I Thought By Now...
Have you ever been stuck between a rock and a hard place? Or thought to yourself, "When will this storm in my life pass?" Well, I have plenty of times in the course of my short life and I am currently in what seems to be a never-ending storm! You see, in the past 5 years, we have moved our family from Illinois to Kentucky to Arkansas. Transitioning that many times in a short period of time has offered many challenges. When we first moved, we had 3 teenage kids (17,15 and 13). As if the teenage years are not hard enough, to uproot and move in the unknown was, to say the least, difficult. There were many tears, arguments, and LOTS of time spent in prayer seeking God's wisdom. We knew that it was time for change and the God would help us through whatever came our way. AND HE DID! He has shown Himself faithful again and again. We have developed friendships and had opportunities that we would never have had if we had stayed where we were. It has not been smooth sailing, in fact, there have been some very rough waters and we felt stuck.
It is during these times that I remember in Mark 6:45-52, Jesus and the disciples had spend the day teaching, feeding and meeting the needs of the people. Jesus sent the disciples out in a boat ahead of Him to go across the lake. However, while they were crossing, strong winds and waves kept them from getting very far. They were stuck! Jesus had gone to the top of the hill to pray and when He came down He saw them. Jesus then walked out across the waters toward them. The disciples saw Jesus and became afraid. Jesus got in the boat and said 3 things to them:
1. DO NOT FEAR
2. TAKE COURAGE
3. I AM HERE
After that, the storm calmed.
We see similar words spoken to the Israelites (God's choosen people) in Exodus 14:5-31. They had just left Egypt after spending 430 years in slavery and arrived at the Red Sea when Pharoah's army came after them. There they sat, Pharoah's army behind them and the Red Sea in front of them! Stuck between a rock and a hard place. In verse 13, Moses says to the Israelites 3 things:
1. DO NOT BE AFRAID
2. STAND STILL (This took great courage considering the circumstances)
3. THE LORD WILL SAVE YOU THIS DAY
These were very similar words that Jesus spoke to His disciples. I believe these same words stand true for God's people today, just as they did in the Old and New Testament. Keep in mind, everyone faces storms in life, you are not alone. God cares and He is there in the midst of our life's storms! When we are faced with those situations that seem as though we are between the rock and the hard place, remember:
1. DO NOT FEAR- Philippians 4:6-7 (MSG) "Don't fret or worry, instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praise shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life."
2. STAND FIRM- Take courage. Find scriptures to stand on. Speak them. Meditate on them. Ephesians 6:10-12
3. KNOW THAT GOD'S GOT US!
Much Love,
Erin Kruzan
Erin and her husband Doug are in full time ministry and also run Summer Scream Camps for children and youth in Rushville, Illinois. You can check it out HERE.