For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.

~Isaiah 41:13 NIV~

There are days when I feel confident, knowing that my God is with me and that whatever happens, He has ordained for my good.  On these days, I can cope with just about anything that happens.  But there are some times when I become so impatient with myself that I can’t find comfort in the promises of God without putting forth nearly excruciating levels of effort.  On days like these, I must pray for strength and courage about ten times more diligently than I normally pray.  Thankfully, I can seek out Scripture, songs and sermons that will help me to feel brave even when I’m terrified of not living up to all that He has made me to be.

So why do we need all of this reassurance?  If we are saved and we believe in Christ, why must we seek out daily…even hourly affirmation of His love for us in order to feel like we can serve Him effectively?  Because we are human and as humans, we don’t quite know who He has made us to be.  We may think we know, but all we possess is a vague awareness that we are His creation and that He loves us.  We don’t always trust the idea that He loves us unconditionally because our limited, human perspective won’t allow us to fully accept that love which He bestows so freely upon us.  Even when we get close to accepting the fullness of joy that He offers, we have a tendency to doubt the anyone could really love us in this way even God, Himself.  The idea of this kind of love is overwhelming and it is meant to be.  That’s who God is…He is the Alpha and the Omega….the beginning and the end…the unfathomable light that we can never get our minds and hearts around.  At least not while we are still here, in this body, on this earth.  This is why we strive to gain the opportunity to meet Him in His kingdom.  So we can finally accept the gift that He has already given us.

This doesn’t mean we can’t experience unspeakable joy as we begin to embrace the love that God gives; it just means that even the greatest joy we feel over God’s love while we are living in this flesh is only the tip of the iceberg where He is concerned.  This is undoubtedly the inspiration behind the songs and sermons that lift us up in our time of need.  This is the purpose of Scripture.  To show us that God is faithful and to encourage us to continue to pursue Him and that amazing love that He has for us.  And so, these struggles we endure are necessary.  For through every dark night, we become more able to welcome the light.  Without the bad, we could never understand the difference between a life with God and a life without Him.  So the fear only brings with it a higher level of security.  And we can achieve the trust and devotion to God that we must possess to meet Him in the end.  How else would we ever recognize Him if we never had a chance to witness His power here?

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

~John 14:27 NIV~

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