"Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."
~ Isaiah 41:10
Life can be pretty scary sometimes. We have to make huge decisions (and little ones) with huge potential consequences (and little ones).
This week, we're making a big decision in the Holyfield household. We're purchasing our first home. We're so excited, but you know what? We're also scared out of our minds. It's not that we don't trust God to take care of us. We absolutely do. It's just that we also know that we're not supposed to tempt God, and we have to make sure that this purchase is within His will and that it is a financially sound choice.
God calls us to be stewards of what we've been given. If we were to buy an overly extravagant home, or one we can't afford, or one where we'd be tempted to lower our level of giving to the church, that would be sin. So we've been very careful in this decision making process to seek the Lord at each turn, to trust in Him while seeking His heart and His will for us.
So we're convinced that buying this home is God's will for us at this time. And...we're still (or at least I'm still) really, really anxious about it. Afraid. I mean, of course, anytime you sign a loan for six figures, there's going to be a little bit of trepidation, right?
But this verse encourages us. It tells us that wherever we go, God's right there with us. He's not going to leave us or abandon us, and if I need help in my life or encouragement, He's always going to be there. He's my God. MY God – like personally! He's with me, my Creator, my Protector, my Friend. And when I'm tired and frustrated, He'll give me strength. When I'm weak and falling, He'll hold me up. He'll be with us to lead us and guide us and love us when we need Him.
And really, why should we be afraid? Why should we worry about tomorrow? I once read somewhere that for every minute you worry, you lose sixty seconds of happiness. The Bible tells us not to worry about tomorrow, but to let tomorrow worry about itself (Matthew 6:34). If you really think about it, the whole Bible is about God's relationship with people, about how God wants to take care of us and provide for us.
I guess, for my part, I need to work on having faith in God's promises. He tells us not to worry and that He will provide. He tells us not to be afraid because He's with us. I just need to sit back and calm down and realize that God is in control. Certainly He's better equipped to do great things in my life than I am.
And maybe I'm not the only one. Maybe you're making a decision about whether to go to school (or back to school) or which job to accept or whether it's time yet to get married. I'm not saying you shouldn't consider the pros and cons of these decisions and take them to God in prayer, but I am saying that we should probably fret less and trust more, that we should let it go and allow the God of Peace to give us peace. Rest in Him. Cast your cares on Him. He'll take care of you, I promise. More importantly, HE promises.
"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well" (Matthew 6:25-33).
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