Staying Faithful When the Road Gets Hard
By Marcus Stanley
Hey family,
I originally wasn’t planning to say anything publicly about this. I’ve been pressing forward, doing what I need to do, and continuing to show up every day. But over the past few weeks, I’ve received thousands of messages asking if I’m okay and why my posts aren’t showing up. After hearing from so many of you, I felt like I needed to let you know what’s been happening.
On October 15, I was notified that my page was restricted. That news truly broke my heart. The date I’ve been given for those restrictions to lift is January 15, 2027.
What that means is that fewer people are being shown my videos, including people who already follow my page. So if you haven’t been seeing my posts, I haven’t stopped sharing them.
Several of my Verse of the Day videos were flagged. I believe those decisions were wrong. Automated systems review videos on these platforms, and those systems can get it wrong. I believe they misunderstood my Bible videos, and even after I appealed, the restrictions remained.
I’ll be honest. This has been discouraging. I’ve poured so much into showing up every day, sharing God’s Word, and reaching someone who needs to know they aren’t alone. It really hurt me to see that now become harder to do.
But I know I’m not the only one facing something hard or difficult.
Maybe you’ve been trying to do the right thing, take care of your family, and stay faithful. Then something happens out of nowhere that you didn’t expect. A door closes. You find out about something that you weren’t prepared for. And you wonder how much more you can take.
If that’s where you are, I want to take a moment to remind you that you can bring all of that to God. You don’t have to hide anything that you’re upset about or find the perfect words before you pray. Tell Him where it hurts. Tell Him where you’re tired. Ask Him to help you take the next step.
I’ve definitely been doing that these past few weeks, and I’m telling you, my prayers have been all over the place, but they’ve been real, and they’ve been honest.
Psalm 46:1 says, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.”
See, I love that Scripture because it means His help is something that’s there for us all the time, even when something is still unresolved. We come to Him with all of the questions we have. We can ask someone to pray with us. We can get encouragement from people when we don’t have much strength left to give.
I’ve been thinking about the way Jesus taught us to pray for our daily bread. That prayer brings me back to what’s happening right now. I don’t have to figure out the next three months today. I can ask God for what I need right now in this moment and be faithful with what He has given me to do.
I’m a caregiver for my mom, who has Parkinson’s and lives with me. Today, I can keep doing what I’ve been called to do: take care of her, care for my family, pray for someone, and share God’s Word. I can keep reaching out to the person who needs hope.
Galatians 6:9 begins, “Let us not become weary in doing good.”
The reality is that doing good doesn’t always feel good. We care deeply. We keep showing up. And when something gets in the way, it hurts.
So take time to rest. Breathe. Let people encourage you. Bring everything that you’re upset about to Jesus, and ask Him to help you keep going. Don’t let the devil try to convince you that the good that you’ve been doing doesn’t matter. I know I’m talking to you, but I’m talking to myself right now. For real, too.
I’m staying the course. I’m going to keep sharing the Verse of the Day and encouraging people through God’s Word. If my videos aren’t appearing in your feed, you can visit my page directly to find them.
Thank you for praying for me, for reaching out, and for reminding me that these moments together matter. I’m grateful for you.
Whatever you’re facing today, I hope this encourages you to keep bringing your heart to God. Ask Him for your daily bread. Ask Him for strength. Keep taking the next faithful step.
And like one of my favorite hymns says, “It is well with my soul.”
I love you all.
Marcus
Let’s stay connected in the meantime. I’ll be sending out a devotional once a week, and I’d love for you to be a part of it.