~Ami Schmidtke

“…[looking away from all that will distract us and] focusing our eyes on Jesus, who is the Author and Perfecter of our faith…” – Hebrews 12:2 (AMP)

Inevitably, we will find ourselves in challenging circumstances, sometimes for reasons beyond our control – it may relate to our work, an injury or diagnosis, the loss of a loved one – there are any number of ways life can take an unexpected turn. In a sense, it is a shared human experience: everyone will go through difficulties and suffering, and most people have a sense for how they expect others to react. 

What will mark us as believers is not what we experience, but rather how we choose to respond. When our behavior and our attitudes do not align with a “normal” reaction for what we are going through, the folks around us will take notice! The way we engage with adverse circumstances can serve as a highly visible witness when our gaze is fixed on God. 

I have repeatedly found myself meditating on David’s declarations in Psalm 16. He is raw and real, crying out to God, seeking refuge and protection, but later he says: “The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup; You hold my lot. The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance” (v5-6). Our God is the One who sustains us, who sets the boundaries of our lives, and who gives us a purpose connected to His Kingdom; truly, our lives are in His hands and He intends good for us. 

What I found so interesting was David’s reflections come immediately after warning against the folly of idolatry. The things we have regard for – what we look to – will impact our thought patterns, which ultimately drive our behavior. If we are fixed on the things of God, like David, we can say “I have set the LORD always before me; because He is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken” (v 8). On those grounds, we may also declare, “Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices; my flesh also dwells secure” (v9). 

If our confidence is genuinely in the God we serve, rather than in ourselves or our circumstances, it is His power that enables us to be steadfast in the face of difficulty. Our posture of submission produces a radical ability to witness to the people around us, because our hope is not in the things of this world! No matter what things look like in the natural, we can say: “You make known to me the path of life; in Your presence there is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (v11).

Please Master, may we be a people whose confidence and hope are in You alone. Help us intentionally seek refuge in You when faced with difficulty and give us the grace to witness effectively and magnify Your name, no matter the circumstance.