You Are With Me

"Pain and sorrow cloud my sight right now, yet my heart feels still in the storm

I will wait on the Lord, who I'll praise everyday, my saviour and my God"

Lyrics from You Are With Me, a song I wrote during a time when a family member was undergoing chemo treatment.  These words are adapted from Psalms 3 and 42.  You can get this song on my new album - Love is Here.

I find myself needing to take on this mantra of waiting and trusting in God - even when it's not easy to be happy or see the light at the end of the tunnel.  Sometimes we have to choose to be positive, choose to have faith and blindly have hope. When we do that, God meets us where we are at and takes us forward.  Have you ever heard someone say they regretted being positive when things were grim or having faith in moments of doubt??

In difficult moments, we can have a storm of anxiety, depression or unfortunate circumstances all around us - but what keeps us still in the storm?  For me, it's knowledge of great truth, truth that never changes from age to age.  Here are a few truths I remind myself of:

We are made in the image and likeness of God, we are God's beloved children and He never leaves our side - our emotions and circumstances don't ever change that.

All things work together for the good of those who love God and who are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28).

Jesus told us many times to not be anxious or afraid.  

John 14:27 – “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” 

Matthew 6:25 – “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 

Matthew 6:34 – “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. 

Philippians 4:6 – “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 

Those of you who experience symptoms of anxiety know that sometimes just reading these scriptures or repeating them to ourselves in moments of distress don't always magically make the anxiety go away.  But it's important to make it a habit of reading and praying with these scriptures and allowing them to live in your heart - so that you have access to them when you need them.  They DO have an impact. God's truth and peace will guard your heart and mind. You will get through and you're not alone.

One last thought of encouragement, something that has been helping me recently:

14 And this is the boldness we have in him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have obtained the requests made of him. (1 John 5: 14-15)

God loves us and wants to answer our prayers, He can only answer prayers that are in alignment with His Holy Will, what is good and perfect.  Sometimes the answer is "yes", it's just we have to wait.  Sometimes the answer is ..."I hear you, but no - because I have something even better in mind that's in your best interest".  In a culture of immediate gratification, we have to remind ourselves that God works in His own ways and time...He's got our back!  Let's trust in Him.

Jesus, help us trust in your providence, love and care.  Help us to feel still in the storms around us.  Help us lead others to your light.  Amen.