From the Ashes by Maria Segerholm (4 Day Devotional)

May 21, 2025

I N T R O D U C T I O N

A SEASON OF LAMENT

Life consists of different seasons. There’s seasons of joy. But there’s also seasons of lament. If that’s the season you find yourself in now, I hope this four day devotional will bring you comfort and hope as well as encouragement.

Lament means to express deep sorrow, grief or regret. It’s a prayer for help coming out of pain, and it is very common in the Bible, yet I believe we’re not so comfortable with it. But it’s an important dimension of prayer that I believe we need to rediscover. You can find lament in about one third of the Psalms, in the Lamentations, and in the Book of Job to name a few biblical examples of lament.

Why do we often feel the need to be strong and stay positive all the time? We might pretend that everything’s okay even in times when it’s not. I think one reason for this, is that we’re afraid to sound ungrateful if we share our lament. It’s like we think that an attitude of gratitude and lament can’t coexist.

I believe they absolutely can!

It’s not a failure to bring your lament to God – it’s an act of faith. That’s why I think it’s important to leave room for lament. To come before God with hurt, doubts, questions, sadness and anger. He can take it! Share your pain with God. His burden is light, and He can make yours feel lighter.

A lot of the Psalms end with praise. I think that’s because it’s after we lament, that healing begin. That’s why this devotional and the songs on the EP will take you on a journey of transition from lament to praise.

From the ashes beauty will rise.

D A Y 1

DO NOT DELAY

Express your feelings while you wait

David ends his prayer in Psalm 40 and 70 with the words “Do Not Delay.” Why? Because waiting is hard. Sometimes you have to wait for a very long time for God to intervene. You might not understand why, and you might feel that the struggle is too much for you to handle. The thing is, we are not promised to go through life without suffering. We are promised that when we go through suffering, God will be with us. He will never leave us nor forsake us.

Sometimes we don’t experience God’s closeness, but we can choose to cling on to what we know by faith. Waiting is hard, but it’s so much easier when you tell God how you feel. He wants your honest feelings.

If you find it hard to share your emotions, have you ever thought about the fact that Jesus shared His? In John 11:35 it says that “Jesus wept”. He suffered with those He loved. And He shared His lament to the Father as well (Mark 14:36 & Mark 15:34). If Jesus did this, we can be sure that there’s a lesson to be learned from it.

My song ‘Do Not Delay’ is inspired by Psalm 40, and written from the perspective of a person who is going through a dark valley, and who knows the truth but doesn’t feel it. The song does not end with praise, because if you’re in a season of lament, positive songs might not resonate with you right now. Maybe you need to stay in a place of lament, before the story ends in glory.

If you’re going through a valley right now or if you feel weighed down by worry, then this song’s for you. Maybe you’re disappointed or angry with God. Maybe you know the truth, but you can’t feel it. Maybe you’ve turned your back on Him, and you can’t find the words to pray. Then I hope the song will give you words to pray. And if you can’t find the strength to pray, I sing this over you. I pray that God will not delay in intervening in your situation.

The waiting can be really hard, but make sure to express your feelings to Him while you wait. He is our help and our deliverer.

D A Y 1

S C R I P T U R E

“I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.”
Psalms 40:1-2 NIV

“You are my help and my deliverer; you are my God, do not delay.”
Psalms 40:17 NIV

Further reading:

Isaiah 43:2
Deuteronomy 31:8
Matthew 11:28-30
1 Peter 5:7

P R A Y E R

“Lord, hear my cry. I’m really hurting right now. I need You. Thank You for being with me even when I can’t feel it. Though my situation feels like too much to bear, and though I don’t understand why this is happening – I trust You to be in control. Lord, rescue me. O my God, do not delay.”

^{L I S T E N}

Do Not Delay – Maria Segerholm

D A Y 2

FROM THE ASHES

Persevere in faith and trust God’s sovereignty

In the first two chapters of the book of Job, Job stayed strong. Even though Job lost everything, He still praised God. Talk about inspiring. The reason he could do that is that he had a strong faith that was built before the storms of life. It’s like soldiers training for war when there’s no war. It prepares them for when the war comes. We need to make sure to build our faith even when we’re not facing trials.

In chapter three and onwards it gets tough for Job to keep the same attitude, which is human. Job struggled, and he was being questioned and accused by his friends who believed the suffering was a punishment for his sins. Imagine having to go through all that. Job expressed his true emotions to God and he started questioning things (e.g 7:16 and Job 7:20). He did not hold back. Instead of turning away, Job continued to turn toward God. He went through a roller-coaster of emotions. He wanted to honor God but went through trials that led to feelings of depair.

Towards the end, Job returned to trusting God. God faced and spoke to Job, He forgave and restored Job, and He blessed him richly. Job went from praise, to lament, and back to praise again. Job’s faith was not perfect, but it was ultimately rewarded.

Through all that Job went through, he gained a greater understanding of God. God didn’t answer Job’s questions, but He reminded him that He controls all things. It’s the same for us, often we don’t get to know the“why” to our suffering, but Job is an example of how it’s possible to heal and live a happy life even after severe tragedy. The main message in Job is not about suffering, but about God’s sovereignty in suffering and about persevering in faith in the midst of struggle.

Pour out your heart to God. Cling to God. He is the only one who knows how you feel and that won’t ever leave you. Let Him remind you of things you already know about Him, as well as show you new things about who He is.

D A Y 2

S C R I P T U R E

“The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.”
Job 1:21 NIV

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”
John 10:10 NIV

Further reading:

Isaiah 61:3
Proverbs 3:5
Jeremiah 33:3
Romans 8:28-29

P R A Y E R

“Lord, I am drowning in despair and I’m going through an emotional roller-coaster. I give You my questions, my doubts and all my feelings. I breathe out anxiety, and breathe in Your peace. Help me to trust You through this trial. Thank You for walking with me through my suffering. Show me more of who You are. Thank You for always working for my good.”

L I S T E N

From the Ashes – Maria Segerholm ft. Tom Taylor

D A Y 3

MY FAITH SURVIVES

Choose faith in all circumstances

Despair and hope are both part of life, but holding on to hope, is what makes our faith survive. Our faith is like a muscle. When we use our muscles, they grow strong. When we don’t use them, the muscles begin to diminish and we lose our strength. Eventually our muscles atrophy. God wants to grow our faith. If we go through life’s struggles and hold on to faith, our faith muscles grows.

When our faith is being tested we can choose to turn our back on God, or to put Him first and cling to Him with everything we have. It takes trust and obedience to praise God through a trial. But when we do, it builds character and strengthens our faith.

I think there’s a great lesson to be learned about this from Peter in Matthew 14:28-33. As long as Peter kept his eyes on Jesus, he could walk on water. But when he looked at the storm, he started sinking. If we keep our eyes on Jesus, our faith will survive the storm.

Sun and rain are needed for growth, but sun and rain alone are not enough. There’s no growth without oxygen. If we let this be a parable of our lives, then there’s sunny seasons, and rainy seasons, and God is the oxygen. Without God, there’s no growth, no matter what season you’re in. He’s with you in every season. Draw near to God and let Him be your oxygen no matter what season you’re in.

Being obedient comes at a price, but the reward awaiting is worth everything. To pray“Your will be done”while going through a trial, is hard. But we can be confident, that He knows what’s best for us and He works for our good.

Whatever you’re going through, choose faith. When it’s easy, and when it’s hard. God hears broken hallelujahs! What happens with a strengthened faith, it that you can feel pain and peace at the same time. Because God is good even when life is extremely hard. And there’s power in proclaiming that God is good despite our circumstances.

D A Y 3

S C R I P T U R E

“In my distress I called to the Lord; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears.”
Psalm 18:6 NIV

“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

Further reading:

Matthew 6:9-13
Romans 10:13
Matthew 6:33
Romans 5:3-5

P R A Y E R

“Lord, You’re my rock and my shield. My oxygen. I seek You first. Fix my eyes on You. Thank you for arming me for this battle. Though I don’t know what my future holds, I know that You hold my future, and I choose faith over fear. Thank You for Your peace. You are good despite my circumstances. Let Your will be done.”

^{L I S T E N}

My Faith Survives – Maria Segerholm

D A Y 4

WHERE BREAKTHROUGH STARTS

Praise your way through the trial!

It’s the last day of this devotional, and today we’re doing a transition from lament to praise.

I think we often ask God for breakthrough, and then we wait for Him to do something for us. To give us a big sensational sign, or to intervene in a situation. During a lament season I went through, I felt God telling me that a breakthrough starts in His presence, at His feet. No matter the outcome. I think that’s such an eye-opening and powerful realization. The true breakthrough, is the one God does in our hearts when we spend time with Him. Sometimes He doesn’t change the circumstances, but He changes us. Time in His presence will never leave us the same.

My encouragement to you today is to spend time in His Word, and in His presence. You can rest assured that He is working for your good, even when you can’t see it or feel it. Joshua 23:14 says that not one of all the good promises the Lord your God gave you has failed. Every promise has been fulfilled; not one has failed. Cling on to that!

He was working then, He is working now, and He’ll do it again.

This will probably not be your last trial. But as your faith survives trial after trial it will grow and give you a deeper understanding of who God is, and it will give you a peace that passes all understanding.

Express your emotions to Him. Persevere in faith. Trust His sovereignty. Choose faith in all circumstances. And praise your way through the trial.

Praise is a powerful weapon. Make sure to use it! And make sure to put on the armor of God. I pray that no matter what you’re going through, this devotional has encouraged you to seek Jesus; because that’s where breakthrough starts.

You might not see it now, but I’m sure God will use your story for His glory. Beauty will rise from the ashes.

D A Y 4

S C R I P T U R E

“I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.” Psalm 34:4 NIV

“See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”
Isaiah 43:19 NIV

Further reading:

Joshua 23:8
Matthew 6:8
1 Kings 19:12
Exodus 14:14

P R A Y E R

“Jesus, I lift Your name on high. You alone deserve my praise. I just want to sit at Your feet. Thank You for all You’ve done in my life until this day, and thank You for doing something new in this moment. I cling on to Your promises. I put on Your armor. Thank You for making beauty from the ashes.”

L I S T E N

Where Breakthrough Starts – Maria Segerholm ft. Ed Marl