Fear not, for I am with you. Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my victorious right hand. - Isaiah 41:10
Years ago, my mom had a sudden, unforeseen, and devastating stroke. In the whirlwind of hearing this news, rushing to the hospital to be at her side, and the surgery that ensued to remove a blood clot in her brain, I was inundated with fear.
Helpless to do anything on my own, I was forced to sit and wait for outcomes. All the while, fear pressed in, anxious to be my companion in the dark night hours and the days that followed. But the moment I turned my heart toward God and simply asked for His help, I felt a flood of peace sweep through my body, taking up residency in every corner and crevice where fear had crept in.
Circumstances hadn’t changed and all my compassion and concern for my mom were still deeply present. But throughout the months ahead, as I journeyed along side her through her immense struggle to recover, God’s peace never wavered. I awoke each day with hope and energy for whatever I faced and I slept each night, cocooned in the assurance of His love and sovereignty.
Trusting God in times of calamity should be our default response. It is an act of faith on our part that our loving Father meets every time with certainty and merciful, unrelenting love.
ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS
Fear always tries to invade our thoughts during troubled times. But God tells us repeatedly in His Word that we should not give in to fear. The Almighty and Sovereign God is with us and for us, even in our darkest days. Think about the words in the verse above—even dare to speak them aloud. This is the promise from God that I clung to when I needed it most. I know it will bless you as well.