By Gloria Wessner
Global recession, hard earned monies in mutuals and stocks down a large percentage, jobs being lost, fears for our families and their future – this is the grim reality for many people right now. When our security is attacked and we feel we are losing control – is there really any support or relief for that feeling of helplessness?
Facing an unknown future is something none of us want to do. It takes a lot of ‘cowboy up’ to begin to tackle what we can and when we need to do it in the face of difficulty. There is something, however, that I would encourage you to consider. Even though we cannot necessarily change our financial or security picture ourselves as we’d like to as it’s really out of our hands; you may want to consider how you’re going to get through it, keeping your sanity and hope intact and minimizing the effects on the family.
Sometimes it takes something like this for God to get our attention. All along he’s been there, but we really don’t want to give him the time of day; or, as often happens, we blame him for our difficulties. The opposite is true – he greatly cares what is happening to us and waits in the wings for us to ask him for help.
God is not some guru or magician that we expect him to do as we ask. His intent is ultimately for us to find him and have a special friendship with him. When we sincerely seek his help for our needs, whatever they may be; he will meet us. Sometimes he will change our circumstances, and through that we see that it was him who made the changes and that motivates us to have that friendship with God. Most of the time though, God knows the best way to help us find him is that through our trouble we feel compelled to cry out to him and he will answer by ‘walking’ or going with us through that difficulty, and ultimately we realize we need him in our lives.
God knows that the biggest need in my life is for him to take away all the wrong thoughts, desires and actions I have done so that my heart is clean and then I am able to have that special friendship with him. That ability to have that special friendship was accomplished by his son Jesus, who willingly died on a cruel cross for us and then came back to life again (the resurrection). If I talk to him and ask him for that forgiveness and embrace that friendship with him; a whole new way of dealing with life opens up for me as I grow in that relationship.
One of the ways of dealing with life is that I realize that I can have his peace with me no matter what I’m facing. He promises this in a few places in his word. We cannot conjure it up or make it happen because we think positively or meditate or read a message from the universe. It’s a unique peace that is not of this world; it’s a peace that can only come from God himself. Here are a couple of examples:
‘I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.’ (John 14:27 NLT)
‘Now may the Lord of peace himself give you his peace at all times and in every situation. The Lord be with you all.’ (2 Thessalonians 3:16 NLT)
‘Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.’ (Philippians 4:6, 7 NLT)
In my own life I have often claimed this peace for myself constantly in my life. God wants for you to experience his peace while you live in this world, too, and hold your heart in his hands with love.
Readers are encouraged to contact Gloria at gloriawes@hotmail.com.
