‘I will follow Him’
(N Gimbel, A Altman,J Plante, M Pourcel, P Mauriant)
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I bet for many people, the last 18 months or so has been difficult in one way or another. The COVID 19 pandemic has decimated the way that we live.
Things we thought of as everyday things, such as going shopping with friends, or going to the cinema, and visiting friends and family, all stopped or were severely limited.
This has caused many people to start to suffer with anxiety now, at the prospect of being able to do the things we took for granted.
But now the government has started to lift restrictions, even though some shops and places we visit may still ask us to wear face coverings in certain circumstances, will life return to normal?
Normal is a subjective word.
Normal for the past 18 months has been limited visitations to people; normal has been wearing a face covering in all indoor situations; normal has been very far from our ‘old normal’.
Some things though do not change!
The past 18 months, I have struggled with not being able to physically go to a place of worship and share fellowship with other Christians. I have struggled with not being able to sing worship with other believers. I have struggled and have felt a distance opening up between myself and God, and I know that it is me that is moving.
Whatever the situation, whether there is a global pandemic, whether there are wars raging, or whether you have lost someone close to you, and that, unfortunately is quite likely with the deaths associated with the pandemic. Whatever is happening in your life, there is one thing that you need to know and cling to like a drowning person clings to a piece of wood!
God loves us! The prophet Daniel prayed saying;
‘LORD, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments’ (Daniel 9:4 NIV).
We should know that we are loved, the Bible screams love at us constantly, in fact the whole story revolves around love, in fact, the reason Jesus came is due to love, the love that God felt for us his people (John 3:16).
When we feel alone, it is not God who has abandoned us; it is down to us straying.
When you are training a puppy, you would not let it off the lead the very first time you take it outside, you would maybe let it have a longer lead, but keep it under control until it obeys you and comes back to you whenever you call it. So, as you learn to be godly by surrounding yourself with other like-minded people, and with God’s word, or as Paul calls it;
‘the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God’ (Ephesians 6:17 NIV).
As we do this, we learn how to behave as Jesus did, and how to grow to be like him. Once you know this and do this, it is generally easier to then be alone without other Christians, but if this being alone gets too extended as I felt it did with me, and then we may drift and require placing back on the correct path, a little reorienting back onto the true course. Have you ever wondered why there is always someone monitoring their course on a large ship, a few degrees of is enough over a long distance to make a massive difference in the position of where they should be. We have our guide, who is just waiting for us to call to them;
‘I hear the LORD saying, “I will stay close to you, instructing and guiding you along the pathway of your life. I will advise you along the way and lead you forth with my eyes as your guide” ‘ (Psalm 32:8 TPT).
So the past 18 months have been hard, and it is only recently that I have felt my life returning to an even keel, where I have felt happier and closer to God.
But like I said earlier, when we feel that there is a void between ourselves and God, unfortunately it is us who has moved, God will ever leave us;
‘I will never leave you alone, never! And I will not loosen my grip on your life!’ (Hebrews 13:5 TPT).
Just like the drowning man will cling to anything that floats, when we feel our life moving away from God, we need to cling to him, Just as Peter did when he left the boat to join Jesus on the water (Matthew 15:28-31). But, sometimes in life, we have to be courageous; sometimes we need to leave the safety of ‘the boat‘ to actually live in the light and love of Jesus, and to show this to the people around us who we meet in our general everyday life
Life generally gets in the way at times, and staying focussed on God when money is short, or you are unwell can be difficult, but focussing on God is what we should be doing first and foremost above everything else.
There is no one else in the world that can help you as much as God, trust in him always and above all else;
LORD, it is so much better to trust in you to save me that to put my confidence in someone else.’ (Psalm 118:8 TPT).
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When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word,
What a glory He sheds on our way!
While we do His good will, He abides with us still,
And with all who will trust and obey.
Not a shadow can rise, not a cloud in the skies,
But His smile quickly drives it away;
Not a doubt or a fear, not a sigh or a tear,
Can abide while we trust and obey.
Then in fellowship sweet we will sit at His feet.
Or we’ll walk by His side in the way.
What He says we will do, where He sends we will go;
Never fear, only trust and obey.
Oh, Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.
And ‘Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just to take Him at His Word;
Just to rest upon His promise,
Just to know, “Thus saith the Lord!”
Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him!
How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er;
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!
Oh, for grace to trust Him more!
Trust and Obey
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Father we thank you that we can come to you whenever we are in trouble and you will help us. Helps us to trust you and constantly look to you in all situations, that we may fully know you and follow you closely all the days of our lives.
Amen
Bobbles Stuff 