Faith for the "What If" Moments

Learning to follow God is a life-long pursuit. Following doesn’t feel natural and skirting around things often does. For example:

• I like to pass big trucks on the highway because I can’t see around them.

• I like to study people’s carts at Costco so I can pick the right checkout line.

• I take vitamins to avoid getting sick.

• I travel, whenever possible, when the roads are most empty of others.

I like to consider possibilities and avoid difficulties. So, when the doctor tells me something could be wrong with my mom, I don’t want to wait a week to find out. 

But that’s what I had to do. A week later I know she is fine, but it was a long week that I wish I could have back and do differently.

The “what-if” moments of faith.

The Bible says, “And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? (Luke 12:25). I track completely with Jesus here intellectually, but spiritually, I fall short. I spent too much time last week with worry, processing my thoughts and considering possibilities. I thought of what I would do if those possibilities became realities.

And then a week later, all is well except for the fact I can’t get back the sleep I lost or the time I spent making plans for things that I now know will never come to pass. I know why Jesus commanded us not to worry. I just don’t know how to stop the worry when it comes.

The “what-if” moments of life are frustrating sometimes. I spent last week bowing my head to pray, not knowing how I should pray. Those prayers usually came out, “Lord, I know you will do whatever is best – help me trust you and the experts.” I’d say amen, and soon I would be thinking about what I should do, all over again.

The “what-if” moments are usually about things that could dramatically change our lives. We want to be prepared for those times, but how do we prepare well without considering all that could happen? When we consider all that could happen, how do we stop the worries?  

What do we do with the worry? It can’t add anything to our lives. In fact, it subtracts a great deal of calm and peace (along with hours of sleep!).

Psalm 55 is my “worry” psalm. When worry eats up my day, I try to consume Psalm 55. King David understood worry. He had enemies, and he had to learn to live with constant threats and problems. He talks about complaining, moaning, and dreaming of escape. He prays against his enemies and for himself. 

David ends his psalm with an instruction that applies to every “what if” moment of life that causes us to feel overwhelmed by possibilities, probabilities, and realities. David wrote:

Cast your burden on the Lord,
    and he will sustain you;
he will never permit
    the righteous to be moved. (Psalm 55:22).

It is difficult to follow God when we want to fix something. Yet, it is only when we cast our burdens on the Lord that we don’t buckle under the weight of them.  

Worries will be part of our earthly lives until we go to heaven. They are like a blowing, West Texas wind that can knock over or carry off anything that isn’t nailed down. Our stability in those winds is understanding that only God can sustain our thoughts and stabilize our worries. “He will never permit the righteous to be moved.”

Get “righteous” by getting in line behind God.

How do we get right with God and stabilize our worries? Start by remembering to “cast them off.”

• Visit the throne of God in prayer and lay the worries at the feet of God. Replace worry with the knowledge of God’s perfection. Our worries are powerful, but God wants us to remember that nothing matches his power.

• Tell God what you want but pray for the wisdom to trust and accept what he answers or allows.  His ways are not our ways. We can trust his choices more than our wants.

• Remember God is your Father and you are his child. He adores you and wants all that is best for you and others. His answer will have eternal significance, not just momentary consequence. Try to consider the eternal picture that exists at the end of our earthly worries.

• Finally, remember when you asked him to be your Savior, you also asked him to be your Lord.  He is the King and we are not. He is at the front of the line, and we are called to follow behind.  We walk where God leads, at the pace God sets, and to the answer God wants to provide. To trust God is to walk behind him.

A week unwasted.

I teach Bible, write Bible studies, and blog posts like this one. None of that means I can face my “what-ifs” worry-free. I’m still learning to follow the God I teach. I’m still fighting the fears and fixing the failures in my faith journey.

I wish I could regain some of last week’s moments that were altered by worries. I wasted too much time on “what-ifs” that never happened. At the same time, I learned once again that the only moments that did work last week were the moments I got in line behind God.  

God never wastes a flaw or failure. He can bring us back from the flood to the flock. I know I will worry again. But, please God, may I be quick to cast the worries at your feet and follow that line marked “righteousness.” I can’t gain back the time I spent worrying, but I can gain wisdom from the experience. The week wasn’t completely wasted after all!

I’m learning to follow. I’m thankful for God’s patient instruction along the way. Corrie Ten Boom said, “Worry is a cycle of inefficient thoughts whirling around a center of fear.” She also said, “In order to feel the worth of the anchor, we need to feel the stress of the storm.”  

It’s comforting to know that Corrie Ten Boom walked her difficult journey and learned of God’s worth.  We can too. Our “what ifs” can be handled with less worry if we faithfully follow God and trust his plan. He is our anchor in every storm.  

Written By: Janet Denison

Source: Foundations with Janet

A Glimpse of God's Greatness

Sometimes God opens a window and allows us a brief glimpse at the reality of his existence and perfection. The world God created is a visible revelation of his invisible qualities, and every person is given the opportunity to know he is real. When was the last time God revealed his greatness to you?

Jim and I were driving east on Interstate 20 early Saturday morning. Traffic was light, the sun was just beginning to rise, and the remnants of Friday’s clouds were still in the sky. For a few brief moments, the sky was a magnificent image of God’s greatness. Only God can create a sunrise. Most of the world was still sleeping or still inside the walls of their homes. The perfection of that sunrise was only seen by a few of us who happened to be awake and facing the right direction. And, the spectacular view of the sun reflecting off those clouds lasted for only a few brief moments.

The traffic slowed down, no one changed lanes, and no one rushed to pass the cars ahead. Nothing else seemed to matter to those of us privileged enough to glimpse the incredible beauty in front of us. God’s greatness was revealed, but only for a few, amazing moments. The sun rose, the highway filled with people on a schedule, and the glory of the sunrise became the ordinary light of another day.

The news is required to report the chaos, but I want to report that the chaos doesn’t reflect the power of God. The truth about God is best seen in the sunrise. “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22–23). The news speaks of shootings, crimes, animosity, and other dark realities. It’s easy to think that people are controlling God’s creation. It’s easy to miss the sunrise if all we see is the ordinary light of another day.

Paul wrote the book of Romans to Christians living in one of the most perverse cultures our world has ever known. Paul doesn’t ignore the chaos of the Roman culture; he describes it in chapter one. Our culture is growing more similar to Rome’s with each passing year. Paul’s words to Rome could be written to America today. Paul reminded the Roman Christians that every human being will be held accountable to God because every human being has been given the chance to know God. Paul wrote:

The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. (Romans 1:18–20)

Every sunrise, sunset, storm, and warm breeze is a reminder that God has clearly revealed himself to every human being. Creation is a visible picture of a God we cannot see but who wanted us to know him. The sunrise we experienced Saturday morning clearly displayed the invisible qualities of God—his eternal power and divine nature.

That beautiful morning, people stayed in their lanes, slowed down, and, for a brief moment, all of us glimpsed the power and divinity of our Creator. A sunrise is impossible for anyone but God. The news reveals the weak and fallen nature that has always darkened God’s world. But the news is a limited version of the truth. Where should Christians look for the whole truth? Paul would give us the same encouragement he gave the Romans when he said, “For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: ‘The righteous will live by faith'” (Romans 1:17).

God is visible in his word, but also in his world. God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—are displayed every morning when the sun rises for that day. God’s love and mercy are his daily gift and can be yours today, through faith. God’s word makes that promise. So does the sunrise.

Source: Foundations with Janet

Written By: Janet Denison

God is Present

Scripture: “The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.”Zephaniah 3:17

Devotional:

Hardly a verse in all of Scripture sums up the heart of God for his people better than Zephaniah 3:17. As we walk through this passage today I pray your life would be transformed by the reality of God’s nearness and the depth of his love for you. Scripture says,

The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.

“God is in our midst”—take a moment to consider that fact. God is not far off; in fact, he is with you right now. If you are a Christian, his Spirit dwells within you, fellowshipping with your spirit. Psalm 139:7 says, “Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence?” God’s presence is with you right now. He is in your midst.

He is “a mighty one who will save.” As a believer you have been saved not of your own accord, but by the humble, loving sacrifice of Jesus. If you have confessed your faith in Christ, you are his forever and nothing can take away your salvation. Rejoice in him today; the Almighty God has come for you, and you now have nothing to fear. Salvation is yours in him; you are a child of God.

“He will rejoice over you with gladness.”To rejoice over you means to rejoice in who you are. Do you believe that God rejoices in who you are? The world is in the business of convincing you that you’re nothing to rejoice about. Your enemy constantly points out things you do wrong, attempting to convince you that you aren't lovable—that you are worthless. But the Bible says that God will rejoice over you with gladness. God believes that you are worth the death of his Son, and there is nothing you can do to change his mind. He rejoices over you today.

“He will quiet you with his love.”How often do you allow God to do this? How often do you take time to let him quiet your life with his love? This is his promise, but like any other gift it has to be received. His desire is to bring a quiet peace to the stress and worry of your world. You have God’s peace available to you any time you are willing to surrender your heart and be filled with his presence.

“He will exult over you with loud singing.”To exult over you means to show or feel elation or jubilation, as the result of a success. Do you know that God sees you as a success? The story of Scripture is God creating mankind for the purpose of having communion and fellowship with us. He lost that perfect communion when mankind chose sin over him, and he has been working to restore it ever since. With the death of Jesus, the curse is broken, our sin is paid for, and we are now able to walk in restored relationship with God. God now has what he has longed for all this time—you. He exults over you because there is nothing between you and him. To God simply having relationship with you makes you a success already.

As a believer you can live out of the great victory God has achieved in you. You get to meet with God face to face. God is present with you today, desiring to do all that Zephaniah 3:17 promises.  Allow God to come and fulfill his promises in your life as you enter into guided prayer.

Guided Prayer:

1. Receive God's presence by meditating on this truth: God is in your midst.

“The Lord your God is in your midst.”Zephaniah 3:17

“My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”Exodus 33:14

"Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and joy are in his place." 1 Chronicles 16:27

2. Receive the quiet heart that his love brings as you meditate on Scripture.

“He will quiet you by his love.” Zephaniah 3:17

“But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.” Psalm 86:15

“Give thanks to the God of heaven, for his steadfast love endures forever.” Psalm 136:26

3. Allow the truth of Scripture to go deeper into your heart. Your Father rejoices over you with gladness. He exults over you with loud singing. You are a success in his eyes.

“He will rejoice over you with gladness.” Zephaniah 3:17

“He will exult over you with loud singing.” Zephaniah 3:17

“Let me see your face, let me hear your voice, for your voice is sweet, and your face is lovely.” Song of Solomon 2:14

When the cares of the world come and crowd out the peace of God’s presence, turn your attention toward him and receive what he has already promised to give you. Memorizing a verse like Zephaniah 3:17 will help you consistently experience the promises of God. Meditating on it throughout your day is the best gift you could give yourself today. Make some time to memorize Zephaniah 3:17 that it might become more than words on a page and produce transforming, transcendent peace and joy.

Source: Crosswalk

Forever Flowers

As a toddler, my son Xavier enjoyed giving me flowers. I appreciated every freshly picked weed or store-bought blossom he purchased with his dad. I treasured each gift until it wilted and had to be thrown away.

One day, Xavier gave me a beautiful bouquet of artificial flowers. He grinned as he arranged the silk white calla lily, yellow sunflower, and purple hydrangea in a glass vase. “Look, Mommy,” he said. “They’ll last forever. That’s how much I love you.”

Since then, my boy has grown into a young man. Those silk petals have frayed. The colors have faded. Still, the Forever Flowers remind me of his adoration. And there is something else it brings to mind—one thing that truly stands forever—the limitless and lasting love of God, as revealed in His infallible and enduring Word (Isa. 40:8).

As the Israelites faced continual trials, Isaiah comforted them with confidence in God’s enduring words (40:1). He proclaimed that God paid the debt caused by the Israelites’ sin (v. 2), securing their hope in the coming Messiah (vv. 3–5). They trusted the prophet because his focus remained on God rather than their circumstances.

In a world filled with uncertainties and affliction, the opinions of man and even our own feelings are ever-shifting and as limited as our mortality (vv. 6–7). Still, we can trust God’s unchanging love and character as revealed through His constant and eternally true Word.

Source: Our Daily Bread

Written By: Xochitl Dixon

True Freedom

While reading on the train, Meiling was busy highlighting sentences and jotting down notes in the margins of her book. But a conversation between a mother and child seated nearby stopped her. The mom was correcting her child for doodling in her library book. Meiling quickly put her pen away, not wanting the toddler to ignore her mother’s words by following Meiling’s example. She knew that the child wouldn’t understand the difference between damaging a loaned book and making notes in one you owned.

Meiling’s actions reminded me of the apostle Paul’s inspired words in 1 Corinthians 10:23–24: “ ‘I have the right to do anything,’ you say—but not everything is beneficial. ‘I have the right to do anything’—but not everything is constructive. No one should seek their own good, but the good of others.”

The believers in Jesus in the young church in Corinth saw their freedom in Christ as an opportunity to pursue personal interests. But Paul wrote that they should view it as an opportunity to benefit and build up others. He taught them that true freedom isn’t the right to do as one pleases, but the liberty to do as they should for God.

We follow in Jesus’ footsteps when we use our freedom to choose building others up instead of serving ourselves.

Source: Our Daily Bread

Written By: Poh Fang Chia