As far back as I can remember I have known God exists and created everything including me. I think I mentioned before that the first two things my parents taught me were; there is a God and you’re not him. Even before I began my personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ, I learned about His word and His love in Sunday school and church services at a small, non-denominational country church in southern Indiana.
It was God’s love not fear that drew me into a personal relationship with Him. But if there was a little fear in the back of my mind, it wasn’t fear of fire and brimstone; it was fear of eternal separation from God. I can’t remember a time when God wasn’t watching over me with His protective hand; pulling me through serious illnesses and getting my mom and me safely out of our burning home. I cannot even imagine a life without God.
What does scripture say about living with or without God? “Unless the LORD builds a house, the work of the builders is wasted. Unless the LORD protects a city, guarding it with sentries will do no good” (Psalms 127:1) “Jesus looked at them intently and said, ‘Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But not with God. Everything is possible with God.’” (Mark 10:27) “I know the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me.” (Psalms 16:8)
Cody Johnson and his family found themselves in a severe crisis. Seeing no way out, they knelt together and asked God for help, guidance and protection. When their prayer was finished, Cody took pen in hand and prayerfully wrote these words. “I thought number one would surely be me. I thought I could be what I wanted to be. I thought I could build on life’s sinking sand. But now I can’t even walk without you holding my hand. I thought I could do a lot on my own. I thought I could make it all day long. I thought of myself as a mighty big man. Lord, I can’t even walk without you holding my hand. I can’t even walk without you holding my hand. The mountain’s too high and the valley’s too wide. Down on my knees I learned how to stand, because I can’t even walk without you holding my hand.” I have mentioned before how much that song means to me personally, but I wanted to share it again because it is such a good description of living with or without God.
My prayer for you as you read this is that you will stand on God’s promises and lean on His everlasting arms in good times and bad – in sunshine and in the storms of life.