Up in the Air

Week 9  God’s Love for Us

Day 61

Up in the Air

He holds you firmly in place;
He will not let you fall.
    He who keeps you will never take His eyes off you…

Psalm 121:3 The Voice

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O

ne evening my then five-year-old grandson, Daniel, watched as his 16-month-old brother was tossed into the air by their father. The little guy screamed with laughter and a look of longing came over Daniel's face. "Toss me, Daddy!" he said. Tossing a well-built five-year-old child is no joke, but Daniel's uncle rose to the challenge as he quickly stepped forward and tossed Daniel high into the air. I was standing in front of them and caught a good look at an expression of dismayed fear on Daniel's face as he went airborne. The reality of flying through the air at age five is very different from the innocent excitement felt by a one-year-old. Daniel had taken some falls in his time and was old enough to know that adults can make errors. This knowledge worked against him and he couldn't enjoy being tossed as he had when he was younger. We all laughed a bit at Daniel's discomfiture and expressed our affection toward him by ruffling his hair and giving hugs. We never would have chuckled at Daniel’s fears if he had been in true danger.

An analogy can be made between Daniel’s trepidation over becoming airborne and the tendency even the most faithful Christians sometimes have to use the uncertainty of present circumstances to justify fear of the future. God sees our fears and has compassion for us. He understands when our circumstances cause us to feel “up in the air,” and He may even feel a bit of amusement at our overreactions, just as Daniel’s family members smiled at his unnecessary alarm. 

Up in the air with nothing to grasp onto is not a comfortable place to be. We empathize with Daniel! But if we trust that God loves us and is present with us, shouldn't we be able to be content anyway? The Apostle Paul knew how to maintain this kind of inner peace regardless of outward events; he had learned the secret to being content in any circumstance.[i]

We must remember God’s love and faithfulness when our present circumstances are frightening or seem hopeless. It is His own hand that has allowed the circumstances we face today, and we can trust Him for the future. He won’t let us fall.   

Pray:  Lord, some days it is hard for me to keep on hoping and believing that my present uncertain circumstances will work out in a way I can endure; forgive me for doubting You. I make excuse by saying it is myself I doubt and not You, but I remember and affirm that no one—not even me—can block Your good promises. Help me to keep on trying and hoping. Strengthen me and teach me Your good ways. Please keep me alert, and in Your perfect timing help me to walk through the door to freedom from the burden of sin I’ve carried for too long. Don’t let me miss your doorway to freedom, Lord! In Jesus’ Name I pray, amen. 

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There is no one like the God of Jeshurun,
    who rides across the heavens to help you
    and on the clouds in his majesty.

The eternal God is your refuge,
    and underneath are the everlasting arms.
He will drive out your enemies before you,
    saying, ‘Destroy them!’

So Israel will live in safety;
    Jacob will dwell secure
in a land of grain and new wine,
    where the heavens drop dew.

Blessed are you, Israel!
    Who is like you,
    a people saved by the Lord?
He is your shield and helper
    and your glorious sword.
Your enemies will cower before you,
    and you will tread on their heights.

Deuteronomy 33:27-29 NIV

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[i] Philippians 4:11-13