6-15-2014

 Good Morning All,

            Isaiah 43:2; “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.”

     A few weeks ago, we tried to give my 2 year old grandson a ride in the tractor.  His uncle was out planting soybeans.  My grandson’s mother and grandmother had him convinced he would like it.  They hoisted him into the cab with his uncle.  It was alright until he saw mom on the ground and he was in the tractor.  Then the tractor revved up; he was even less sure now.  As soon as it moved, he was positive that he really didn’t want a ride.  So his first ride was short and sweet, fifty feet tops!

    He is really going to start experiencing a lot of “firsts” from now on.  There is a really neat zoo in Watertown and a children’s museum in Brookings.  He might get to these this summer.  Watching him is a real lesson in faith.  As long as mom or dad has his hand, he’ll try about anything.  He loved the carousel as long as mom stood beside him. But if he has to let go, well, the ride will be short.  In a lot of ways, faith is holding onto God’s hand as we face new things or old things we don’t enjoy.

     Scriptures often describe life as a journey or a path.  Often, it seems like a foggy path with many turns and twists, with many hills, valleys and rivers to cross.  This journey can be very scary, especially if we travel it alone.  Many try to travel it alone but in the end find it to be very scary.  Only we don’t get to stop the journey, it continues forward even when the scary parts happen.

    Yet God will hold our hand through all of it.  He will stand with you through it all.  That is what our verse is about.  Everything that we face, we can face with God’s assurance of love and hope.  We will face struggles, some over and over.  Sometimes it is the “over and over” that are the most difficult to experience.  We have become accustomed to having all the answers; when medicine and science have no answers we tend to get lost.  Yet this is when God is holding our hand.  “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you.”  This is an amazing promise.  We are never abandoned.  We are never left to our own devices.  We always have God’s promise of companionship.

    Yet that promise is so much more!  God directs, protects and saves us in the process.  We walk by faith.  We trust in God because those promises have been kept and will be kept.  We walk, with God holding our hand, giving us peace as we go.

Father, our journey is long and often unseen.  Give us the strength to trust in your grace to lead us home.  We will face many firsts and new events, yet we can be certain that you are with us.  Help us to take comfort in that fact.  Help those who struggle and battle on their own.  Help them to find in you the holy rest and inner peace that you give to us.  In the precious name of Jesus, our risen Savior, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret