Iti

ssimplelogict
hatweal lhopeforourlivestomov einadi r
ectionthatisposi
ti
veand
progressi
ve.Wedesiregoodt hi
ngstohappent ousandt hosewel ov e.Butl
i
fehappens.Lif
e
hasahabi toft
aki
ngsomewi ldturnsthatleaveusdisori
ented,withoutasenseofwher eli
fe
couldbeheadedandsomet i
mesl ooki
ngatt heci
rcumstancesthatt hosewil
dturnstakesgives
usabl eakfut
urethatl
eavesuswonder i
ngi fanyt
hinggoodliesaheadofuswi t
hthewayt hings
aregoing.Someti
mesi ti
sapai nthatfeelssor awandsodeept hatwewonderi fitwil
leverheal
.
Othertimesiti
sotherpeoplecomi ngagainstusinsuchhoar dsorwi t
hsuchpowerwewonder
i
fthereisawayofescapi ngthem.

Moment slikethosedifferf
rom per sontoper sonandwhatonemayconsi derbear able,and
otherpersonmayf indinsurmount able.Themeasur eofbei nginthethickoft hi
ngsi swhena
personhasdi ff
icul
tyfi
l
lingthechasm bet weenwhatt heyar egoi
ngt hroughandwhatt heyhope
forsuchthatitisdif
fi
cultforthem t oseeawayoutorbearwhatt heyareexper i
enci ng.Wef i
nd
ourselv
esint hi
sstatewhent hef oundationwepl acedourhopeoni sshakenand/ orwhenour
fai
thwanes.Lastweekwedi scussedhowpl acingourhopeonanyot herfoundationbesi des
Godi sasur ewaytohav eourhopest hwar t
edwhent hoseunreli
ablefoundationsf inall
yshake.
butwhathappenswheny ourfait
hi splacedinGody et,becauseoftheci r
cumst ancesy oufi
nd
yoursel
fin,yourhopewanes?Howdowedeal withthat?

First
ly,Iwouldli
ket opointoutthatthi
si snatur
al andhappenst oeachoneofusatsomepoi nt.
Thebi blehassomanyexampl esofpeopl ewhof oundt hemselvesinsuchast atebutt heydid
notstayi nsuchast ate.Wecandr awfrom thei
rexper i
encesandwhatt hewor dofGodsay s
whenwef i
ndour sel
vesinthisplaceofhav i
ngnohopebecauseoft hest ormt hatsur r
oundsus.
Secondl y,weforgetthisbecausewheny ougothroughahar dshipi
tov ershadowsev eryt
hing
elsebut ,eveni
nt hemi dstofthestorm Godi st
her ewithus.Psalm 34:18t el
lsust hat“theLord
i
scl oset othebrokenheartedandsav esthosewhoar ecr ushedinspir
it”
.If i
ndthist obethe
strongestassurancet hatwhateveriti
sIam goingt hr
ough, Godwillgi
vemet hestr engthtobear
theseasonandHewi lldefi
nit
elygetmet hroughit.ThatiswhatHepr omi sesinIsaiah43:3

Wheny oupassthroughthewat
ers,
Iwi
ll
bewi t
hyou;
andwhenyoupassthroughtheri
ver
s,t
hey
wil
lnotsweepov eryou.Wheny
ouwalkt
hroughthef
ir
e,y
ouwil
lnotbeburned;t
heflameswil
l
notsetyouabl
aze.

Weof tenprojectourinadequacieswhenwear einthet hi

ckoft hi
ngs.Att i
meswef orgeteven
thestr
engthwehav ebutsomet imest hoseprojecti
onsarebasedonr eal
it
y.Hopinginour sel
ves
andourabilit
iesisn’
tthemostst abl
efoundationforourhope.Har dtimesbr i
ngt hatoutintothe
l
ightmor ethanany t
hingelse.Howev er,i
fyourhopei sanchor edinGod, notonlyisHewi thyou
i
nt hedarktimesbuthewi l
l“str
engtheny ouandhel pyou”(Isaiah41: 10).Int
hesamev erse,God
alsosaystous“ Iwil
lupholdy ouwi t
hmyr i
ghteousrighthand” .Butthisdoest akesomeef f
ort
onourpar t
.Goddoesnoti nterv
enei nmat t
erswedonoti nvit
eHi mi nt o.
Whenwef eelthatwear ebeingconsumedbyt heti
de,weneedt ocal
lontheonewhocan
strengthenust hroughi tandr escueusoutofit
.Davi
dst ar
tsofmanyofhispsal
msofdi str
ess
wi t
hcr i
estoGod.Hest ateshiscasewi t
hwhathasconsumedhi m andwait
s,wi
thfait
hand
conf i
dencet hatGodwi l
lrescuehi m.Howhehasseent heLordworkinhisl
if
eservesasa
testi
monyt hat“therighteouscr yout,
andtheLordhear
st hem;hedeli
ver
sthem f
rom al
ltheir
troubles.
”(Psa.34: 18).

Godact uall
ylistensoutf orourcr
iesineveryt
ypeofsituationwemayf indoursel
vesin.Paul,
in
Phi l
i
ppians4: 6-7,tellsusnott oworry–aswet endtodowhenwef i
ndour sel
vesinthethickof
things–“ butinev erysituati
on,byprayerandpetit
ion,
wi t
ht hanksgi
vi
ng, pr
esentyourrequests
toGod”whowi l
l f
il
l ourmi ndswithmuch-neededpeacei nthemi ddl
eoft hestorm.This
super naturalpeacewi l
lguar dourheart
sandmi ndssot hatwecant hinkmor eclear
lyandcope
bet t
erinoursi tuationbyf r
amingourmi ndandourhear ti
nawayt hatrootsourhopeinGodand
truststhatHewi lldeliv
erusi nduetime.

Iti
sthi
skindofpeaceandtrustwi
llnour
ishusevenduri
nghar
dti
mes;onethatwil
ldi
spelf
ear
evenwhenwear epressedf
rom ev
er ysi
de.I
tist
hiski
ndofcondi
ti
ont
hatJeremiahwri
tes
aboutwhenhesays:

Butbl
essedaret heoneswhot r
ustintheLor
d,whoseconf
idencei
sinHim.Theywi l
lbeli
kea
tr
eeplantedbythewaterthatsendsoutit
sroot
sbythestr
eam.Itdoesnotfearwhenheat
comes;it
sleavesarealwaysgreen.Ithasnoworri
esinayearofdr
oughtandneverfai
lsto
bearf
ruit
.(Jer
.17:7-
8)

I
fwet rustthatGod’ spl
ansforourlivesisonlygood, pl
easi
ngandper f
ectandt hatal
lthi
ngs
workoutf orgood, wecantrustthatifHei st
akingust hr
oughthefi
re,heintendstorefi
neus;i
f
Heistakingust hroughthewat er
,Hei nt
endst ocleanseus;andi
fthepr omiseseemst obe
taki
ngtool ong,ourpati
enceandper severancearet r
ansfor
mingust operfecti
on.Intheend,we
arecertai
nt hatwewi l
lgett
hrought hethickofthi
ngsandwewi l
lechothesamewor dsDavid
penned:

“Iwait
edont
heLord;
heturnedtomeandhear dmycry
.Helif
tedmeoutoft hesli
mypit
,outof
themudandmir
e;hesetmyf eetonarockandgav
emeaf irm pl
acetostand.Heputanew
songonmymouth,ahymnofpr aiset
oourGod.Manywil
lseeandfeartheLordandputthei
r
trusti
nhi
m.(
Psal
m 40:1-
3)