“He alone is my Rock and my salvation; He is my fortress – I will not be greatly shaken.”  (Psalm 61:2)

Sometimes I feel shaken.

Troubled.

Unsteady.

Sometimes it is by news that is frightening or by news that has consequences for me or ones I love.

Sometimes it is by the actions of another that rock my world.

Sometimes it is great loss.

Those are realities not perceptions.

But sometimes it is simply the unknown that looms large in my heart and mind.

Yet how I choose to respond is a greater reality.

People will let us down. We can shed tears and cry out to the God who knows and who will never fail us!

We can still love them, and pray for them as they live out of whatever place led them to the hurtful words or actions.

Circumstances can be scary and overwhelming, even devastating at times. We can cry out to the God who sees as we pour out our fears and deep sadness.

He is ever with His children and we are not alone.

Morning and night.

“In the morning, O LORD, You hear my voice; at daybreak I lay my plea before You and wait in expectation.” (Psalm 5:3)

“…the LORD has heard the sound of my weeping. The LORD has heard my plea…” (Psalm 6:8-9)

And we can give thanks even when the glimmer of something for which to give thanks is small.

It’s amazing how the Lord will increase our strength and that the seed of a thankful heart will take root and blossom into a steadiness even in the shaking.

He will give us eyes to see more of Himself even as we feel alone.

He will carry us when our steps are unsteady.

He will convict us of our own sin that we might experience true sorrow for it that leads to putting off that which is contrary to His character and putting on Truth in every aspect of our being.

He will, by His grace, allow us to express the very real emotions of hard places; then He will wipe our tears and remind us to rest…in Him.

And He will give us the faith to trust when we cannot see beyond the moment.

Recently I read through Job and was reminded again of his faithfulness in the midst of great turmoil.

“The Lord gives and the Lord takes away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” (Job 1:21)

In the midst of unimaginable loss, He honors the Lord and praises His Name!

As life circumstances piled on, his emotions grew more raw and the weariness behind his questions grew more evident.

God allowed the questions for a time then spoke “out of the whirlwind,” reminding him Who He is with questions of His own.

In the past I have been struck by the awesomeness of our God as I read those closing chapters – the might and majesty of our Creator and Sovereign King in full display! I was no less so this time.

Yet, as I read in this moment, I saw both the mighty declarations by way of inquiry but also the kindness in the rebuke of those same questions and the tender reminder that this same mighty God is also the Loving Father who is our strong Deliverer and Comforter; our Helper in the midst!

We must not make light of Him or minimize His might or His mercy nor should we miss His tender kindness.

This life is and will be hard.

Jesus told us so: “In this world you will have trouble.” (John 16:33)

But God’s response to Job is the same as Jesus’.

Take heart!

Don’t be shaken!

“Who is this who obscures My counsel by words without knowledge?” (Job 38:2)

And through this question to Job, He declares what is true to Job and to those of us yet unborn in that day!

For it is Truth that doesn’t change!

Through all creation and written on our own hearts is the reality of His reminders to Job and to us.

I AM God; there is no other!

I AM Sovereign!

I AM Creator!

And I AM your Redeemer!

“I AM your refuge and strength, an ever present help in trouble.” (Psalm 46:1)

The Father and the Son are still on the throne!

Holy Spirit is still comforting us and interceding for us.

He is mighty and kind; awesome and full of steadfast love!

He has purpose in our pain if we are His redeemed children, called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28-29)

He intends that we be conformed to the likeness of His Son.

And that is good, even a great joy!

We don’t like pain; who does?

We don’t like the sting of rejection.

We don’t like seeing the bodies of those we love wracked with pain and disease.

We don’t like watching those we love wounded by their sins or the sins of others.

We don’t like seeing our own sin hinder us and those we love.

We don’t like our worlds turned upside down by deception.

We don’t like experiencing life in a fallen world where things aren’t always as we would like them.

Many of those expectations are holy ones because they are rooted in the truth of how God designed His world and His people.

One day, in eternity, those expectations will be a reality.

In the meantime, we walk with feet of clay in a world that is shaking and the only expectation that we can fully rely upon is in our God, that He never changes and is our “ever present help!”

We will experience physical pain.

We will feel the sting of relational wounds.

We will experience loss.

We will know material needs.

We will experience the natural consequences or His loving correction when we seek to do life on our terms not His.

We will grow weary.

But our God strengthens and steadies the steps of His children.

Those whom He has redeemed, He makes secure and even carries.

Though at times He may need to rebuke us and correct us, He will draw us near and teach us out of His great love.

Though at times our loss will be greater than we think we can bear, we do not walk alone.

“We have these treasures in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.” 2 Corinthians 4:7-9

His Word is replete with the reminder that He is our Refuge, our Protector, and our Strength. He IS ever present in times of trouble.

We acknowledge our emotions and take them to Him.

“WHEN I am afraid, I will trust in You, in God whose word I praise!” (Psalm 56:3)

At times, I feel the weariness of this world.

I feel sad.

I feel afraid.

I feel unsteady.

Regardless of the times that unsettle my soul, there is a greater reality.

He is!

And because He is, I am not greatly shaken.

We are not.

I will choose to wait on Him regardless of what I see, what I know, or how I feel.

He is worthy!

I encourage you to read Job 36-42 and ask Him to show you the reality of who He is then read the Gospel of John to hear of the tender mercy of this same God to His created ones born in rebellion.

Be humbled and found in Him that you might have true rest!

I encourage you to seek Him while He may be found.

He is mighty, but He is also merciful.

He is Redeemer!

Ask Him to forgive you and give you new life through Jesus that your heart might be set at rest, both now and for eternity!

“Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe…”  (Hebrews 12:28)

I want to finish well, Lord.

I want to die well.

But, before that, I want to live well.

I want to grow in the grace and knowledge of my Savior, Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18) and delight in that!

I want to grow in faithfulness, not just increasing in knowledge without it changing me!

I want to desire more of You and less of me that my joy may be complete, and your glory may be seen! (John 15:11)

I want my sinful selfish desires to decrease as You change my affections to line up with Yours.

I want to decrease in the eyes of others that God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit may increase and be seen through my life and my choices – seen and unseen.

I want to fear You, Lord, and live in such a way that You might say of me in this day and in eternity, “Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter My rest.”

I want to rest in what is true and not be tossed by the enemy’s lies that I recognize in some areas and have to battle in places where my own temptations must be surrendered and defeated by the power of Christ in me.

I want You to show me those things in my life that hinder a faithful walk with You and others; even those things that may be “permissible but not beneficial” (I Corinthians 10:23) or good and true things that I have made “ultimate things,” and so, idols. Then help me to open my hands and release them with joy!

I want to stand firm, bold and courageous, not seeking the applause of man but the affirmation of my Savior.

I want to honor the very One who endured the wrath of and separation from God the Father that I deserve, who bore the pain of the emotional taunts and the physical pain on my behalf, who gloriously, through His power, was raised to life defeating the death I deserve.

“I want less of me and more of You, Lord.”

“I want to want what You want, Father!”

“I want.”

Though the phrase begins with “I,” these are affirmations of submitting who I am to the Sovereign God of all, of intentionally saying “I am Yours, Lord and desire these things and more because they align what You have made known to us through Your Word!”

I submit my “I wants” to You!

These are affirmations that recognize Your authority in my life to say what is good, right, and true, honoring to You, Lord and, conversely, purposefully saying, “Take out, if need be by force, whatever does not submit to Your reign over me.”

I will never be perfect this side of eternity, but God calls me – HIS child – to PURSUE holiness, righteousness and peace.

He calls me – HIS child – to DELIGHT in Him and the good fruit of a redeemed life rather than returning to those things and those ways which He called me out of and in which I once walked in darkness before He called me into His marvelous light! (I Peter 2:9)

He calls me – HIS child – as He originally called me away from those things that make me disobedient and dishonoring, discontent and fearful, prideful and unsteady, unfaithful and lacking joy and to that pleasure that comes from purposefully reading and letting His Word dwell richly in me (Colossians 3:16) so that in all ways, with a heart of thanks regardless of circumstances, I may reflect Him well – be that where all can see or in the secret places only the Lord sees!

May I and all God’s people never seek to limit His transforming grace, never make light of what He is able to do in us in regards to standing against or fleeing sin, because He who has called us is faithful and He will not call us out of and to anything He, by His Spirit, will not equip us to do and be for the honor of His Name and the strength of His people!

To the glory of His Name and the increase of His Kingdom!

I pray, continuously, for me and those I love that we will increasingly grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ, putting aside childish selfish choices, those affections that make light of His saving grace, desiring Him and what He desires more and more, living in light of His glory and purposes not my own.

Oh, the richness of His Word and how I desire to grow in my hunger to pursue this more and more and that, as He does His good work, it will be evident to those I love and those I encounter for HIS glory alone!

No, never perfect this side of eternity, but I long to delight in and honor Him and pursue what He has called me to pursue and with which, by His mercy and grace, He has equipped me for the race, regardless of its length!

THIS IS JOY!

“His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through the knowledge of Him who called us by His owna glory and excellence. Through these He has given us His precious and magnificent promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, now that you have escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

For this very reason, make every effort (by the power of His Spirit in His redeemed children) to add to your faith virtue; and to virtue, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.  For if you possess these qualities and continue to grow in them, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But whoever lacks these traits is nearsighted to the point of blindness, having forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.

Therefore, brothers, strive to make your calling and election sure (to be assured of it through the evidence of this fruit). For if you practice these things, you will never stumble…”        (2 Peter 1:3-10)

“You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”   Psalm 16:11

TO THE PRAISE OF HIS GLORIOUS GRACE!