May 24, 2018

The LORD Remains Faithful

The righteous person may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all. – Psalm 34:19

Fear and uncertainty push my buttons. How about you? Do you get upset when faced with the unknown? Do you lose hope and faith when you can’t see a way?

God reminded me recently that He can make a way when I don’t even see the beginning of the path. He told me again that He is faithful and always keeps His promises. He showed me His love. And He showed up when I needed Him most.

I sat so many days with my Bible open, finger jabbing at His words on the page. I felt a deep need to remind Him of what He’d said. I know. It’s comical. God knows the pages far better than I ever will. Still, He met me there in that place. He didn’t turn away. He held me close until I could calm down enough to see the way.

That gave me a wonderful opportunity to eat humble pie before God. Have you ever done that? Have you ever doubted God only to watch Him come through for you in ways you couldn’t begin to imagine? It’s amazing, isn’t it?

It’s not that I doubted God could make a way. He’s God. He can do anything and everything. It’s just sometimes difficult to believe that He will. I still see myself as unworthy. All those rejections from my past, all those failures, all the ugly comments hurled my way, cause me to doubt the deep love of the One who carries me through every storm.

And, still, He remains. Always. My anchor and my guide. The One who knows me best and loves me so deeply that I can’t even comprehend it. He loves you that same way too.

I have given up trying to predict what tomorrow might bring. I’ve had too many plans, too many dreams, blow up in ways I couldn’t even imagine. I’ve felt the sting of false accusations, coupled with my very real sins. Through it all, God was there.

The other day a dear friend reminded me that I need to prepare for the day when I can no longer function on my own. I don’t have anyone to look after me, she said. I didn’t need the reminder. I’ve always known that at the end of the day, it’s just me and God. There’s no one else.

I think that’s true for all of us. We count on family and friends, our pastors and medical staff, and all those who surround us with love and caring. But when the day is done, it’s just us and God. He holds us in the palm of His hand. God determines our time on this earth. God surrounds us with His love. He is the One who has promised to never leave us or abandon us.

We don’t know what the end will look like, just as we don’t know what tomorrow might bring. Life changes quickly. I don’t say that to be morbid. We should enjoy life and all of God’s blessings. But we should also realize that we’re just travelers on this earth. It’s not our home.

We belong to the One who has promised to save us from all our troubles. God knows the plans He has for us and they are good. Don’t let yourself get sidetracked by momentary troubles. Don’t become arrogant and wallow in the joys the world offers. Stay focused on God. Then, no matter what happens, be it good or bad, you’ll be okay.

April 8, 2016

God Remains Faithful

Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments. -- Deuteronomy 7:9

A dear friend said something last year that still resonates with me. It’s simple truth has helped me cope with things I never, ever expected.

Her words: When all this is over, you’ll find you can count the number of people you can depend on with the fingers of one hand. At the time, I thought she was exaggerating. Hindsight revealed she was totally right.

She’d been there. It was a different set of circumstances but she understood the devastation of sudden illness and the crushing role of sole caretaker.

Knowing all this has helped me accept the limitations of others. There are those that I knew I could count on in a crisis. I was wrong. They were the ones who showed up once. That was it. They did their duty.

I’m not talking about acquaintances here. I’m talking about close family and friends. People who were just too caught up in their own lives to be drawn into the crisis happening in someone else’s life. It was a hard lesson to learn at a particularly difficult time in my life.

Have you ever been let down by people you thought you could count on? It hurts, doesn’t it? People are not dependable. God is. Always.

I really thought my faith ran deep. I suppose compared to some others it did. But now these roots run even deeper. Storms have a way of doing that. I understand better how important it is to prepare for bad times while you are in good times because when the storm hits it takes everything you have just to hang on.

Sometimes I couldn’t focus on anything, but my mind would repeat memorized verses. I was comforted to know that when the only words I could find were “Oh, God!” , the Holy Spirit stepped in and asked God for what I didn’t know I needed.

God is faithful and loving. He never leaves us alone to face the storm. We know that. As believers, we do know that. But knowing it and living it are two different things. I am eternally grateful for His love and Presence when I needed Him most.