It’s almost impossible to believe that we are only four months away from the end of the year. For some, that thought sparks excitement; for others, it carries the weight of dreams unfulfilled, battles still raging, and prayers that seem unanswered. I recently found myself in that place, tired to the core, questioning everything I believed in. Coming to church felt less like worship and more like ticking off a Sunday errand, and truth be told, the only thing I was faithfully keeping up with was my Sunday best. But deep down, I was empty.
The strength to pray had slipped away, my Bible felt heavier than ever, and even the desire to fellowship was gone. Hopelessness wrapped itself around me, whispering that maybe it was easier to just let go. Yet in the stillness of the forerunners service on Sunday, something shifted. It wasn’t the strength of my own will, because I had none left, it was God Himself. His presence breathed fresh life into me, reviving what had grown cold and weary. The joy of the Lord covered me and strengthened me, and through Pastor Stephen Waiganjo‘s message, it was as though God reached into my heart and whispered, “You’re not done yet.” Suddenly, strength rose again, the strength to push through, to return to the place of prayer, and to believe once more. 
Pastor Stephen Waiganjo reminded us that as humans, we need the hand of the Lord to renew our strength. Life drains us, and the weight of disappointments and deferred hopes can break even the strongest among us. But God assures us in Jeremiah 30:17, “For I will restore health to you and heal you of your wounds.” No matter how low we fall, what matters is how we respond. Micah 7:8 declares, “Though I fall, I will rise.” The prodigal son came to his senses and returned to his father’s house. That is the same invitation God extends to us, don’t stay down, don’t throw a pity party, but rise again. Proverbs 24:10 warns us that if we faint in the day of adversity, our strength is small. But our strength does not come from ourselves; it comes from the Lord, who renews the weary.
Isaiah 40:29-31 reminds us that those who wait upon the Lord will renew their strength, they will mount up on wings like eagles, run and not grow weary, walk and not faint. Waiting on God is not passive, it means soaking in His presence, lingering in prayer, meditating on His Word, and allowing Him to breathe life into us again. David said he hid God’s Word in his heart so that he might not sin against Him, yet many of us meditate more on our problems than His promises. Waiting requires focus, just like a hen sits on her eggs until they hatch, we must remain in the presence of God until something is birthed in us. Even Jesus in His darkest hour prayed until an angel came to strengthen Him. If the Son of God needed divine strength, so do we. Like David at Ziklag who strengthened himself in the Lord, we too can find renewal in His presence, the grace to rise again and recover all that has been lost.
But God’s grace does not stop with recovery; it carries us into rebuilding. . Pastor Donald Gichane showed us in the Family service that restoration always leads to rebuilding. The walls of Jerusalem had lain in ruins for 200 years, and people had long written them off. Yet in just 52 days, through the hand of God upon Nehemiah, those walls were rebuilt. Where men saw ruins, God saw potential. Where men saw hopelessness, God saw destiny. Some people may have written you off, no longer seeing any value in you, but God is like a master developer, He knows what can be built from what others call worthless.
Grace doesn’t just heal you, it equips you with wisdom, stamina, and strategy. Human effort alone cannot accomplish this; Zechariah 4:6 reminds us it is not by might, nor by power, but by His Spirit. Like Nehemiah, opposition will surely come, but the Spirit of God gives courage to overcome and finish what He has started. And when He restores and rebuilds you, it will be so visible, so undeniable, that nations will marvel. Your testimony will not be quiet, it will be loud, a witness to the faithfulness of God.
So as the year winds down, don’t look at the four months left with despair, but with expectation. If God could rebuild in 52 days what had been in ruins for centuries, how much more can He do in your life before this year ends? What has seemed impossible for years can shift in a moment under His hand. Don’t judge your life by its current chapter; your story is still being written. Peter denied Christ but rose to become a mighty apostle. Paul endured shipwrecks, beatings, and prison, yet declared, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” And you too can rise, rebuild, and flourish again.
Your recovery will not end in shame; it will end in glory. Your rebuilding will not be weak; it will be stronger than before. And your story will not fade into silence, it will resound with testimony. So lift your head, wipe your tears, and take courage. The grace to recover is here. The strength to rebuild is available. And your best chapters are not behind you, they are still to come. With God, it is never too late.