When I consider all the things in this life that invade my thoughts with relentless concerns for the present and the future – – it’s enough to make my head spin. What if? Why? Where? How? When? The list can coil around me like a spinning top about to unfurl itself into a whorl of vertigo. It’s easy to lose your balance when these thoughts take you captive.
But then, I remember my God. I flip back through the pages of my life and re-read the stories that I have walked through. I see with my mind’s eyes the various circumstances that sent me reeling. Every time, my God was there. Every time, He heard my plea—for help, for strength, for faith to endure what has come my way. His presence and his grace were always sufficient even though I couldn’t always see that in the moment. He has never let me down.
In my humanity, it can sometimes be hard to trust that a God I cannot see will oversee all my concerns. I wish I could see Him. I wish I could look into His eyes. I wish I could feel the comfort of His physical presence and hear His voice.
But then, I remember His Word. The Scriptures that tell me all He wants me to know about who He is and what I mean to Him.
“Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers the Prophets, but these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom He appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power.” Hebrews 1:1-3a ESV
”For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” Roman 15:4 ESV
This is my God. He sustains everything by the mighty power of His command. All the pages of my life unveil this truth to me over and over again. If His past help was there then —His future help will be too. I am now in the future of my past. Therefore, my present and future are assured of His presence, His future grace.
So, I will capture these invasive thoughts and reshape them into prayers of praise because whether I see Him, feel Him or hear Him—matters not. He IS near. I take Him at His Word. With every challenge, He is reshaping me, building my faith and making it more certain of His unchangeable character and unstoppable Fatherly love.
The dizziness will soon settle down and my balance will slowly level off. He will never let that top spin off from His unbreakable cord. He has promised me that for all of my life.
” Do not be afraid or dismayed, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; He will neither fail you nor abandon you.” Deuteronomy 31:8