1 Peter 5:6-7
Be humble in the presence of God’s mighty power, and he will honor you when the time comes. God cares for you, so turn all your worries over to him.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
A few weeks ago, we had a very strong storm come through our county. Some even said there was a tornado in the storm, although I cannot confirm this. At any rate, a young family we know escaped disaster when a tree was blown over onto their sun porch… narrowly missing their bedroom and the room where their two young daughters slept. We all know that porches can be replaced…people cannot. So our friends were grateful – as were we – that their lives were spared. Still, renovating the house was not in their current budget, so I am certain this was a cause of worry and concern for them.
I know this young couple to be people of faith who trust God with their worries. Today, one of them posted this on Facebook:
Ways God has blessed me today (aside from health, good job, roof over my head, etc.):
- After looking for 2 days for my engagement ring, in my final panic I dropped a peppermint out of my purse, bent over to pick it up...and BOOM! Ring right under the kitchen cabinet!
- After stressing over this room addition and IF we would be able to finish the siding on the rest of the house...BOOM! [Our carpenter] finds perfectly intact cedar lap siding under the nasty white vinyl during his demo today!
This is a perfect example of how God cares for us and will honor us when we turn our cares and concerns over to Him. Human nature dictates that we wring our hands, curse the world, stomp around and/or pout for a while. What we really need to do is stop and spend some time with God… tell Him our concerns (even though He knows them already!), and humbly “cast all our cares” on Him. Think of a time when someone said to you…“Don’t worry about a thing… I’ll handle this!” This is what God tells us each and every day… we just don’t always hear Him – or believe him!
God knows our concerns… and He knows how to handle them. The question is… do we truly believe that He can – and will? Do we honestly trust God to meet our needs in any and all circumstances? Do we operate in peace and confidence that He will do this… or are we continually anxious and distressed over our worries? Isn’t it time to “cast all your cares upon the LORD” and let Him do what He has promised? Aren’t you ready to see how He will bless you and meet your needs? Don’t you long for some genuine peace and quiet in your life? Will you trust God to provide this?
©2013 Debbie Robus
Deuteronomy 31:6
So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.”
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
This morning, my mother shared with me the blog post of a fellow writer. Her topic centered on Psalm 46:10, which begins… “Be still and know that I am God.” The writer referenced the recent events at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut… how the reaction and outrage had ranged from a call for total gun control to one of “let’s arm everybody!” In other words, many people panicked.
This is nothing new… in ways great and small, we panic about a lot of things. We “jump the gun,” or “borrow trouble” or race to “do damage control”… when what we really need to do is “Be still.” If only we would recognize that God has gone ahead of us… that He will neither fail us nor abandon us…we might fare better.
I am as guilty as the next person of operating in panic more often than I care to admit. I race ahead, thinking I have to handle things… often wringing my hands in worry and fear. Where is my strength? What happened to my courage? Did I forget WHO is leading the way? Have YOU forgotten?
Some of my friends have recently lost loved ones… others are sitting vigil at the deathbed of a dear family member or friend. Still others are worried about everything from finances to health scares to how they will ever resolve a myriad of conflicts. In their own way, each of these people are in a panic. How will they cope with their grief? How will they make ends meet and/or get ahead? Will they ever get along with So-and-so?
Look… life will happen. There will be challenges and moments that make us panic. And if we let him, the devil will have a field day making us crazy with all sorts of emotions and fears that serve absolutely no purpose other than to convolute and confuse us. We all need to stop and simply “BE STILL!” We need to recognize God’s presence… His strength and power… and find our courage in Him.
Where does this leave you today? Have you allowed God to personally go ahead of you? Are you strong and courageous? A lot can happen if we will simply “be still.” Aren’t you ready to find out firsthand?
©2013 Debbie Robus
John 20:1-2
Early in the morning on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone was moved away from the entrance. She ran at once to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, breathlessly panting, "They took the Master from the tomb. We don't know where they've put him."
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
I don’t know about you, but I have had things scare me so badly that I ran for help, breathlessly panting in fear and panic. So I can easily get an idea of how Mary Magdalene felt when she approached Jesus’ tomb and realized that the massive, heavy stone had been rolled away from the entrance. All of us have probably known moments of panic so profound that we felt as if we couldn’t catch our breath. And in these moments, most of us run to someone we can trust… our parents, a spouse or significant other, a dependable relative, teacher or coach, our pastor, or perhaps our dearest friend.
Sometimes, when we are truly desperate and scared out of our wits, we run to our Heavenly Father. We fall to our knees (if only figuratively), and ask God to please rescue us and/or show us what to do. And God answers! Not only does He answer when we run directly to Him… He answers when we turn to a trusted friend or relative, as well. I believe that God uses others in those moments to guide us… to calm our fears… to speak rationally and calmly on His behalf and tell us what to do.
I am thankful that God meets our every need… especially when we are in a panic. I am so grateful to know that He will place people in my path to help me through the scariest, most breathless times of my life. When I don’t know where to turn or what to do… God knows. If I will only stop and listen for His voice, He will handle the rest.
Aren’t you glad that God is always busy looking out for us? Doesn’t it give you joy to know that even when you are in a breathless panic, God is putting people in front of you to help you figure out the best course of action? This is a good time to stop and thank God for all He does… for always loving us and having our back. Praise God for being available to us 24/7, and thank Him for always giving good gifts. Rest in the knowledge that you can run to Him anytime - with everything… joys, sorrows, accomplishments, dejections, excitements, fears and concerns… and He will always be there to respond.
©2011 Debbie Robus
