Why do things happen? In some situations, we are the sum of our decisions up to that point. Other situations are thrust upon us, and we have played no role in them. And sometimes, we find ourselves in tight spots while fully walking in faith. Some would say that if we get ourselves in a tight spot, we did something wrong. Others say that if we have faith, we can either avoid the trials and struggles or get out of them quickly. I do not find this to line up with what I see in the Bible at all. I've said before that our Bible heroes are our heroes because they faced difficult situations and circumstances through faith, not because they avoided them. There is no, and they lived happily ever after in the Bible.
Moses followed God's instructions to a T and still ended up facing the Red Sea with Pharaoh's army pressing in from behind. Daniel pleased God and still faced a den of hungry lions. For that matter, he was taken into slavery at an early age, but that did not mean he had no faith. Job was righteous - that's what God said about him - and he still lost everything and got sick. Paul and Silas followed God's call to Macedonia and ended up in jail. The presence of trouble does not mean the absence of faith. It's more likely that the deeper the trouble - the deeper the faith.
By faith, David faced Goliath. By faith, Daniel walked out of the lion's den. By faith, Moses led the people across the Red Sea on dry land. By faith, we face caregiving every.single.day.
God does not get out of the boat when the storms come into our lives. He is either already in the boat with us - or comes walking to us on the troubled water. I love that about God. It's hard to draw lines around faith and to say that this or that does not equate to faith. Isn't it all about just trusting God? Period. No matter what comes. No matter what goes. No matter what stays. No matter what leaves. Our hearts are to be hidden in His - and that's how we survive. He carries us in His heart. Willingly even!
Today, I'll remind myself that God doesn't run away from the storm, my cries, my worries, or my concerns. He doesn't even flinch when I think I am ready to give up. Again. My meditations will be on how He just scoops me up again and again and carries me as long as necessary. I love how He loves us. My thoughts will be on how He was in the lion's den, the fiery furnace, the jail cell at midnight, and all our other heroes' situations. Faith carries us right into His heart, where we can trust Him for one more day. Are you with me today?
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