“For the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say” (Luke 12:12, NIV).
This verse is important to me because it shows that God will help me when I need it. I can trust that He will help me to know what to do or say in times of trouble.
“Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and He shall sustain thee: He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved” (Ps. 55:22, KJV).
The day had been long. The boss was less than kind or fair, I felt. It had been so busy. I was tired and grumpy, feeling sorry for myself. Ungodly thoughts repeatedly raced through my mind, making me feel worse and worse. Have you ever experienced similar days? Or weeks?
The thought came to me, You don’t have to keep making yourself miserable. There’s a much better way. I replaced my negative thought with this reflection:
“The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and He delivers them” (Ps. 34:7, NIV).
I was living in St. Croix, the U.S. Virgin Islands, with my wife, Marlene, and baby daughter, Priscilla. Two of my wife’s siblings, Ruven and Beth, were visiting, and we went to the beach, which was noticeably empty.
In the afternoon, Ruven, Beth and I went into the water. Shortly after, an undertow began to pull us out to sea. Ruven and Beth held onto their floats and made it back to shore. I, thinking I’d be able to stand, jumped off the float. Fear overwhelmed me as I realized the undercurrent had dragged me close to the 1,000-foot drop, famous for its scuba diving.
“The wicked flee though no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion” (Prov. 28:1, NIV).
Think of a time when you were scared. What did you do? When I was younger, I went to a camp, and one of the activities was water tubing. Even though I was very excited to try it, I was also very scared. I was so nervous that I got butterflies in my stomach.
“Before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear” (Isa. 65:24, KJV).
It was 1979, and we had just completed a year in Osaka, Japan, as student missionaries from Oakwood College (Ala.). The last stipend had been received and was just enough to get my husband, Thomas, and me home to Richmond, Va. Our plan was to see parts of the world on our return trip that we might never visit again. We would spend two days each in Taiwan and Hong Kong, connecting to a flight into Washington, D.C., with a short bus ride to Richmond. Our traveling companion, Sandra, was also returning to the United States.