Cliffs Closing In
The negative things seemed overwhelming…
Reference: v.4 On each side of the pass that Jonathan intended to cross to reach the Philistine outpost was a cliff; one was called Bozez and the other Seneh. (TNIV Bible)
Explore: When things aren’t going so well it’s so easy to focus on the negatives.
The other week I was experiencing a lot of negative feelings. It was crazy busy at work, I had to deal with a conflict with a friend and I was lacking sleep due to our children being sick.
Being in such a raw state, I lost all compassion for anyone else and every day seemed like a battle. I dragged myself out of bed each morning and aimed just to survive the day rather than truly thrive.
As I was driving to work one morning, I was praying (whinging) to God about my life and decided I was fed up with struggling. I wanted to do more than just get by.
And as I was reflecting I realised that, while the negative things seemed overwhelming, there were some great blessings in my life as well. I have a wonderful, supportive family, I’m lucky to have a job that gives me purpose, and I have an amazing Lord who loves me and gives me hope for the future.
I find it so easy to get overwhelmed by the negatives that happen in life, and yet there are always positives that I don’t need to over look.
Application: When Jonathan was facing great enemies he really could have felt overwhelmed. He literally had a cliff on each side of him and he was outnumbered 2:20!
Jonathan could have whinged (like I do), he could have been frozen by fear or he could have just thrown in the towel and walked away. Instead, he focuses on what God can do.
His path was not clear, he had no idea what was going to happen, but he stepped forward and trusted that God would respond.
What an inspiration! This is the type of faith I am aiming towards: A faith that presses me forward, even when I don’t know what the future will hold.
Prayer: Lord, You are great and mighty. Forgive me when I doubt You. May I step out in faith, knowing that You are there for me. Amen.
How are you responding when you see the cliffs closing in?
This article was written by Linda Bailey
Linda started theological studies in 1999 in Australia. After working for ten years in various church ministries, she now works as the breakfast producer at 89.9 LightFM - the Christian radio station in Melbourne, Australia. She writes blogs every day about passages she is currently reading in the Bible. Follow her on Google Plus +Linda Bailey or Facebook by clicking the like button on the right of this page.