Have you ever been afraid?

Have you ever been afraid? I 'm not talking about a friend jumping out and surprising you with a "boo".

I mean truly afraid. Afraid, waiting for medical test results; afraid for the well being of a child or loved one;  afraid for your financial future, perhaps wondering ‘how will I make ends meet?’.

There are so many ways we can respond to that fear, aren’t there?  We can panic, stress, get overwhelmed, or overthink every worst-case scenario (I am super talented at that one). And, of course, we can attempt to numb our anxiety-inducing situation in any number of unhealthy ways, OR we can echo David's words:

When I am afraid, I put my trust in you! (Psalm 56:3)

This is a resounding cry throughout scripture. When I read this short, yet mighty verse I think of King Jehoshaphat in 2 Chronicles when this great hoard is coming to get him and he says to the Lord, "I don't know what to do but I put my eyes on you.”

I think of Job, when he says of God, “Though he slay me, yet I will hope in him." (Job 13:15)

I think of David who, over and over again, says when “I am afraid I will put my trust in you,” (Psalm 56:3) even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death. I am going to be okay because you are with me”. (Psalm 23)

In the past months, I have found myself in and out of this season. And let me tell you honestly, during those times I cling to God because I know I don't have the goods to walk into the day and do the things on my own — but God does!  So, I have said to the Lord, almost like a mantra, ‘when I am afraid, I put my trust in you’.

If you believe that God is with you. If you really believe that you are God's child then you are going to be okay! In fact your are more than okay, your future is so bright, in the Lord! You will be able to say confidently...The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want. His goodness and mercy are going to be right beside me, for God will never leave me, never forsake me.

So be encouraged:  when you are afraid, put your hope in God!

I'm listening

The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” The Samuel said, “Speak, for your Servant is listening.” (1 Samuel 3:10)

Samuel was a very young boy the first time he heard the word of the Lord. He had no idea that God could possibly be speaking to him. So confused as to where this voice was coming from he went to his mentor, Eli, one of the prophets and asked if he was calling him.

Eli knew something that Samuel and often we don’t know and that is that God is a God who speaks. So Samuel needed to be ready to listen. Eli encouraged Samuel to make this prayer and have a posture of listening. “Speak for your servant is listening”.

We talk a lot about prayer but prayer is more than talking at God or talking to God.  Prayer is a conversation with God. And so Eli’s counsel to Samuel,  and to us, encouraged him to hear from God —the God who spoke the world into existence through the scriptures and who still speaks through His word.

Not all of are going to hear it audibly but the idea that God has something in particular to say to us is powerful, isn’t it?

• God might illuminate a piece of scripture,

• God might put an impression on our heart or mind,

• God might bring in the counsel of a friend or, a lyric of a song into our mind as a way of speaking to us.

God is speaking all the time but are we ready to listen?

I can’t tell you the number of times I have experienced this but only when I stopped to actively listen and discern.

Recently I was struggling with some anxiety over a situation. I prayed for clarity, I prayed for peace, I was tied up in knots. Later in the day, while I was still stewing, a friend sent me a text out of the blue. They didn’t know I was obsessing about a particular situation. Interestingly, here are some of the key things they wrote… “Thinking about you today….know that you are loved… Life is going to throw us some curve balls. We may not be able to change the circumstances but we can change how we internalize it, and how we process it. We have control of how we think about the situation.”  The message went on about other things but let me tell you, those words were like suave on a burn. It was healing and timely and I believe the timing was not a coincidence.  I believe that God was speaking through my friend. In that moment my faith was increased and my heart was full of gratitude.  And as I journaled God’s faithfulness in speaking to me through my friend, I was able to reposition my anxiety.

I think we can learn something from Samuel.  During this Lenten season, be ready to listen and lean in while you say to the Lord, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”

Help, I need somebody. Help, not just anybody...

Do you have anyone in your life who hates asking for help? “I’m fine”, they say, or “I got this”.  Maybe that someone is you?

I think that for so many of us admitting vulnerablity seems like admitting defeat.  But I hope you know that if you are feeling weary, overwhelmed, or unsure of yourself there’s good news to cling to:  “Our help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.”  (Psalm 121:2 NIV).

Honestly I don’t think there is a single area of my life where I don’t need help from God.  Family, ministry, career, finances, relationships…every area of my life!  And I have unabashedly gone to God and do you know what God has done every single time? God has helped me.

God is a helper.

All we need to do is go back to the beginning in Genesis, starting with Adam, to know that God is a helper.  When God created the human race, God knew that Adam was missing something, God knew that Adam needed something. Adam needed a helpmate. So what that tells me is that my need for help does not make me inadequate, it makes me human.

Psalm 121 is called a Pilgrim Psalm.  This is what the pilgrims sang as they were journeying up to the temple for the annual feasts,

🎶 Help, I need somebody… Help, not just anybody” 🎶 Nope, sorry that was the Beatles!  LOL. The pilgrims sang:

🎶“My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth” 🎶 (Psalm 121:2)

They were aware of where their help came from (maybe the Beatles did too ;))

Sometimes we look to people for help and we end up completely discouraged  and disappointed because they can’t provide the help that we need. We need to go to where our help truly comes from first - the One who made heaven and earth.  There is no shame and no guilt in realizing that God is our helper.  But here’s the thing…God will provide the help that we need and God may use people, and God may use circumstances, and God may use a myriad of resources that God has to send that help to us but know and trust this: ultimately God will help us.

So if you, like me, need help in any or every area of your life - Go to God for the help that you need because God is ready and God is willing to help!