A Life Worth Living

Truth: God has ultimate Control.

Knowing this truth as head knowledge i.e. intellectually, doesn’t make it transformative. It is the truth we know and apply that leads to transformation. So how can this truth be a source of comfort and rest in unpredictable times? Here then is where my heart struggles because though this truth should bring me rest, relief, and comfort, those feelings are not my first friends. I find my heart plagued by anxious thoughts. Why? Because though I know God has a plan for me – He doesn’t give all the specifics. I Know God is good and kind – but the things He allows don’t always feel good. I know God is Just but some of the things that happen are unfair and unjust. If I am getting all these conflicting messages in myself and my experience, how can I receive the rest and comfort this truth is supposed to give?

Here’s where I’ve landed:

1) Praying through Scripture.

I Peter 5:7 Cast your cares to the Lord because He cares for you.

How do we cast our cares to the lord? Through prayer. Prayer has been such a comfort to me because I know I can I bring those anxious thoughts into the presence of God. I don’t have to pretend to understand when I don’t and I don’t have to pretend it doesn’t hurt when it does. God’s posture towards me is always open so I can bring them to Him as often as they arise without fear. God always bids me to come.

Philip 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

Another aspect of prayer is being thankful. It’s hard to be thankful for a difficult circumstance but when I look at the Character of God, when I look at all the times He has been faithful I can cultivate thankfulness even in the most dismal times . This is where I take out my trusty old journal that has markers of How faithful God has been. This is where I look at how God has worked in the scriptures and I press into what I know of His character. God is Faithful , Trustworthy, Unchanging. One way of pressing into truth is by meditating on Gods word. I love going to the psalms and reading them until the truth they express can take a deeper hold on my heart. I may journal and pray them out loud or just pray them out loud. Similar to David in Psalm 103 instructing his soul to bless the LORD. Some of my favorite psalms; Psalm 23, Psalm 46, Psalms 90-100, Psalm 139, and Psalm 103.

2) Receive God’s supernatural peace.

Phil 4:7 … And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

This scripture promises that if I bring my request to God, the peace of God will guard my heart and my mind. It’s a guarantee of peace.

This place of prayer allows my heart and my emotions to catch up to what I know to be true in my mind about God. Here is what happens to my heart after. I see God in His rightful place -Bigger than my situation and in perfect control. Conversely, I see my situation – smaller than my God and under His control. When I eventually get here, even if it’s after months of contending with my heart, I can finally receive the comfort and peace the truth of God’s ultimate sovereign control is meant to give.

In my next blog I’ll be talking about what practical next steps to take when Life is unpredictable…..hope you come back