The Blessing of Trials

So be truly glad. 

There is wonderful joy ahead, 

even though you have to endure many trials for a little while.

1 Peter 1:6 (NLT) 

When troubles come your way,

 consider it an opportunity for great joy.

 James 1:2-3 (NLT)

We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials,

 for we know that they help us develop endurance. 

Romans 5:3 (NLT) 

"Count it all joy!"  "Rejoice!" "Be truly glad!" When life is easy and fun and going smoothly, that makes sense.  But to be glad and rejoice when we run into problems and troubles and trials, really? It is paradoxical to think we should be happy and joyful when we are hurting and sorrowful and in painful circumstances. 

Why then would Paul and Peter and James all tell us the same thing?  Did they know something we don't? What they knew and had experienced was that trials work. They had gained the understanding that trouble accomplishes things that living a carefree life could never do.  Going through trouble humbles us and creates something of eternal value in us. Impurities are burned away like gold that has gone through the fire.  All of the unnecessary things in our lives are stripped away, leaving us with things of true value. 

How can we rejoice when we are full of fear and dread, anxiety or pain. Only by faith, by looking away to the one who endured all, by trusting that all difficulties are working in us new and better and higher things.  Believing that God is good and that he will bring good from what ever we go through. Then we can say like Job, "When he has tested me, I will come forth as gold." (Job 23:10)  When he brings us through, we will see his hand.  So rejoice, be glad, be happy when you encounter all kinds of trials for God is working in you to accomplish his great purposes.

Thank you, Lord, for your refining work.  Thank you, Lord, for the humbling that comes when my trials bring me to the end of myself. I rejoice in your work and all the good you are creating in me.

For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. 

Yet they produce for us a glory 

that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!

2 Cor. 4:17

Click here: Andrae Crouch singing Through It All

Lifter of My Head

But you, O LORD, are a shield around me;

you are my glory, the one who holds my head high.
I cried out to the LORD,

and he answered me from his holy mountain.
I lay down and slept, yet I woke up in safety,

 for the LORD was watching over me.

  Ps. 3:3-5

In every difficult circumstance of life when doubts and fears threaten to overtake us, God has promised to be our protector.  He has promised to be a shield around us to keep the discouragement of the enemy from penetrating our mind and emotions. When life weighs us down, and we feel our shoulders slumping, he gently lifts our head so that we can look up and see hope for our future.

When we are faced with difficulties and troubles, let us not hesitate to cry out to our God.  When David cried out, God heard and answered.  There, in the midst of the ongoing threat from his enemies, he was able to lay down and sleep in peace because he knew God was watching over him and working behind the scenes.

Lord, thank you for hearing my cry.  You are a shield around me.  Set me free from my fear and anxiety, lift my head and surround me with songs of deliverance.

Lord, when doubts fill my mind,

when my heart is in turmoil,

quiet me and give me renewed hope and cheer.

Ps. 94:19

Hope and Faith

True hope is faith in action

 and the constancy of faith in all contradictory circumstances.

 Praying Through the Tough Times, Lloyd Ogilvie.

Hope is trusting in God, having faith and holding onto his word and promises no matter how things look in the outward appearance. Sometimes hope is hard to come by.  We may feel so discouraged and weighed down by the the problems of life that we cannot even lift our head. 

David describes that feeling so often in the Psalms.

                                     I am dying from grief;

my years are shortened by sadness.

Misery has drained my strength; 

I am wasting away from within.

 Ps. 31:10

And yet, he always seemed to find a way to encourage himself.

But I am trusting you, O LORD,

saying, "You are my God!"

My future is in your hands. 

Ps. 31:14

No matter how low we may feel, we can still say, "I trust in you, Lord.  My life is in your hands." 

Lord, we sometimes feel so impoverished with no hope or faith of our own. When we feel that low, so drained and discouraged, grant us your inspiration and your gifts of faith and hope. We put our trust in you.  We know that you are in charge and are working everything out for our good. 

So be strong and take courage

 all you who put your hope in the LORD!

Ps. 31.24

The Humanity of Jesus

Image from The Humanity of Jesus, Dr. Dann Spader, sonlife.com

Because God’s children are human beings

—made of flesh and blood—

the Son also became flesh and blood.

 Since he himself has gone through suffering and testing,

 he is able to help us when we are being tested. 

 Heb 2:14,18 (NLT)

We think so much about Christ's divinity, not often about his humanity. But, it is Christ, in his humanity, who is our companion in our times of trouble or sorrow.

Because he is human, he feels what we feel. He is our helper and not just one who stands aloof, but one who enters into our suffering with us. He is for us, constantly interceding and pleading for our healing and well-being. Because of his deep empathy for us, he is able to comfort and sustain us. 

Nothing we ever go through will ever be able to separate us from this love. That is why we are exhorted to come without hesitation to him to ask and receive the help we need. He stands ready to come to our aid, to calm our fears and to comfort us with his love.

Who then will condemn us? 
No one

for Christ Jesus died for us
 and was raised to life for us,
and he is sitting in the place of honor
 at God’s right hand,
pleading for us.
Romans 8:34 (NLT)

This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, 

for he faced all of the same testings we do.

So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. 

There we will receive his mercy, 

and we will find grace to help us

when we need it most.

Heb 4:15-16 (NLT)

No power in the sky above or in the earth below

—indeed, nothing in all creation 

will ever be able to separate us from the love of God

 that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 Romans 8:39 (NLT)

Lead Me On

Roman Road and Arch, Donnas, France

When I walk through the darkest valley

 I will not be afraid because you are close beside me.

Ps. 23:4 (NLT)

There are times when things seem so dark we can't see our way.  We are weighed down with confusion and fear.  In times like these we need even more to trust the Great Shepherd who is always there and will never fail to lead us on. 

I am so thankful for the rich tradition of scripture and song that I have been surrounded with these last 47 years since I came to know Christ.  In times of trouble, a scripture or a song comes to mind to encourage me. This morning I woke singing Precious Lord, Take My Hand, written by Thomas A. Dorsey, the father of Black Gospel music.  

He wrote this song a week after the tragic loss of his wife and son in childbirth. As he tells the story:

I sat down at the piano, and my hands began to browse over the keys. Something happened to me then. I felt at peace. I felt as though I could reach out and touch God. I found myself playing a melody. Once in my head they just seemed to fall into place: 

'Precious Lord, take my hand lead me on, let me stand, I am tired, I am weak, I am worn, through the storm, through the night, lead me on to the light, take my hand, precious Lord, lead me home.' 

The Lord gave me these words and melody. He also healed my spirit. I learned that when we are in our deepest grief, when we feel farthest from God, this is when He is closest, and when we are most open to His restoring power. 

And so I go on living for God willingly and joyfully, until that day comeswhen He will take me and gently lead me home.

How much encouragement we gain from listening to the stories of those who have experienced the dark times and have found God faithful to carry them through. 

Oh Lord, let us always cling to you, trusting you to lead us on toward the light no matter how dark it seems.  We know you will bring us through because your grace is unchanging, your love unfailing.  Give us eyes to see, give us faith to believe that you are always there close beside holding our hand.

Click here:  Elvis singing Precious Lord. (In honor of my mom who was an Elvis fan.)

More Than Conquerors

 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors

through him who loved us.

Romans 8:37 (NIV)

So many troubles and problems assault us in this life.  It is so hard for us to go through difficult times, our emotions are so intense.  Fearful feelings, anxiety and worry overwhelm us.

When we are in this state, it is hard for us to imagine ourselves as conquerors, victorious over every thing that life throws at us. It is hard for us to see how our failings and weaknesses could be woven together for good. 

Paul recounts his own struggle: 

Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 

But he said to me, 

"My grace is sufficient for you,

for my power is made perfect in weakness."

Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. 

That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. 

For when I am weak, then I am strong. 

 2 Corinthians 12:8-10 (NIV) 

We can only hold onto God's promise with what little strength we have. God is faithful. He is holding on to us with a firm grip even when it feels like our grip is failing. For,  "It is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope offered to us may be greatly encouraged. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure."(Heb. 6:18,19) 

He will bring us through. No trouble, hardship or problem can ever separate us from God.  Hold on!

Streams in the Desert

Apache Lake Arizona

For I am about to do something new.See, I have already begun! Do you not see it?I will make a pathway through the wilderness.I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.

Isaiah 43:19 (NLT)

What ever difficulties or troubles we may face, God can make a way right through the middle of them.  Whether the troubles are of our own making (and mine usually are) or caused by someone else, we can still trust that God will give us comfort and wisdom.  Often he does not rescue us out of our troubles, but gives us refreshment in the midst of them.  He sets for us a wonderful banquet where we can sit down, rest and eat even in the presence of our enemies.  

What difficulty are you facing right now?  What impossible situation is robbing you of your peace and joy.  Look to the one who can make a shining river right in the middle of the driest desert.  He is there to comfort and guide you.  Look to him.

                     You prepare a feast for me                 in the presence of my enemies.

                                         Psalms 23:5 (NLT)

  When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown.

Isaiah 43:2 (NLT)

Yoked With Christ

 

  Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

Matt 11:28-30 (NLT)

I've fallen again into a pit of fear and despair making all seem dark and hopeless.  How is it I keep falling into this pit, Lord?  It is the pull of the old self that draws us down with it's deceitful desires, wounds and weakness, selfishness and pride. It's not the cares of life, but ourselves that are our heavy burden. It was Henry Van Dyke who said, "Self is the only prison that can bind the soul."*

Yet, I am yoked with Christ.  He being the stronger of the two should always take the lead, but sometimes if I try to step ahead, he lets me lead until I fall again into the pit.  He doesn't leave me there. He doesn't condemn me.  There he waits for me to acknowledge my condition and look to him.  Then he will pull me out of that pit in his time and his way.  It's easy for him.  Yoked with him I may still stumble, but he will always be there to pull me up and steady me again.

Lord, thank you for loving me, for being my Savior.  Thank you, that because I am forever yoked with you, I cannot fail. Come quickly and pull me up from the pit of despair. Lift me up onto solid ground again so that I may praise you with joy.  Do not let my weaknesses overwhelm me. Hold me up, Lord.  Keep me from falling.  Thank you that you will never let me go.


*Quoted from Let Go, by Fenelon. Introduction.

Jewels

O storm-battered city, troubled and desolate! 

 I will rebuild you on a foundation of sapphires

 and make the walls of your houses from precious jewels. 

 I will make your towers of sparkling rubies 

and your gates and walls of shining gems.

Isaiah 54:11-12 (NLT)

God builds his houses of precious and beautiful jewels.  It takes fire, heat, darkness and pressure to create gemstones. And then they have to be cut and tumbled and polished and fired again to make the beautiful jewel ready to be set.  All the fire and darkness and pressure and tumbling that we go through in this life is producing for us an eternal house made of precious and beautiful stones.  He is working in us through every trial and struggle to create in us beautiful, clear and bright jewels that will shine forever.

God, I thank you for the hard times and the struggles because I know they are accomplishing your work and creating in me a beautiful house made of costly and precious jewels.  You see the end from the beginning, so I entrust myself into your care.

 For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. 

Yet they produce for us a glory

 that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!

2 Cor 4:17 (NLT)

And you are living stones that God

 is building into his spiritual temple.

1 Peter 2:5 (NLT)

Hope

Why am I discouraged?Why is my heart so sad?I will put my hope in God!I will praise him again—my Savior and my God!         Psalms 42:11 (NLT)

In a time of discouragement, David penned Psalm 42 & 43.  These Psalms become for us a lesson to help in our times of discouragement or depression.  He doesn't hold back in expressing his negative thoughts and feelings, but in the midst of these expressions he inserts words of hope.  He calls to mind God's kindness (Ps. 42:6).  He acknowledges that each day the Lord is pouring his unfailing love upon him even if he can't feel it.  He sings songs in the night and he prays to the Lord, the source of his life (Ps. 42:8).  He makes a choice to put his hope in God (Ps. 42:5,11 & 43:5).

When we are feeling low, we can do some of the same things that David did.  We can remember and acknowledge that God loves us.  We can pray, even if it is only "Help me" or "Thank you."  We can sing a song or listen to some music. We can reach out to someone.  We can make the choice to put our hope in God no matter how we feel or how discouraging the circumstances around us seem to be.

....never give up hope in God.  He is all good and all powerful, and He will give whatever you need according to your faith.

Simply trust everything into the hands of God, be humble, and open up to His grace.  Through meditation and prayer, you will receive peace, and everything will gradually be worked out for you.  And the things which, in your hour of temptation, seemed so difficult will disappear almost imperceptibly.*

Speak a word of prayer, sing a song, put your hope in God.   What small step can you take today to reach up and to reach out of your depression? 

*Fenelon. Let Go. Whitaker House, 1973: 82,83. 

Fenelon (1651-1715) Archbishop of Cambrai, France, was spiritual adviser to many high ranking people in the court of Louis the Fourteenth.

Release Your Cares

Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.

1 Peter 5:7 (NLT)

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

1 Peter 5:7 (NIV)

God affectionately cares for us in the midst of all our concerns.  He is concerned about everything we are concerned about.  He asks us to cast all of the worry, care and anxiety we feel on him.  He is big enough to carry it.  As we release our concerns to him, we are freed to receive creative ideas and strength to solve our problems and find the guidance and direction we need.  If we are tied up in knots worrying about something, we will not be free to receive the answer or the strength we need to deal with the issue.

Melody Beattie from her book, Codependent No More says:

We release our burdens and cares, and give ourselves the freedom to enjoy life in spite of our unsolved problems.  We trust that all is well in spite of the conflicts.  We trust that Someone greater than ourselves knows, has ordained, and cares about what is happening.  We understand that this Someone can do much more to solve the problem than we can.  So we try to stay out of His way and let Him do it.  In time, we know that all is well because we see how the strangest (and sometimes most painful) things work out for the best and for the benefit of everyone.*

Dear Lord, we release all of our care and worry to you.  We leave everything in your capable hands.  Inspire us moment by moment with wisdom to deal with every problem we face.  Guide and direct our lives according to your perfect will.

 Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you

Psalms 55:22 (NIV)

*Beattie, Melody.  Codependent No More, How to Stop Controlling Others and Start Caring For Yourself. Hazelden, 1987, 1992. pg. 63.

Tests

So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, 

even though you have to endure many trials for a little while. 

 These trials will show that your faith is genuine. 

It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—

though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. 

So when your faith remains strong through many trials,

 it will bring you much praise and glory and honor

 on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. 

1 Peter 1:6-7 (NLT)

The most precious thing we have is our faith.  God tests us not to see how we will live or what we will do, but to prove our faith.

Those of us living today in relatively secure affluence don’t face the same kinds of severe life-threatening trials that Christians have faced in many times and places throughout history.  We face tests of a different kind.  

Our modern struggles involve our own self-centeredness, perhaps being overtaken with resentments or fears or falling into complacency to name just a few.  My severest tests come from my own sense of weakness and failure to be the kind of person I think God would want me to be.  In the face of these tests, the temptation comes to focus on myself, to think that if I just try harder things will change.  This strategy always ends in discouragement and despair.

In the face of trials, instead of responding with self-effort or self condemnation, God is looking for our simple faith.  He is not impressed when I agonize over my failures or promise him that I will do better next time. What he is looking for is childlike trust. Can I trust him that he understands the struggles I go through and that he has the power to transform me?  Can I wait on him and trust him even when I feel so out of it? Can I trust him to make my life significant, and to fulfill the plans he has for me?  

When all the people saw the things Jesus did, they wanted to do the same thing.  Jesus said it clearly, "The only thing God wants from you is that you would believe in me." (John 6:29).  We have no idea the power released as we believe in him moment by moment.  Even when we feel our faith is weak, it is still powerful because it connects us to the Powerful One.  Let us remember, when we think we need to try harder or are ready to give up in despair, to activate our faith. 

Lord, I believe that you have all the resources necessary to change me.  Help me not to dwell on myself, but to activate my faith muscle and put all of my trust in you.  I know I will be able to accomplish so much more and with such a better attitude when my eyes are on you.

I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me.

 Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows.

 But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”

John 16:33 (NLT)

Enough

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow,

 for tomorrow will worry about itself. 

Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Matt 6:34 (NIV)

As we look to the future, many fears may arise.  We may be afraid of getting sick, of getting cancer, that a loved one will die or leave us, that we may lose our job or become financially insecure.  We may be afraid that our children will get into trouble.  All of these fears grow in our minds and torment us.

When the Apostle Paul was tormented, facing great difficulty in his life, the Lord told him, “My grace is enough.”  God's grace is enough for whatever we face. Jesus taught us to take a day at a time and not to worry about the future.  Each day’s troubles are enough for that day.  Today’s grace is enough to cover today's troubles. 

The thing about grace is that it is only available for the immediate situation.  Just like manna, we can't store it up for tomorrow (Exodus 16:17-19). When tomorrow becomes today, his grace will be there.  Whatever situation arises, his grace will be enough - the greater the trial, the greater the grace.  Grace is always sufficient.

He said to me, "My grace is enough for you,

 for my power is made perfect in weakness."

2 Cor 12:9 (NET)

Opportunities

The New Driveway

When troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.

James 1:2-4 (NLT)

A storm is on the way!  Now we will see if our new driveway will stand the test.

Three Biblical writers (James, Peter & Paul) exhort us to look at the storms and trials of our lives with joy and to endure them with patience because it is storms and trials that provide opportunities for growth and spur us on toward maturity.  Our goal as Christians is to grow into maturity, to grow in love, to grow into his image. 

No matter what comes against us, what difficulties and disagreements we face, trials present for us opportunities. Every test is an opportunity to trust God or to trust in ourselves.  Tests can give rise to opportunities to assert self-will, to become resentful or angry, fearful or anxious.  But they also provide opportunity to throw ourselves completely on God and trust that he will work it for good. 

As we grow we come to realize that no matter what difficulties we face his love will win.  We see that difficulties are the breeding ground for new hope and new love. Every trial becomes an opportunity to surrender our way to God's, to present ourselves as vessels of his love trusting that his love will never fail.

There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.

1 Peter 1:6-7 (NLT)

We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials,

 for we know that they help us develop endurance.

And endurance develops strength of character, 

and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation.

Romans 5:3-5 (NLT)

If I forget . . . .

We heard this beautiful song sung by the Northwestern College Choir at our church on Friday evening.  Here are the lyrics attributed to Robert Browning.  Music composed by Craig Courtney.

If I forget, yet God remembers.

If these hands of mine cease from their clinging,

yet the Hands divine hold me so firmly I cannot fall.

And if sometimes I am too tired to call for Him to help me,

then He reads the prayer unspoken in my heart and lifts my care.

I dare not fear since certainly I know that I am in God's keeping,

shielded so, from all that else would harm,

and in the hour of stern temptation, strengthened by His power.

I tread no path in life to Him unknown;

I lift no burden, bear no pain, alone;

my soul a calm, sure hiding place has found:

the everlasting Arms my life surround.

God, Thou art love!  I build my faith on that.

I know Thee who has kept my path,

and made light for me in the darkness,

tempering sorrow so that it reached me like a solemn joy.

It were too strange that I should doubt Thy love.

The Power of Love

How incredible is this thing called love. 

It is the most powerful force in all the world.

  Nothing can defeat it. 

Love bears.  Love bears, always protecting.  Love is like a rising tide that covers all the debris on the beach.

Love believes.  Love always believes the best.  Love covers and in that covering believes for all good things. 

   

Love hopes.  Love holds out hope for the future against all odds.  It is not just wishful thinking, but a sure anchor in the promises of God.

 

Love endures.  Love overcomes every obstacle.  It endures anything and everything with patience and joy.  Love keeps on loving no matter what happens.

Love covers sin and in that covering believes for all good things and has hope for a good outcome as it endures with patience because it trusts in the great Lord over all things.

This love is so incredible that words fail.  It is far beyond our understanding yet we pray and yearn to know this love and to experience it.  It is a gift of His Spirit.  Let us come boldly and confidently into God's presence and ask for this love to be reproduced in us and let us declare:

I will bear up under all my circumstances.  I will believe all his promises.  I will hope for all good things.  I will endure through everything because I know love will win in the end.

Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong.

And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should,

how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. 

May you experience the love of Christ,

though it is too great to understand fully.

Then you will be made complete

with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

Eph 3:17-19 (NLT)

 

Serenity

Yesterday, as I was driving to get my new Arizona drivers license, I pulled up behind a car with a license plate that read BSERENE. What a reminder!  I was tired and my mind was slipping because of all the daily pressures and worries.  I needed that reminder to refocus on the positive and re-frame my thinking according to the reality of God's peace.

I was tied up in traffic, but there it was again in front of me just before I turned.  It immediately made me think of the Serenity Prayer. Here we are reminded that God is our source of peace.  It starts with acceptance, taking things as they are.  That's always a good place to start. Then asks for courage and wisdom to change while enjoying each moment and trusting that whatever hardships we face will work for our good as we surrender to his will. What a powerful prayer!  God grant us serenity!

se·ren·i·tyNoun/səˈrenitē/

The state of being calm, peaceful, and untroubled:

The Serenity Prayer

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference. Living one day at a time; Enjoying one moment at a time; Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace; Taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it; Trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His Will; That I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with Him Forever in the next. Amen. --Reinhold Niebuhr

Weakness

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Matt 5:3 (NIV)

God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.

Matt 5:3 (NLT)

Recognizing our weakness is a blessing.  It opens the door to all the resources of God's kingdom.  As long as we rely on our own strength we are cut off from God's.  The Apostle Paul found this secret.  A man of breeding, accomplishment, education (Phil 2:4-6) and amazing visions (2 Cor 12:1-4), he realized that he could not boast about any of these things and concluded: "I am going to boast only about my weaknesses." (2 Cor 12:5).  He took pleasure in his weaknesses because they opened the door for God's strength.

Instead of putting ourselves down when we struggle and fail we should rejoice because we know that God will come in to supply the strength we need at that moment.  As soon as I acknowledge my weakness, I feel his strength.

Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

2 Cor 12:9-10 (NLT)

Stormy Seas

I hear the tumult of the raging seas 

as your waves and surging tides sweep over me.

 But each day the Lord pours his unfailing love upon me, 

and through each night I sing his songs, 

praying to God who gives me life.

Psalms 42:7-8 (NLT)

In the face of so much financial uncertainty in the world, we can easily be overtaken by anxiety and fear.  We feel as if our little boat is being tossed back and forth on a violent and stormy sea.  Thank God, that at the height of the storm, his words provide an antidote and anchor for our souls.

His word is a source of daily hope and encouragement.  The scriptures stimulate our faith and bring us courage for each new day and hope for the future.  Faith, as an anchor for our soul, holds on to the solid rock below as the storm continues to rage.  No matter what happens, our powerful God, will provide for our needs in his time and his way.  He will never fail to help us.  David passionately cry’s out, “O my people, trust in him at all times. Pour out your heart to him, for God is our refuge.” (Psalms 62:8 NLT)

No matter how stormy the sea or how violently our little boat is being tossed about, we can anchor our soul on the solid rock.  Our anchor holds in God’s inner sanctuary.  Nothing on the stormy surface above can disturb the calm of the depths of his love.

And the Scriptures give us hope and encouragement

as we wait patiently for God’s promises to be fulfilled. 

Romans 15:4 (NLT)

Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can take new courage,

for we can hold on to his promise with confidence.  

This confidence is like a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls.  

It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary.

Heb 6:19 (NLT)