We all have those things that happen in our lives that cause us to stop and ask why? Why me? We do not like the road the Lord is leading us down, we do not like the illness, the divorce, the lost job and so on. It does not seem fair, after all, we are pretty good people, right?

God does not promise us roses and sunshine all the time. He does not say our way will be easy and unrestricted by pain, suffering or disappointment. Sometimes the path we are on is scary, we are not sure where it is going to lead us. None of us like pain or discomfort, if you do sorry, you are weird!

God’s word does tell us that we will experience trial and tribulation. How those things come to us we do not know. To some it is through a bad illness, others an end to a marriage, and to others, a career over without warning or someone hurts us by their actions.

We see several instances in the Bible where people were visited by an Angel and the first thing out of the Angel’s mouth is “do not be afraid.” We see in the story of Jesus’s birth, the Angel Gabriel coming to Mary and saying to her to “not be afraid”. Luke 1:29-30 “Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God.” Now I think if I was somewhere around the age of Mary 14-16 years and unmarried, finding out I would become pregnant would be a very upsetting thing to handle. Her whole life was about to change, she was going to be talked about and shamed, have people after she and her family. Life would forever be different for her.

What about Joseph, he too was visited by an Angel and the same thing was said, “do not be afraid.”Matthew 1: 20 “But after he had considered this, and Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.”

Sounds easy enough, but seriously, their entire lives are about to be turned upside down. This was no easy request that was being asked of them. Sometimes the Lord allows circumstances to come into our lives that give us “cause for
pause.” We need to get quiet and ask the Lord what he is wanting from us. Is this thing we are facing a place to grow our faith? Is this something that will change our lives, set us on a course that will take us to the place God knows we need to be?

Nothing touches us that is not under the Sovereign hand of the Almighty. Sometimes the things that come into our lives we want to think are accidents. God must have been distracted and this particular thing escaped his notice. Not possible. If he leads you to a place of deep waters, it is always for our good even if it does not feel very good at the time. Sometimes we never know the “why” of it this side of Heaven. The circumstances of my life have helped mold me, they have played a role in my thinking and my walk with the Lord. Did I like being abused, NO! Did I like feeling in my early walk with the Lord that he was not paying attention to my circumstances, NO! However, those very circumstances he used to draw me ever closer to his side. Those very circumstances he used to save my dad, one of my abusers. God is faithful, if he calls you out into the deep, he is faithful to stay by your side and guide you. When we surrender to his Lordship.

I love Psalm 91, here is just a little of it. Psalm 911-6 “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most- High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him will I trust.” 3 Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler; And from the perilous pestilence. 4 He shall cover you with His feathers, And under His wings, you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler. You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, Nor the arrow that flies by day, 6 Nor of the pestilence that walked in darkness, Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.

What comfort to know that our Heavenly father shields us, no matter how bad it is, it would be worse if he did not keep us, protect us, hide us. Everything we face in life is filtered through loving hands. God only gives us enough. His desire is to see us move ever closer to him, rest in his faithfulness and goodness. Trust him to do in us and through us all that he needs and wants to.

Remember weeping lasts for a night, but Joy comes in the morning! Your “night” might seem like a long time, but it will only last as long as it needs to and then your joy will come!

Rest in him, trust in him, and do not be afraid!