You and I can only be in one place at any given time because we are bound by space. Right now I am at my desk in my home. As much as I might like to be with loved ones who live miles away or with my children and grandchildren, I can only be in one place, and for now it’s right here, in my study, working at my computer. But God can be everywhere at once. God, in all of His fullness, is present
with pastors world wide trying to keep the unity of the Spirit in the midst of generations of division,
with thousands of persecuted Christians seeking to glorify God in the midst of an earthly hell,
with Christians seeking to love one another equally, in the midst of racial tensions,
with me, as I write this brief message, and with you as you read it!
Where did you think God was not? God is everywhere!
Jesus commanded His disciples to “trust in God; trust also in me.” The antidote to fear is faith.
When I toss and turn in the middle of the night, worried and fearful over something that is impending in my life or the life of someone I love, I am comforted and calmed as I meditate on Who God is. It helps me plant my faith in Someone Who is bigger than my fears. I just fall back on Who God is and rest in Him. He cannot be less than Himself! And my God is God!
Next time you feel afraid, make up a list – not of your fears but of the characteristics of God. Find a Scripture verse or passage to substantiate each one as you reconsider your situation in light of Who God is. Then, if you feel it would be helpful to list your fears, make sure beside each one you write down the attribute of God that applies. The secret to peace lies in your focus.
God, as the Judge of all the earth, determined the wickedness of Cain’s civilization could no longer be tolerated, and He sent the Flood to wash it away. God, Who judged the world, is the same God Who saved the world from His own judgment by providing the ark as a means of escape. Praise God! That’s His goodness!
Like pouring oil on troubled waters, our knowledge of Who God is calms our fears. So . . . keep your faith, and keep your focus!
God is faithful
and gracious
and good
and loving
and patient
and holy
and righteous
and merciful.
Three hundred and seventy-one days after the Flood began, “God said to Noah, ‘Come out of the ark, you and your wife and your sons and their wives'” (Gen. 8:15, NIV). We can almost hear the “Hallelujah Chorus” playing in the background! What a day of rejoicing that must have been! God had been faithful to see him through!
God has not changed. If He was faithful to watch over Noah and all those within the ark, bringing them safely through the storm, He will do the same for you. Just as He was faithful to preserve Joseph through thirteen years of slavery in Potiphar’s house and Pharaoh’s prison, just as He was faithful to preserve the little baby Moses floating on the Nile . . . God will be faithful to you. Why? Because God is faithful! He cannot be less than Himself! Keep your focus on God’s faithfulness and on God’s greatness!
