Tuesday, October 31, 2023
I don’t live in fear, but that doesn’t mean I’m not fearful at times. Life has too many unexpected, scary moments for anyone to avoid feeling that kind of anxiety from time to time.
I was afraid when the doctor told us there was a lot of risk delivering our son nearly 10 weeks early. In high school, I feared what to do when medical professionals didn’t think my mother would make it through the night. However, during those situations and many others, my faith in God allowed peace to replace the fear, or at least lessen its hold on me.
Building a relationship with God isn’t only about getting to the kingdom. Walking through faith also helps us navigate life’s storms. Drawing upon the Holy Spirit and talking to God through prayer brings courage, trust, and peace and gets us through the rough patches. Life happens—faith in God doesn’t make us immune to troubles, but his Word reminds us “God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them” (Romans 8:28).
What happens when you decide your time spent with God is no longer necessary?
How does life change when you no longer hear God’s words with spiritual insight and thoughtful attention?
1 Samuel 28:4-6
4 The Philistines set up their camp at Shunem, and Saul gathered all the army of Israel and camped at Gilboa. 5 When Saul saw the vast Philistine army, he became frantic with fear. 6 He asked the Lord what he should do, but the Lord refused to answer him, either by dreams or by sacred lots or by the prophets.
It’s important to know that God didn’t simply cut off communication with King Saul because he felt like it. Saul had actively tuned God out first and repeatedly rejected God’s will. It’s scary to think that someone favored by God would do such a thing, but haven’t we all been there? We hear but don’t listen. We live for our own wants instead of from a desire to please God.
But we should also be encouraged by knowing the Bible is full of examples of God’s faithfulness and patience. It helps me when I remember I was afraid. It guides us to build a better relationship with God so we don’t drift from him and suffer his silence as Saul did.
Questions:
Why do you drift away from God? How do you strengthen your communication with God?
Next Steps:
Work on building your relationship with God by continuously praying, reading Scripture, and being part of a life-giving church. Plan ahead to attend each weekend service in person to experience At the Movies, starting this weekend.
Prayer:
God, thank you for staying with me in times of need and prosperity. I trust that everything will be okay because of the strength and wisdom you pour into me when I can’t do it myself. I am blessed because I know who I belong to. Amen.
Series Theme Verse:
Matthew 6:33
Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.
This post was written by Jaron Camp, a regular contributor to the LivingItOut Devotional.