Recently I heard a surprising radio commercial. Someone was talking about stocking up food for a natural disaster. He said he had stockpiled water and dried food that his family could rehydrate in minutes, and now felt totally unafraid of whatever might happen in the future. Really? Totally unafraid?
Tornado!
We would all agree that this world is in trouble. Crime escalates, natural disasters abound. Add to that the economy, and we have a world that is groaning with the weight of man’s depravation.
So then, how can we be unafraid for the future? Do we stock up food, run to the country and live as the pioneers did, learning wilderness survival?
It’s not bad to have food on hand. If we all grew gardens, we’d be freezing and canning food for the winter anyway. Country living is wonderful and in my opinion, the best life! Learning wilderness survival is fun and interesting. But will this take away the fear?
Think about it. In areas of natural disaster there is massive looting. What if people were also starving? How long would an individual’s store of food last if people kept taking it? In the South during America’s Civil War, individual Confederate farms (in the country) lost entire crops to Yankee raiders.
Part of Pompeii with Mt Vesuvius in background
And what about natural disasters? How could Pompeii have prepared to save their city from the eruption of Mt Vesuvius? Or look at today’s hurricanes, tornadoes, tidal waves, or sudden earthquakes. How can one really have peace in the midst of all this?
Obviously there is a limit to how much a person can prepare for the future. No matter how self-assured and self-reliant we are, at some level we all recognize this, and feel vulnerable. Is it possible to prepare in such a way as to have peace for the future?
Yes! It is possible to have perfect peace about the future! This doesn’t always mean nothing bad will happen. What it means is that worry and fear doesn’t have to be part of your life.
It has to do with responsibility and trust.
When you are totally and completely responsible for providing for yourself and your family, there is always the worry that you haven’t done enough, you’ve left something critical undone. But when you place your entire trust in God, then you can rest. He is now responsible for letting you know what preparations you need to make, and He is responsible for the outcome. Even if something bad happens, He will see you through it. The burden now rests on His shoulders.
Sound simplistic? Believe me, it is anything but simplistic in practice! People have struggled with this for many years. Totally trusting God has been written about, prayed about, agonized over, and all because we feel we have to do everything ourselves. Since the biggest task we have is fighting with ourselves, trusting God is not for sissies! Only the tough and determined make it! But the effort is well worth it. Not only will shifting this responsibility to God mean that we have peace, but it also means He will direct us to know how to prepare.
Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. John 14:27
Please leave a comment and give me your thoughts!
Dear Pastor Sherry, your treatment of responsibility and trust was quite inspiring. In fact, this has been said in the past in so many other ways. Your approach to the topic, however, was concise, clear and most of all, fresh — fresh material, that is! Talk about making the Word come alive. You’ve done that quite well. Thank you for sharing.
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Thanks for your kind comments, Victor! I hope this way of seeing it will be beneficial to those who read it. Thanks for stopping by!
I saw my mother go from strong independent and able to get around and take care of herself to totally bedridden and needing all the care and finally dying. Now I am not saying that to show that it is upsetting. I show that example because we want to believe we are capable of doing everything but we do have some limitations. We do all that we can do and God makes up the gap!
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Hi Lynda, so sorry you had to watch your mother go through this process. The dying process was not in God’s plan for us — and someday we will not have to face that anymore. You’re right — no matter how strong we are, how capable, we as humans are terribly limited. That’s where dependence on God comes in. So hard to remember, but so necessary!
Sherry, what an encouraging and soothing post! When we are in partnership with God, doing our part, but also trusting Him to do what is best, even when we don’t understand it, that partnership, obedience, and trust breeds a peace that transcends understanding. (Philippians 4.6-7)
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Amen, Steve, and amen! Nothing more I can say to that!
Thank You Pastor Sherry
For such insightful truth, stock piling food will not keep you and your family safe, on pending disasters, weather they be natural or through wars.
We all need place your entire trust in God.
Hope You Have a Very Merry Christmas and The Best In the New Year
Sharon
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Absolutely, Sharon! Only God can truly protect us from anything that happens, and that requires that “entire trust.” So easy to say, not as easy to do, is it! Merry Christmas to you, too!
Many things happen that we do not have control over. I think the hardest thing a lot of people have is giving up that control, even if it was to a natural disaster. Every so often I meet a person who has decided to not worry too much about their life other than be happy they are alive and living life to its fullest. It makes for less stress not worrying about everything and whatever happens… happens. It is all up to Him.
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Hi Nile, welcome to my blog! You’re right — the hardest thing is giving up the control of everything that happens to us. Trusting God does not come easily to anyone, I think. We all want to make our own decisions and affect our own change, and sometimes it’s only when tragedy or disaster happens that we realize that God has ultimate control and that we need to trust Him. In truth, if we trusted Him always, life would be a whole lot less stressful!
Pastor Sherry,
God never ceases to amaze me. How is it in a secular world, that I stumble across your website with message from God Almighty which was made especially for me? It’s the hand of God, that’s what it is!
I recently received my first major calling from God, and what He asked of me scared the heck out of me. It involved taking a risk like nothing I’ve ever taken before- and will yank me out of my secure life.
I’ve struggled the past week with my feelings of anxiety of doing what God has asked of me, and feeling bad because putting all of my trust (when asked to take an enormous risk) is not as easy as it sounds. People say- “Give it to God” or “Put your trust in God”. It’s easy with the small stuff, but the big stuff? Well….I’m finding it’s a lot harder. I’m working on it, and your post couldn’t have been more timely!
At the end of the day, I will most definitely do as God asked of me, but I’ve got to really dig deep and work on putting all of my trust in Him. : )
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Hi Natasha! Wow — thanks for sharing your personal story. I love hearing about the different kinds of ways that God uses to reach us! He’s good at it, for sure! I’m with you — when God leads in ways that feel like I’m facing a deep canyon in front of me with an un-scalable rock behind me, it can be terrifying. I’ve been in those places. And I’ve discovered that those are the places where God can really build trust in us, because when we come through one of those, we KNOW that God can take care of anything! The fear is a hard thing to get rid of, one that I’m sure all of us struggle with a lot. Sounds like you and God have a great thing going! He’s building that trust in you! You are in my prayers today.
I remember the slogan of decades ago. “Let go and let God!” It sounds easy, but letting go is one of the hardest things we are called upon to do. We think we know best how to live our lives. How much better life is, when we hand over the reins to the One who made us, knows everythng about us, and knows the future.
I started to say “how much easier”… but it isn’t always. Losing our oldest son two years ago would have proven that to me, had I not already learned it years ago. As I said in my recent blog post…
“God is so much more than Infinite Intelligence to me. He is Infinite Wisdom, Infinite Love, Infinite Peace, the God of All Comfort. He is the sovereign God of the Universe, who can do anything and knows everything. Nothing takes Him by surprise, His timing is perfect, and He is waiting always to give me a helping hand whenever things get tough.”
Willena Flewelling
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Oh that’s so beautiful, Willena! And no, God’s ways are not always easier. They are in the end, but not always while we’re going through them. Being on God’s side takes so much more strength of will than being on the opposite side. You always inspire me! I know you hold onto God tightly and did even through the loss of your son. You are a living testimony to God’s goodness — and in the end, He will make all things right for you.
Dear Pastor Sherry, What really stands out for me is when you say “God is not for sissies” That says it all. Yes, we can prepare having some canned goods and such for any emergency. That’s O.K. But I don’t believe in getting caught up in all the negative aspects of “the end.” I do believe in God and know that I am safe in his arms. I Know also that if anything is to happen, I would be standing in the peace of God.
Anytime I face a stumbling block in my life no matter how small or large, I let go and let God. That keeps me in peace. When you believe with your heart and soul, your life is full, you stand strong, and NOTHING can lead you to negativity! Thank you for posting these wise words. I know how simple it is, and also know how complicated people try to make it. “Love like a child” is my motto.
Donna
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Hi Donna, Having the peace of God is all we really need for any emergency, whether it in “the end” or the here and now. And thankfully, THAT preparation we can make! Love your motto — “Love like a child!” God tells us to become like little children. Their implicit trust is what we need, for sure.
Hey Pastor Sherry,
So glad I came across your blog today in the TSA.
Many times we forget Who is in control and why listening to fear is a symptom of forgetting that.
Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6
Thanks so much,
James
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Greetings! I’d like to THINK I’m in control, wouldn’t you? And it always hits me hard when I THINK I am, and then something happens to prove to me that I’m not. God constantly is bringing me back to trust in Him. Love the text you quoted!
I’m in agreement with Nile, that said I definitely could do with letting go of some controlling aspects… for me that means more delegation!
Sadie-michaela Harris recently posted..Mobile Marketing 7 Deadly Sins Infographic
Hi Sadie — And I’m in agreement with both of you about letting go of controlling aspects! Only, I usually try to take control from God. Not good. God be with you today!
Hello there Pastor Sherry I enjoyed your informative article on Peace For The Future. Thank you, I have just been looking for info about this subject for ages and yours is the best I’ve discovered so far.
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Hi Sammy, I’m glad this was helpful for you!