Held by the Master of All
January 27, 2024 — Laura House
The Bible is full of accounts of people who, when facing desperate times, put their faith in the Lord, trusting that whatever the outcome would be, they were in His hands.
Who builds an ark on dry land? Throughout the many years that Noah constructed the ark, the people around him must have mocked and scorned him mercilessly. Undeterred, he trusted God.
Soon after Esther became queen, she placed herself in the precarious position of calling on the king without being summoned, an act that could have cost her life. But she faced the situation with courage, trusting God.
Among my favorite characters in the Bible are Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. If you remember their story, you’ll know that they refused to bow down and worship the king’s golden image, but instead, they trusted God. As they were about to be thrown into the fiery furnace, they spoke words that I hope might be my response if faced with a similar circumstance. Recorded in Daniel 3:17-18, the three men say this: “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.” Even if God didn’t save them from the furnace, they were determined to still trust Him!
Although his health, family, and possessions had been stripped from him, Job continued to trust God. Amid intense suffering, he acknowledged God’s sovereignty and goodness, and his trust in God remained strong.
As for me, I desire to fully trust the Lord, but sometimes I find that the difficult circumstances of earthly life seem to get in the way. How about you? Have you lost someone dear to you and can’t move past asking “why?” Or perhaps you are suffering from a painful illness that saps your joy and makes it difficult to trust Him.
Amid our struggles, we can learn to trust.
The moment I knew that Nathan was gone early that Saturday morning in March of 2016, I cried out to the Lord saying, “Jesus, help me trust you!” And that has been the prayer of my heart for the past eight years. In trusting Him, I have realized some remarkable things.
I have discovered that when we trust Jesus, we can have “peace that passes understanding.” It doesn’t make sense to have peace in the middle of grief, but He gives that to us.
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7
“ Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:27
We can experience joy and live with purpose, even amid the difficulties of earthly life.
You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy;... Psalms 16:11
When the waves of grief come, if we are trusting Him, His grace is sufficient to carry us through. When we are weak, He is strong.
“But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” 2 Corinthians 12:9
Jesus invites us to come to Him and find rest for our weary souls.
“Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28
Through the storms of life, and we will all experience more of them, we can rest, we can stand firm, and we can have peace and joy in all circumstances, knowing that we are held by the Master of all.
