Ps. 3:3- “But you, O Lord, are a shield about me...” We’re not going to be stabbed in the back; because God has our back’s protected. If we’re fearful we must ask, “Why am I afraid?” Is it because you think, “’I’ can’t make it through this”? Fear must never be because of the circumstances, but of the Lord. To be gripped in terror or fear is wrong even in the normal every day life situations. We need to transform our fear into faith. (Luke 8:22-25) On that boat they had no need to fear because Jesus was with them. All he had to do was rebuke the storm and would stop. It says Jesus slept though it and they had to wake him. “Why…” they wondered, “…does he not care, why isn’t he helping us through this danger?” Sometimes it seems that way to us, we think God doesn’t care because he’s not doing anything that we see, but He’s there waiting for the right time, building our faith in Him. Worry is an Arminian sin, because you’re not trusting in God’s sovereign hand over you.
“More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”-Rom. 5:3-5. God always looks at your character and why you do or say something. Afflictions bring about your perseverance and perseverance improves your character. God uses the troubles in your life to make you able to go through troubles. The troubles aren’t there to cripple you but to build your character. If you have strong character God will reward you and be with you always.
“Man who is born of a woman is few of days and full of troubles.”-Job 14:1. Death is one of the few certainties of life. (Matt 6:25-33) We as Christians face future and present troubles but that doesn’t mean we have to waste all day worrying about tomorrow or the next or the next. We don’t have to worry because God has it all under control, even though we don’t and we’re not supposed to, because we’re not God. He feeds the birds and cares for them. If he does that for them, and we are made in His image, shouldn’t He care way more about us than the birds and beasts of the field? If you’re in pain now while you’re following Christ then it’s because He’s protecting you from a greater pain later. You might think, “How could anything be worse than this?” You know obedience is hard, but disobedience is lethal. You have to keep going forward, even if it seems you’re going into the grave as Jesus did. But that wasn’t the end. If you turn back, you’ll sink into the water as Peter did.
We can be left alone by God. “And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’”-Matt 7:23. We can be banished from the presence of Him who is everywhere and erased from the knowledge of Him who knows all. Ignored!!! That’s reality. God takes us through times that seem like that’s happening to us, to remind us that if we lose our fear and trust in the Lord that can happen. But if we keep our faith in the Lord “…’I will never leave you nor forsake you’…’The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?’” -Heb 13:5-6.
Think to yourself- “Where have I located my glory?” Do you glory in stuff? If so, relocate your glory. You’re the “…lifter of my head” –Ps 3:3 “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;”-Is. 43:2. When we’re going through tough times (as we see it) God is with us every step of the way. But he also says it’s not going to overwhelm us, so God’s not going to give us more than we can handle. We may think it’s too much, but God knows us better than we do ourselves. He is actually preparing and building our strength so that we can face future troubles or He’s doing it so we don’t have to face a larger trouble up ahead. Ask yourself “Am I afraid?” If so, remember who Christ is and put all your faith in Christ alone. We’re supposed to cry aloud to God, articulate in speech, not just in our head or heart. God doesn’t want us just to think it, but speak it. God is surrounding us with His shield. If God is with us, who can be against us? Ps 56:4, 11- “In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me? 11, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me?”
Rom 4:20-21- “No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised.”
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