ASSURED
adj: very confident; sure that something is certain or true
“I’ve told you all this so that trusting me, you will be unshakable and assured, deeply at peace. In this godless world you will continue to experience difficulties. But take heart! I’ve conquered the world.” John 16:33
We can’t be sure about much of anything right now. Many of the things we have always been able to count on are no longer certain. Plans are on hold, and we are realizing that even some of our most cherished traditions may never be the same. Not only are we disappointed, we are weary and we are worried.
Even those of us who have placed our faith in Jesus–we who know that life ends well for us–are struggling with the circumstances we find ourselves dealing with.
I catch myself occasionally drifting toward despair as my anxiety causes me to doubt the sovereignty of God. My heart needs to be assured and reassured. Often.
God, are you really in control?
Do you see this mess we’re in?
Do you hear us praying and crying out to you?
Are you ever going to answer?
It’s okay to ask him that. But then we have to be willing to devote some energy and time to looking and listening for reminders of his faithfulness.
We will find them in unique places. Maybe in a precious photo, a nature walk, a favorite song, or a conversation with a friend. For me, some answers were discovered in twenty years of prayer journals piled in a box on my bedroom floor.
As I poured through page after page, journal after journal, I started making a list. There were so many prayers that I forgotten about that God had been faithful to answer. Prayers for big things, and small things, for people, and for material things. There were times when I had asked him to heal someone I loved, to soften a heart, to help us figure out finances, to lead us to a church, to guide us in tough decisions, and to draw our family closer to him.
There were surprises in these journals, too. I found answers to prayers I hadn’t even voiced. I realized as I flipped through the pages that several of the gifts God had given me were things that he knew I needed, but I didn’t know I did. Often it was a special person he brought into my life to show me more of his love for me. These unspoken prayers were answered simply because of his goodness and his commitment to take care of his children.
There were also answers that looked very different than what I thought they should look like. I still don’t understand God’s plan in some of these, but I truly believe that someday he will show me how he has been working everything – even the hardest struggles – together for his good and his glory.
Can we trust him?
Can we believe what Jesus said as he went to be with our Father in Heaven? These last words he spoke to us were meant for us to hold onto during times like these. He knows what is happening in our country, in our workplaces, in our homes, and in our hearts. And here he reminds us that we can be unshakable and deeply at peace; because he has conquered it all.
Invite Him In
Look and listen to the God who loves you more than you can comprehend. Let him remind you that he has never once ignored your prayers or left you alone. You can be assured that greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world.