In Times of Trouble, Where is My Hope Placed?

"Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is the Lord. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river, and will not fear when heat comes; but its leaf will be green, and will not be anxious in the year of drought, nor will cease from yielding fruit." (Jer 17:7-8)

Where is my hope and where is my trust? Those are very pertinent questions for me today as I begin to assess where I am at the moment. My family is facing some potentially large financial commitments, and I don't have a steady job at the moment. I am working as a temp right now, and I am very grateful for the work - truly, it has been provision from the Lord.

However, I don't have the solid financial footing to undertake our potential purchases, and that is a little unsettling. "How in the world are we going to do all this?" is the question that comes to mind very quickly.

I sift through all the calculations that I can come up with, and it doesn't add up. But then, I am reminded when I read this verse - "Bryan, who and what are you placing your trust in?" Am I trusting in my own abilities, the number in my bank account, or on random fortune?

All that ignores the Lord entirely. I am not saying that the Lord is my genie to grant me any wish that I want, but what I am saying is that the Lord provides appropriately and at the right time.

The trial is not the important battle to win, but rather it is my response to the trial that is the true test. When push comes to shove, will I stand on my worldly possessions and skills, or will I instead dive into the arms of the Lord? Is my belief deep enough to keep my leaves green during the time of drought, not sucking life from the world, but subsisting on the word of God alone?

I must remember the Lord and simply pray to Him. Yes, I will do whatever I can with my own two hands, but I will leave the ultimate provision to Him. He will provide for us one way or another - I don't need to wonder or worry. Once it goes to Him, it will get taken cared of in the proper way at the proper time.

Lord Jesus, I know that the decisions that have started to weigh on me are not really mine to make. You know what is best for me and my family, and You have never led us astray. No, You have always been faithful, and even now You provide for us in the midst of a tough job market. I have always had favor from You and I know that this time will not be any different. You have a plan and You have a future laid out for us. Forgive me for my moments of unbelief where I have not put my life squarely into Your hands, but instead have tried to wield it all on my own. In the process, I almost lost all the lessons that You've been teaching me over the past 6 months. Thank You for drawing near to me again and holding us steady although the world howls around us. In Your glorious name, AMEN.

Look Up Upon Jesus

"So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." (2 Cor. 4:18 NIV)

"For we walk by faith, not by sight" (2 Cor. 5:7 KJV)

"God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." (2 Tim 1:7 NKJV)


What is my focus on? Not the focus of my human eyes, but of my mind. On what have I focused my thoughts on? Lately, I have been lamenting the lack of a job during this recession and I have been curled up in fear at times, moaning in prayer to the Lord. Surely, it has not been a pretty sight.

But what I realized is that we could get to that panicked state of mind about anything. In fact, there are numerous mental disorders that may seem strange to the average person, but are really a reflection of paranoia gone wild. (Max Lucado has a terrific chapter on this in his latest book, "Fearless". Thanks Max!)

As Christians, what we focus our thoughts upon is the key to keeping our spirits encouraged and close to God. If we focus on our fears and on the circumstances that we can't control, we lose sight of God and believe that He is distant. We then become paralyzed and overwhelmed, losing our ability to have hope and perspective. As my wife has been finding out lately, we also get testy and hard to be around.

After living in this sandpapery life, my faith has been slowly chipped away and dulled. My focus centered upon my bank account, and not on the Lord. Is it any wonder that I have little vision and sense of where I'm headed?

Focusing on the Lord is like the Three Wise Men being guided by a star in the East to the baby Jesus. He is our GPS, our guidance and we need only to center ourselves on Him at all times. It seems counter-intuitive because if we continually look upwards to God, we might trip. However, that is incorrect - vision, direction and peace will come from God when we seek Him continually. Bad circumstances will happen around us still, but we will recognize them for what they really are - temporary obstacles at best because God will make a way around whatever we face.


Lord Jesus, I am so sorry that my focus has shifted so often to the little fire drills that happen around me. I get so wrapped up in them, that I really fail to keep my eyes on you - and when I do that, fear overwhelms me. Let me behold You instead, and be patient for Your work in Your ultimate timing. Thank You that You are always there with Your unchanging love - yesterday, today, and forever. In the unchanging name of Jesus, Amen.