God is for You

When I am afraid, I will put my trust in You. In God, whose word I praise, In God I have put my trust; I shall not be afraid. What can mere man do to me?

You have taken account of my wanderings;

Put my tears in Your bottle. Are they not in Your book?

This I know, God is for me.

Psalm 56:3-5,8-9 NASB

“This I know, God is for me. He loves me and He has a good plan for my life.” Many years ago, at the encouragement of a friend, I spoke that phrase out loud several times a day. For months. Actually, it would be more accurate to say I mumbled, cried and choked out the words rather than boldly speaking it out in some grand faith proclamation. During that season of near overwhelming difficulty, I saw no outward evidence that He was for me. Truth be told, it looked and felt the opposite. Yet I made the choice to purposefully speak out what I, soul-deep, knew to be true.

I knew, because I knew my Father. I knew because I knew His Word and His complete faithfulness to honor what He says. God was for me. Admittedly I didn’t know much else. I would have been unable to articulate how He was going to move on my behalf or why I had to walk through such seasons of testing and trials…but this I knew… God was for me, regardless of my outward circumstances.

Years have passed since I walked those darkened halls of difficulty when in desperation, I reminded my spirit out loud of the Truth. Since then, I have strolled through a few rose-strewn paths, as well as having nearly crawled through a few more valleys of pain. And I have come to realize, that whether it’s a deep valley or handling the frustrations of everyday life, I must call that same simple truth to mind. Daily.  (Of course, God being for us doesn’t mean we’re handed a collection of magic wands to wave away trials.)

And what about you?  Have real-life trials smacked you between the eyes, or have the ordinary, routine challenges of everyday life caused a limp in your walk? Would you be willing to take the decades old advice given to me? Look your trial square in the eye and then speak out loud, “this I know, God is for me, He loves me and He has a good plan for my life.” Whatever our circumstance, He is worthy of our trust.

“There are no ‘ifs’ in God’s Kingdom. His timing is perfect. His will is our hiding place. Lord Jesus, keep me in Your will.

Corrie Ten Boom

My Lord Jesus, I rest in Your sovereign control over all I face and rest on the bedrock knowledge that You are for me. Astounding. You. Are. For. Me. Enable me to receive that, and walk in it.  in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Written by Becky White for the Lord Jesus

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