“Trust in Me and you will be unshakeable, assure and deeply
at peace." ~ John 16:33
Gunshots cracked into the cool air
as loud as thunder; like the raw power of a raging storm. In the distance, Joynisha (Joy for short)
heard the squeal of sirens; a calm to the violence that interrupted her sleep. In her neighborhood, fear was as common as
sunlight on those fractured sidewalks. But
while her body trembled sometimes at the lawless commotion, she wasn’t
terrified. Her daddy was protecting her.
Now that Joy was 9, she could walk to school by
herself. This morning a dog hastened
toward her. Dark gray in color with a
pointed muzzle, he roamed the streets unleashed. The mere sight of him wasn’t so scary, but he
was big enough to be threatening if he got angry. As Joy walked peacefully past him, she closed
her eyes as if willing herself to another place and thanked her Daddy for
keeping her safe.
At home while helping set the table, Joy dropped an antique glass. It shattered into dozens of glittering
fragments. She felt like such a klutz. Joy was seldom without scrapes or bruises;
always finding a new way to trip, stumble, or spill. But her heart relaxed when she remembered
that even so, her daddy always forgave her.
Tucked under the warmth of her blanket tonight, sleep pooled
in Joy’s chocolate brown eyelids. Falling
asleep was like a carousel of the day’s thoughts. Every idea, notion and event from her day
would replay in her mind before being released from the worries of the world. She had no cause to fear. Her daddy was still awake and He couldn't love
this girl more if He tried.
Have no fear … God’s always near! No matter what you’re going to face this
week, you’re not going to face it alone. God is with you, He is in you,
and He is for you.
He doesn’t promise everything will go our way or we won’t
suffer. In fact, He warns that we’ll
have troubles and tribulations (John 16:33), but He does promise to watch over
us night and day, working all things for good (Romans 8:28). And despite how confident we are sometimes
that we know what’s best, only God knows.
He sees with infinite clarity your life’s eternity’s storyline and He’s
in charge of everything. We can be at
peace in Him.
Father
God, thank You for Your amazing power and work in our lives. Thank You for bringing hope through even the
toughest of times, strengthening us for Your purposes. Thank you for always being
with us and will never leaving us. Amen
