Overcoming: Life Lessons From the PsalmsSample

We Will or We Will Not?

"Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. Selah

There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day. Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; he lifts his voice, the earth melts."

Psalm 46:2-6

Have you ever felt like the Psalmist where the earth under you gave way? That which had always been dependable fell out from under you. Those you depended upon were no longer dependable. Troubling circumstances roared into your reality. You felt the churning and surging of unwanted change. Your health, job, career, finances, family member, or close friend “gave way.” Did fearful thoughts and emotions the size of a mountain begin to quake and surge within you?

How in this world can we walk in the experience of the first five words of verse two, “Therefore we will not fear...?"The issue will never be IF our “world” gives way. Every soul on the planet in every generation will experience earth-shaking, unexpected moments of hardship. The issue will always be HOW we navigate those moments. How can we find stability and be free from fear when we are in such turmoil? Will we drown in our fears and anxiety, or will we swim into the presence of the Most High? Will we or will we not live in fear?

There have been several occasions in my life when the “bottom fell out” of my world. In those days, fear, uncertainty, and shock quaked and surged within me. An endless line of questions that began with “What if” were as plentiful as the air I was breathing. Thank the Lord; He led me to discover the eternal truths of verses four, five, and six.

The ability to live into the first five words of verse two is present in the powerful and triumphing truths of verses four, five, and six. The rising tide waters of fear and uncertainty are no match for the sovereign presence of God flooding our souls. In the uproar, we must immerse ourselves in the river of His presence. We must find our way into the strengthening and replenishing waters of His presence. We must choose to believe He will lift his voice and make Himself known to us. We must lean deeply into His presence. It is precisely in these moments that we are presented with the opportunity to know the Lord in ways that are not available without the quaking and surging. In these moments, we step off what has quaked and surged, and we step into the river whose streams make glad the city of God.

Friend, in the quaking and surging, we must choose to go deeper in our relationship with the Lord. We must elevate our time in reading the Bible, praying, and worshipping. As we deepen our connection with the Lord, we move our souls from instability to stability. When we spend time with others whose faith in God is strong, we open ourselves to moments of being encouraged and supported. As we engage in healthy spiritual practices, the waters of our soul can move from a roar and foam to a river whose streams make glad. Our faith in the Most High rises, and our fears subside. Our thoughts and emotions move from fear to gladness. This process is the marvel and the mystery of the miraculous presence of God within one who seeks to know Him in fearful times.

This is the only antidote to the soul virus called “fear.” If we abandon a deeper pursuit of the Lord, we abandon ourselves to the default of fear. The only place where I am certain of my future in the uncertainty of this unstable world is in the river of His Sovereign presence. I refer to this internal miracle of God as “being certain in the uncertainty.” While I cannot control the rivers and mountains of eventual hardship, I can seek the presence of God to mitigate their effect upon me. Choosing to seek Him when my earth gives way is a choice that empowers me in the quaking and surging.

If your world has given way, prayerfully read these verses. Step deeper into the river of God’s presence through the spiritual practices that will connect you with Him. Ask the Father to lift His voice to speak to your heart in the midst of your situation. Remind your soul of the truths of verses four, five, and six. Seek to resolve in the presence of the Lord the question, will I live in fear or will I not?