“Great is Thy faithfulness,” the congregation sang. Worshiping at a historic church here in the City, I receive a weekly dose of beauty and hymnody. This morning, as I looked another semester square in the face and was wondering how long I’d be able to retain my mental capacities, I joined in singing these words.
“Strength for today, and bright hope for tomorrow…”
Anxiety is a crippling demon that drowns out the truth. Shutting out the reality that God is here and able prevents us, his children, from letting the peace of Christ rule richly in our lives (Col 3:15). We have peace that endureth, and we are united with the One who has bestowed pardon for sin.
The thing is, God always comes through. What does that mean? It means that he never fails and always does what is right. This could mean that he chooses not to rescue us from our valleys, because his purposes include suffering for our good and his glory. This could mean that he sometimes leaves us in the lions’ den, which does not indicate our Father’s impotence but rather that his ways are truly not our own.
Perhaps God may not deliver us through the fiery furnace, like the three men of Babylon, but they were still called to be faithful because of who he is (Dan 3:16-18). Our timetables and definition of “good” are not the Lord’s (Isa 55:8-9). Our God is a God who dwells with his people and sees them in their difficulty.
Approaching tasks with anxiety instead of trusting God’s capability to guide me through is showing that I do not believe. Oh, Lord, help me overcome my unbelief, as a man in the book of Mark said (9:24). He will see us through, whatever we may face, whatever darkness or light awaits.
May we walk in joy, because God. Amen.
