In challenging times choose to trust God who has promised to always be with us

Twenty years ago I found a lump where I knew a lump should not be. I reacted by doing what most British men would do: I ignored it and hoped it would go away. It didn’t.

Finally, the constant anxieties running through my head and the thoughts of “What if…” keeping me awake at night drove me to the doctor. Various doctors probed, scanned, examined and pondered.

Their conclusion was it was nothing malignant and no further action was necessary.

The lump was (and is) still there but leaving the hospital that day I knew I had a choice. I could allow my life to be shaped by the fears and concerns that had been filling my mind for several weeks or I could choose to trust the skill, expertise and experience of the medical profession. I chose the latter.

There are many other uncertainties in life. We don’t know what lies around the corner: jobs are not always secure, family and friends experience hardships.

At the same time, the Bible reveals a God who is constantly making promises to assure people that, if we will let him, he will be with us in all circumstances and that he can be trusted.

Somebody (with too much time on their hands) once counted up 7,487 promises in the Bible. As pastor and author Max Lucado reflects: “Some of the promises are positive: the assurance of blessing. Some are negative: the guarantee of consequences.”

The pages of the Bible tell the story of people who believed those promises and found the God who made them could be trusted. I have more than 40 years of believing God to look back on and find he has never let me down.

All of us in the weeks, months and years ahead will face difficult moments and challenging situations. We will then have a choice.

We can be controlled by the worries and distress that such moments throw up or we can trust the God who has promised to “always” be with us. Choose well.