“Surely he will never be shaken; a righteous man will be remembered forever. He will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord.” Psalm 112:6-7
A number of years ago, I was shaken by the news of my mom having cancer. The first in our family, the aggressive nature of this strain made for moving quickly. The thought of losing a dear loved one to something so out of my control for me was a lesson in trust and prayer. My initial response was asking, sometimes even yelling at God to get answers to the growing question of “why?” My fist was spiritually drawn and raised a number of times in the deepness and darkness this horrible incident brought upon my mom.
And now, years later — and mom cancer-free — I find myself once again facing a more personal crisis. The cover looks the same, the story is just a bit different. Every word is written on the pages of grace and forgiveness, penned by the Author. And while I don’t really know the ending to this one exactly, I am confident in knowing it will be very similar. How do I know? Well, here is what He said about that . . .
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28
It’s great knowing the ending, it helps in living through the pages of life. But, how do I live off those pages when I come to a chapter that “rattles my cage?” How do I keep reading? How do I keep the book open and read on?
It’s easier said than done, but the Truth is that the words I read off my pages of life are more than just words. What it is my eyes see cannot be trusted — but knowing who authored my story from the beginning, from cover to cover is imperative. In whom do I trust?
David reminds us that a righteous man will never be shaken and will not fear bad news. It’s all in how I live — where is my faith, do I believe in the Author and Finisher of my life? Or am I trying to write each page?
This means that my life is not in my hands, but rather, in the hands of my God! The pages are being written by Him. Getting shaken is placing trust in myself to get through the bad news, to figure out my own way to process and “deliver” myself from the worry and fear. But that’s not trusting — that’s acting like Adam!
So, God — when I face the pages in my life that reflect strife, present crisis, face rejection, bear fear, instead of being shaken, help me . . . HELP me be steadfastly stirred by those moments but not shaken. Remind me of who I am IN YOU and THROUGH YOU, and that my heart be, as it is, steadfast to withstand the storms I face each and every day!
Amen!
by: Mark Cruver