Are you drowning? Need some air?

Have you ever felt like you were drowning? Like life seems to hand you one upset after another, you know “when it rains, it pours.” It can be an awful retched sensation full of despair and worry. Your nerves get the best of you and perhaps you have the added feeling of being punched in the stomach. There is one solution that seems to melt it all away in one fail swoop! Imagine going from the sensation of drowning in one moment to breathing a deep sigh of relief.

It works so well and never seems to fail. What is it you ask? It’s like the air we breathe. Once you begin to breathe air as a newborn you simply can’t do without it. The living words written in the Bible are like the air and to put them aside is like trying to hold our breath, which you can only do for so long! “Hold tightly to the word of life” says Philippians 2:16. “Let the words of Christ, in all their richness, live in your hearts and make you wise.” Colossians 3:16 and in Hebrews 4:12 it says “For the word of God is full of living power. It is sharper than the sharpest knife, cutting deep into our innermost thoughts and desires.”

In Ephesians chapter 6 we read about the whole armor of God “Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies and tricks of the Devil.” The word of God is referred to as the sword of the Spirit going on the offense against thoughts that tear us down and give us the drowning sensation.

The Word is so full of God’s provision for our lives and promises that never fail. For example God tells us that He will never give us more troubles than we can handle. I was recently discussing this with my son. He was becoming gloomy and despondent with the thoughts that mommy may never come home for us to be a family again. I understand his concern and it pained me to see him being held captive to these thoughts and emotions.

We talked about how God provides for us, has our best interest at heart and makes the sun to shine again after the storm. I asked him a fundamental question that we all have to ask ourselves from time to time. If we know God will take care of us and everything will be great in the end because of His promise…if we already know how the story ends, do we need to worry about what happens in the middle? My son understood this, it’s like watching a movie and someone’s already given us the spoiler. We know everything turns out roses for the hero and the damsel in distress so we don’t have to “sit on edge” when he’s hanging on for dear life wondering if he’s going to make it or not. We already know the truth; we can rest assuredly in it. Some might say, the truth will set you free! That’s John 8:32 by the way.

My son now tries to rest on this promise. He believes, as I do, that in the end it will all be better than ok. We now look forward with sweet anticipation for that time. That’s a great place to be, full of peace and comfort. It comes from daily living in the words spoken by our Savior and we stay near to it. As if it were the very air we breathe.


Today’s song appropriately - Breathe by Michael W. Smith
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oad8ov10AjY&feature=fvw

This is the air I breathe
This is the air I breathe
Your holy presence living in me
This is my daily bread
This is my daily bread
Your very word spoken to me

And I, I'm desperate for you
And I, I'm lost without you