How God Sustained Us In The NICU

Our God sustains us by His truth. How God sustained us in the NICU, through the anxiety, uncertainty, and powerlessness, was no different. Though our faith was shaken and put under trial, our knowledge of God strengthened us to know how to process our situation and how to live through it. Here are 3 truths Eunice and I clung to during our baby’s time in the hospital:

*This is a reflection of our NICU experience, you can find more on our adventure in PART 1, PART 2, & PART 3.

God Loves His Children

But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God… (John 1:12)

Love is the position from which God acts towards his children. Therefore, all the “whys” in life should be asked with this reality in mind.

When we are tempted to question God’s love, we must ask ourselves: what is the greatest display of God’s love for His children?

God demonstrates His greatest love in that “while we were still sinners [enemies, God-haters, and criminals], Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8). Through our trust in this act, “we receive the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’” (Romans 8:15).

And since God is perfect, His fatherly love is perfect. He will never mistreat, abuse, or exasperate his children. He will never act with vengeful, hateful, or proud intentions towards His children. He is not rash and foolish, but patient and wise. He will never lie or break promises.

That is why we can take confident peace in God’s fatherly love.

God Hears Our Prayers and He Will Help

The omniscient (all-knowing) God hears our prayers, not just the words, but the emotions, the motives, and the spirit behind them.

He welcomes our whole person to cry out our whole plea.

To be able to speak to God in this intimate way is not only therapeutic for us, but comforting because we are entrusting our burdens to the merciful, all-capable and morally pure being that rules over everything. Hear it from God himself:

Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is anything too hard for me? (Jer 32.27)

Praying to a God who cannot or will not help is futile. But God can and will.

Not only that, but the Holy Spirit prays with us with groanings too deep for words, that communicate to God our true needs, and that God certainly answers (Romans 8:27).

God is Sovereign

for I am God, and there is no other;
    I am God, and there is none like me,
declaring the end from the beginning
    and from ancient times things not yet done,
saying, ‘My counsel shall stand,
    and I will accomplish all my purpose,’

Perhaps the attribute that brings the most assurance to doubting saints is the sovereignty of God. Why is this the case?

Because we do not have control over, nor can we fully see, the present and the future.

However, God can and does.

God’s sovereignty is His freedom to exercise His rule over His creation to accomplish His goals. John Piper preached an excellent sermon on this topic.

Unlike us, God is fully in control of every detail of the present and God knows the future because he creates the future.

This is the God on our side!

And this is the God who adopted us, and hears us, and helps us!

We are so thankful for how God sustained us in the NICU through these glorious truths. Without them, we would have no hooks to tie our faith to the God that keeps us afloat, but with them, we are securely fastened to Lord who is high above the heavens.

How does God sustain you? What truths about God are sweet to you in times of trouble? Share your responses with us below.