When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.
    In God, whose word I praise—
in God I trust and am not afraid.
    What can mere mortals do to me?
Psalm 56:3-4

 

Round and round I go

where I stop I do not know

but when I do, I’m afraid,

because I know each step I take

will send me careening

reeling, spinning, falling

dizzy as can be until

I find myself prostrate on my face

in dirt, mud, from head to toe

unable to get up, unable to find a foot hold.

 

Yet, here you come to my rescue

holding out your hand as if

it’s the one lifeline I’ve never grabbed

and I have this choice:

to take your hand or just lie in the mud

to take your hand or keep drowning in thoughts

to take your hand or curl up tight

I know…

 

The choice is mine to make

to trust in you with child’s faith

let you pick me up and clean my wounds

 

O Lord,

whenever I am afraid

whenever I am on the brink

whenever I am crying in despair

whenever I am in my deepest fear

 

I (will put my) trust in

only and forever

You.

 

~Marcie Bridges

©8 July 2019

 

An All-State commercial came on the TV one evening not long ago, and at the end of it, actor Dennis Dexter Haysbert says [the insurance slogan], “Are you in good hands?”

 

My nineteen-year old daughter looked at me and asked, “Mom, are you in good hands?”

 

“Yes. Yes I am. I am in God’s hands,” I replied. “And those are the biggest and best hands to be in.”

 

She chuckled and said, “I knew as soon as I asked you were going to say that.”

 

Isn’t it peculiar though, how something can suddenly come into our lives and we don’t feel like we are in God’s hands?

 

The waves get rough, the ground starts to shake, winds blow hard against us, and we begin to quiver in our hearts and minds. The fiery flames of fear leap up in us and we just let them keep burning.

 

This is when we have a choice to make. We can either let fear run our life, or we can reach out in faith to Jesus and ask Him to save us.

 

How do we guard ourselves from letting fear set in? How do we reach out in faith like Peter did when he found himself sinking in the waves?

 

• Are you facing a problem that seems impossible? Read the story of the Israelites marching around Jericho. What kind of faith it must have taken to believe if they marched around a city, clanging pots and pans, shouting and blowing trumpets, those walls were going to come tumbling down. Read: Joshua 5:13-6:27

 

• Are you having trouble speaking the truth in love to someone? Afraid it will require a showdown—how they will react and if it will ruin your relationship? Elijah took on the people who trusted in and prayed to Baal. Baal was supposed to be the most powerful of all gods. It was Elijah vs 450 prophets of Baal. I wonder which one won? I’ll give you a hint: neither of them. God did. Read all about it here: 1 Kings 18:16-46. This story teaches us how to have a strong, unwavering faith (especially in our prayers) and to speak the truth courageously and boldly.

 

• Need to ask God for help? Learn to pray bold prayers with Nehemiah or Hannah.

 

• Feel like you’re drowning? Think you can’t overcome your fears? Paul is your man. Remember when Paul and Silas were in jail and the earth shook but they remained where they were and kept on singing? Try reading Acts 16:16-40.

 

There are so many stories in the Word of God illustrating the fear that overtook many of the people who lived then. But each story also reveals how God pulled them out of that fear and set their feet on a path of peace and success.

 

Fear is a natural part of life. (Just ask Esther!) However, we often allow fear to overrun our lives, we tend to focus inwardly and forget to focus on God. Reading the stories in the Bible of the courageous men and women and how they overcame their fears through God’s help, gives us hope and strength for the coming days.

 

Living in fear is not living at all. May we look to Jesus the author and finisher of our faith to keep us going and give us strength for each day.

 

Are you in good hands?

 

From My Heart to Yours,

Marcie

 

All pictures courtesy of Unsplash.com