Devotion: When Everything Feels Shaky — Your Daily Cup Of Inspiration

In today’s devotion, Dianna Hobbs reminds you that even when life leaves you weary and unsteady, the Rock of Ages never fails. In Him, you’ll find the strength, refreshment, and hope to press on.

Sometimes, I still get nervous about going out in public, especially when I have to stand up and speak.

It’s not just jitters; it’s the kind of anxiety that lingers, the kind doctors say goes hand in hand with brain trauma. But I’ve decided I’m not letting any diagnosis write the ending to my story. God’s calling on my life is still alive, and I refuse to give up on it.

Last night was rough. I tossed and turned, wide awake, my mind racing as the days tick down to September 25–26, when I’m scheduled to speak two nights in a row at the Whole Woman Conference in Mobile, Alabama. The closer it gets, the more restless I become, like I can’t find the “off” switch in my head.

You see, for the first time since everything changed in August 2019, I’m getting on a plane to leave my home state and preach the Gospel again. This trip isn’t just another speaking engagement; it’s a brand-new experience for me after trauma.

I don’t know how it will feel or what challenges I might face, but I take comfort in knowing that while this is new to me, none of it is new to God. Every day of my life was written in His book before one of them came to be (Psalm 139:16).

People often say—and I’m sure I’ve said it a time or two—that “God is writing your story,” as if He’s figuring things out alongside us. But the truth is, He’s already written every chapter. My journey may feel uncertain to me, but it has never been uncertain to Him. I can step forward, even trembling, knowing God has already gone ahead of me and prepared the way.

Still, my nerves have been heightened lately. It’s that feeling of your heart and your flesh just not cooperating, you know?

So, in that haze of worry, you know what I did, friend? I started to pray. That’s when the Holy Spirit whispered a verse I’ve known for years but needed in that exact moment:

“My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever” (Psalm 73:26, NIV).

***

This emotionally rich and layered psalm was written by Asaph, one of David’s worship leaders, a man who knew what it was to feel shaken. He looked around at the world and saw things that didn’t make sense: the wicked thriving, the faithful struggling. He admitted, “My feet had almost slipped” (v. 2). His confidence was fading, his perspective cloudy.

But when he entered God’s presence, everything shifted. He realized that even when he couldn’t hold himself together, God was holding him.

In the original Hebrew, the word translated ‘strength’ in Psalm 73:26 is tsûr, which means ‘rock. Fascinatingly, it’s the same word that appears in Exodus 17, when God showed up as the Rock for Israel during their wilderness journey.

Let’s revisit the scene for a moment, shall we? Picture it: the sun beating down, sand burning their feet. The Israelites, newly freed from Egypt but dangerously thirsty, are wandering with parched throats and cracked lips. Children cry. Animals stumble. The sound of complaints rises like heat waves off the desert floor: “Did you bring us here to die of thirst?”

Moses feels panic closing in. The people are so desperate, so angry, that he fears for his life. Everything feels shaky—body, mind, and spirit.

But then God gives Moses a strange command: “I will stand before you by the rock (tsûr) at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out for the people to drink” (Exodus 17:6).

Moses obeys, and from that stone, water pours out, flooding the dust, quenching every need. It’s a miracle in the middle of their driest, most desperate place. The Rock becomes their source of life.

Later, the apostle Paul looks back on this story and says, “That rock was Christ” (1 Corinthians 10:4). In other words, Jesus Himself was there in the wilderness, present, providing, pouring out life.

Oh, bless His name!

***

At Calvary, that Rock was struck again. This time, a soldier’s spear pierced Jesus’ side, and blood and water flowed out (John 19:34). The blood to cover our sins. The water to cleanse and fill us with new life by the Spirit. Just as water poured from the rock in the desert, eternal life pours out from Christ to us.

That’s why you and I can say with Asaph, “God is the strength of my heart.” Our Rock isn’t just a distant Old Testament shadow. He’s Jesus our Savior, our Cornerstone, our Living Water.

Friend, when your confidence gets shaky, when your heart grows faint, and when you feel like you’re running on empty, follow God’s Word: cling to the Rock who was struck for you. He never runs dry!”

God told me to prophesy Isaiah 58:11 over you: “The LORD will guide you continually, and satisfy your soul in drought, and strengthen your bones; You shall be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.”

Know that He is refreshing you, even now. Restoring you, even now. Refilling you, even now. Strengthening you, even now. Causing rivers to flow through your desert, even now.

Receive that today.

***

If your heart feels unsteady and your courage is slipping, remember this: your Rock is steady. Your Rock is strong. Your Rock is Christ. He’s your refuge when you feel exposed, your shield when you’re under attack, your strong tower when the world closes in. From Him flows all the life, strength, and comfort you’ll ever need.

Let this promise—which I’m stirring as the sweetener in your cup of inspiration—soak into your soul: “The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold” (Psalm 18:2, NIV).

As you drink down the contents of your cup, know this: though the earth may shake beneath your feet, the Rock of Ages (Isaiah 26:4) stands unmoved.

Where your strength ends, His power begins. When you feel worn out and empty, the Living Water He pours into you will not only sustain you, but it will also overflow. It will wash away every barrier and lie that says you won’t make it.

God is carrying you from the wilderness of wandering into the Promised Land of fulfillment. You will cross over, because your Rock goes before you. He will sustain you. He will strengthen you. And He will not fail. And because He will not fail, neither will you.

Be encouraged.

Now let’s pray.

God, thank You for being the Rock who sustains me, restores me, strengthens me, and revives me when my heart and flesh fail. Thank You for Jesus, the Rock struck for me, my Living Water, who poured Himself out so I’ll never run dry. Today, I receive a fresh outpouring of Your life-giving power and praise You for renewed strength, courage, and all I need to press forward by faith. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

As always, thanks for reading and until next time... may today's cup of inspiration uplift, encourage, and empower you!

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