{"id":23712,"date":"2018-08-18T03:30:23","date_gmt":"2018-08-18T10:30:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lccredding.org\/church\/?p=23712"},"modified":"2018-08-16T09:13:06","modified_gmt":"2018-08-16T16:13:06","slug":"august-18-2018","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lccredding.org\/church\/2018\/08\/18\/august-18-2018\/","title":{"rendered":"August 18, 2018"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"\"<\/p>\n

“Don’t be afraid.\u00a0Just stand still and watch the Lord rescue you today.”\u00a0<\/em>Exodus\u00a014:13<\/p>\n

Vulnerable<\/strong><\/h2>\n

I was talking with a friend recently about things happening in our valley\u2014crime, vandalism, drugs, traffic congestion, and, of course, our water crisis.\u00a0She said that she finds herself feeling vulnerable and often fearful.\u00a0Then she asked me if I felt that way.<\/p>\n

I paused for a moment to think, and then I told her that I prayed a lot, that I had good neighbors, that I had burglar alarms, and that I had a worker that lived on our property several nights a week (that will soon be changing and I’ll be alone).\u00a0We went on to talk about other things.<\/p>\n

But the conversation has stuck with me. I’ve reflected on it quite a bit.\u00a0I realized that I’ve definitely had times of feeling very vulnerable, and I’ve had times of being fearful.\u00a0But, thankfully, God has met me when I’ve felt that way! If I had to live with feeling vulnerable and fearful, I don’t know if I could survive.<\/p>\n

A few months after Floyd became ill, we had a break-in at our home. God protected us.\u00a0The robbers were scared away, no one was hurt, and there was just some damage to repair.\u00a0But it did make me feel vulnerable!\u00a0The same thing could have happened, of course, even if Floyd were home\u2026but I wouldn’t have felt as alone.<\/p>\n

Each time I’ve felt vulnerable or fearful, I’ve turned to the Lord.\u00a0He has been so faithful to minister peace to my heart.\u00a0He has given me courage, and has reminded me that He has angels watching over me.\u00a0He calms my anxiety, and He brings to mind the verses that tell me He’s holding my hand.<\/p>\n

As I’ve been thinking about all this, I found myself singing an old song that I sang in church when I was growing up: “Leaning on the Everlasting Arms.”<\/p>\n

“What have I to dread, what have I to fear,<\/em>
\nLeaning on the everlasting arms?<\/em>
\nI have blessed peace with my Lord so near,<\/em>
\nLeaning on the everlasting arms.<\/em><\/p>\n

Leaning, leaning,
\nSafe and secure from all alarms;
\nLeaning, leaning,
\nLeaning on the everlasting arms.”<\/em><\/p>\n

I have no need to fear any “alarms.”\u00a0He is holding me in His arms! That song was written in 1887, but the words are just as true today as they were then.\u00a0I’m so grateful that I can give any fear, any feeling of being vulnerable, to Him\u2014and receive His peace. I can face any difficulties in His strength.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe live in a fallen world.\u00a0We will face times of feeling vulnerable and fearful because of circumstances around us.\u00a0But we can bring those feelings to Him, and rest in His wonderful, safe, and secure arms. He will minister grace, peace, and courage to our hearts. Thank You, Jesus!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>

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