Isn’t it interesting how often we fall back on fear? Speaking for myself, falling into fear is easier because it happens without a fight. All I have to do is allow the enemy to fill my head with negative thoughts, worst case scenarios and the myriad of ways everything can go wrong so I can allow myself to be sent spiraling into an abyss of negativity. But it does not have to be this way.
Life can sucker punch us when we least expect it. Those moments make us doubt God is woking in our lives. The Lord knew we would encounter dips in our faith, which is why He provides is 365 examples of faithfulness in the Bible. When life punches you in the gut, don’t grow weary, but remain focused through prayer and guarding your spirit. God will do the rest.
The Christian Standard Bible’s (CEB) translation of John 15:7 states: “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you want and it will be done for you”. According to Webster’s Dictionary, to “remain” means to “stay in the same place”, to “continue unchanged”, and to “be part of, not destroyed, taken or used up”. These three definitions offer vital insight into understanding what and how God wants us to develop relationship with Him.
What has become your idol? Are you beholden to your worry, your fears, and doubt? Are you going to food before you head to the throne in prayer? Are you seeking counsel from trusted friends instead of asking God to guide you? How much do you really trust God to be Jehovah-Jireh, to provide the answers you need, the opportunities, an open door for new things to come into your life, and help when you’re drowning?
Believe it or not, it’s during times like these when God proves himself to be our Jehovah-Shammah, “The Lord is There”, but because we cannot see Him operating on our behalf, we believe we’re abandoned, and once we feel abandoned, then we try to handle our own business. In doing so, we forget to pray, we forget to trust, and we forget to believe our omnipotent God has our back.
What do you do with bad news? Do you worry or handle it with stride? Do you express your thoughts with a loved one, or do you keep how you’re feeling to yourself? Do you pretend all is well, or do you fall apart? I would say you probably do a combination of all of thee above. At least that’s what I did.
