Our soul waiteth for the LORD: he is our help
and our shield.
Psalm 33:20
I was 32
years old when I was baptized at the Borden Church of Christ. Honestly, I did
it for two reasons. I was a lukewarm believer which was much better than I had
been (an agnostic-I didn’t know if there was a God or not and was screaming for
someone to help me believe), and I loved my future wife Kristi and felt it was
important to her.
Exactly,
you’re thinking those aren’t the best reasons to be baptized, but it started me
on the journey to become a deacon and share my faith on mission trips, in the
pulpit, and these writings. Do I believe that God sent Kristi into my life to
help lead me to my salvation? There is no doubt about it to me.
I often
think about what I put my hope in before Christ. I won’t go into detail, but I
put my hope in fleeting things. I put my hope into myself mostly and consistently
let myself down. I think back on the person I was before baptism and really
before the last five years and wonder if Kristi did the right thing. I don’t
think I would want Madison to be within 100 yards of someone like me when she
decides to date (which won’t be allowed until she moves out of the house
anyway).
But now,
my hope is in Jesus Christ. We have hit rock bottom a few times since that
faith has been strengthened with just the daily stress and struggle of life,
but sister-in-law’s heart and kidney surgeries, my depression after the
tornado, and just raising two stubborn-willed children (I will blame Kristi on
that one…I have been told over and over that her father bought a book on how to
deal with strong-willed children when she was little. Of course, I don’t have a
strong will at all).
How often
do we rely on “things” to help us through times of despair? And how often do
those things let us down or lead us down the wrong path? Rock bottom,
unfortunately, is where the answer often lies. Because it is there when we will
stop looking around and we start looking up, and ask how do we get out of this?
We have many choices then, but to me the only answer is that we get out by
looking up and dropping to our knees.
The Lord
is our help and shield. I can promise you that relying on God will never let
you down. You may not always like the answer to a question and you may not like
the outcome of an action, but Jesus is there for you. He is there for you
through prayer or by the actions of a follower who is sent at just the right
time.
Are we
willing to let go and let God? Are we willing to let go of the frustration, the
anger or the bitterness of something that has happened to us? Or will we hang
onto it, wallowing in it pointing and blaming?
I think
of Joshua 25:15 “But as for me and my
household, we will serve the LORD." when I think of where I will turn
in times of despair. It is easier to say this in times of good than reacting
when you hit rock bottom, so be intentional. Make a point to live for the Lord every
day, in good times and bad, and not as a fall back, but even if you do use Him
as a fall back, He’ll be there waiting because He loves us.
Greater is he that is in you than he that is in
the world.
1 John 4:4
