Daily Grace

"Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior."
~Isaiah 43:1-3

When you pass through... not if, but when. 
And not when you imagine or fear or dread it, but when you actually go through something.

I know I've written about this before, but I was reminded of it last night, and it's such a comforting truth to me.  Beth Moore talks about God's grace being sufficient at all times for our present reality, the perfect amount of grace we need to face what is actually happening in our lives day by day, moment by moment.  When we let our imagination run wild and feel strong emotions of fear, worry, etc. about things that could happen in the future, God's grace is not on that. If the worst thing we can imagine becomes our reality, God will be right there with us in the midst of it, and that will strengthen us enough to make it bearable.

The challenge is to stay in the present and not let ourselves worry about a future we can't control, because God is here in the present, and He will be there by our side in the future as well.  The God who was and is and is to come. We will all face troubles and hard things, and when we do, God will be with us and protect us from being completely overwhelmed and engulfed by them. So don't be afraid if God has redeemed you; He knows your name, and you belong to Him. He cares about you, and He will stand by you and help you through the major events that would threaten to drown you. He knows your circumstances, and His grace will be sufficient for your needs on a daily basis, so don't let your mind wander into a future where He is not present yet... because He is here with you today, and He will be there with you tomorrow.

It's also encouraging that the verses say, "when you pass through," "when you pass through," "when you walk through." In other words, there will be light and hope and life again at the end of the darkest times, and this too shall pass!

"So don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today's trouble is enough for today." ~Matthew 6:34

"Great is His faithfulness; His mercies begin afresh each morning." ~Lamentations 3:23

I hope that encourages you today!!  Happy 1-17-17! =)