Tag: trusting God

Walk Alongside

~ Sowmya Gali

1 Samuel 1: 9

Elkanah her husband would say to her, “Hannah, why are you weeping? Why don’t you eat? Why are you downhearted? Don’t I mean more to you than ten sons?”

Life is a rough journey in many instances. We go through troubled times waiting for God to answer our prayers. While God is working out His plan, we tend to resort to despair. Instead of remaining hopeful for God’s answer, we choose to continue on the path of hopelessness. We look at outward circumstances. We look at previous experiences. We look for people who may give us sound advice. We search for any possible solution to get us out of our troubled times as soon as possible. Our eyes of faith grow dim and short sighted.

During this myopic situation, it is important we surround ourselves with godly people who would encourage us. If we are not the ones going through rough times, there are people in our lives who are in despair. This is the moment we need to step alongside our friends or family members to encourage them. As they are struggling with God’s timing in answering their prayers, we should provide those with help and support. We should lovingly encourage those with God’s word. By doing so, we are helping them to remain steadfast in their faith.

Recently, as I was going through illness, hesitantly, I reached out to family and friends for prayer support. Many in my immediate family criticized me for advertising about my illness. My argument was, “I need prayer support.” While I trusted God to heal me, I also relied on the prayer support that I knew I will undeniably receive from my godly and faithful family and friends. So, I shared with my strong prayer warriors and requested to pray alongside me for healing. I was overwhelmed by the love, support, words of encouragement from these faithful flock. Yes, God provides us the timely help, timely word of encouragement. I was so delighted that I have a faithful group of friends and family who are willing to walk alongside me when I desperately needed that extra word of encouragement. Just learning that there are people praying for me, interceding on my behalf when I was too weak to even sit up and pray, thrilled me.

Elkanah is a great example of a supportive husband to a grieving wife:  a wife who was barren and constantly taunted by the other wife. Hannah was desperate. Despite her husband’s love and support, she still was heartbroken. Elkanah constantly encouraged Hannah, he gave her extra love and special gifts to cheer her up. However, she still remained childless. In the end she looked to God and trusted Him for help. When she poured her heart out to God, she found peace. Then she returned home to Ramah with a light heart.

In our journey of faith, we will come across people who would want us to be there for them in times of need, either financially or spiritually or emotionally. How often are we able to be there for them? Are we being critical of their circumstances or are we supportive by being a good listener and assuring them with God’s Word? Are we praying with them and for them? Are we ready to give them our advice or ready to lend our shoulder for them to lean on? Sometimes just being there with the person, also gives the suffering person a sense of peace.

Let us be people of God who would walk alongside those who are struggling. Let us be His servants serving those in need of strength. Let us be beacons of hope for those who are lost and are searching for answers. Let us for a change instead of walking ahead, walk alongside our brothers and sisters who are hurting. In doing so, we are loving our neighbor as ourselves. Just what Jesus Christ commanded. In doing so, we are encouraging them to rely on God and leading them on the path to eternity. In doing so, we are setting an example of Christ’s nature and they in turn will one day walk alongside someone in need. In doing so, our Heavenly Father is being magnified, and Jesus Christ is being glorified.

Force Field

~ Sowmya Gali

When my son was younger, he and I were driving around running some errands one warm afternoon. With our windows partially down, I was surfing radio channels for some good music. But that day, even the songs on the regular channel were boring. After about five minutes, I turned off the radio and decided to have a conversation with my son. These days every conversation with him either makes me laugh or gives me enlightenment. With an open mind, I was wondering on what topic we should start the discussion when suddenly he said,

“Mom, do you see those clouds way up in the sky?” he asked arching his head to have a good look.

I took a quick glance without getting distracted from my driving.

“Yea, they are way high up in the sky,” said I acknowledging him.

“I know they are not nimbus clouds,” he said. I was pleasantly surprised and glad to know that he still remembers his first-grade lesson on types of clouds.

“Do you remember the other types?” I asked.

“I know they are not cumulus either,” he said still looking up. As I was about to let out the correct answer, he shouted, “Mom, they are cirrostratus clouds because my teacher told me that the clouds that are high in the sky are called cirrus clouds.”

“Yes, honey. You are absolutely right,” I beamed from ear to ear. I was very proud that my son remembered his first-grade lesson.

“Mom, do you know what astronauts or jet pilots see when they go high into space?” he asked nudging me out of my proud moment. “They only see land and oceans,” he said.

“You are right, honey. Of course when there are big storms, they see clouds too,” I confirmed.

“When we are on earth, we see a blue sky but the astronauts don’t see the blue sky,” he said, pensively. My mind quickly raced to find images of earth seen from outer space and I had to concur with his observation.

“Isn’t it odd that what we see from the earth, they don’t see from out there! They don’t see the force field that is protecting us, Mom” he said. Force field – something I would never have come up with.

Laughing, I thought it is a good opportunity to tell him about the three layers of the atmosphere and how we are protected from the harmful rays of the sun. As I was explaining to him about the three layers, I suddenly realized the revelation that God was revealing to me in that very moment.

If only God hadn’t placed those three layers (or the force field in my son’s words) in earth’s atmosphere, life on earth would not have been possible. And then a picture of God looking at us came into my mind. How exposed we are! When He looks at us, we are so vulnerable to the chaos of the universe. The sky over us gives us that false notion of protection that we are covered when in fact, we are dangerously exposed. A look from the outer space is enough for us to know how precarious our situation is but for that invisible ‘force field’ atmosphere. God in His divine plan placed us under not one but three protective layers of atmosphere.

However, on the earth, the perspective has reversed. We see blue sky, dotted with clouds, beautiful sun shining and we feel confident that we are well protected. We are under the impression that our good deeds and our righteousness will protect us; when in fact we are as vulnerable as we would have been without the atmosphere. We are under a false force field – our goodness, our righteous deeds aren’t going to protect us. We think that our righteous living will be enough to protect us. What a false notion! How naked we are in His sight, I thought. If it wasn’t for the blood of Christ we would have been doomed. God sees upon us, the covering of His Son’s precious blood as a protective layer. What we don’t see like the sky over us, God sees the shed blood of the Lamb. He sees the righteousness of His Son as a layer. He sees the love and compassion of His Son for us as another layer. He sees His Grace as yet another layer. Knowing that we are highly loved and cherished gives us the freedom and a greater appreciation of His sacrifice and love for us.

We must remember also that on that Great Day, the earth, heaven, sun, moon and stars will all melt away. A new Earth and a new Heaven will be brought forth. Where the only light that shines is from the throne of God. Where there is no darkness or death. The presence of God will be the only ‘force field’ present. We shall not live in fear as the devil has been defeated and cast away for all eternity. On that Great Day, there is no morning or night, but always light. We will be in the presence of our only true Love. May we bask in His never-ending love and always remain under the ‘force field’ offered by our Heavenly Father!