He is with me. . .always!

"The LORD said to Jacob,

'Return to the land of your fathers 

and to your relatives.

I will be with you.'

So Jacob sent a message for Rachel and Leah

to come to the field where his flocks were.

there he said to them,

'I can tell that your father's attitude toward me has changed,

but the God of my father has been with me."

Genesis 31:3-5 NET

There was something different but I couldn't put my finger on it.  The wind that had buffeted the back of our house was still howling, but it there was a different tenor to it's rage.  I walked from the front bedroom where my family was sleeping peacefully and parted the curtains of a window in back of the house.  As I inspected the trees bending under the force of the storm, I pinpointed the difference;  The direction of the wind had changed.  

Taking this as a good sign that we were on the backside of the hurricane, I whispered thanks to God for protecting us.  Soon, the storm would be over and the clean-up would begin.

God was with my family as Hurricane Fran passed through our town in 1996, and I can trust that He will always be there, even when things seem to be going wrong.  He never ceases the pursuit of His own and is always working to refine our faith, all while providing His protection.

Tides Shift

Standing out in the water, I waited for the big one; the wave that would take me all the way into shore.  Finally, my patience paid off as I spotted it.  Placing myself into position, I waited until just the right moment before I started swimming to match the speed of the wave.  As it came upon me, I was able to catch it, letting the water take me all the way into the beach.

Body surfing is only fun when the tides are coming in.  Once the surge shifts and the water is moving out, the incoming waves always seem to be fighting the outgoing tides.  For this reason, it is important to know the tide times when playing in the surf.

While riding the waves is not as fun when the surf starts moving back away from the shore, there are many times in life when the tides seem to be shifting as well.  It may be that the once strong support for a ministry wanes so much that it is forced to shut down.  Or the attitude of my spouse changes so drastically that I wonder if he still loves me.  Or the direction in which my life is moving suddenly swings around in the opposite direction, leaving me feeling dizzy from the sudden change of direction.

No matter how many changes are going on around me, God is still with me, providing that solid rock on which I can stand.

Foes Pursue

They are always on high alert, looking for a target.  Their guard is never dropped as it seems their uppermost goal in life is to hunt down their prey.  While I could admire their tenacity, their thirst for the chase gets on my nerves.

Walking my two Labrador Retriever mixed-breed canines is an exercise in staying alert.  No matter where we go, they always seem to sense something that needs to be chased.  Most of the time their prey is a squirrel, but they've also been known to go on high alert when seeing a cat scurry into a storm drain or a black bird hop across the road.  Our dogs are expert chasers.

While I may not have anyone like my canine companions who are running after me, I do have a foe who pursues me.  Sometimes Satan uses a friend who means well but seems to have a knack for putting me down.  Other times it's an overzealous government employee who targets my ministry and sics the social service agency on me.  Every now and then I feel like someone is out to get me when I keep finding an extra charge on my grocery receipt.  

Whether it's criticism, sabotage or fraud, my real enemy is Satan who prowls around like a lion looking for someone to devour. (1 Peter 5:8)  For this reason I can aim my arrows at him instead of the people he uses as pawns, never forgetting that God's power is much greater than his. (1 John 4:4)

No matter how many people seem to be going after me, God is still with me, providing protection from my real Enemy.

Tables Turn

Things always get worse before they get better.

The darkest hour is just before the dawn.

Sometimes you have to hit rock bottom before you can rise up.

When I'm in the middle of the mess, stumbling around in the darkness, or skinning my knees on the rocks at the bottom of the pit, it's hard to remember the truth found in these quotes.  There are many times when God sends in the Calvary, but only when the darkest hour has come.

The cupboards are bare and my hope is nearly as empty when the knock comes at the door.  The due date has come and gone and the bill collectors are starting to call when the check arrives in the mail.  The pain has moved from intense to unbearable when the Healing Hand delivers a sense of peace.

God has a way of turning the tables, providing an unexpected outcome in a surprising way.  An enemy becomes a friend, a trap becomes a means of salvation, or the darkest time becomes the most blessed period of my life.  Therefore, when I reach a difficult period of life, it's time to start looking for the mighty hand of God to blow my mind.

No matter how bad things seem to be, God is still with me, waiting for just the right time to turn the tables.

There is a reason God instructed me to not try to understand what is going on. (Proverbs 3:5-6) That is because His ways are so much higher than mine and my mind is too puny to grasp the vastness of His plan. (Isaiah 55:8-9, Romans 11:34)  All I need to keep in mind is that He is with me, even when the tides shift, my Foe pursues or I'm waiting for the tables to turn.  Knowing that He is with me always gives me the strength to carry on.

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can keep my eyes on the One who never leaves my side.

How do I turn away from God because the circumstances of my life seem overwhelming?

When do I miss the work of His hand because I'm too busy wallowing in my sorrows?