From Hoping to Knowing and Doubts to Trust

Bible Study 'Blog Hop':

“I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.” ~Isaiah 43:1b-3a

This Bible verse is the topic of my online Bible Study's 'Blog Hop' this week.  And it just happens to quite literally apply to me!  After all, I have just finished my 'waterfall story'- and I quite literally passed through the waters and the river did not sweep over me.  God was there that day and when I called out to Him, he literally washed me ashore, above the waters and out of the river.  (Fortunately I have not had to walk through fire, in a literal sense, though.)

It feels sort of odd to say this, but I feel so fortunate to have gone through that experience.  What seemed like an awful tragedy at the time turned into a huge lesson.  I learned that God WILL BE THERE for me when I call Him.  He is with me always.  He was with me that day when I fell into the waterfall- no one falls from that particular waterfall and survives.  It's a locally known fact.  The waterfall has been closed off to the public since then because of that fact.   It is a hard to access, very tall and powerful waterfall, not just a rapids.  So I know beyond the shadow of a doubt that it was no 'stroke of luck' that I survived- it was God's mighty hand!

So how can I have gone through something like that and witnessed God's protection and love for me in such a tangible, powerful way, yet still become shaken when a life circumstance challenges me?  Because I'm human.  My humanity causes me to be afraid, afraid of being hurt, afraid of dying, afraid of a lot of things.  My humanity clings to my flesh as it's hope.  My flesh as it's life.

But my life is not in my flesh.  My life is in my relationship with my Lord.  My life is in my spirit, my soul, the things you can't see.   This part of me knows God, knows I can trust Him. This part of me is the part that cries out to God for help....and it's my humanity that is surprised when help arrives, again and again.  Go figure.

So I choose to tend to my spirit, nourish my soul with the word of God.  I choose to worship Him and pray continually.   And when I am afraid I will cry out to Him.  I will choose to trust Him to rescue me when I find myself in trouble and I choose to believe He knows what is best for me through it all.

And someday, maybe just someday, I will find that I am not so surprised when He steps in and saves me from my trouble.  I hope that someday instead of saying  "Wow, that HAD to be God- look how it all worked out," I'll say "Praise God, I never doubted that He had it all under control all along."

Dear Lord-

I pray that my trust in you would continue to grow more and more each day.  I ask that my 'hoping' would turn to 'knowing' and my doubts into trust.  And I ask this in Jesus' precious name.

Amen