“Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.” Isa. 43:1-2.
Sometimes we may falter in the difficult times of our lives. Pressures have mounted, finances seem short, pains of various sort come upon us, and our soul seems to be less than joyful.
The future seems uncertain or negative and we look for some kind of solace, sanctuary or refuge. If we choose the right places, we pass through these ‘valleys’ and arrive on a the ‘mountain top’ of victory, blessing and peace. Sleep, drugs, shopping, social media, internet, television, clubbing, movies, and a host of other activities, provide no lasting relief and, definitely, no solutions.
Staying away from services under the guise of ‘taking a break’ is foolish and feeling-oriented. Pressing in after the One who holds your life and loves you more than you know, is the decision you must take. Jesus’ disciples said, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go for you have the words of life?’ Only while we are in the circumstances is our faith truly tested. We make choices on the basis of what we believe, not what we feel…we take refuge in His promises, in worship, in prayer, in true God-centred fellowship, the Word, and faith-building meditation.
We take the promises above and declare them aloud to our own soul, the opposition and to the Lord as our faith-based confession and possession.