In my relationship with anxiety, I try not to forge an intimate fellowship with my fears. I drive thirty minutes into town every week to attend a gymnastics class; I do not skip it even though driving makes me anxious. I attend fitness class to strengthen my mind as well as my body; I do not blow them off, because they have brought peace of mind. Most importantly, I bolster my relationship with God through prayer and Bible reading; I try to seek his wisdom in all matters because without this intimacy my circumstances may claim control of my decisions.
In describing the power of God, David said it best in Psalm 139:5: “You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me.” This description reveals that God knows us and that his wisdom contains us and sustains us. Our circumstances are not a mystery to him, and he can use these events to limit our actions or to push us toward his plan.
Assuredly, our involved Father does not sit in heaven and hope for the best actions and outcomes from his children. In his great wisdom, the One who knows our past, present, and future hems us in when necessary. He protects and helps us, showing us where we’ve gone wrong, not to condemn us, but to turn us towards his best for us. Moreover, the insights he shares with us equip us to handle any incidents so we do not forge an unhealthy relationship with them.
Through God’s power, we can stand in our circumstances and, like David, cry out with praise to God for hemming us in, an act not of punishment but of care. He wants us to succeed, and by talking with him and opening our hearts and minds to his responses, we can find his carefully planned path, in all of our circumstances.
Dear God, I am grateful for your care and guidance. May I see your hemming in as an opportunity to grow in my relationship with and understanding of you.
Throughout This Day: Search your heart for instances where you are fighting God’s hemming in. Instead, ask him about your situation and praise him for his care.
Photo Credit: Morteza Akhnia