Run to God not from God
The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
Psalm 34:17-18
I have experienced times when it appeared that God hadn’t answered a prayer, but eventually I came to understand that he did answer the prayer in a totally different way than I expected. God uses everything in our lives to mold us to be more Christ-like, and he sometimes disciplines us to make us more Christ-like. We may not recognize the Lord’s discipline, and this may cause us to be fearful and run from God. But if we run to God — continuing to serve him, seeking to be more Christ-like, and praying with faith — then he will deliver us from our troubles and give us his strength to endure.
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith–and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—(Ephesians 2:8). We will always receive God’s grace when we live by faith. I cannot over-stress the blessings that come from having faith that pleases God. And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him (Hebrews 11:6). God is always testing us to see if we really have faith, because faith tells the Lord that we know him, and we trust him in all situations.
God tested the Israelites when they were camped by the Red sea, and they saw the Egyptian’s chariots in the distance coming toward them. They were filled with fear and ran from God, complaining and wishing they stayed as slaves in Egypt. God was not pleased with the Israelites not trusting him, but Moses ran to God, who then saved them all by parting the Red sea. When I am afraid, I put my trust in you (Psalm 56:3). Satan uses fear in tempting us to run from God; God uses fear from Satan to test our faith, to see if we will run to him.
If we always trust the Lord no matter what occurs in life, and we live to serve the Lord with a heart of praise and thanks, then the Lord will always be with us and carry us through everything we could possibly experience in this life. So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand (Isaiah 41:10).
Today run to God for his guidance, with a heart of praise and thankfulness. Do not entertain any fear from Satan, because he is tempting you to run from God. Remember all things are possible for God, because if we face difficulty and troubles in our own strength and wisdom it gives rise to fear.
Let’s Pray: Lord let the troubles of this life trigger me to run to you, knowing that you love me and that all things are possible for you. Help me to realize how pleased you are when I run to you in faith, and when I depend on your love, guidance, and wisdom. Thank you for your grace and for bringing me into your family. In Jesus’ name, Amen