Have you ever had a time in your life where you think your getting ahead and then something happens to shatter that thought. It's like you take two steps forward and three steps back. Things are going good then all of a sudden the washer breaks and you have to buy a new one or someone gets sick and your now swimming in doctor bills. Then we want to scream, " Calgon take me away!" (I probably just gave away my age here. If you don't know that saying, google it.)
Life if so unpredictable. It seems we thought growing up that if we worked hard for what we got things would be okay. Well, we found out that is not always the truth. It is not even biblical.
Matthew 7:24-27 brings some perspective: "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash" (NIV). What's amazing about theses verses is that both the man doing right and the one doing wrong both have trials or hard times. Neither was able to escape them.
Psalm 46:10 says," be still and know that I am God." In that I find rest and peace. If I let myself focus on my trials and my struggles I can easily bring myself to my knees in a panic attack. I'm prone to do this as second nature. I find myself trying to rely on my own strength to fix things. But if I find myself on my knees and I turn to His Word I find that I gather a peace that transcends all understanding and a strength beyond measure that I didn't have before. I keep repeating His words over and over in my head.
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything present your prayers and petition with thanksgiving to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your heart and your mind in Christ." Philippians 4:6-7
" Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid. For I am The Lord your God and I will be with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9
"I lift my eyes up to the hills. Where does my help come from? The maker of heaven and earth." Psalm 121:1-2
Over and over I repeat these verses and more, until finally His peace washes over me. No, my problems did not go away, but my attitude about them has. I no longer feel as overwhelmed as I did before. I know my God is for me, who then can possibly be against me. He will fight for me. Through prayer and petition, I know my God will guide me through this trial.
In Christ's love,
Tina Foster
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