"In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."
John 16:33
I am pretty sure that if you are a believer in Jesus Christ you have received a life raft from heaven at some time in your life. Think back. Remember that time you were stuck somewhere hurting or feeling alone or scared or hopeless? Or you were worried to death about yourself or someone you loved? Or you were sure something bad was going to happen to you? Or someone you loved deeply died? Maybe they left you way too soon or completely unexpectedly. Jesus did tell us::
“In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33
Many bad things happen in this world. There is evil in our world. You know the saying, “Bad things happen to good people.” There are no guarantees we won’t be the hapless victim of some tragedy. And the odds are pretty good that no matter how lucky we are, at some point something bad will happen to us. Just because we’re a human being. And we will suffer pain, sometimes seeming unbearable. Pain of loss. Pain of rejection. Pain of deception. Sorrow.
But now I want you to think back again to one of those times when you were forced to live through a trying time, when your position seemed tragic or hopeless and just too much to bear. And maybe, just maybe, a person came along who helped you, who was willing to share your painful journey. Or an event happened that changed the circumstances of your suffering. That was the life raft sent by our wonderful God. Jesus heard your cries of distress. He wanted to help you stay afloat during your troubling time. He loves you far too much to let you struggle on your own. Sometimes it’s hard to stay aware of the fact He is always with us when we are pushed to our limits, so He sends us a reminder, a life raft that we can hold tightly to keep us afloat. It might be a person, a thing, or an event, but it will be there when we need it. And it will be a gift sent by Jesus, the one who stops at nothing, the one who loves us so much He became human like us and then He gave up His life for us.
But, that “but” again, there are times when sending a life raft isn’t enough. Then our savior, Jesus Christ, carries us. As Deuteronomy 1:31 says,
“There you see how the Lord your
God carried you, as a father
carries his son, all the way
until you reached this place.”
Our Lord never leaves us all alone. He is present with us always. There are times He sends us a life raft to help us along the way and there are times when He simply must carry us to get us through our trials. Always, always stay close to Him.
The reason I want to show you some of the life rafts God has send me in my life is so that you will recognize one when He sends it to you. Because it’s all about gratitude. Gratitude, thanking God for His help, is what gives us hope. The hope brings trust so that we will always know He is there for us.
I will share with you many of the times the Lord has sent me a life raft and sometimes where He carried me. I know I am here today writing this because He has called me to share my stories with you. It is sometimes painful, but also sometimes very, very joyful. God has filled my life with joy as I’ve learned to recognize and thank Him for the loving and kind help He has given me along the way. And, as I’ve learned to see and understand some of the events in my life, I now can recognize God’s handiwork and can thank Him. In fact, I’ve received far more blessings than I could ever be worthy of. But our God doesn’t care how much success we’ve had in this world’s eyes; He sees our heart and loves us just as we are. And He cares about us so much He won’t ever hesitate to send a life raft when we need one.
Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there.
If I make my bed in the depths, you are there
If I rise on the wings of the dawn
If I settle on the far side of the sea,
Even there your hand will guide me
your right hand will hold me fast
Psalm 139:7-10
Nancy, I am truly grateful for your answering Gods call to start your blog. The words you have written are uplifting and peace giving, thank you!! I have come to realize the many seasons we go through in this life, some we do not want to leave and others we can get out of fast enough. Please continue to blog and share this beautiful gift.
Your friend, Marti
Beautiful Nancy, what is the scripture that you quote when you write ” “Pray continually, asking My Spirit to take charge of the details of this day. Remember that you are on a journey with Me. As you gaze anxiously into the distance, you don’t even feel the strong grip of My hand holding yours.”
Keep strong my friend, God is guiding you in a powerful way.
Dear Mary, I searched my notes AND the Bible and could not find the source of that quote. I believe it may just have been a part of a meditation I was reading some time ago. I removed it from the blog because I do not want to mislead anyone. I added part of one of my favorite psalms about God’s presence among us, Psalm 139:7-10. Thanks for pointing this out to me. I do love that quote as part of an idea to meditate on, though. It is so true.