No matter what crisis we face or what sorrow may come, our blessed Lord is leading and caring for us every step of the way. The economy could tank; our health could collapse, or our dreams could be derailed. No matter the trouble, our God is in front of it and is preparing the road ahead for us.
The children of Israel couldn’t wrap their heads around this level of faith, and God finally had to disown those he delivered out of Egypt. Why? Because they doubted and limited him after having been so miraculously delivered time and again. It isn’t simply that God would like for us to trust him in difficult times; he demands it. This is why scripture so strongly warns us against unbelief. We are told that it grieves the Lord and shuts us off from every blessing and good work he has promised. Our unbelief makes every promise “of no effect.”
Most of my life and ministry has been in New York City, and here faith is not a dead theology. Those of us who minister in this great city have to practice what we preach just to survive each day. If we did not fully trust the Lord’s promises and rely on Jesus with all that is in us, we would freeze up with fear and panic. The streets here are like war zones; people live in constant fear, and bystanders are often in the line of fire. The needs of hurting people are enormous, and the costs to care for them are heavy. If we did not rest in God’s steadfast promises, we would be overwhelmed.
We are not overwhelmed, and we are not afraid. As the problems grow worse, we grow stronger in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Psalm 46 has a passage to plant your feet on. “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, even though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; though its waters roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with its swelling” (Psalm 46:1-3, NKJV).