The year is winding down and we’re asking, “What comes next?” The worries throw pebbles at our windows late at night and we wonder if we should answer. Before we lift the cold glass and let the night in let’s pause for a story…
Most of us know it already. We’ve read it on thin-papered pages or seen it on flannel boards as wide-eyed children. Watched it unfold on a movie screen. The bush burns with flame and Moses stands on sacred ground. He is given a divine assignment. When Moses asks God, “Who should I say sent me?” the answer is simply, “I Am.”
What does that have to do with us now? Moses was afraid just like us. And I want to understand how this encounter turned a hesitant speaker into a leader, a fugitive into a fighter, a worrier into a warrior.
I first thought of this one day as I contemplated the future. I asked, “God, why aren’t You here in this terrifying tomorrow I’m picturing?” And it seemed He gave the same reply Moses heard: “I Am.” In other words, “I am with you in this moment. And if you do get to that place you’re imagining then I will be there too. But I’m not there now because you’re not there. I am always with you.”
This is the secret: When we dwell on concerns about the future we will always feel fear because God’s not there. He is, instead, in our midst. Right by our side. Not ahead of us but sharing every step.
This matters because it changes how we make our decisions in this moment. As my friend Jennifer said, “I used to be afraid of everything and a lot of my decisions were fear-based instead of faith-based.” We can choose what we’ll do based on what might happen or we can do so based on what will be true no matter what happens.
This is what will never change:
God is in control.
We are loved.
He has a good plan for our lives.
We can trust Him.
He is already working on our behalf.
We will never be alone.
Fear whispers that none of this is sure or certain. It tells us we’d better hedge our bets and build our own ladders and put the sandbags around our lives just in case. Fear makes us hustlers and hurriers, exhausted and endlessly trying to control it all.
Faith says instead, “I am with you always.” In other words, let’s not trust in a human plan. Or a campaign promise. Not a forecast or a prediction. No, let’s place our trust in the One who loves us. Who sees all of history. Who is not surprised or startled, overwhelmed or perplexed.
If God is always with us then aren’t we standing on sacred ground in this moment too? If so, we don’t have to open the window to fear today. Only grace. And courage. And wild, burning bush, light-the-world-on-fire love.
MORE FOR YOU
Reflect: How are you feeling about the new year? If you have any fears, tell God about them and ask Him for the hope and courage you need.
Free Download: Need an extra dose of hope going into 2023? Download Holley’s FREE “Hope for the Holidays” sampler, featuring 21 devotions specifically for this time of year.
Listen: Looking for an encouraging podcast to listen to while traveling for the holidays? Join myself, Suzie Eller, and Jennifer Watson for More Than Small Talk. (We just passed one million downloads!)
Learn: I’ve added bonus content to the 7 Ways to Thrive as an Introvert Course! If you’re an introvert and you want to not only embrace who you are but also become all you’re created to be, this is for you.
