Breathe in, Breathe out

When I said, “My foot is going out from under me,” Your loving-kindness held me up, O Lord. When my worry is great within me, Your comfort brings joy to my soul. (Psalm 94:18-19)

The details never escape God, even when they seemingly escape our notice or attention. Maybe this is why it is so essential for us to trust God - because he has an eye on the details and he will never fail. Even though he never fails, our trust in him does, huh? We let worry grow within us - until it mounts to astronomic levels - and then we panic a little. God never stops taking care of the details of our lives, even when we are spinning out of control. The needs of our life are there, but he has all those needs under his control - no amount of 'great worry' will ever help bring the answer to those needs quicker, or in any better manner!

I don't know where you are today, but I know there are bound to be some of you who are feeling like your feet are going out from underneath you. It may be like you just don't think you can stand it anymore. The pressures mount and mount and your anxieties over life are just about to cause you to burst. All I can say to you at this moment is to 'breathe'. Take a breath for a moment and just settle into his presence for a little bit - not because it is will be easy, but because it is what you need the most right now. You need to breathe in the presence of God and allow it to settle your anxieties.

Life may be messed up right now. Decisions seem harder and harder, almost making it as though you don't even want to move at all. You just want to fall down, call it quits, and just wallow where you are. There is nothing more debilitating than for us to allow worries to multiply until we find we can no longer bear up under those pressures. We are reminded today to allow God to show us how his loving-kindness can actually hold us up when we feel nothing will ever be right again. His comfort is there - we just need to take time to 'breathe' it in.

Think for a moment about Gideon. Do you know the story? They would sow their seeds and then the Midianites and Amalekites would swoop in and steal all their crops, destroying their fields, and leaving them without any resources. They were feeling awfully oppressed and without any hope. It was as though they would do, redo, and then redo again - all to no avail. Until one day when God raised up one man - a man of God - who spoke truth into their lives and began to remind them they belonged to the Lord. There was nothing and no one they needed to fear. 

Yet, if you know the rest of the story, you know Gideon was a little challenged himself in the faith realm. He had to put out a fleece or two to God, asking for the wool to be wet one night and the ground dry around it, dry another and the ground around it wet. All to prove that he was hearing from God and wasn't acting on his whim. In due time, God built up Gideon's faith and they were victorious over these oppressing armies. They weren't massive in number, but the were mighty in force and strength - because God was backing them all the way. When your worries almost make you buckle under their pressure - look up, listen for a while, and just breathe. God is going to build up your faith, settle your worries, and guide you into the greatest victory you could ever imagine. Just sayin!