3/25 by Nancy Coler

Psalm 34:4-5 4 

I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. 5 Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame.

These verses speak to me in two different ways concerning following Him. As I read these two verses together I am seeing that one aspect of my life is following steadfastly, as if the needle of a record player is set into the groove and following in the track already laid out, without needing to be guided, letting itself be led by God’s spinning turntable. The other verse, promising deliverance from fear, requires considerable effort on my part to follow. It’s like trying to follow someone on the freeway to an unfamiliar neighborhood, and losing sight of them ahead in the maze of cars, knowing you don’t know how to find the restaurant you’re headed to or which off ramp to take. We are trying to follow God, but lose sight of Him in the rush of cars, the maze of life.  Now fear takes over and we are hopelessly lost.

I seek the Lord in my prayers, and in my thoughts throughout each day. I know he will deliver me from my fears. Oddly, it is surrender that is my constant struggle. Only when I release the reins that I clutch for dear life and let the Lord take them can I feel the weight physically lift from my shoulders. When I give the worries of my life to Him I no longer need struggle to fix everything myself. Why is it so incredibly difficult to put my complete faith in Him to take care of troubles that arise? I am trying to patch every crack with my own little putty knife, forgetting that God is maintaining my house. 

I feel such spiritual resonance with Verse 5. Following Jesus fills me up, and indeed can make me feel radiant. I feel His Spirit inside me and it fills me with joy. I feel Him with me most days, an effervescence, and this is part of me, intrinsic. This is an incredible gift the Lord has given me.

I have had some challenges, as we all have. God has a way of illuminating the darkness just when it is needed the most. It is always there. We just need to look for it. His radiance is everywhere.