by sue a allen
Strong & Sturdy
There are times when we feel like this life has gotten the best of us. We feel defeated. We feel afraid. We feel discouraged. We feel like we don’t know what to do. We don’t know where to turn. We’ve gotten ourselves into such a bind that we don’t know how we’ll ever get out. We may never feel well again. We may never find a job again. We don’t know what we are doing. We have no confidence in how we parent. We have lost relationships with those who mean so much to us. We’ve messed up. We said things that we now regret. Our life has not turned out how we planned. We feel like we can’t keep on keepin on.
Life can be so hard sometimes.
There will be times when the wind tries to blow us over, to knock us down. If there is one thing that I am sure of, there will be some storms in your lifetime, just as there have been some storms in mine. And after a strong wind, I feel so down, so weary, so broken-hearted. There have been times when I have lost my peace. I haven’t known which way to turn. I haven’t known how to make amends. I haven’t known what is the right thing to do or say or how to get myself back on track.
I have seen mighty winds blow over even the sturdiest of trees. Trees that seemed rooted deeply, strong and upright. But in order to save the tree, it is imperative to stand it back upright and get those roots buried again.
Stake the tree so that it is well supported. Water it so it can grow.
In scripture, we are commanded to stand firm. STAND. FIRM. So much easier said than done. God’s promises are meant to keep us from worry.
Joshua 1:9, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified. Do not be discouraged. For the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
God knows the way He made us. That’s why so many of His promises start with “Fear not” (103 times to be exact). Most of us are experts at worry. However, we must not forget that worry is a sin because it reveals our unbelief in the sovereignty of God. We cannot trust God and simultaneously, be wrapped up in worry. They cannot co-exist. You may be worrying one moment. Hand the situation over to God and be trusting the next. Come five minutes later, you find yourself heaved over in worry all over again. It can become a back and forth battle to surrender the situation entirely to God.
God desires for us to completely trust Him in every situation, all of the time.
In order to do so, we must stand firm on the promises of God and believe. God wants us to take His Word as truth. Since God is sovereign, His purposes will be worked out. We are incapable to changing the will of God. However, we are given faith to accept the will of God. We may not have all the answers or be able to figure everything out. Here’s the good news: We don’t have to. We have been given the gift of faith. God gives us faith to accept what we don’t understand. That’s what faith is for. He is so absolutely faithful. He is reliable, dependable, and trustworthy. “Great is thy faithfulness, Lord unto me.” Our confidence that God is able keeps us from worry.
“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord..” Romans 8:38-39
Are you absolutely convinced of this same truth? Paul says, “I know.” I know…because I’ve spent time with God and seen His faithfulness first hand. I know…because I’ve seen Him do it before and believe He will do it again. I know Him because I have a personal relationship with Him. And I believe. Yes, I believe God is able.”
