He is With Us...and He is Our God

The text read:  "Be kefir (careful) in the storm."

"What storm?" I thought and re-focused my attention to my coupon book.  A few minutes later, while unloading my groceries into the car, I got another text.  This one said, "Serious storm headed toward Alex."  Another text immediately followed.  It was a picture this time of a TV screen covered in reds and greens - a weather radar shot. 

Now, THAT got my attention. 

You see, our son was participating in a Disciple Now weekend at a church in Wendell, directly in the path of an on-coming tornado. 

My heart began to beat a little faster.  My mind started racing:  Where is he now?  Is he safe?  Is he scared?  Where is the tornado?  Is it on the ground?

All the sudden, I stopped thinking and began praying.  "God protect him.  Cover him, the building he's in, the people he's with, with your protection."  All the sudden, the crazy, bullet-speed type thoughts ceased and peace came.  I no longer was worried about his safety.  I knew whatever happened, God was in control, and it would be okay, even if it wasn't okay.

I put the car in drive and began heading home.  It wasn't until I got home and started thinking about how horrified all those kids must be that the thoughts returned.  My mind was flooded with how my own child must feel, being there without us...with people he didn't really know...in an unfamiliar place. 

I wanted to be there with him.  I wanted to tell him that God "had this."  Most of all, I wanted him home and safe with me, and I wanted it NOW.  Flurries of anxiety filled my head and again, I found myself praying.  Except this time, it began with an apology to the Father.  Because somewhere in my rant and rave, the Spirit spoke into my heart:  "So you can trust Me with your child's safety, but you can't trust me to handle his emotional state?" 

God was right - as usual : )  

I don't have a hard time trusting Him with the Big stuff...the stuff I know that I have no control over, but I have an incredibly hard time trusting Him with the little stuff - the stuff that I think I can do something about - the things I think I can control if I have the chance. 

And yet, regardless of the "bigness" or the "smallness" of it, fear is fear - sin - a lack of trust in the Father.  Period. 

Is. 41:10 says, "Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand."

I love this verse.  In it, God commands us not to fear.  "Why?" you might ask.  "Why should we not be afraid of the tornadoes and the bad weather and the emotional upheaval they cause?"  Simply put - for He is with us.  "Why should we not freak out and allow those crazy, random thoughts to fill our minds, causing stress and inhibiting rational thinking?"  Again, simply put - He is our God.  

God doesn't tell us not to fear, because it's really not as bad as we think it is.  He doesn't try to gloss over the emotional upheaval and say that tornadoes are just little gusts of wind.  He doesn't pretend that we have nothing to be afraid of as humans.  Instead, He focuses our attention away from the things that cause us fear and re-focuses our attention onto Himself.  He is with us.  He is our God, and He is big enough to handle anything that is thrown OUR way.  

He's letting us know that He is still in control, when everything makes us think otherwise.  He is reminding us that nothing can touch us that hasn't been filtered through His hand first.  He assuring us that He's "got this," that He hasn't left us alone...and never will.  

Do yourself a favor.  Memorize this verse.  Place it in your spiritual arsenal to hurl against those fearful emotions, when they seem to be enveloping you.  

Remember.  God is your God, my friend, if you are in Christ - and He is WITH us.  


Dear Father, thank You that you are my God...that You have never once thought about leaving Your child, and You never will.  Thank You that You are always there and that You don't PRETEND that everything will be alright - You MAKE everything alright.  You truly are my God.  I love You, and I trust in You.