As told by Reverend G …
Surely the Lord God is with me and will not let his servant tremble with fear.
And yet I am somewhat fearful of what may lie ahead. Although I have faithfully served God within my congregation all these years…although I have spoken about faith often and forcefully from the pulpit, still – I am human and wonder what lies ahead.
God has not blessed me with the gift of prophecy but he is starting to warn me. Every morning when I open my Bible, I ask him, “Dear Father, what would you like me to read today? What will you teach me on this lovely morning?”
For the past four mornings, he has repeated the same instruction, “Isaiah 43:2-3.”
“Really? Again? So here I am, reading the same passage and jotting down thoughts in my journal, asking you, sweet Holy Spirit, to make it plain. What does this mean for me?
ʻWhen you go through deep waters and great trouble, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up – the flames will not consume you. For I am the Lord your God, your Savior, the Holy One of Israel.’
It is a comfort that God promises to be with me in this coming thing – whatever it is. And I see that my part is to trust him. But still, I don’t like the fact that this is a warning of some type of impending doom.
Is this something that will happen to me personally or to someone in my congregation? Not to my beloved son, oh God, please. Not to Jacob or to his bride, Jessie. Please, God. I can’t stand it.
Deep water and great trouble. Rivers of difficulty and the fire of oppression. And no hope that it might not happen because you preface everything with the word, “When.”
When you go through it. When it happens. Three times I see a “When.” Yet I still do not understand.
Oh God, my God, I do trust that you will be with me – no matter what happens. If it is an illness or a tragedy of some kind, you will not leave me to go through it alone. You are indeed the Lord my God, my Savior, my Comforter, my eternal Husband and Maker.
Just help me to be brave. And help me to face whatever it is with my faith intact. Let me never, ever falter. Amen and Amen.
©2015 RJ Thesman – Author of the Reverend G Books – www.CrossRiverMedia.com
Whenever and however this ‘when’ may come….you will have faithful friends and believers to stand by your side. I am lifting you up in prayer my dear sister. God be with you. Layla
Thank you, Layla. Those verses in Isaiah are such a comfort as well as knowing that others are praying for our family. Blessings!
By one means or another we all do – when listening for it – hear the ‘When’. Framing the question in the context of Rev G’s journey drives the declarative word home. Thanks, Rebecca, for reminders to Trust and that trust is sure in Him.
Thanks, Jerry. I hang on to Psalm 56:3, “When I am afraid, I will trust.” Period.