Sound of Surviving Blog

Have you ever watched a child cling to every single phrase that their mom or dad says? They hold onto each and every word like it’s a lifeline. A lot of children are like that in church and Sunday school, too. They take seriously each of God’s promises from the Bible, and sing all the songs of praise, dutifully. Eventually, all children grow up, as they tend to do, and their minds expand, as do their fears and anxieties. We grow into teenagers who start rebelling against our parents, and eventually adults who start questioning God, and clinging to what the world says, rather than the promises in his word. Our fears and anxieties, built from what the world tells us, keep us from maintaining that childlike faith that allowed us to trust God and his plan without ever doubting him. In Matthew 18:3-4, Jesus tells us, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” Basically, Christ is telling us that we need to trust him completely. This can be difficult, especially when we live in a world where everyone maps out their lives, and acts as though if everything doesn’t go just according to our plans, we’ll never end up where we think we should. But we need to trust God, with that childlike faith that is so unwavering, and remember that his plans for us are good, and perfect. The phrase, “Do not be afraid,” is repeated 365 times in the Bible; that’s a daily reminder to live without fear, because God is with us, which is something else mentioned more than once in the Bible. In Isaiah 43:2, “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire, you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.” And again, in Deuteronomy 31:6, “Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”. Then we find this promise again in Joshua 1:5, “No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you.” G/od’s plan and will for our lives is always good, as evidenced in Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” We just need to cling to him, and ask him to grow us in our childlike faith so that we can keep on trusting him unconditionally, even when life feels terrifying. If we keep this childlike faith, we can trust God through even the scariest of times, like the child who unwaveringly jumps into their parents arms from the side of the pool for the first time, because they know no matter what, they’re safe and protected.