignoring or wishing our problems away. It’s not even faking it until we make it. It’s saying, “yes, I see the problem. I see the mountain. It’s scary and painful but God is bigger and I’m going to trust Him to get me through this. It’s probably not going to happen the way I want it to or even when I want it to.”

Faith takes patience and courage but more importantly, it takes humility. I had to admit I wasn’t in control. I was overwhelmed, scared and yes, even angry. I realized that God did see me drowning and His hand was there but I had to let my pride drop and shatter into a million pieces, in order to grab hold of His hand.

Sometimes, I look back at the water below and see sharks swimming towards me because it doesn’t feel like He’s lifting me out fast enough. I may be tempted to let go and figure out a way to get away faster but I have to lift my head back up towards Him. It has taken continual prayer from friends, family and myself to stay in faith. It has also taken spending time alone with God and reading His Word in order to even distinguish His voice from my fears. It has been a difficult and unending journey.

I know I’m not the only one on this journey. We all have moments where our faith may waver. Please feel free to share how you stay in faith. I’m praying for you.

“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” Hebrews 11:6 KJV

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Questions That Can’t Be Asked: A Prayer By Tammy Nicole Glover

August 21, 2019by balm4thesoul1 Comment

Heavenly Father,

I thank You for Your mercy and patience with me. As I sit beside my sister’s hospital bed, watching her fight for her life, I have questions but I can’t ask them. I know that You are able, faithful and good. You are a miracle worker and a way maker but I still have questions that I can’t ask. I know Your Word. I know the elements of faith but in this situation I have questions that I can’t ask.

If You, My Almighty God, would indulge me and allow me to ask, I would of course ask why. My sister gets up at 4:30 a.m. everyday to spend time praising You, praying for others and studying Your Word. I’m ashamed to say but sometimes I get annoyed by how loud she gets when she’s praising You. If this can happen to her, what am I in for? I would ask when is your miracle going to kick in. I would ask, why is it that even though I know how to pray confidently in Your Word, in this situation, sitting beside this hospital bed, my words stumble out or don’t come out at all. I got serious questions, Lord, but I can’t ask them.

I’m supposed to write this blog to encourage others who have questions that they don’t dare ask. I feel like I’m failing in this assignment. Lord, Your people, Your sons and daughters, Your beloved ones have questions that we can’t ask. All we know is that we look to You, the Most High, the Lord Almighty, for strength, comfort and wisdom. We seek Your voice, waiting to hear, “peace, be still,” in our storms.

Thank you, Lord, for hearing and answering our prayers.

“I call on the Lord in my distress, and he answers me.” Psalm 120:1 NIV

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Perspective By Tammy Nicole Glover

August 8, 2019August 21, 2019by balm4thesoul1 Comment

A couple of days ago, I was feeling sorry for myself and I started complaining about how unfair my life was on social media. I got a few likes and comments because who isn’t going through something, right? Knowing that I wasn’t alone in my misery felt so good until I saw some of the people commenting. I knew that some of them were dealing with things that make my issues look like a joke. I’m talking about truly unimaginable, life altering issues, yet, they still took time to encourage me. If they knew what I was complaining about, they could have gotten offended and let me have it, especially since I knew what they had been dealing with and probably hadn’t called to check in on them.

At that moment, I had to ask God for forgiveness because at the end of the day, I’m blessed. What I should have posted was: Thank You, God that even though I’m dealing with some things that I don’t understand and I think is unfair, You’re still with me. You are still merciful and patient. You still love me. You are greater than my problems, my drama and my temper tantrums. You are not a God of chaos or confusion but a God of peace. These light and momentary troubles will last for a while but Your love and Your faithfulness will last forever. I know that the plans You have for me are to prosper me and not to harm me.

Now, this would not have been a popular post but I wish I had the boldness to have posted it anyway. In the middle of trouble we can never stop praising God. It’s not the trouble or the problem that we’re thanking Him for, it’s the help, peace and wisdom that He provides. Know that the moment we turn over our problems over to God, the battle is won. We may not see it immediately but it’s done-yes and Amen. Just give Him the praise for it.

“I will extol the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my lips. I will glory in the Lord; let the afflicted hear and rejoice. Glorify the Lord with me; let us exalt his name together.” Psalm 34:1-3 NIV

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Nothing Wasted By Tammy Nicole Glover

March 12, 2019March 12, 2019by balm4thesoul1 Comment

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28 NIV

When was the last time something happened to you and you thought, what a waste of time? Did you invest your time and heart in a relationship that went sour? Maybe you went to school for one thing and then years later realized that you should really be doing something all together different. Could it even be a mistake that you made and now you’re suffering the consequences of it?

The good news is that God’s love, mercy and grace covers all of that. Nothing is ever wasted when God gets involved. God uses every disappointment, heartbreak and loss for our good. I know this can be hard to believe when we’re in the midst of a storm. God knows the end from the beginning, so nothing ever surprises Him. He’s not shocked when we make mistakes or when someone hurts us. He has plans in place for turning everything bad in our lives into something good. Isaiah 61:3 (NIV) says that God will, “bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy, instead of mourning and a garment of praise.

That setback is setting you up for a better opportunity. The heartbreak you experienced will help you comfort someone else who experiences the same loss. The skills learned for one job will eventually help you in the job you’re supposed to be in.

God can do exceedingly more than anything we can think or imagine, even if it means using the wasted things in our lives. It’s not our job to figure out how He will work it out. Our job is to trust and believe that He will. He is God Almighty, nothing is too hard for Him.

“You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent.” Psalm 30:11-12 NIV

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God Is Good…Yes, All the Time By Tammy Nicole Glover

February 18, 2019by balm4thesoul2 Comments

“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.” Isaiah 43:2-3 NIV

Someone recently told me, quite angrily, that God may be holy but definitely not good all the time. All my efforts to explain why God is good all the time came across as condescending towards them. They thought I was dismissing their pain. I was so taken aback by their reaction that it left me questioning my purpose as a writer. The whole reason why I write is to encourage the heartbroken and those who have lost hope. I felt like I had just failed an important test. Was this really what I was called to do?

As much as I tried to shake it off and not take it personally, I just couldn’t. Writer’s block set in. It was like I had subconsciously refused to allow myself to write. The longer I went without writing the more fear, anxiety and doubt took over. Where did I miss it?

After a lot of prayer and sleepless nights, I realized that my answer to the person didn’t come from a place of sincerity or love. I was angry that someone was questioning the goodness of my God. I also felt like my character as a compassionate human being was being attacked. My answer, although polite and “churchy,” was not the answer that person needed. In a sense, I was dismissing their pain. I didn’t realize that they were speaking from a place of intense pain and in their eyes the only person that was big enough for causing that pain was God. I’m sure I came across as someone who is clueless to the pain of others with my positive and upbeat response of, “God loves you and I’m praying for you.”

What was really needed was an honest answer that would probably mean I would have to allow myself to be vulnerable and share a testimony. I don’t share a lot of my personal struggles, especially on social media. I usually try to keep a smile on my face and post words of encouragement, which is probably why people assume that I never have any problems. Nothing could be further from the truth.

When I say that God is good all the time, it is because I have been through something. I’m not just saying a catchy, church phrase. When I say God is good, I mean He was good when I was emotionally and physically abused. He was good when my grief was so overwhelming it felt like I couldn’t breathe. He was good when I didn’t think I would see another day and wasn’t even sure if I wanted to. He was good when I was paralyzed with fear, He was good when I was lied on, lied too and betrayed. He was good during every family drama and every moment of loneliness. In sickness or health, He is good. In lack or in plenty, He is good.

Why?

Because no matter what the situation, He never left my side. He never lied to me and promised that I would never experience hardships during my time on this earth. Life doesn’t become perfect when you accept Jesus as your Savior. In fact, He promised that I would definitely face many hardships of various kinds but He promised to never leave me. He loves me so much that He sent His One and only Son to endure unspeakable torture and death just so that I could receive His mercy and to have a relationship with Him on earth and in heaven. He has never been the cause of my pain but He has always been my solution. No matter how angry I get because I have to endure pain or I want to turn my back on Him because He isn’t answering as quickly as I want Him to, He is always faithful. He is my Healer and Restorer. No matter how hopeless my situation looks, He always gives me the victory.

The fact that no one can tell that I’ve been through the fire is because He was by my side, shielding me from the flames. I came out healed and stronger. I don’t know what you’ve been through but I know what I’ve been through. I know that God is not indifferent towards my pain. He is merciful. He is the one that created me and He doesn’t owe me anything. I’m the one that owes Him for all of the blessings He’s given me. I also know that if He did it for me, He can do it for you, if you’re willing to let Him. It may not be instantaneous and it probably won’t happen when or how you think it should but it will happen.

“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are–yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” Hebrews 4:15-16 NIV

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Catching My Breath | Resilience In the Storm By Tammy Nicole Glover

November 26, 2018November 27, 2018by balm4thesoul6 Comments

“The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him.” Psalm 28:7 NIV

This month has been filled with one betrayal and attack after another. At first, I did a great job of keeping my head up and staying in praise. I was determined to stay positive but as the blows came harder and faster, it became more difficult to catch my breath. I started to become frustrated and angry. Of course, I wanted to be angry at God. Why was this happening when I’ve been doing my best to be a light in a dark world?

Darkness was starting to get the better of me. I started to believe that I was completely unqualified to do what God called me to do, which was to encourage. I felt like I was a disappointment to God. It hurts when you know you’ve disappointed a parent but it’s devastating to feel as if you have disappointed your Heavenly Father. It was as if I could feel Him looking down from His throne, shaking His head and thinking, this is who I called to fight in my army, pitiful.

Depression started to kick in and I knew that if I allowed it to continue, it would be an extremely difficult road for me to come back from. With tears in my eyes, I called out to God and begged for strength. Quitting is not an option. I would like to say that God gently patted my head and told me to be of good cheer because He was taking away all my problems. Nope. Instead, He firmly told me to remember His Word. All things work for the good of those who love Him and have been called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). If He is for me, who can be against me (Romans 8:31). I am more than a conqueror (Romans 8:37). I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Philippians 4:13). He has chosen me and not rejected me. He will strengthen me and help me. He will uphold me with His righteous right hand (Isaiah 41: 9-10). He has commanded me to be strong and courageous. I have been commanded to not be afraid or discouraged because He will be with me wherever I go (Joshua 1:9).

I sat up in my bed, still sore from my wounds and blurry-eyed from my tears and said, “I will not give up! I will never stop praising the Lord! No matter how many people try to tell me God is not good, I will continue to proclaim His goodness, power and His love!”

Fully armed with God’s Word, power and army of angels, I’m getting back in the ring. I may look like a hot mess, with my black eye, missing teeth and bloody, bruised body but I promise at the end of this fight, I will be completely healed, fully restored and God will get all the glory.

Round Two, Let’s Go!

“But you, Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, the One who lifts my head high.” Psalm 3:3 NIV

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Well Done By Tammy Nicole Glover

January 29, 2018January 31, 2018by balm4thesoul1 Comment

Someone recently shared a beautiful story about what they witnessed at a young man’s funeral. I was given permission to share this story in the hopes that it would encourage others. Losing a loved one can be one of the most emotionally painful things we can experience. It’s especially painful when it’s someone who is young. However, even in the midst of our pain and sadness, God can turn our mourning into joy because He will use what the devil means for evil and turn it around for our good. This is exactly what happened at this funeral.

It was a young man, twenty-nine years old and he was a believer. He was also a musician and he used his gift to spread the love of God. He tragically passed away in an accident and left behind a young daughter but he also left behind a ministry that touched so many lives that he probably never realized. Just like everyone else, he had setbacks and fell down but he always got back up. He never stopped pressing toward the goal which God called him to. It wasn’t his failures that were remembered but how he got back up and allowed God to work in his life. As the pastor spoke about how this young man lived his life, God moved and spoke to the hearts of the people in attendance. Although, they were celebrating the life of this young man, God got the glory. At the end, the pastor asked if there was anyone who wanted to give their lives to Jesus Christ and about forty people answered the call. People’s hands raised up as if reaching towards heaven for a Loving and Almighty God that is able to deliver, heal and comfort. A God who is willing to accept them where they are and use them to accomplish great things in this world.

Our lives minister to others whether we realize it or not. this story made me ask the question, what is my life ministering. If I were to leave this world today, would my life inspire anyone to give their life to Christ? Have I truly allowed people to see Christ work through me? The purpose of every believer is to bring as many people to Christ and the main way we do that is the way we live our lives. We should all strive to hear God say, “well done, good and faithful servant.”

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Through the Valley

November 7, 2017by balm4thesoulLeave a Comment

Although the valley is dark and terrifying things keep jumping out at you, don’t stop walking through it. It’s not the time to become paralyzed with fear, nor is it the time to contemplate the fairness of your situation. When you are in the valley, you must keep your focus on God’s promises. As He directs your path give Him praise because on the other side He has an amazing blessing prepared just for you. Don’t allow the enemy to keep you from what God has planned for you. Go through and get your reward.

“Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.” Psalm 23:4 NIV