God is for my Good

"There, by the Ahava Canal, I proclaimed a fast, 

so that we might humble ourselves before our God

and ask him for a safe journey for us and our children,

with all our possessions.  

I was ashamed to ask the king for soldiers and horsemen to protect us from enemies on the road,

because we had told the king,

'The gracious hand of our God is on everyone who looks to him, but his great anger is against all who forsake him.'

So we fasted and petitioned our God about his,

and he answered our prayer."

Ezra 8:21-23

He had taken his stand, expressed his allegiance, made it clear in Whom he trusted.  Now, when push came to shove, it was time to act on his proclamation.

Ezra knew something I often forget:  God is for my good.  He knew that if God was for him, no enemy could prevail (Romans 8:31).  Even though he may have grown faint at the thought of traveling through enemy territory without a band of soldiers, he chose to follow through with his beliefs and trust God wholly as his protector.

What would happen if I did the same?

Confidence.  I always wondered why some people had so much of it and I had so little.  In Junior High, I admired the girls who sang solos, the boys who made the class crack up at their jokes, or the jocks who led their team to victory.  I wanted to feel as self-assured as these kids obviously did.

I have since grown up and realized that everyone is insecure in one way or another.  In Christ, however, I am complete.  When I have embraced my true identity in Him, my character as a unique masterpiece of a Creator who loves me perfectly (Psalm 139:13-14, 1 John 3:1), I don't have to trust in me but in Him.  Instead of living like that timid, unsure adolescent, I can step boldly forward with the living God to back me up (2 Timothy 1:7).  

When I trust God wholly, fear is a thing of the past and doubt but a fleeting memory.  My confidence comes from what I recognize that God will do through me, because I know God enough to trust that He can work through anyone.  My confidence comes from my awareness of God's greatness.  My confidence comes from my security in His kingdom.

When I trust in the God who is for my good, I acquire a confidence in His ability to equip, protect and enable me.

Purpose.  Becoming stranded without money in the middle of nowhere on a cross-country move. A grease fire in the home we left behind.  Relying on tow-trucks three times in one week to rescue two of our vehicles which suddenly developed mechanical problems.  Major car repair on a strict budget.  The sudden death of our young cat and the expected passing of our longtime feline companion, all within two weeks.  Unfair treatment at work that caused a cut in income.  A car accident that totaled a vehicle.  

These are some of the challenges our family has faced in the past three months.  If I didn't know God and understand that He holds a purpose for every circumstance He allows into my life, I would despair at the struggles of life.  Thankfully, I know God has a plan and that He uses every single heartache, problem and difficulty to grow me into the woman He created me to be (Romans 8:28-29, Jeremiah 29:11).  In Christ, something beneficial comes out of every struggle.  My suffering is not in vain.

When I trust in the God who is for my good, I can walk through the hard times of life with the assurance that God has a purpose for every circumstance.

Peace.  It's easy to become anxious in a world filled with things to worry about.  If my life was dependent upon the president's ability to lead our country unscathed through turmoil, or an agency's fitness for thwarting every single terrorist attack, or the medical profession's power to stop an epidemic, my heart would be wracked with worry.  

Thankfully, I am not dependent upon man to protect me from harm.  Instead, I place my trust in God to keep me safe.  As I position myself in His capable and loving hands, anxiety melts away.  When I believe God will fight my battles for me, the constant quest to find the perfect solution is no longer necessary.  Letting God take the helm of my life means all the "what ifs" that used to keep me up at night suddenly hold no power to hold my attention.

When I trust in the God who is for my good, I will discover a peace as I place my life under His protection.

It's easy to make proclamations of faith like Ezra did, claiming that my God will protect me from all harm.  It's quite another thing altogether to follow through with my declaration of faith and place my trust in Him.  Knowing that God is looking out for my best interest, however, can give me the assurance I need to position myself in His capable hands. When I do, I'll discover a new-found confidence in His ability to work through me, a realization that there is purpose for everything that comes into my life, and a peace I can't explain in the midst of it all.  Only a God that is for my good could accomplish such feats!

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can trust God enough to let Him protect me.

When do I feel reckless when I consider abandoning traditional methods of protection in exchange for God's?

How big do I believe God to be?  Big enough to cover me through thick and thin?  Or is His power limited to what I can understand?