By Barbara Rainey
First posted on EverThineHome.com
In the current climate of our country I feel my stability—my sense of peace, my rootedness—is buffeted continually by news about political and social unrest, threats to national security, shocking crime, and even reports of extreme weather. A few weeks ago a devastating tornado swept through Little Rock, destroying areas I’ve driven through for over 40 years. Sometimes in our world today I feel as if my limbs are being stripped, my stability uprooted like the destroyed trees and buildings littered across these neighborhoods.
The future is unsure. We do not know what tomorrow may bring.
My comfortable and somewhat predictable routine brings me comfort. Every day I trust the walls and roof of my house to remain stable, the roads on which I drive to remain solid. Our medical system with its superior training, facilities, and staff have assured me that most any problem can be repaired. Our freedom to worship—a right we have counted on for over two centuries—has always felt as dependable as bedrock.
But the dark clouds on our world’s horizons are challenging my thinking about where my trust is placed. I wonder if my security and stability is resting too heavily on my circumstances.
In the midst of the 2008 economic crash in America, I found these words which stabilized my anxiety then, and again today: “And He will be the stability of your times” (Isaiah 33:6).
There is so much I cannot change or fix about this world. That will always be true. And so the rock of Christ, the anchor of my soul, must be my sure hope and my stability, not the predictable norms I long to cherish.
The eternal truth that God is sovereign is either true or it is not. I’m counting on its veracity because He brings more peace than any treaty or alliance of men possibly could.
As I read my Bible I read that hard times are part of life. And there are predictions of hard times ahead. At the end of the age, whether that is just around the corner or decades away, life will become more difficult, not easier. In this also He is the stability I desire, need, and long for.
No matter what happens, I pray you will join me in growing deeper roots into the only One who can make us safe. I also pray that we will make the transcendent truth of God and His Word more a part of our conversations so that others may also know of this hope and stability.
Christians have become fearful as our culture that once supported us and our freedom to worship now is undercutting and overtly attacking many of us.
What if our land is ruined by a natural disaster? What if some foreign nation launches a missile that reaches our shores? Will you rest on God’s promises then?
Centuries-old trees, like sequoias and oaks, endure through drought and storms because when conditions are good they eagerly soak up nourishment and sink their roots deeper to prepare for the hard times that always come.
Will you sink your roots into the Rock of Christ?
Will you invite Him to be the stability of your times no matter what may come?
If this post helped you, you would also enjoy our new online video study titled, Cultivating Hope In Times of Hardship and Disappointment. This series, with five video messages and a free downloadable workbook, is a compilation of many of the lessons I’ve learned in my 50 years of following Jesus as His disciple.
In this study, I explore:
The story from John 11 of Mary and Martha and their disappointment with Jesus after the death of their brother Lazarus.
8 ways to nurture faith and hope in the dark times of life.
Keeping hope alive.
If you are curious to learn more I’d love for you to watch the video series and learn more about cultivating hope when you’re going through hardships and are disappointed in God. It’s available now!
My Heart, Ever His: Prayers for Women (NEW from Barbara Rainey)
As we search for meaning in our world of shallow online relationships and glamorized selfies, many are returning to traditional and liturgical churches. The repeated words, benedictions, and historic hymns connect us to saints who have gone before, giving us a sense of belonging, richness, and transcendence. Written prayers, once cast off as archaic, are now welcomed as guides to tune our hearts to the heart of God.
In My Heart, Ever His Barbara Rainey shares 40 prayers for women. Readers can read and meditate on one prayer throughout the week or read a prayer a day for 40 days as a way to express the longing of our hearts to our Father who loves us even as he sees who we truly are. Like the psalms of David, these prayers are honest, sometimes raw. Barbara uses these transparent expressions of common female experiences to encourage us to surrender to Christ and help us see God as he is, not as we assume him to be. My Heart, Ever His provides a stepping-stone to help you become more transparent with God and discover his welcoming embrace.
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