Greetings in the name of our gracious, patient, and
supportive God. Aren't you glad He is with you, helping you, faithfully caring
for you in spite of your weaknesses? I sure am.
I was reminded this week of how weak I am and of how much I
need God, and I was greatly encouraged by two specific verses. For months now
(due to the pressures of the pandemic) I have been choosing a verse each day to
focus on throughout the day, to be my special thought and encouragement for
that day. I have been sharing these on Facebook as an encouragement to others.
I can't really explain this, and when I say it, it doesn't
make much sense, but I reached the point where I thought I was doing reasonably
well. I stopped depending quite so much on those verses. I kept finding them
and kept sharing them for the benefit of others, but I became a little less
needy myself. Or so I thought.
This week I realized how needy I still am and how
challenging life still is, probably in large part due to the new issues facing
our nation with damaging protests and race riots, and in part due to a constant
onslaught of news about death and serious illness among people closer to home.
I really needed God's help, and He "came through for me." He gave me many
helpful verses and truths from His Word, but two of them stood out as
particularly helpful. I want to share those two verses with you.
The first was a great Monday morning verse, especially after
being discouraged Sunday evening by feeling disconnected and like this crisis
will prevent me from spending meaningful time with friends for a long time. "Seek
the LORD, and his strength: seek his face evermore" (Psalm 105:4).
This built on a thought I had entertained Sunday evening:
since people aren't around much, why not just talk to God as if He's in the
room with me? I tried it briefly Sunday night and immediately started crying.
This verse encouraged me to continue pursuing that. I can't handle abnormal
life on my own, which is what we've been having lately. I can't even handle
normal life. But God can handle both just fine, and He welcomes me to come to
Him for help. I need to seek Him, seek His strength, seek Him constantly.
This concept has carried with me through this week, as I
have tried to incorporate this into life as much as possible. Whether mentally
or out loud, talking to God who really is in the room with me. Telling Him
anything and everything, from the mundane details of life to the deeper
conflicts and turmoil of the heart. There's no reason in the world why God
can't be my best listener.
Several days later, after multiplied reports of deaths and
serious illness among people that I know first-hand or second-hand, and with
the heavy news of the race riots spreading through our cities, God gave me
another very appropriate encouragement. "He shall not be afraid of evil
tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the LORD. His heart is established, he
shall not be afraid" (Psalm 112:7-8a).
Evil tidings were abounding, to be sure. Their quantity and
oppressiveness threatened me. Part of me wanted to shut off outside contact to
avoid hearing any more. How much can the human spirit handle? But it is
different when we trust in God. Trusting removes fear.
Trusting does two important things for the heart. It makes
the heart fixed, steadfast, not wavering, not shaken. And it makes the heart
established or upheld. This second one is a passive verb. That means someone or
something else is doing the action of establishing or upholding my heart. We
know who that Someone is, don't we? My heart would melt and be crushed, but
when I trust God, He guards and supports my heart.
I have valued both of these truths beyond the day to which
they specifically applied. I am grateful for the Bible and for its truth that
is so timely and relevant, so sufficient for every need and situation. I am
grateful to God for giving me the right truths at the right times. I am
thankful that He is in control and that He never wavers or struggles. I'm
thankful for His love and care for lowly me who does waver and struggle.
What a great God! What a great Bible! May these carry you
through the days ahead of you.
Love in Christ,
Peggy Holt
member at Open Door Baptist Church in Lebanon, PA
www.pressingontohigherground.blogspot.com
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