On Father’s Day weekend 2017, our family decided to drive to Fort Bragg, California to spend some time with Chris’s father. While we were there, we took our 12-year-old daughter, Peyton, to Pudding Creek Beach, a small and inviting beach not far from the family home. The 70 degree weather was a cooling reprieve from the 107 degree scorching heat in Sacramento, just four hours away.
Chris and Peyton went off to walk the beach and look for shells, and I chose to stay back and just sit near the water’s edge, listening to the sound of the waves and watching the people surrounding me. As the ocean waves rushed in and out every few seconds, I watched the foamy surf attacking a small child’s feet. The bubbly waves would, on occasion, come in a little strong and the little girl would become nervous and unsteady in the wet sand and water. From several yards away, her daddy saw her fear and walked over to the little girl, the older hand calmly resting on this younger girl’s arm. As the wave would roll in, he would softly grip her upper arm, not in a hard squeeze, but with a gentle pressure to keep her steady. This gave that sweet little girl the confidence to know she wasn’t alone and wouldn’t get swept out into the endless ocean while she enjoyed the salty water on her toes.
How sweet is it that our heavenly Father does the same thing for us? As a wave of trial hits, He stands right beside us. Yes, that wave may or may not be strong enough to knock us off of our feet, and it’s not likely strong enough to toss us around in those harsh and unyielding waves. It may possibly, though, hold us back and prevent us from having the courage to stand still and weather the issue. We step back from the unknown out of fear and uncertainty, not sure if we can handle it. But God is there. Know that you can have confidence in that whatever trial or hardship you may face, Jesus said He would never leave us. He sees us. He knows us. He’s right there, His hand on our arm, applying that gentle pressure to keep us steady and secure. We never have to weather the uncertainty alone.
Today, ask God to sow the following words into your heart: Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9.
Iron Porch 