It seems like every day I hear of another friend or neighbor losing a job. Already this morning, I’ve received an email from a friend who said they couldn’t travel to visit this summer because her husband’s company put a freeze on raises and bonuses this year and it could come to layoffs if things didn’t turn around. So many families are living in fear of losing a job or in fear of what to do now that there is no job. It is a hard time for our country.
It is really easy for the Devil to sneak in and mess with our minds. In his book, His Needs Her Needs, Dr. Harvey states one of a woman’s top 5 needs is security. Dave Ramsey jokingly says all women have a security gland and if there isn’t a reserve of cash set aside for crisis (he calls it the emergency fund), then their security gland flares up.
I remember going through our financial nightmare when the rest of the world was financially stable. We were living on credit and praying for properties to sell before the home equity line ran out. We had no idea when this nightmare would end. All we could do is walk through it and cling to the Lord. It was a hard time for our family.
I learned a lot going through that season of life. The Lord confirmed to me over and over He was Jehovah-jireh, the provider. I specifically remember my husband asking me if I supported him in a decision he was about to make and my response was for him to do whatever he felt the Lord leading him to do. I knew the Lord would provide for us one way or another. This peace was tested over and over and over through the next 4 years. There were many times I couldn’t trust my emotions. I had to run to the Word and recite it to myself multiple times a day. I would remind myself the Lord provided a lamb for Abraham when he was about to sacrifice Isaac [Genesis 22:1-19] and the Lord provided a sacrifice for our sins in Jesus [John 1:29]. He would provide for me and my family too.
God is for you, not against you. You may be feeling like you or someone you love is being tested with their Isaac bound and laying on the altar. Trust in the Lord. He is the one and only constant in this world. He will never leave us nor forsake us [Deuteronomy 31:6]. He may provide a solution in a way you never considered or in a way you wouldn’t prefer but we must trust He knows best. Never forget, He sees the whole picture. He knows how the story ends. And most importantly, He loves you!