God Alone
By Steph LaCasse
By Steph LaCasse
Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified
because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you
nor forsake you.
Deuteronomy 31:6 (NIV)
Deuteronomy 31:6 (NIV)
Ever have one of those
days that’s going great and then suddenly….bombshell. You never see it coming
and when it drops…it ruins your day. That happened to me recently. To state it
lightly, I got some very bad news, and I felt really bummed. On my way home
from grocery shopping, I heard the song “God Alone” by Phillips, Craig and
Dean. I was praying for peace: that God would show me His place in this. He rose
to that challenge.
“You are God alone. From before time began, You were on Your
throne. You are God alone. And right now, In the good times and bad, You are on
Your throne. You are God alone.” [1]
The phrase “You are God
alone…” that keeps repeating throughout the song was a gentle reminder that
this wasn’t a surprise to the Lord. The King of kings knew this was going to happen.
Nothing is a surprise to Him, and it is not out of His control. I began to feel
a tingle of peace in my soul as I drove home.
Over and over again in
Scripture, we hear God tell His people not to be discouraged or feel abandoned.
God tells Joshua, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not
be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you
wherever you go.” [2]
DON’T be afraid when
things are unfamiliar. DON’T be discouraged when things sway you from the path
you had planned. His plan is so much better. DO be strong and take courage.
John 16:33 states, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have
peace. In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome
the world.” We WILL have trouble. It’s a promise. But GOD WINS. If we are
faithful to listen and obey, He WILL use us to accomplish His plan. It isn’t
our plan, but it is His plan. And it’s so much better.
Learning to trust God
when we can’t see what He’s doing is true faith. Difficult… but so worth it.
GOING FURTHER:
1. Listen to “God Alone” by
Phillips, Craig and Dean. Think of a time that God was
faithful in the end, even when you couldn’t see it in the middle of the trial.
2. Pray
that God would give you peace and a gentle reminder that He is always there.
Stephanie
is a mom of three young sons and wife to Dave, who is currently in seminary
preparing for chaplaincy in the US Army. In her spare time, she’s employed at a
law firm.
[2]
Joshua 1:9
