At the age of thirty-two, I found myself with two children and $40 in my purse running from my abusive husband. I had to choose to trust God to guide my next step or to give up and go back to certain death. I had a responsibility for my choice and a consequence to face.
I had found some security in the provision of food and shelter from my abusive husband. However, it came at the cost of all safety, love, and value. Now I knew I had to step out with Christ and find the resources and security I needed from professional people to keep my children and me safe.
God’s Truth
As I studied God’s word, I read, “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” Matthew 6:26 NIV
If God takes care of the birds, He will take care of my children and me. It was my choice to believe in his faithful promises. I had to live like I believed God was good and He had the best plans for me and my children; MORE than the fear I felt, the questions I had, and the uncertain circumstances I faced. I chose to live in this verse in Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV. I personalized this verse to help me see God’s promises for me. The personalization is in parenthesis.
(I choose to) Trust in the Lord with all (my) your heart
and lean not on (my) your own understanding;
6 in all (my) your ways (I will trust and) submit to him,
and he will make (my) your paths straight.
This verse doesn’t mean that you won’t face hard or dangerous times in your life. Jesus tells us we will face problems, just as he did. We will face trials, tests, persecution, abuse, the realities of your human condition, and natural disasters to name a few. This verse assures you that Jesus is holding your hand. He will guide you and never leave you. He will give you wisdom and discernment when you ask him for it. He will calm the storm or walk with you through it.
As long as we are on the earth, we will face challenges. The Bible is full of stories about how people faced their trials with God or without him. We can read and learn from these people, who come from every walk of life.
Let’s look at a shepherd boy named David, who became the king of Israel and the lineage of Jesus. Even though David was called to be king as a teenager, he endured decades of growth, danger, tests, and challenges before he became king. David wasn’t perfect. He committed adultery, murder, and he wasn’t the best dad. However, God calls him, “a man after his own heart.”
I believe this title was given to him because David, was willing to share all of his pain, frustration, doubts, and fears with God, AND he would end his conversation with praise, submission to God’s will, and reciting God’s faithfulness. David chose to repent and obey God over his sins. He chose to walk in the love and forgiveness of God.
One of my favorite passages of David’s, found in Psalms 91:1-4 NLT, reminds me of God’s faithfulness.
Those who live in the shelter of the Most High
will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 This I declare about the Lord:
He alone is my refuge, my place of safety;
he is my God, and I trust him.
3 For he will rescue you from every trap
and protect you from deadly disease.
4 He will cover you with his feathers.
He will shelter you with his wings.
His faithful promises are your armor and protection.
When I close my eyes and picture myself under the mighty hand of God, that is as soft and warm as the down pinion feathers in a wing, I can’t help but feel safe, secure, and empowered to face my challenges. I choose to trust God for the safety of my heart and spirit. I know He will take care of me and provide what I need because He has taken care of me all my life.
In my broken design of love and unawareness, I didn’t experience living in the safety of Christ until I was almost forty-years-old. Jesus showed me that I had a choice and responsibility to make boundaries to keep my heart and spirit safely in his care. I didn’t have to let people into our intimate space designed for us.
Once I separated my space with Jesus and God from my space with others, he began to teach me through God’s word. I realized, people and circumstances will always change. The only one who can truly make me feel safe and secure is Jesus Christ. In his safety and provision, your body and life can be in turmoil, and yet your trust in him will bring you unexplainable peace.
God Always Delivers You
The greatest security we have to face the challenges in our lives is our Salvation in Christ. Trials will come to us whether we are a believer or not. The question is, will you face your trials alone and powerless, or will you let Jesus walk with you and empower you with his abundance?
Our only true safety is found when we place our mind, heart, spirit, body, and soul in the hands of Jesus and trust him. No one can touch your heart and Spirit unless you let them. Jesus is the only one who can truly keep them safe on earth and into eternity. He will never leave you. I also chose to trust in the character of God. They ALWAYS deliver you in one of three ways.
- He will deliver you from
- He will deliver you through something, as you walk hand-in-hand with Jesus to learn and grow your faith, and to fulfill your mission.
- He will deliver you into His loving arms in heaven.
As you allow yourself to trust God’s plan and you place your life in his hands, you will feel His safety and experience His peace. When you rely on the one truth that your life is in Christ Jesus, and in the hands of God, you will grow to trust him for all your needs and to keep your spirit safe no matter what happens to your body.
If God is for us, who can ever be against us? Romans 8:31 NLT
Be courageous and partner with Jesus today to begin feeling safe and to know that He will provide your earthy needs. Keep learning and growing, subscribe to my weekly blog now, Overcome and Thrive! https://godstransforminggrace.com/blog/
