Have you
ever been stuck in an elevator, buried alive, locked in a bathroom or closet,
stuck in a car during an accident, caught in a dead-end job or relationship,
paralyzed or bed-ridden, trapped in a room on fire, restricted or tied up by
another person, physically abused, or restrained from movement in some other
way?
I have; and
the helpless feeling is unbelievably horrific. After this/these experiences, we
never want to trust life again. We want to live in an indestructible bubble and
roll through life unhindered.
Unfortunately,
life does not roll like this. Jesus promises that due to sin in this world, we
are guaranteed to suffer persecution and trials. The Biblical authors advise us
to count tribulation as a joyous occasion; but this is not the normal human
response.
Instead, we
fight to stay safe, to escape these traps, to shorten our exposure to danger,
to quickly resolve this harrowing experience and to make it possible for life
to return to balance and normalcy as quickly as possible.
After an
experience where we are hindered in some way, we devise a fail-proof plan to
keep us safe and free from helplessness. We use every ounce of our human wisdom
and resources to make this possible and for our plan to succeed.
Yet, life
happens. Danger and destruction abound all around us. People say that
unfortunate experiences come in threes. Many of us turn cynical and critical
and are control-freaks due to life's disappointments; but these techniques
rarely keep us any safer.
Calling on
the name of the Lord, repenting of our sins, surrendering our life to God's
control and submitting to the direction of His Holy Spirit moment by moment
throughout the day is the only way we can live in a semblance of peace and joy
in this world. God gives us His grace in our times of need.
Prayer:
Father God, we
cast all of our anxiety on You (1 Peter 5:7). You are our peace; You have
broken down every wall (Ephesians 2:14); we walk in the fruit of Your Spirit
(Galatians 5:22-23). We approach You confidently, because You give us Your
grace and mercy in our times of need (Hebrews 4:16). We sing of Your mercies
forever (Psalm 89:1).
Your peace
guards our heart and mind, and we rise above our human understanding through
every ordeal we face (Philippians 4:7). When we promote peace with our
thoughts, words and actions, You give us Your joy along with it (Proverbs
12:20). Take pleasure in us, and make everyone, even our enemies, to live in
peace with us (Proverbs 16:17).
Thought for
the Day:
We do not
attempt to ignore or to deny the bad times, but we rejoice in the Lord who
walks with us and in us through each one of them.
