God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.
Psalm 46:1-3
Well, that it quite a visual. Stop for a moment and read the passage word by word and picture the scene in your mind. We have all, at some point, felt overwhelmed. The best thing the enemy can do when we are in a time of trouble is to add fear into the situation. Fear is crippling and paralyzing and when we are entrenched in fear, we cannot move forward. The enemy stands next to our ear and whispers our biggest insecurities. And I am sure that I can't be the only one that believes those lies about myself too often. The lie that is whispered in my ear is one of unacceptance and failure. It is the thing that, in my past, has delayed my obedience to what I knew God was calling me to do.
Perfect example: Years ago, I was impressed by God to get a women's bible study off the ground. I had been looking for one in the area that I could go to (I was a stay at home mom the time). I had been attending one that was 45 minutes away but in the midst of my second pregnancy, I was having some complications and was told that I needed to stick close to home (and my bed) for a while. So, all of a sudden I felt like an island. I was new to the area, lonely, and really knew no one. God began working on my heart to begin and facilitate a bible study. It was all ready to go. I had a location, a start date, and a Beth Moore study all picked out and even workbooks purchased. It was probably August at this point.
It was about this time that the enemy began whispering the lies in my ear. I began to feel insufficient, inadequate, and unprepared. Who was I to facilitate a bible study? No one was going to show up and if they did, they would realize that I had no idea what I was doing! Well, the enemy won for about 3 or 4 months. I delayed, delayed, and delayed some more. Finally, I was able to understand that I was actually being disobedient in what God had asked me to do. We had our first meeting and 7 or 8 women all showed up, none of whom knew each other. These women became my dearest friends. We ended up meeting consistently for 4 years! Many of the ladies that were in the first group came to every bible study for all 4 years. We were also blessed to have many precious women join us as we went along the journey.
The enemy knew my greatest fears of rejection and unacceptance and he was determined to stop the good work that God had in store for our group. Was I perfect? Not even close. Did I have all the answers? Nope! Did I mistakes? Too many to count. But so many times, we would discuss things over coffee and breakfast that I just knew were ordained by God. I knew at the time that this was a rich and meaningful time in my life.
My point is this. Had I listened to my fears, as perfectly valid as they felt at the time, not only would I have been not fully obedient to God, but I would have missed out on some of the best moments of those 4 years. We may feel like everything in us is resisting what we know God has for us. But, He is our refuge when things crumble. Many times He places people in our lives that can represent refuge and strength for us as well. When you feel like your world is crumbling, seek God first and foremost. But, next, find a group of people that can hold you up when the mountains are quaking and the earth gives way. Let us not become frozen in our fear, whether we are struggling with obeying God or in the midst of crisis.
Blessings for you and your family as we move into a new year.
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