Life is full of traumatic events, sometimes following one
right after another or even occurring simultaneously. They overwhelm us, or at
least discourage us, rob us of our peace and joy, and cause us to feel fear and
insecurity.
Trauma leaves behind a residue of grief, melancholy and
uncertainty. It erodes our self-reliance, and causes us to doubt our self and
our abilities. We lose our rudder and we feel anxious and sometimes even
hopeless.
Our soul feels as if it is navigating through fog,
without light and clear direction. We fear the oncoming twists and turns in the
road, possible traffic traveling in the opposite direction, or the occasional
deer that may suddenly jump out in front of us.
Emotional intensity accompanying trauma is equally as
debilitating. We come to a breaking point, the proverbial straw that broke the
camel's back; and this is exactly where God wants us to end up. It is only in
our times of brokenness that He can touch our deepest self.
God humbles us under His mighty hand (1 Peter 5:6; Psalm 136:12),
draws us up to Himself and never lets us go. Our intimacy with Him increases,
because our dependence is on Him rather than on our self. We realize that
Christ is our whole life (Colossians 3:4).
We learn to take trauma in stride, realizing that in this
world, we are guaranteed to have tribulation (John 16:33). We start to consider
our trials as joyful occurrences, because we learn to trust God through them,
and we see His miracles for us in them (James 1:2-8).
The light of God's Son burns off the fog of trials and
gives us clear direction and spiritual insight. He heals our wounds and gives
us victory over our negative emotions and circumstances. Our faith in His love
for us deepens and our joy and peace are everlasting.
Prayer:
Father God, You spoil Your children, especially when we
keep our faith in You regardless of the trauma of our circumstances. We sail
through trials effortlessly when we trust in You and walk in Your Spirit. Remind us to start each day trusting in You,
committing our day to You, not trusting in our human understanding and walking
in Your Spirit through every moment.
We give You the praise and honor due to Your name, we
surrender our cares to You, knowing that You actually care for us and work out
everything - even the most traumatic circumstances for our good (Romans 8:28).
You are our God and King and we live to serve You only.
Thought for the Day:
In the fog of trials, slow down and give the Son time to
burn off the circumstances causing the fog in the first place.
