Tag: God is with me

God Really Is Eternally Faithful

Seven years ago today, Joshua went out for a run. Something he had done hundreds of times. Only this time, he didn’t come back home to us. Despite the best efforts of two ICU nurses, firefighters, paramedics, and speciality doctors at Children’s Hospital, three days later, we said, “See you later,” and sent him to Heaven.

I have learned so many lessons in the last seven years, with the greatest one being that grief stands for God Really Is Eternally Faithful. I wish that I could tell you that I came up with that. I didn’t. I was desperately trying to turn the word grief into an acronym. I needed to associate it with something more comforting, something that I could cling to. I was texting a friend, sharing my thoughts with her, but nothing fit, when she replied with the above message. It is a simple phrase with so much truth.

Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23

Not only does scripture tell us that God is faithful, we have so many examples of His faithfulness, yet we often don’t fully understand the extent of that faithfulness until we experience it for ourselves. I have experienced it over and over the last seven years. God has been so faithful to us as we have walked a painful journey. 

And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19

In the beginning, the weight of grief is all-consuming. It took every ounce of energy to simply get out of bed and get dressed. God was faithful during those times. Some days He provided through friends and family, some days He provided with an extra measure of strength. I have learned that even though I will always carry the weight of grief, it has become a much lighter burden. 

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9

For the last seven years, God has walked every step with us. He has caught every tear we have shed. He has felt every stabbing pain of sadness. And, while grief can be very lonely, I have learned that I am never alone. God is always with me. 

But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. Matthew 6:20

Since Joshua moved away to Heaven, I am more focused on eternity. I have a treasure stored up in Heaven, and one day we will be reunited. I sing “This world is not my home, I am just passing through,” with a completely different mindset. 

In the early days of my grief, I couldn’t see any possible way that God could bring anything good out of our tragedy. I didn’t see any possible way that He could heal the ache in my heart. He did both. If you are struggling to see how God is working in your life, ask Him to open your eyes to His goodness so you can see all that He is doing. And ask Him to open your heart to trust Him to take care of you.

There are so many other things that I have learned about grief. There is no timeline for it. We each grieve differently and for different periods of time. Grief has changed me. I am not the same woman that I was when I woke up the morning of October 29, 2013. I know that I will think about Joshua every single day. I know that I will miss him every single day until I see him again. I know that I could live another 30 or 40 years and face more loss and heartache. I also know that God Really Is Eternally Faithful, and regardless of what happens on this earth, He will be with me each step of the way. 

You are not Alone

A little more than six years ago, our son passed away. Just before he passed away, my mom was diagnosed with terminal cancer. For the eight months that we had with her, I spent quite a bit of time traveling to her home to take her for chemo treatments. On those drives, I often found myself crying out to God, asking why. Why did this have to happen? All I could do was hope and pray that it was a bad dream and that I would wake up to find my family intact and my mom healthy. 

I scoured scripture while I watched her sleep. I desperately needed something, anything that I could cling to. Something I knew that I could trust while everything around me seemed to be falling apart.

What I learned is that God is faithful. Regardless of what I am going through, He is going to walk through it right beside me. 

This virus is having a devastating effect on many. The loss of jobs, the loss of financial security, the shortage of food, the loss of loved ones. Everyone is being affected. We are all being affected, but we are all being affected differently. 

One thing that we can all share and know for certain, we are never alone. God is always with us. It says so in scripture and God does not break His promises. Don’t take my word for it. Let’s look at God’s track record.

In Exodus 3, Moses finds himself standing in front of a burning bush and God speaks to Him. He charges Moses with the task of bringing the Israelites out of Egypt. In verse 12, God says to Moses,  “I will be with you.”

And, He was. He brought them out of Egypt, He parted the Red Sea, He guided them through the desert, He gave them manna and quail. 

Notice what God didn’t say. He didn’t say that He would protect Moses from all of the difficulties that came with moving thousands of people such a distance. He promised Moses that He would be with him. Moses was not left to tackle this task alone. 

In Deuteronomy 31, Moses is turning over the reigns to Joshua to lead the people. As a testament to a faithful God, Moses says to Joshua in verse 8, “The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” Moses could say those words with confidence because God had been with him every step of the way. From his birth to his death.

Moses knew that leading was difficult. He knew that Joshua would encounter problems along the way. He knew that Joshua would make mistakes. He didn’t give him a false sense of security by saying, “It will all be okay. God will protect you from any storm.” Moses knew that life was full of storms. He also knew that God was faithful in His word and would walk through each storm with Joshua.

After Moses’ death, God makes the same promise to Joshua in Joshua 1:5, “As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Then, there is the story of Gideon in Judges 6. If you haven’t read that in awhile, I encourage you to go back and reread it. Gideon did not feel equipped to handle the task that God was giving him. In verse 16, God says, to Gideon, “I will be with you.” And He was.

One of my favorite passages comes from the book of Isaiah. I can’t hardly read it without singing the song.

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you: and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. Isaiah 43:2

Maybe for you this virus is like passing through the waters. Your feet are getting wet, and it’s a little inconvenient. God is with you. Maybe for you it’s more like a rushing river. There are so many uncertainties, and you feel like one wrong step could cause you to fall and be swept away. God is with you. Or maybe for you, this is more like walking through fire. Your entire world is ablaze, and you don’t know how to get it under control. God is with you.

How many times does God have to say something for it to be true? Just one, yet He reminds us multiple times in scripture that He will never leave us. He will always be with us.

During those difficult days of navigating grief, I learned so much about the character of God. He will keep His word. The promises in scripture are a guarantee. He doesn’t promise that life will be easy. He promises to walk with us every step of the way. I don’t know how He will carry you through, but I know that He will. I don’t know the outcome of your situation, but I know that you can trust God to bring you through it. You don’t have to have all of the answers. God does.

I pray that you can cling to His word and that it will bring you some comfort and peace during the uncertainties of the days in front of us.