Danger All Around
How would you like to be one of those tiny fish that live in the ocean’s surf? Is there a more dangerous existence? They fight to stay in shallow water where the waves pound them relentlessly. If the undertow drags them out even a couple feet beyond their safety zone, a bigger fish will swallow them whole. But staying in the shallow surf makes them an easy meal for birds like these flying above. We were in Galveston recently and I watched as these birds dove one after the other, most times coming out of the water with a small fish in their beaks. Every second of these little fish’s lives is a battle for survival.
Our lives are often filled with stress. We feel like the little fish sometimes. There’s unseen danger hovering above, certain death in deeper water, and staying in place means waves continually pummeling you, kicking sand and rocks in your face. Life isn’t easy for fish or for us, but Jesus never promised it would be. Jesus said in John 16:33: “These things I have spoken to you so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation but take courage; I have overcome the world.” Jesus’ brother James wrote in James 1:2-3: Consider it all joy, my brothers and sisters, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.
You may be going through a difficult time right now. It could be the loss of a loved one or a job. You may suffer from anxiety or depression. Some of you may endure physical pain or feel like you’re in a hopeless situation that you can’t escape. James said we should consider these trials as joy because God uses them to increase our dependence on Him and to strengthen our faith. It’s often only when we’ve tried everything to remedy our problem and failed, that we learn God is bigger and more powerful than we are. When God fixes things the way only He can, our faith grows stronger. Faith is like a muscle that we must use to build up. Each time God makes us exercise it, we learn to trust and rely on Him the next time we face a crisis.
In nature, God feeds the birds with fish. Some fish must die so the birds can live. Others survive so the species can continue. God has a different attitude about people though. We are His crowning achievement. He loved us enough to send His Son to die for us. He’s an ever-present help in time of trouble. 1 Peter 5:7 encourages us to: “Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.” When life’s dangers are coming at you from all sides, ask God for help. God’s heart is a bottomless well of love for every person He created. He wants to teach us something from our suffering, but God is in the business of relieving suffering too. God is powerful to help.
