Fear Factor

This morning, after my son had pulled out of his parking spot and drove off to work at the ungodly hour of 5:30 AM, I remained standing outside on our tiny front steps, staring up at the moon. 

Even though he is almost 21, I still walk out with him, under the various guises of hanging up our decorative front porch flag, taking some early morning pics, or putting out the garbage and making sure the front door is locked. Sadly, over the past few years, our neighborhood seems to have become home to some pretty unsavory and even dangerous characters, and we’ve come to know the township police officers here on a first-name basis.

I heard a noise near our alley, and felt a chill hit me that didn’t come from the frigid morning temperatures. Literally frozen with fear, I couldn’t move. I held my breath and waited. Nothing happened. No one appeared. 

Breathing out a sigh of relief, I glanced back up in the sky towards the moon, which looked to be fighting to be seen amid some clouds and the tree branches, and this verse suddenly came to mind:

In this life, we never seem to run out of things to fear, do we? Whether due to bad, past experiences (our own or even someone else’s), or because of future unknowns/uncertainties, all of us have a fear factor. 

We don't like to admit it, but we're all afraid of SOMETHING. And, for the most part, not all of us are afraid of the same things.

Some people are afraid of heights (that would be me)

Some are afraid of insects or big dogs or bats (oh my!)

Other folks are afraid of flying, of driving in snowy/icy weather or across bridges, or of public speaking (me once again)

And still others are afraid of the dark or of thunderstorms

At times, it may feel as if our fears, much like the bare, spidery tree branches in the photo above, are reaching up, entangling us and choking the light and life right out of us. 

In the midst of moments or even seasons that appear to be or truly are dark and fearful, we may think "what to do?", as a friend’s son used to say when he was very small.

The only thing you CAN do when you’re afraid: put your trust in God.

Some time ago, not long after I was handed my breast cancer diagnosis and just before I was about to be wheeled into surgery because of it, I was handed something else. Psalm 56:3

“When I am afraid, I will trust in You.”

Being a still-wet-behind-the-ears follower of Jesus and pretty much new to Scripture PERIOD (let alone its memorization), I had never heard of this verse. But, like a drowning woman, I grabbed onto it like the lifeline that it was for me (and still is), and held on for dear life!

I repeated it over and over in my head as my journey to the operating room took an unexpected detour to a ‘holding room,’ because the results of an earlier, routine (but obviously pretty important) pre-admission test had not come back yet.

I whispered the verse out loud again and again as medical personnel scurried around me, checking my vitals, making frantic phone calls to the lab for those missing in action test results, and doing their best to reassure me that everything would be fine.

“When I am afraid, I will trust in You.”

But this verse REALLY hit home once I was finally brought into the blindingly bright and starkly sterile operating room as several folks from the surgical team lifted me off the gurney and placed me onto the hard, bare operating table, while two others each grabbed an arm of mine and stretched them out to insert more tubes and attach more wires.

It was a frightening moment for me, and a somewhat bizarre thought wormed its way into my brain. I wondered if Jesus had felt that same sickening fear overtake and overwhelm Him as the Roman soldiers stretched His arms out onto the cross? Could the Father have impressed these very words from the Psalms upon Jesus during His time of agony in the garden of Gethsemane? Did He bring them to mind as nails and hammers were poised above His hands and feet? 

Did KNOWING that He could COMPLETELY trust in His Abba bring Jesus some measure of comfort, peace and the strength to endure what was coming at that very moment?

Because they did for me. Those 9 simple words -- “When I am afraid, I will trust in You”  -- plus the realization that Jesus could relate to what I was going through (fear), supernaturally brought me to a place of peace, comfort and the strength to endure what was coming, at the same time removing that fear factor.

And just for the record: although it sounds absolutely unthinkable, outrageous, and even sacrilegious for me to compare my circumstance to Jesus’s, please know that is certainly NOT my intent here. I merely wish to share my thoughts from the moments before my surgery, and to point out that IF that small portion of Scripture had indeed invaded Jesus's thoughts that long ago Friday afternoon, I HAVE TO believe that He surely must have benefited from it as well.

I deposited that verse, securely and permanently, into my heart that day, carrying it with me as I headed off to surgery. I continued to carry it into the second surgery that came along 6 months later. It remained there through the upcoming, draining chemo treatments; through the endless, taxing tests and painful procedures that awaited down the road.

And for all the dark and scary situations and experiences that have confronted-- and continue to confront -- me and my family since then, it remains my ‘go to’ verse.

Beloved - maybe you’ve found yourself in the midst of a dark and scary situation right now:

• The loss of a loved one
• or of a job
• or of a home 
• The shattering of a marriage 
• or of a friendship
• or of a parent/child relationship 
• Or your own health or financial crisis

And that light at the end of the tunnel everyone speaks of?  It seems somewhat hazy and not very bright -- if it can be seen at all. That still, small voice of God others remind you to listen for can often barely be heard above the crashing waves and deafening claps of thunder in your life’s particular storms.

“When I am afraid, I will trust in You.”

Dear one – may I encourage you and urge you TODAY to grab hold of this verse with both hands? And don't EVER let go. Carry it close to you in the midst of fear and uncertainty; as you walk through the tunnel's darkness and maneuver the raging storms.

  

Memorize it

Meditate on it

Whisper it

Shout it

Believe it

Own it

It’s not a magical incantation. It’s a powerful statement of faith and trust in the only One Who can bring you out of darkness, shelter you in life's storms and factor out your fear. 

A Friend Loves At All Times

A friend loves at all times, and is born, as is a brother, for adversity. Proverbs 17:17 AMP

Today I have been thinking about friendships.

I’ve been blessed with some wonderful friends over the course of my life so far.

Friends who were allowed to remain for a season and then, for whatever reason, were removed from my life.

I am grateful for them.

Friends who have come along side me, praying with me and for me, through good times and bad times. Friends who have been with me when it was easy being my friend and when, through my own stubbornness, stupidity and sinfulness, I made it extremely difficult for them.

And yet…they stood firm and remained.

I am grateful for them, too.

I have not always been a good friend to others.  This is not a ploy for sympathy. I’m not looking for people to jump in here and saturate me with comments and compliments about what a wonderful person I am and how I could even say something like that, etc.  Please. I’m just trying to be as honest as I can here.

And to be honest, I have not been the kind of friend that others have been to me.

The kind of friend who will let me know when I’m behaving like a horse’s patoot

The kind of friend who will love me in spite of myself

The kind of friend who will caution me when I’m about to speak or write hurtful words in anger and in haste

The kind of friend who will warn me about the consequences that will result from a poor choice I’m about to make or who will do their best to keep me from acting upon a foolish decision I’ve already made 

The kind of friend who is comfortable with telling me words like

No

Wait

Stop

Don’t

Or with saying things like

“You need to take a step back and give this more thought”

“I think you’re making a mistake”

“This is wrong”

Or with asking me questions like,

“Did you take it to the Lord first?”

“Have you prayed about or talked this over with anyone?”

“Do you think God would be pleased with this?”

The kind of friend who will hold me accountable to promises and commitments I've made to do or to refrain from doing something

The kind of friend who is unashamed and unafraid to speak up, to speak out and to ‘speak the truth in love’ to me. Even at the risk of losing our friendship

I bring this up because recently, I was given the opportunity to actually BE this kind of friend for someone else….and I blew it. Big time.

Even as all the red flags were going up and waving vigorously in my face; even as all the bells and whistles were going off inside my head as my friend spoke of  recent experiences and events that had taken place, and of a journey they were about to embark on that I feared would take them into a dangerous area, it just seemed easier to ignore the warnings.

Yes, as uncomfortable as I was from all those not-so-gentle nudges from the Holy Spirit, it was just so much easier for me to sit, listen, smile and nod my head in all the appropriate places. To just keep silent, be agreeable, and to let it slide. No stress. No mess. No confrontations.

Because anyone who knows me well knows...

I don’t like confrontations!!

But sometimes – love has to be tough. Sometimes – the truth hurts. And sometimes -- 

WE. MUST. SPEAK. UP. NOW.

Jesus knew this.  He always spoke the truth in love to people.  

There was no sugarcoating with Jesus. While He displayed unconditional and unfailing love to those He came in contact with, I think it's safe to say that there were times Jesus also demonstrated tough love. He didn’t let things slide. He asked the hard questions. And He took the risks and said the radical things that NEEDED to be said to family, friends and Pharisees alike, knowing full well that His words could and would be taken out of context by some, infuriate and offend others, and cause many to flat out turn away, deeming Him a blasphemer or a kook.

Yet, Jesus was truly a Friend Who loved at ALL times. And I want to be like that. I want to be that kind of friend.  I WANT to be like Jesus.

I WANT to be able to say the risky, radical truths that my friend needs to hear.

I WANT to be able to speak the truth in love to my friend.

But I am afraid.  

I am afraid it will damage our friendship.  I am afraid my friend will see my loving confrontation as me just being judgmental of their situation, as some already have. I am afraid they'll become angry and offended and walk away – for good.

But I know I HAVE to move past my fears and make the effort to speak. And speak NOW.  

Maybe you've been in a situation like this before with a friend. How did you handle it? Or perhaps you're in this situation right now. Won't you join me in praying about it?

Lord, help me to be unafraid to engage in meaningful, challenging and difficult conversations with my friends when the situation or need arises. Give me words to speak -- Your words, Lord, that I might be able to give them wise counsel in their moments of confusion and indecision, conviction (and not condemnation) when they're headed in the wrong direction or already treading upon a dangerous path. May my friend's heart be open, accepting and teachable to what needs to be said. And, because of You, Jesus, and the precious love and friendship You've offered to me, may I become a better friend -- the kind of Friend You were...and are. Amen

Something about just being with you

When I leave I feel like I've been near God

And that's the way it ought to be, yeah

'Cause you've been more than a friend to me

You fight off my enemies

'Cause you've spoken the Truth over my life

And you'll never know what it means to me

Just to know you've been on your knees for me

Oh, you have blessed my life

More than you'll ever know ~

lyrics to More Than You'll Ever Know  by Nathan & Christy Nockels

Into The Wilderness

"Filled with the Holy Spirit, Jesus returned from the Jordan River and was led by the Spirit into the desert for forty days, to be tempted by the devil." ~Luke 4:1-2a

Led into the wilderness

Carried into exile

Placed in a spot

Tailor made for me

Despair, by Rose Waugh, copyright 2004

A vessel emptied and

Waiting to be filled

Silence…….

There are lessons to be learned

In this silence

No longer the teacher

But the student

No longer the scribe
But the reader

Refinement taking place

In the absence of words

Alone…..

Those I thought I knew

Strangers now

Like vapors that have

Disappeared

They are gone, and I am

Afraid…..

A moan

A cry

A sigh

Escape my lips at various times

Echoing back

Among the ruins

The sound of my own voice

A cruel taunt

Cry For Help, by Deborah Nell

And yet….I sense

That I am no longer

Alone

And fear evaporates

Now there is One

Who waits beside me

His nearness…

A comfort

His presence…

My strength

Spirit of the Living God, by Deborah Nell

Although I cannot see Him yet

I know that He is

Here…right here

I sense His love

His peace

His wordless invitation

To come closer– to Him

Because He’s been in this place before

Himself…alone

Temptation In The Wilderness, by Briton Riviere

Exiled while still fresh

From the wild man’s baptism

Spirited into this desert

With droplets of the Jordan still clinging to

His hair

Abandoned by friends with

Fear His close companion as He

Sweats great drops like blood and prays

Alone in a garden dark

So I lean into this Shepherd
This Friend

This Brother
This God Man of hope and compassion

His breath, warm and sweet

Like a gentle summer breeze

Upon my head

His heartbeat a rhythm

Like a sweet symphony

In my ear

The Promise, by Morgan Weistling

Waiting…..
Breathing....

Content now

To sit at His feet and

To wait…

To learn…

In exile

In the wilderness

In silence

No longer alone

No longer afraid

When you search for me, you will find me; if you seek me with all your heart, I will let you find me, says the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, says the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile. ~ Jeremiah 29:13-14, NRSV

I Will Trust In You

A sweet friend of mine and precious daughter of the King was recently diagnosed with cancer. Due to circumstances beyond our control, we’ve been unable to speak in person. But we’ve been conversing through emails and cards, and yesterday, we were able to speak to each other over the phone.  As I’m writing this, my friend has most likely already been prepped for surgery.

I have walked this particular path through what author Emilie Barnes refers to as ‘Cancer Land.’ It is NOT an easy nor enjoyable path. It can often be dark and frightening and lonely. So many ‘what ifs.’ It certainly doesn’t help matters that when surgery is eminent, you are presented with information and paperwork to be signed in triplicate regarding Advanced Directives, Living Wills, Do Not Resuscitate Orders and the like.


It DOES help to know that others have walked that path before you and have made it through victoriously to the other side, and are waving you forward, cheering you onward. It helps to know that other people are taking time out of their busy schedules to sit before the LORD God and present your needs to Him. Not that He is unaware or needs reminding. We’re merely being obedient and bringing that person and their needs to the only One Who is Sovereign over them and their circumstances and can actually do something about them. God, as Twila Paris sings, IS in control.

I remember 9 years ago, right around this time, when I was preparing for my surgery. I, of course, had to be at the hospital ridiculously early, and God bless my pastor -- the man showed up to pray for me as my husband and I sat in the waiting room, filling out more of those wonderful forms. I’m sure he didn’t even have time to grab a cup of coffee on his way out the door.

At this time, it was also very early in my walk with the LORD God. I had come from a faith denomination that didn’t encourage their congregation to read the Bible -- apparently, it was only for those uber-holy and elite folk to read. So I didn’t have much of a repertoire of Bible verses stored away in my mind and my heart to encourage and sustain me. But after my pastor had finished praying, he shared a Bible verse with me that he said had helped him through a difficult and scary surgery:

“When I am afraid, I will trust in You.” ~ Psalm 56:3

I had never heard that verse before, but I grabbed onto it and clung to it like a drowning victim clings to a lifeline thrown out to them. I repeated it over and over, even as I lay on the operating table, waiting for the surgery to begin, and this verse has stayed close to my heart over the years.
　
It came to me as I’ve been praying for my friend, who shared that yes, she has found herself anxious and afraid as the surgery date drew closer. Even though we DO know that the LORD God is with us, we are also only frail and flawed humans, and it can be easy to forget that when we’re staring down into that dark Pit of the Great Unknown.
As I prayed this verse for my friend earlier this morning, another verse came to mind immediately afterwards:

“Be strong and courageous, do not be terrified. Do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you, wherever you go.” ~ Joshua 1:9

Later on, I prayed the verse again for my friend, and once again, a voice within my spirit came back with:

“Don’t be afraid, for I am with you; do not be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with My victorious right hand.” ~ Isaiah 41:10

It reminded me of something I learned in school when I was in choral music class. Our teacher (the incredibly hip and awesome Miss Borne) used a song by the band, Chicago (Oldster alert!), to show us something called ‘call and response.’ For the life of me, I can’t remember the name of the song, but in it, one of the singers would call out in song a particular line, and the other singer would respond to it. Back and forth it went. Even though I don’t remember the song, the concept has obviously stayed with me, oh these many years.

Our life is like a song. Sometimes, it can be a beautiful tune, with our singing out in praise and thanks to the LORD, and He responds; Zephaniah 3:17 tells us that He rejoices over us with singing. But then there are times, as in certain opera arias, when our song turns to one of fear and desperation --

“I’m so afraid!!”

-- and once again, He responds:

“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　

And we can then say, “When I am afraid, I will trust in You.”　

We call out --

“I feel so anxious and worried!!”

-- and our Jesus responds:

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in Me.” ~ John 14:1

And we can then say: “When I am afraid, I will trust in You.”

We call out --

“I’m all alone!!”

-- and He responds:

“Remember I am with you always.” ~ Matthew 28:20

And we can then say, “When I am afraid, I will trust in You.”

I have learned -- and continue learning -- that trust is KEY in my relationship with my Lord Jesus. I feel sometimes as if He is saying to me, “I JUST want you to TRUST Me!”




I don’t want to spend the remainder of my life paralyzed by fear and anxiety and loneliness and whatever else the enemy sees fit to throw my way.


I want to be:
Strong
Courageous
Fearless
Encouraged
Untroubled

I want to know I am:
Loved
Blessed
Held
Not alone
Cared for

There is a beautiful picture of the Lord Jesus called, ‘The Divine Mercy.’ The story goes that a young nun, Saint Maria Faustina of Poland, was commanded by the Lord Jesus Himself to have an image of Him painted, an image that He revealed to her. Underneath His image was to be placed this signature:

“Jesus, I trust in You.”

Whenever we are afraid, worried, confused, anxious --
Wherever or whatever kind of situation we may find ourselves in --


May we remember to trust in Him.


Open your eyes
But don’t let go of My hand
Let your tears give way to smiles
See the joy inside the trial Don’t worry, you’re safe with Me around
Rest assured I’m on your side
I won’t let you hit the ground
But close as it seems...Trust Me
Though you can’t see
You can trust Me
The way may be steep
You can trust Me
Let me lead...trust Me ~ Trust Me, by Crystal Lewis

Be Not Afraid

"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand. All who rage against you will surely be ashamed and disgraced; those who oppose you will be as nothing and perish. Though you search for your enemies, you will not find them. Those who wage war against you will be as nothing at all. 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 41:10-13, NIV

I think it's safe to say that I've spent almost my entire life living in fear. That's a pretty sad and embarrassing confession to make.  Below is a list of some of the things that I've allowed a spirit of fear to infuse into my heart over the years:

Fear of the dark
Fear of flying
Fear of drowning
Fear of public speaking
Fear of change
Fear of pain
Fear of cancer
Fear of failure
Fear of being rejected and abandoned
Fear of being unloved
Fear of letting go
Fear of dying

Pretty hefty little list I've been lugging around all this time, don't you think?

Fear -- it's the roadblock to recovery and redemption, to hope and healing.
Fear -- it's the stumbling block to salvation and serenity.

As followers of Christ, the spirit of fear should have no rule or reign over our lives. But as flawed and fallible human beings, it can. If we let it. And oh....sadly, how I have let it!

The spirit of fear can rise up in one area of your life, and much like cancer, if not recognized and treated aggressively, will metastasize quickly to all other areas, paralyzing you and choking the very breath right out of you.

God's Word has so much to say about not allowing ourselves to be held captive by fear.  We are told again and again to 'fear not,' 'be not afraid,' and 'do not be terrified.'  In the book of Deuteronomy, Moses encourages the people of Israel, who are about to cross over the Jordan into the Promised Land, with this message of truth from the LORD God: "So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you” (Deuteronomy 31:6, NLT).  And then to Joshua, who would be leading them there, Moses said: “Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; He will neither fail you nor abandon you” (Deuteronomy 31:8, NLT).  The prophet Isaiah tells us that the LORD says, “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are Mine" (Isaiah 43:1, NIV).   And Jeremiah, the youthful prophet, was fearful of speaking to the nations, as God had appointed him to do, and began to make excuses, but God said to him, “Do not say, ‘I am a youth,’ because everywhere I send you, you shall go, and all that I command you, you shall speak. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you” (Jeremiah 1:7-8, NASB).  

In the book of Romans, Paul reminds the church then, as well as us today, that we "did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption" (Romans 8:15, NIV).  Paul also points out to his protégé, Timothy, that  "God did not give us a spirit of timidity and fear, but of power, love and self-discipline" (2 Timothy 1:7, NLT).  And the apostle John tells us that "God is love", and that His "perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced His perfect love" (1 John 4:16b;18, NLT).   A notation in my study Bible states that love and fear are opposites.  Never looked at it that way, but now that I have, I'd tend to agree.  How can you truly love Someone (God) of whom you're deathly afraid?   How can you be afraid of Someone you truly, dearly love? 

In Psalm 27:1, David poses these two statements and accompanying questions: THE LORD is my Light and my Salvation--whom shall I fear or dread? The LORD is the Refuge and Stronghold of my life--of whom shall I be afraid?  If these statements are true in my own life, then whom am I fearing and dreading?  Of  whom am I afraid?  Those are questions I've had to ask myself and contemplate recently.  Yesterday, in response to an email prayer request of mine for two of my family members, a friend called me.  She wasted no time, minced no words and refused to sugarcoat her message that I was being held captive to a spirit of fear, and that I needed to be serious and relentless about removing it from my life and my home.  This was NOT what I was looking to hear and acknowledge from my friend...or from anyone for that matter.  It was a hard, awkward and extremely painful message to receive.  It made me physically cringe, but it was a necessary message --a warning, if you will.  And it was the truth.  The truth, spoken in love: I am a prisoner to the spirit of fear.  

The spirit of fear is a weapon that Satan, our adversary, wields easily and skillfully in battle.  Make no mistake, dear ones -- satantic attacks and spiritual warfare are FOR REAL. We are delusional if we do not believe that we are fully engaged in a daily battle for our souls and for the souls of our precious loved ones, most especially for our children (young and adult children alike). 

When this spirit of fear take over, it blinds and deafens me to the truths that God is in control, that He is faithful, that I can trust Him with everything and that He is mighty to save.  I've allowed the spirit of fear to give growth to the problematic circumstances and people in my life until they tower over me like hideous, monstrous giants.  I've allowed the spirit of fear to wipe out my memory of what God has done for me in the past.  In Samuel 17, a young David stood up to fight against the Philistine giant, Goliath.  King Saul tried to disuade him, telling David he was just a boy.  But David told Saul, “Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine” (1 Samuel 17:34-35;37, NIV).  David was fearless, not caving into a spirit of fear, because he remembered what God had done for him in the past.

Like the ten of the twelve spies that whom Moses sent to survey the Promised Land, I've allowed a spirit of fear to distort my view of my circumstances and to focus only on the negative and on those things that seem to be larger than life.  And like the apostle Peter, after stepping out of the boat to walk on water towards his Savior, I've taken my eyes off Jesus and allowed a spirit of fear to engulf me and try to drown me.

Notice each time, I've said that I've 'allowed it.'  Because I have.  But my friend's words cut me to the heart, and I can no longer allow a spirit of fear to remain in my life and hold me captive.  It must be removed. I must break free.

But how?  What am I to do when I find myself in fear's vise grip?  

Look to God's Word.  Listen for His Voice of truth within the Scriptures; cling tightly to Him and to them, and stand firmly on His promises. Remember what He has done in the past and KNOW that He will deliver me from present and future trials and difficulties.  Have faith and trust God, taking Him at His word, because He is worthy of my trust.  I mentioned David's fearlessness against Goliath.  Later on in the book of Psalms, it's apparent that David struggled with a spirit of fear:  "My heart is in anguish within me; the terrors of death assail me.  Fear and trembling have beset me; horror has overwhelmed me. I said, “Oh, that I had the wings of a dove! I would fly away and be at rest—  I would flee far away and stay in the desert; Selah. I would hurry to my place of shelter, far from the tempest and storm.” (Psalm 55:4-8, NIV).   What removed that spirit of fear from David?  In the very next psalm, David states exactly what he did and what I need to do in order to vanquish this spirit of fear that has haunted me for years and break free from this prison that I've allowed it to cast me into:

 When I am afraid, I will trust in you.  In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?" (Psalm 56:3-4, NIV). 

But the voice of truth tells me a different story
And the voice of truth says "Do not be afraid!"~ Voice of Truth, by Casting Crowns
(I've included the beautiful song and video below)

A Prayer To Abba

For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, "Abba! Father!" ~ Romans 8:15 (NASB)

Abba Father, there are days that come when we feel so overwhelmed by our life circumstances; by the situations and events we see taking place all around us; by the people in our lives who are often abrasive, deceitful, difficult to love or forgive -- cold and uncaring or just plain too busy for us. 

Things aren’t working out the way we want them to; life isn't turning out the way we’d hoped, dreamed or planned. We cry out to You in desperation, but our voices echo back to us, our tears splash back on our faces and we feel alone in our struggles and our desperate needs. We wonder where You are in the midst of these dark and violent storms, these fiery trials and frightening happenings, these climbs up the steep mountainside......are You listening? Why won’t You answer the cries of Your children? We are anxious and afraid.

Photo Credit

Oh, but Abba, You DO hear us and recognize our voices. You are well aware of our circumstances, You know exactly what we need. You see us in our wilderness and You are not surprised to find us there. You are with us, right beside us in the lonely deep, dark pit or in the chaotic and frantic crowd, although we find it hard to see You through our tear soaked eyes, and to hear You and feel Your presence above our rapidly beating hearts, racing minds and shaking bodies. 

Help us to be still and know that You are God, and that You are constantly working behind the scenes in our favor, although we can’t see the work being done nor the fruit of that work as yet. Perhaps You are leading us down a path we don’t want to travel.  Perhaps You are preparing us for something yet to come. Or You are teaching us a hard and painful lesson we don’t wish to learn. You tell us, “Follow Me,” but we are afraid of the destination and the unfamiliar change of scenery. 

Help us, dear Father, to trust You totally and completely, because we know that You are merciful, forgiving and compassionate, always offering us Your amazing grace and unfailing love. You have ransomed us; You know us well, calling us by our names because we are Yours. When we pass through the deep waters, You WILL be with us; when we go through rivers of difficulty in our lives, You WILL NOT let us drown; and when we walk through the fires of oppression, You WILL NOT let them burn us up nor allow the flames to consume us as we fear they will. 

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We are so very precious to You and You love us. Help us to remember this, dearest Abba Father, and to not be afraid, no matter what. We ask this in the wonderful Name of Jesus, amen.

Why should the Father bother to call us His children?
Why should the Spirit hear it when we pray?
Why should the Father bother to be concerned with all our needs?
It's all because of what the Son has done
And we cry "Abba Father, Abba Father
Abba Father, Abba Father"
We cry "Abba Father, Abba Father
Abba Father, Abba Father" ~ Why Should The Father Bother? by Petra