Fear tried to grip my heart as I read the email that stated that we have until June 10th to completely move out of our apartment. Just the thought of having pack and move out so quickly and look for another affordable place to live seemed overwhelming.
I am a student at Charis Bible College, work 2 nights in ICU as a nurse, and to my already busy schedule- I will now need to find another place to live. This inconvenient life interruption seemed like too much.
Fear tried to grip my heart, but the presence of Peace was so much greater. Supernatural peace filled me. I did not know all the answers. But I had peace.
“It will all work out for good- because I love the Lord and I am called according to His purpose”- I reminded myself.
“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” Romans 8:28 NKJV
“God is for me, He is not against me”- again I reminded myself.
“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” Romans 8:31 NKJV
My Apartment Got Flooded
It seems there is this inconvenience It seems to be a time to fear But that is only if you're looking From the perspective of the world
When I realized on May 11th that my apartment got flooded after heavy rain- my room especially- I had this supernatural peace.
I have not slept in my own bedroom for over 3 weeks now. I have loved our comfortable apartment and was hoping that things will be fixed and life would return to normal fairly quickly.
But late last week, I received an email from my property manager stating that before they will fix the inside of the apartment, they need to fix the outside, and the damages from flooding to our apartment would take over a month to repair and my contract was being terminated immediately.
Maintaining Peace in Midst of Trials
It's not the time for complaining Or to feel sorry for ourselves It is a time of opportunity To praise the Lord and give Him thanks
How do you have peace when the unexpected happens?
Peace is a Person. Peace is Jesus. Jesus gave me this supernatural peace when my apartment got flooded.
“You will keep him in perfect peace,
Whose mind is stayed on You,
Because he trusts in You” Isaiah 26:3
I have found that the best way to maintain peace is to spend time with God. Be with Him. He is our peace.
When Fear and Anxiety Come Knocking at the Door
It is a time to bring a sacrifice
A sacrifice of praise to God
To say Lord - in the midst of trials
I still You love and praise Your Name
But it seems fear and anxiety are often trying to knock at the door of my heart and come in after my apartment got flooded.
Fear and anxiety tried to convince me to be stressed out about packing. That it would be hard to find another place like this- very affordable, cozy, and in a very nice location.
Fear and anxiety tried to convince me that I don’t have the time to go to college, go to work, find another place, pack and move out – all in a short amount of time.
What can I do when fear and anxiety not only try to knock at the door of my heart and emotions, but forcefully try to come in and take control?
The Word Must Become Priority
What can I do to maintain peace, to keep fear and anxiety out – even when life gets interrupted and more challenging?
Stand on the Word. Stand on God’s Promises.
What must I do when life gets tough When hopelessness tries to creep in When fear just comes and wants to rule And brings anxiety with it The Word of God, it is my strength It is the anchor for the soul I preach the Gospel to myself Remind myself that God is Love! God is FOR ME, He’s Not against me! God is still Good, He mercy has! He who spared not His Son for us Will freely give to me all things! This trial- He will use for good And He works ALL THINGS FOR MY GOOD Because I love Him and I’m called According to His purpose called Acknowledge God in all your ways Lean not on your own mind and strength He will direct your steps, trust Him Seek first His kingdom, trust in Him “Fear not, I’m with you, child believe I will not leave you or forsake I care for you, I’ll carry you My plans for you are always good” I would have fainted and lost hope Unless I had believed this truth God’s goodness I will see in life! In my own life- God has been good! I choose to praise God and Him thank That He is faithful and He’s good! He’ll carry me and give me strength I will Him worship and will praise
God takes Care of Us
It is a time to see God's faithfulness
It is a time to see His grace
It is a time to see His mercy
And His great love and care for us
Ever since our apartment got flooded my 2 housemates and I have had a free place to stay. Friends and families have opened their houses for us.
One family gave us their entire house for a week when they went on vocation. Another family is offering us their house for 3 weeks when they go to vocation, and meantime is allowing us to stay with them. And another one said we can stay at their place anytime. God has truly been good and is taking care of us!!
His Word Sustains Us
Few days ago, when I was reading Isaiah 55, the 12th verse really spoke to me:
“For you shall go out with joy, And be led out with peace; The mountains and the hills Shall break forth into singing before you, And all the trees of the field shall clap their hands”.
And when I read this verse I knew it was speaking to this situation. I shall move out of this apartment with joy and be led out with peace! Not with stress and worry. Now with anxiety. Not with sadness. But with JOY! And be led out with PEACE!
Actually on the way home from college, my housemate and I had so much fun listening and singing along to this song! We shall go out with joy and be led out with peace!!
You can listen to it here: https://youtu.be/OH0XbpNY2g8
But when I came to the apartment that same day, it seemed like I lacked the energy and the motivation to start packing. Sadness and hopelessness about the situation tried to creep in again.
The Lord Knows How to Encourage
It is a time to say Lord thank You
For opportunity to trust
To not lean on our understanding
Thank You that You'll direct our path
My neighbor- a very strong Spirit filled believer kept coming to my mind. I thought maybe I should knock at her door and see if we could talk or pray together. But in the afternoon, as I sat outside reading the Word, she came outside.
She was rushing to pick up her grandson, but when I told her we are to move out, and that the Lord encouraged me with the verse from Isaiah that “we shall go out with joy and be led out with peace”- the Lord then also used her to speak words of encouragement to me.
“This did not happen to you” she said, “This happened FOR you… Actually it happened more for someone else where God will be placing you next. The next place where you will live, there will be people to minister to and where your light is needed… Be courageous… Stay in God’s Word…”
The words she spoke ministered to me so deeply that I broke down and wept. Supernatural peace once again filled my heart. And supernatural strength.
I was planning to take an afternoon nap that day, thinking that I needed one to get re-energized. But after hearing the words she spoke, such strength filled my body that I soon started packing with joy and peace!
And we shall go out with joy and be led with peace!!
God Usually Speaks Through His Word
The Lord does not always use people to speak to me, although that is also a blessing. God also leads me by giving me confidence and peace about what to do. But often the way I hear God’s Voice is through His Word. A certain Scripture, a verse will jump out at me, and I will have this confidence, this peace and assurance that this verse is for the situation I am in.
Often, I would be reading a certain Scripture (the next book/chapter on my list), and the Lord would use what I am reading to speak to me. Or sometime during prayer a verse or passage will come to me or to my friends about the situation.
To conclude, I wanted to share other verses that the Lord has used to speak to me and my housemates about this situation that we are in:
“For the LORD God is a sun and shield; The LORD will give grace and glory; No good thing will He withhold From those who walk uprightly” Psalm 84:11 NKJV
What an amazing reminder that no good thing will God withhold from us!
“Is My hand shortened at all that it cannot redeem? Or have I no power to deliver? Indeed with My rebuke I dry up the sea, I make the rivers a wilderness” Isaiah 50:2b NKJV
Sometimes we start to look at our situation and make it bigger than God. But this verse reminded me that God HAS the power to deliver and His hand is not shortened; He CAN redeem!
“Do not remember the former things, Nor consider the things of old.
Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness And rivers in the desert” Isaiah 43:18-19 NKJV
This verse was given to my housemate Alina, when we were praying together. The Lord reminded us that no matter how much we loved our apartment, God will do a new thing and this apartment was now a “former thing, the thing of old”. And even though we do not have all the answers and it seems like we are in the wilderness, the Lord will make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. He will make a way!
“So Jesus answered and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel’s,
who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time—houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions—and in the age to come, eternal life” Mark 10:29 -30 NKJV
This verse was was given to Raven, my other housemate! It is an amazing reminder that the Lord will take care of us!
“And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the LORD your God” Deuteronomy 28:2 NKJV
This verse from Deuteronomy was given to me today. I do not have to chase blessings they will overtake me and are already overtaking me!
And I hope that these verses speak to you about any circumstance you might be in.
