Ahhh… sky so blue. Water so still. If you stop and “listen”, you can almost hear the quiet. The peace. The occasional bird song, or splash of water as a bass swims to the top, briefly breaking the silence.

Wouldn’t it be nice if everyday were this peaceful, filled with utter bliss and not a care in the world?

Unfortunately the idyllic is not the norm. Our days are harried and hurried. We have plenty of opportunities to worry and feel anxious. And – let’s face it – the past three months haven’t exactly been easy.

I used to think I’d make a great monk. Removed from the world. Secluded. Separated. Besides, with my balding head and scruffy beard, I already had the whole Friar Tuck look going.

I now have a new appreciation for regular, face-to-face human contact.

Even from six feet away.

The truth is, these times are far from peaceful. So many have lost loved ones, jobs, businesses, homes… More recently we’ve witnessed racial unrest of unsettling magnitude. (No human being deserves to feel afraid or inferior in a democratic society.)

It’s easy to look at the world around us and think, “Where is God?” The simple truth is: God is still here.

Where He’s been all along.

He’s still the same loving God He’s always been.

And He has it all under control. Nothing will cause His plans to falter. Nothing will make His will fail.

Whatever you are facing today, God is here.

It’s important to remember that God is God and we are not. We are His children, His creation. And just as the clay doesn’t question the potter, neither do we question the Creator.

⁵ Trust in the Lord with all your heart,

And lean not on your own understanding;

⁶ In all your ways acknowledge Him,

And He shall direct your paths.

⁷ Do not be wise in your own eyes;

Fear the Lord and depart from evil.

⁸ It will be health to your flesh,

And strength to your bones. – Proverbs 3:5-8 [NKJV]

Good or bad, everything happens for a purpose. And despite how awful COVID-19 and the riots are, we see God working through His people. People giving of what they have to those who have not. Folks stepping up to help where they can.

That’s not just us. That’s Love. That’s God.

It’s easy to look at our world – sometimes our own lives – and see plenty to worry about. Maybe we just need to learn to say “no” to our worries and anxious thoughts and, instead, choose to trust God. See the beauty of Jesus working through His people.

The message here is simple: keep trusting God. Don’t worry about troubles. Be anxious for nothing. See the Lord even in the bad. Remember all the times God’s been with you in hard times.

Yes, God may give us more than we can handle on our own. He will never give us more than He can handle. So focus on Jesus. Do good in His name.

These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. – John 16:33 [NKJV]

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©2020 by Chris Courtney.  All rights reserved.