Through It All
“Through it all, through it all, I’ve learned to trust in Jesus, I’ve learned to trust in God.
Through it all, through it all, I’ve learned to depend upon His Word.”
(Sonny Salsbury & Andrae Crouch, 1978)
I don’t want to go through hard times. I don’t want my loved ones to go through hard times. I love to be in control. I love comfort and peace. I love having what I need. I love not having to wait. I love knowing the plan. I love making the plan happen, perfectly. I love seeing the goal and achieving it. I love a happy ending.
I am deceived.
When hard times happen and I can’t change the circumstances, I react. I pray for the circumstances to change.
When I am in need, I pray for provision.
When I can’t see what’s ahead of me, I make a plan and pray for God’s blessing.
When my plan doesn’t follow my time schedule, I get impatient and angry.
And when I set a goal, I get frustrated or depressed when I fail to see it to the end.
None of these are what God would have us focus on. We can all be deceived by our expectations and assumptions. Sometimes we expect God to jump in and make our situations better and the uncomfortable circumstances go away. But, no, darn it!
“Through it all…”
Instead of my go-to reactions, I have other choices that align with God’s Word. I get to depend on Him for everything…through those times I hate so much.
David wrote,
“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death…” (Psalm 23:4, NASB)
He did not say that he would have peace after he exited the valley,
…or that God was going to take him out of the valley,
…or even that he was angry because he would be in the valley forever.
He clearly stated that he would not be afraid as he walked through it. Wow!
I want to do the same; how about you, ladies?
Okay, how do we do that? How did David say he did that?
“…for You are with me.”
David spoke to God directly. He “reminded” God that His presence was there with him in the valley. He also spoke to himself (I do that a lot; do you?) and reassured his soul that he was not alone. For me, I need to preach those same words of reassurance to myself. I believe God is always with me; I want to also trust His goodness for as long as I am in “the valley.”
And, I am pretty sure the view will be much more beautiful when I do.
“Through it all, through it all, I’ve learned to trust in Jesus, I’ve learned to trust in God.
Through it all, through it all, I’ve learned to depend upon His Word.”
GOD IS GOOD, ALL THE TIME!
Beautiful words of wisdom come through this message Miss Becky! Through it all, He is our Sovereign God! This world challenges me daily to remember to strengthen myself through faith and trust, always depending upon His Word and promises. One of my favorite contemporary Christian songs recaptured my heart & mind this summer, which very much aligns with your message. The song is titled ‘Oceans’ by Hillsong United. All the song’s words are beautiful and speak powerfully of calling on The Spirit to affirm ourselves through faith and trust. (I highly recommend watching the God Tube video where Hillsong sings a beautiful version from the shore of the Sea of Galilee!)
One verse reads, “And I will call upon your name, and keep my eyes above the waves, when oceans rise, my soul will rest in your embrace, for I am Yours and You are mine.”
In the refrain, the words read “Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders, let me walk upon the waters, wherever you would call me. Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander, and my faith will be made stronger in the presence of my Saviour.”
Thank you for providing us this platform for sharing such important truths! Blessings, indeed!
Yes, Sharon, that is a wonderful song; I love it, too! Thank you for reminding me of it and sharing it with those who might not have heard it. Great recommendation!
I appreciate your words of encouragement, and YOU!
Becky