If you’ve been following my blog, you will know that my husband’s employer experienced significant changes last year, and those changes eliminated three hundred jobs, including Tom’s.
We have focused on the Lord throughout, finding comfort and reassurance in verses such as Proverbs 3:5-6, which encourage us to, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.”
As of today, it’s been more than one year.
Tom and I are intentionally reflecting on the Lord’s faithful character. We rejoice in His provision. We rest in His unseen plan. But may I be honest? There are days when our focus shifts to the immediate sting of our circumstances.
The financial difficulties caused by unemployment.
The uncertainty of our future.
The relentless process of job hunting and devastating rejections.
On those days when we divert our focus, confidence and courage soon give way to doubt and fear. That once-clear focus is blurred, and we become overwhelmed and overtaken by shortsightedness and unbelief.
When Peter walked on water, his focus was diverted (Matthew 14:29-31). Peter got out of the boat, walked on water, his sights set on Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid. As Peter focused on the swirling storm water, he took his eyes off of the Lord and started to sink.
When Tom and I choose to focus on our stormy circumstances instead of God, we can be swamped by that storm. We tread choppy waters of doubt. Fear leaves us drenched and exhausted. We thrash about in swells of unbelief and end up wiped out, worn out, and washed out.
What can we learn from Peter?
We learn to live by faith, and not by sight.
On a particularly rough day, when it felt like we were sinking under the weight of anxiety, we created a trust list.
This trust list outlined actions Tom and I could take each day to increase our trust in God.
That included daily bible study and worship. It included going over God’s promises and eliminating distractions. It also included simple things such as daily exercise. We took care to focus on God, and to take care of ourselves by sleeping well, eating healthy, and avoiding those things that weighed us down.
Are you in a storm? Is it hard to focus? Put your eyes on Him as you read scripture and pray. Sing and play praise music. List the lessons and blessings in today’s storm. Revisit the Lord’s faithfulness from past experience to identify His provision for today.
Our Lord knows every concern on your heart. He sees the swirling waters of your circumstances.
His focus is on you. You can place your confidence in the Lord for He is more powerful than any storm you will encounter.
Just as Tom and I continue to experience, God is mighty and able to give each of us what we need in the midst of the storm.
Take Him by the hand, focus on His strength, and keep Him in your sights.
“For we live by faith, not by sight.”2 Corinthians 5:7 (NIV) Isaiah 32:2a, “Each one be like a shelter from the wind and a refuge from the storm.” (NIV) Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (NIV) Philippians 4:19, “And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.” (NIV) Hebrews 11:1, “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” (NIV)
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