A "Car Wash" Experience

I recently read in one of my devotionals about a "car wash" experience. Interesting title for a daily devotion. The author talked about the stormy times in her life when it seemed as though she was on a conveyor belt; a victim of forces beyond her control. I reflected on that statement and thought also there have been times in my life when I felt I was on a conveyor belt.

If you have ever been in a car wash, and I am sure many people have, who like me, don't wash their cars themselves, and when they started moving through the conveyor belt they thought about being cocooned inside.

What if I got stuck in there or my car got damaged (which it had on one occasion) or what if the water came crashing inside the car. In life, there are alot of "what ifs" - things beyond our control. We also have a tendency to think the worst or to think negatively even before something occurs. We are worriers by nature. We don't like not having control over our lives.

The truth is not one of us has any control over our lives.

Worry is a sin because it means we don't trust God to handle our lives or our circumstances.

In Psalm 46:1-3, it states that "God is our safe place and our strength. He is always our help when we are in trouble. So we will not be afraid, even if the earth is shaken and the mountains fall into the center of the sea, and even if its waters go wild with storm and the mountains shake with its actions."

My commentary says that God is our refuge even in the face of total destruction. He is not merely a temporary retreat; he is our eternal refuge and can provide strength in any circumstance.

The scripture in Isaiah 43:2 says, "When you pass through the waters, I will be there."

It is amazing to me now that I am older, that every storm in my life, God has been there with me. I recalled, as this author did, that whenever I passed through deep waters my Redeemer had been with me, sheltering me against the rising tide. When I came out on the other side, which I always did, I was able to say with joy and confidence that God is faithful!

Going through rivers of difficulty will either cause you to drown or force you to grow stronger. If you go in your own strength, you are more likely to drown. If you invite the Lord to go with you, He will protect you.

Thought for Today: If you are in the middle of a "car wash" experience, trust God to bring you through to the other side.