Author: kezha1

Experiencing fear from time to time isn’t unusual for God’s people. But our faith must then be exercised during these frightening times as we resolve to trust God. One of the most well-known Psalms tells us, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me…” (Psalm 23:4) Charles Spurgeon once wrote about this, “There is no excuse for fear when God is the foundation of our trust…We have been in many trials, but we have never yet been in a place where we couldn’t find our God all that we needed. ‘Trust in the Lord forever, for in the Lord is everlasting strength.’ (Isaiah 26:4) ” And so with this assurance, we can move from fear to faith…trusting in God’s deliverance. (Psalm 34:4)

This Scripture is about character-building…but not in the way we’d like. It’s the type of refinement that only comes through the tests & trials of suffering, pain, and hardship. It’s a deep-seated faith that perseveres through affliction with patient endurance, with us coming through the other side better, not bitter. When we let our problems lead us to become a better person, we can look beyond the misery, loss, and frustration to what God is really trying to do all along…that is perfecting us into His image.

I became a Certified Nursing Assistant at eighteen, and a few years later went back to school to become a Nurse. My Medical career spanned across 44 years of caring for people. And I found out very early on that sick, frightened, and chronically ill people need lots of compassion, support, encouragement, and care. But I also discovered that if you’re not careful, at the end of the day, your emotional gas tank will be running on fumes. So, on the eight-mile trip back and forth to work I made it a habit to pray. My car became my “prayer closet” every morning & evening. In the mornings I would be reminded of Psalm 90:14, “Satisfy us in the morning with Your unfailing love.”… knowing that God would graciously provide everything that’s constructive & wholesome I would need for the day ahead. And in the evening, I would thank Him for His abundant provision and restoration that day, for when God opens His hands, we are satisfied with good things. (Psalm 104:28)

The very best thing you can do for those you love, is to pray for them. Throughout the Gospels, we see Jesus praying for others not standing in front of Him…the centurion’s servant, the ruler’s daughter, the Syrophoenician woman’s little girl. His prayers for them were as simple & direct as the Lord’s Prayer was He taught the disciples in Matthew 6…”Your Will be done.” He even went on to repeat this phrase for Himself in the Garden of Gethsemane, “Yet not as I will, but as You Will.” (Matthew 26:39) Praying God’s Divine Will over our loved ones frees God’s perfect purpose to be achieved. For if we admit it, most times we don’t know the full story or details of someone’s struggles…but God does. And just voicing biased opinions of what we think needs to happen is not constructive. But when we pray for someone, we also need to let them know they’re being prayed for…encouraging, supporting, and lifting their spirits knowing someone cares enough to pray.

It’s something we tend to battle daily…we either have faith and trust that God is in control – or we fight Him at every turn to rule our own lives. But just as Jesus taught in Matthew 6:24, we can’t have it both ways…no one can serve two masters. So, it all boils down to whether we believe in God’s sovereign power over all things, or not. Psalm 103:19 reminds us that, “The Lord has established His throne in heaven and His Kingdom rules over all.” (And that includes anything that’s currently happening with us.) Sure, we can foolishly grip tightly to controlling our lives…but where does it usually get us? It gets us disillusioned, frustrated, and sadly remembering that He is God, and we are not.

The very purpose of God is always for the good of His people. But sometimes that means it’s not necessarily an easy, or pleasant situation we’ll have to endure. He will occasionally allow us to go through difficult times as a result of the wicked actions of others…other times, He will allow illness & disease to enter & ravage our bodies. In Isaiah 38:17, Hezekiah was ill to the point of death when God delivered him and allowed him to live. In hindsight, Hezekiah prayed, “Surely it was for my benefit that I suffered such anguish.” So how could he say that? Suffering, however unjust or unfair, isn’t something we usually thank God for…but Hezekiah acknowledged that everything happening to him was working for his ultimate good… that is, conforming him closer to the image of his Heavenly Father.

Our faith can’t be based on everything turning out all right. Rather, our faith must be about being okay… no matter how things turn out. Just ask Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in Daniel 3:17-18 when the king threatened to throw them into the fiery furnace for refusing to worship the golden image. In the most extreme expression of faith and trust in God, they replied, “But even if He does not save us…” And that’s how our faith must be. It can’t be based on results…a type of bargaining with God, a “I’ll trust You if You come through for me” type of faith. No, our obedience in the face of possible suffering must rely instead in knowing that God will be with us regardless of the outcome. (Isaiah 43:1-2)

Charles Spurgeon once wrote, ” If the Lord be your joy, your joy will never dry up. All other things are but for a season; but God is for ever and ever. Make Him your joy, the whole of your joy, and then let this joy absorb your every thought.” We cannot depend on other people or things to give us joy…for we will be quickly disillusioned, saddened, and miserable when they fail. But when we look to God as our strength and source of joy, our hearts will be filled with this unspeakable joy that only comes from His Presence. And as we rejoice in our dependence in Him, our joy will be made complete. (I John 1:3-4) Jesus told His disciples in John 16:22, “No one will take away your joy.” and we need to remember this…for the blessings of God’s redemption cannot be cancelled by any power – either human or satanic. And God’s gracious purpose ensures that our ongoing joy will last forever…no matter what happens in our life.

Throughout Scripture we see God repeating over and over again, “I have chosen you.”(John 15:19, I Peter 2:9) In Ephesians 1:4 it tells us that He actually chose us in Him before the creation of the world. So, with that reassurance, we must also be confident that since we have been chosen, God will never “unchoose” us. And this too is sprinkled throughout Scriptures…God’s claim that He will never leave nor forsake His people. (Hebrews 13:5, Psalm 94:14, Psalm 37:25)

There are two starkly different viewpoints when it comes to God’s correction. We can either be grateful for everything life has given us…or we can be resentful for everything life has done to us. In Lamentations 3:33 it tells us that God does not willingly bring affliction or grief to the children of men, meaning God’s ongoing instruction requires occasional chastisement. But we need to remember that this correction is not calculated by God to harm or anger us, but to teach, direct, convict, and bring us into a right relationship with Him. We need to also remember that the Lord disciplines those He loves, (Proverbs 3:12) and we should look at His correction then in a positive way, with gratitude in our hearts, (Colossians 3:16) not with bitterness & regret.