No Matter What

"God is our refuge and strength,

an ever-present help in trouble.

Therefore we will not fear,

though the earth give way

and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,

though its waters roar and foam

and the mountains quake with their surging."

Psalm 46:1-3

Think of your worst, your greatest fear.  Got a picture of it?  Okay, now, how will you face it?  If it came to pass, what would you do?

The answer is, "God."  He is how you and I face our greatest fear realized.

Refuge.  Wherever I am, He is there.  There is nowhere I can go where His Spirit is not there also (Psalm 139:7-11).  If I sink into the darkest depths of despair, He is there.  If I rise to the heights of success, He is there.  If I run far away in an effort to prove my worth by finding my own way, He is there.

My Father is always there.  It's not just that He is omnipresent, which He is.  Rather, it's the fact that His heart is always there with me.  He is a romantic, constantly seeking me out, as afraid I am of intimacy.  No matter how much I fear revealing the dark things found in the deepest parts of me, He is there.  And He is safe.  

I can trust Him with my greatest fears!  He will not turn away in disgust, withdrawing His love out of disappointment.  No!  I am secure in His steadfast love.  So secure that I can open up myself to Him and share it all with Him.  He is my refuge.  When no one else understands, He does.  When I feel abandoned by all, He is there.  When fear grips my heart, giving me an ugly countenance, He sees me as beautiful in the midst of the distress.

When facing my greatest fears, God is my safe place where I will always be accepted as a well-loved child.

Strength.  My greatest fear saps me of energy.  It leaves me helpless and vulnerable.  In the face of it, I lose all ability to think rationally, to push through the wall that rises up, to carry on.  Even though I loathe quitting, I want nothing more than to give up, letting the failure come because I think it's so much better than what I dread.

If I keep my eyes on my Father, however, as He stands steadfast in love before me, I will have the strength I need to persevere.  What seemed so impossible suddenly becomes possible in the presence of my Savior.  He rescues me from hopelessness and delivers me into a new realm where I can put one foot in front of the other, moving toward what scares me.  Instead of backing off, as is my natural self-preserving inclination, I have been given the supernatural ability to endure, to withstand the storm, to persist (Isaiah 40:28-31).

When facing my greatest fears, God is my source of strength to face my fears as I grow in His love for me.

Ever-present.  Soldiers spend a lot of time caring for their weapon.  When in combat, their firearm is their best friend, their hope for survival, their greatest ally.  Therefore, they want to make sure it works properly, that it can be counted on.  It is tested often, cleaned regularly, and maintained consistently.  When it is needed, it must work; their life depends on it!

When I'm facing what weakens my knees with fright, I want to know without a doubt that God is trustworthy and constant.  If I'm going to put my faith in Him, it will be with the understanding that He can be counted on.  I must realize that He will never let me down.

When I comprehend these aspects of God; His faithfulness, His proven dependability, His willingness to help me when I call on Him, I will be able to put my life in His hands.  He is exactly who He says He is in His Word.  He is close to the brokenhearted, hears me when I cry out to Him, and is my source of hope (Psalm 34:18, Psalm 18:6, Psalm 62:5).

When facing my greatest fears, God can be counted on as a well-proven presence in my life as I place my trust wholly in Him.

It's hard to think about facing that which sends my heart into panic.  If my greatest fear is realized, it will not be the end.  God will be my answer as I discover how safe He is, that His strength can be mine, and He is a constant presence that can be counted on.  In these ways, even though I'm in the middle of my worst nightmare, I'm finding that He is the answer, no matter what.

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can keep close to the God who is always close to me.

When do I pull away from God, uncomfortable with His advances?

What do I fear the most and spend a lot of energy avoiding?     

     

Trouble with a Capital "T"

"Many are the afflictions of the righteous,

but the LORD delivers him out of them all."

Psalm 34:19 ESV

"I beg your pardon, I never promised you a rose garden, along with the sunshine; there's gotta be a little rain sometime!"  I remember singing along to this catchy 1973 hit by Lynn Anderson.  As a child, I didn't really pay attention to the lyrics, but as an adult I think this first line could have been penned by God Himself.  

Committing my life to following Jesus does not mean my life will be trouble-free.  It's quite the contrary, really, as I live in enemy territory in a body that can be my greatest adversary until I'm called home (John 16:33, 1 Peter 2:11-12).  This sounds like a recipe for difficulty, if you ask me!  I'm not promised a life free of hard times but an abundant life in the midst of the mess (John 10:10).

But.  If the first part of today's scripture passage was the whole message, life would be hopeless indeed!  Thankfully, there is a "but."  The "but" means there is something more; an Overcomer who has vanquished death and has authority over sin and evil!  

Through Jesus, my Champion, I can live without fear of death.  It is no longer the end, but only the beginning of an eternity of bliss in the presence of the One who loves me perfectly!  I can trust Him that the everlasting home that is promised me will be one that fulfills me perfectly, giving me complete contentment as things return to how they were meant to be (John 14:2-3).  

I can also live a life free from the bondage of sin where temptation is not my slave driver but I can choose to take the out He's provided and walk a new way that is contrary to my fleshly desires (1 Corinthians 10:13, Romans 6:6).

Furthermore, Satan has no license to operate freely in my life.  Instead, through Jesus I have authority over him, giving him no leeway except for what I allow.  When I recognize his evil plot, my Warrior has given me armor and weapons with which to fight him off (Ephesians 6:13-18).

Jesus is who I need to withstand the trouble I face in this world.

Deliverance.  It was like nothing anyone had ever seen before.  The men walked in the fiery furnace that was hot enough to melt iron yet emerged unscathed, without even the smell of smoke upon them (Daniel 3:19-30).  How could this be?  God delivered them!

The same is promised for me as His child through faith in Jesus Christ. Even though the waters may rise up until I may fear drowning, He will be with me keeping my head above the waters.  When rapids rush around me, threatening to take me back from where I came, I won't succumb to the current.  While I may not escape the fire, the flames will not destroy me (Isaiah 43:1-3).

In the same way that Jesus was there with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego as they walked in Nebuchadnezzar's deadly furnace, He has promised to never leave me nor forsake me (Daniel 3:25, Matthew 28:20, Hebrews 13:5).  With Him at my side, what weapon can prevail, what trouble can overcome me (Romans 8:31, Isaiah 54:17 )?

Jesus is my deliverer who will stand with me through the trial, delivering me through it unscathed.

Complete.  Ever present.  Always ready. Very present.  Well-proved.  God is my refuge and strength.  Always, without fail, never to let me down in my time of need (Psalm 46:1).  With such a God as this at my side, what do I have to fear?

God's help is complete and whole.  He does not do a job half-way, but delivers total healing, full recovery, and thorough transformation.  He does not miss a detail.  Therefore, I can trust Him completely no matter what chaos is going on around me.  

Still, I must keep close to Him and train my attention upon Him to keep the current crisis from sending me into a tailspin of panic.  God is my refuge, but I must stick with Him in order to experience the help He is ready to give.  He will not let me down.

Jesus can be counted on to always provide complete help at just the right time.

Yes, life is full of trouble with a capital "T."  Even though I'm ushered into God's kingdom through faith in Jesus Christ, I'm not promised an easy, comfortable life.  I do have hope, though, in the person of Jesus Christ who will always be with me, faithfully delivering me through whatever trial may come.  Therefore, I can choose faith in Jesus instead of fear of what surrounds me.  I'm not promised a rose garden, but the joy that comes with walking through the fire with Jesus smells sweeter than any flower ever could!

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can keep my eyes on Jesus as I encounter today's trouble with the grace God has promised me.

When do I let the trouble send me into fear and doubt?

In my panic, how do I forget Who is right beside me?