It has been four months since losing our founding pastor and my husband of thirty-eight years, Stew Motteram.
Even though I’ve known the Lord for thirty-one years, I had never fully experienced “peace that passes understanding.”
I found that from moments after Stew’s death, God filled me with His peace and hope, just like in John 14:27, so I wasn’t distressed or lacking in courage.
When you have great disappointment, crisis, or failures, you will encounter a loving, faithful God that holds you and keeps your life from spiraling out of control.
I found God is good to His word when He says, “I will never leave you or forsake you.” – Isaiah 40:31.
The Bible tells us that those who trust in the Lord will find new strength.
Spend time talking to the Lord in prayer. He is a very good listener. Cast your cares on Him, or as the Message Bible puts it in Psalm 55:22, “pile your troubles on God’s shoulders – He’ll carry your load, He’ll help you out.”
When I asked a wise Christian widow for one piece of advice, she said, “Take one day at a time.”
That’s exactly what Matthew 6:34 says we should all do and not just in a crisis situation. We shouldn’t live in a constant state of anxiety.
Instead, we need to be content to live one day at a time.
The Lord Jesus is the one with foreknowledge of our life path so let’s leave it with Him, knowing that His ways are much higher and wiser.
Jesus is our faithful friend and our refuge. Try surrounding your whole life to Him today. Then wait and see how His peace, strength, and comfort will be more than you ever thought possible.
Jan Motteram is pastor with Lakeview Church.