This week, has,
undoubtedly, been a rough one for me. My
grandmother passed away from cancer on Saturday, my car started smoking and
broke down in my church’s parking lot on Sunday, and tonight I came home to yet
another job rejection from one I was really hoping and praying for.
I don’t want to
sound whiney, but I do want to be quite honest. This is foreign territory, this season of post-grad
uncertainty. However, God calls us
to foreign territory, literally and metaphorically. He calls us to abandon our self-made senses of security and
comfort in pursuit of Him and his Kingdom, a glorious adventure that is not
always easy. In the Chronicles of
Narnia, C.S. Lewis writes that Aslan is good, but He isn’t safe. Jesus Himself
calls us to step out of the boat onto roaring waves, step out of our houses
into a dangerous world, and to step out of ourselves in an unconditional love
for those who may hurt or mock us, all in a faith that trusts God ruthlessly
against apparent opposition. At
the end of the day, our security is not found in our circumstances or emotions,
but in His arms.
My grandfather
died when I was 13, in probably the most beautiful way I’ve ever known. He sang
with a group called the Homecoming Gospel Choir, and in the midst of one of
their worship shows, while singing the hymn, “Leaning on the Everlasting Arms,”
he clutched his heart. The man next to him said, “Richard, are you alright?” My
grandfather responded peacefully, “Yeah, I’m good.” As they continued through
the verses, he had a heart aneurysm and died. While I’m sure that was somewhat traumatic for those in attendance, how lovely is it that he died in the middle of worshiping the One
who he is now ETERNALLY leaning on?
At his funeral,
the choir director gave everyone in our family a torn-out copy of the hymn as a
keepsake. It’s been on my dresser
ever since, and nine years later, it continually serves as a reminder of His
faithfulness, and our need to depend on Him. Here are the lyrics:
What
a fellowship, what a joy divine,
Leaning
on the everlasting arms;
What
a blessedness, what a peace is mine,
Leaning
on the everlasting arms.
Refrain:
Leaning, leaning, safe and secure from all alarms;
Leaning,
leaning, leaning on the everlasting arms.
Oh,
how sweet to walk in this pilgrim way,
Leaning
on the everlasting arms;
Oh,
how bright the path grows from day to day,
Leaning
on the everlasting arms.
What have I to dread, what have I to
fear,
Leaning on the everlasting arms?
I have blessed peace with my Lord so
near,
Leaning on the everlasting arms.
As much as I am seeking some sense of
order and orientation in my life in this season, God has sweetly been reminding me that He
breaks through the apparent in our lives with the miraculous. It’s His nature to blast through our
apparent struggles and bleak circumstances with His all-powerful, mighty love
and goodness, if only we trust Him with concerns. My grandmother may have died of cancer four days ago, but
she is dancing in heaven’s arms right now. My car may have erupted in smoke the other day, but I was
safe and near a parking lot in the middle of the day when it occurred. And I may be discouraged after so many
job rejections, but I am beyond thankful that God listens to our prayers; I’ve
been praying that He will divinely close and divinely open doors for me in
terms of a job, and I now know that these rejections are merely closed doors,
pressing me on towards the door He wants to open for me. I may be broke and empty-handed, but
I’m a college graduate from my dream school and in the city my heart
loves. God is bigger than
any challenge I’ve faced. And when
I look back on my life thus far, there hasn’t been a single time He’s let me
down or failed me. All He has done
has been to protect, bless, grow, and prosper me to a place of wholeness and
flourishing.
I felt it necessary to type this all out
because I feel as though there are probably others of you out there in a
similar season or place in life.
Hold fast. The Father’s
heart is for you. He is for
us. We may have been knocked down,
bruised a little, and perhaps a bit discouraged, but we do not overcome out of
our own strength; we overcome by the blood and the testimony of Jesus
Christ. He is our portion, defender,
and victor. Jehovah Jireh, the Lord of Hosts, loves us and fights for us.
What have I to dread, what have I to
fear,
Leaning on the everlasting arms?
I have blessed peace with my Lord so
near,
Leaning on the everlasting arms.
“The Lord will perfect that which concerns me.” Psalms 138:8
“And we know that in all things
God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to
his purpose.” Romans 8:28
“You will keep him in perfect peace, whose
mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You. Trust in the
Lord forever,
for in YAH, the Lord, is
everlasting strength.” Isaiah 26:3-4
“Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed,
because His compassions fail
not.
They are new every morning;
great is
Your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
“Therefore
I hope in Him!” The Lord is
good to those who wait for Him,
to the soul who seeks Him.” Lamentations 3:22-25
Image Source: Pinterest
