Monday, July 22, 2019

God’s Sweet Whisper of Comfort

If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast…when I awake, I am still with you. Psalm 139:9-10, 18
I had almost reached my interstate exit that morning. Two more minutes, and I would’ve been on the off ramp, headed to the college to deliver my first oral presentation in more than two decades. I had sweated this moment the whole semester! Now the day had arrived, and I couldn’t imagine anything more terrifying than standing in front of all my classmates and speaking.
Until…
Ahead of me and to my left, a car started spinning. Cars in my lane came to an immediate stop. I narrowly missed hitting the bumper in front of me by inches. I wish I could say the same for the truck and car directly behind me. The crashing impact reverberated in my mind for weeks afterwards. But for the next forty-five minutes, I sat on the side of the interstate waiting for my turn to talk to the police. This was definitely worse than public speaking.
We have a way of thinking about what we perceive to be our biggest challenge, and then life happens. Often nothing goes as planned and tragedies happen—or conversely, unexpected blessings flow our way. Either way, God is in the midst of both to comfort and encourage us.
If we’re not intentional about our relationship with God through prayer and Bible study, it’s difficult to rest in the faith that he’ll come through for us. Even worse, life’s curve balls can make us cynical. After all, why plan anything if life can derail at any moment? But the bigger picture shows that God is in every moment, often ahead of us, waiting to offer assurance of his presence.
My wreck and the aftermath of insurance claims, my car being totaled, dealing with bureaucracy and then car shopping, reaffirmed to me that God’s sweet whisper of comfort is a necessity. I remind myself every time I go through a challenge that, like the Psalmist said, every day when I awake, I am still with God! He hasn’t left. And he’ll always be there to see me through the day’s challenges.
Can you think of a better promise to cling to than that? 

Laura Hodges Poole is a Christian writer with dozens of articles, devotions, and short stories to her credit. She is the author of five books and contributor to two others, all available on Amazon.  Laura is a 2019 Selah Awards finalist, the 2016 ACWC Badge of Honor winner, a 2014 ACFW Genesis semi-finalist, and a 2012 RWA Emily finalist. As an editor and member of The Christian PEN, she enjoys mentoring and helping other writers polish their work. When she’s not writing, you might find her hiking, playing the piano, or being crafty. A mother of two, Laura lives in South Carolina with her husband and son. 

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/lhpoole/

Photo courtesy of Pixabay.com. 

2 comments:

  1. A beautiful promise to cling to. Thank you for sharing, Laura.

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    1. You're welcome! I'm glad you were encouraged. God bless.

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