Day 6: God's Presence In The Midst of Trials

"Have no fear of sudden disaster, or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked, for the LORD will be at your side, and will keep your foot from being snared. Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to act." 
Proverbs 3:25-27

God knows our hearts so deeply and intimately - so he addresses two truths in this passage.

This passage first reminds us that we don’t have to fear sudden disaster; but God’s comfort to us is not that it will never happen. He gives us something even more reliable: that He, the all-powerful God of the universe, will be at our side in the midst of it if it does.

God also knows that, in fear of disaster, our tendency is toward self-preservation (i.e. stockpiling toilet paper, taking all the canned food before someone else does, etc). So He first reminds us that HE is at our side, and that we don’t need to fearfully preserve our own lives. Secondly, He reminds us to look outward, at how we can do good to others in the midst of our fears and trials. Jesus echoes this command all throughout the Gospels (Luke 3:11, 17:33).

So, we’re praying for your health. We’re praying for God's peace, and God's wisdom for you, no matter what that needs to look like in this time.. And most of all, we’re praying that, though it's so natural to adopt a state of fear and self-preservation, that God would give you a heart of joyful servanthood toward others in this time.

Prayer and Action Steps:

1. God, help me practice the discipline of acknowledging Your presence.
2.  Lord, please help me to surrender fear-based self-preservation.
3.  Lord, direct my eyes and heart outward, that I might love and serve a hurting world in difficult times.
4. God can speak to us in this time. He sometimes uses trials and hardships to expose our fears, disappointments, and anxieties. Pause and ask the Holy Spirit to name the things that make this time in your life difficult for you. If anything comes to mind, write them down. Ask the Lord to reveal His presence and truth in the midst of these. 
5. Reflect on Luke 3:11, and Luke 17:33. Absolutely purchase what you need; even think ahead, and be wise. But do this after acknowledging God’s presence and provision, and reflect on whether your purchases are out of trust in the Lord, or self-preservation.
6. Return to the store, or give away, what you don’t need. Someone else needs it. Encourage your child’s teacher. Thank them for their flexibility.