Hold on tight...

​          The roar of the engine signaled what my youngest daughter feared most ... the plane was about to take off. As the plane taxied down the runway gathering the speed it needed to lift into the air, she held on tightly to my arm as if for dear life. It was not her favorite part of flying. For some reason the plane lifting into the air brought a sense of dread and the only way to deal with this frightening wave of emotion was to hold on tightly to mummy’s arm. However, after we were airborne, the fear left and she let go of my arm and even started enjoying the trip.
         I am reminded of life in general. When things are tough and the challenges seem overwhelming, we may find ourselves running to any number of sources of strength, sources that provide hope and encouragement. It may be a family member or a friend and sometimes we may realise that the only source we can run to is God Himself when no one else seems capable of providing the answer or relief we need. It is in these times that we see those we can really count on and we also see how great and powerful our God really is.
         I think of the story of king Jehoshaphat. A combined army from various nations decided to come together against Judah. When he heard of this united effort against him and his people, he became greatly afraid “and set himself to seek the Lord and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah” (2 Chronicles 20:3). I like the fact that when he became afraid he immediately turned to the Lord with his people. For him, the Lord was the only true source of help for them. I see him holding on “tightly” to his God, trusting no other nation to come to their aid. Either God would do it or He wouldn’t. He was honest with God about their inability to fight against this great army but humble in his choice to trust Him explicitly. “For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do but our eyes are upon You” (v.12b).
         I’m pretty sure that God has no problem with us holding on tightly to His arm when we are afraid. Yes, it speaks of our weakness and inability, but it also shows our choice to trust in the strength and ability of the One who can handle anything. That’s what king Jehoshaphat was saying when he said “our eyes are upon You.” He was choosing to focus only on His God, trusting Him to deliver them in this impossible situation. He acknowledged that they couldn’t do it, the army was too large in number for them but by choosing to put his eyes on His God he was saying “God only You have the answer, only You can and will get this done.”
          But let’s think about that for a moment. The devil always sends situations that are bigger than us, stronger than us, in short impossible for us to handle ... and that’s his job. Our job, on the other hand, isn’t to try to fight on our own strength, but to turn to the One who can handle it.
          One of the things God has been teaching me is to do is to put my trust completely in Him. I’ve reached the point where I acknowledge with all humility that God is the only one who is truly able to help me. Yes, I may turn to others for support and encouragement, but at the end of the day, I happily and willingly acknowledge that it’s God and God alone who is capable of helping me through any and every impossible situation. I actually like this feeling of trust because it gives me a sense of peace and comfort. God never failed me in the past when I needed Him and He’s not going to start doing so now or in the future. 
          I’m happy to say that of course God came through for king Jehoshaphat and his people. He came through in such a mighty way that they didn’t even have to lift a finger to fight this battle. God and God alone chose to do it because they put their trust in Him.
        I don’t know what situation you are facing today. No, it’s not easy, and it may seem and feel downright hopeless. You may have been going through for weeks or months or even years. You may be on the verge of giving up or maybe you have already given up yet God may be saying, no, you have to go through. Yet, during those tough times when it seems as if the end will never come, hold on tightly to your God just like my daughter held tightly to me. Ask Him to renew your strength as you wait for your storm to end and keep your eyes fixed steadfastly on Him as you trust Him to do what no one else can do for you. 
 
          If you have not accepted Jesus Christ into your life as Lord and Savior, I beg you to do so now. We can’t avoid the storms of life but we can hold on tightly to the God who will strengthen us and keep us during the storm. It’s good to know that He will never abandon us or neglect us, that He will be there offering the support and help we need.
         

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