God Is There for You
Bringing a spiritual perspective to world events and daily life.
Sometimes we go through periods when we feel stretched to the limit. For example, a friend of mine who runs her own business unexpectedly found that her mother and father needed a great deal of attention and care. Then, while she was trying to handle all this, her best friend died. A couple of years later she said this had probably been the most difficult period in her life. "If it hadn't been for God, I don't think I could have made it. What do people do if they don't believe that God is there for them in times of trouble?" she asked.
The Bible pinpoints the help that God provides when we are being swamped by difficulties. The book of Isaiah says, "When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him" (59:19). That is, when we are in trouble, the correcting and saving power of God surges forth. The prophet Jeremiah brought these words of God to the people: "They shall fight against thee, but they shall not prevail against thee: for I am with thee to save thee and to deliver thee, saith the Lord. And I will deliver thee out of the hand of the wicked, and I will redeem thee out of the hand of the terrible" (15:20, 21). This promise remains active today.
The prophets of the Bible understood the power of God, and Christ Jesus delivered convincing proof that this power, the might of divine Love, is ever present to deliver us from trouble. No one can be deprived of the sustaining power of God. If we feel swamped by trouble, we will find immediate help by praying and simply remembering that God is with us, and that His power is in this place. His strength is our strength, and His law must produce harmony. The spirit of divine Love unravels snarls in our lives and illumines the path we should take. Filled with the energy that comes from knowing God, we find that we can do the tasks that need to be done. Instead of chaos, we find signs of order.
Christian Science reminds the world that the power of God that was so evident in Biblical accounts is eternal, forever present, always available. Some people, though, are afraid to turn to God. They think of Him as a severe judge, a punisher, a being who is angry with His creation. And yet this view is so far removed from the picture of an all-compassionate Father that Jesus brought to humankind.
The activity of divine Love reconciles men and women to God. It removes the sins and misconceptions about God that hide from their view His constant love and care. Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures was written by the woman who discovered Christian Science in 1866, Mary Baker Eddy. The book says on page 520: "The depth, breadth, height, might, majesty, and glory of infinite Love fill all space." The more you understand God to be eternal and impartial in His love for all He created (including you!), the more you'll love God, and the more you'll be conscious of His love. Understanding your relation to God will reveal a divine intimacy that will convince you that you can never be in a circumstance where His love and power are not right at hand.
To think of God in terms of infinity and goodness and love is to gain a natural trust in Him. To seek His help and guidance is to find them. We need to recall that we are never outside the place where God's law is in force and producing order and good. Even in a day when it seems we have twenty million things to do, there are many moments when we can acknowledge these facts and feel peace and encouragement as a result. While driving in the car or fixing a meal, even while waiting for the phone to be answered, we can turn our thoughts to God. As we become consistent in doing this, we must find that we are no longer being worn to a frazzle, but feeling stronger and more certain about just what is right and just how to accomplish it.
We must know and feel God to be present, supportive, and caring. With Him there for us, we have all we ever need.
In God I will praise his word,
in God I have put my trust;
I will not fear what flesh
can do unto me.
Psalms 56:4