“You will be safe in His arms.” “You will be safe in His arms, you will be safe in His arms. The hands that hold the world are holding your heart. This is the promise He made. He will be with you always. When everything is falling apart, you will be safe in His arms.“ (Lyrics by Phil Wickham)
As I listened, I curled into the corner of the couch, next to the lamp and the radio, pulling the cotton throw over my bare feet, as I sipped my coffee. The air was pleasantly cool as a gentle rain washed the trees and bushes and grass outside in the darkness.
“Thank You, Lord. That is exactly what I needed this morning, to remind myself that You love me, that You listen to me and that You will take care of me.”
Yesterday had been an all-day, all-out fight for faith as a dear, dear friend was re-admitted to the hospital, my beloved Barny cat and I waited four hours in the veterinarian’s office, and I pondered the latest foot problem. All day, by grace I prayed and quoted Scriptures to myself. All day though, I felt shaky. I kept reminding myself that God would, in time, calm the storm in my heart.
Last night, still feeling shaky, I went to bed and by grace slept well. This morning, that song stirred the undercurrent of His love running deep in my heart. Emotions settled and thoughts about God and His countless instances of tender, loving care took over. Then, like a soft blanket, came that blessed, unutterable peace (Philippians 4:7).
We all need an undercurrent of His love. Because life is filled with troubles, we humans need the awareness of His love as the bedrock of our hearts and minds. We need that awareness as our default mode, a network of interconnected thoughts and feelings to which our mind automatically returns when it is not specifically involved otherwise.
Three hearts stay on my kitchen countertop. The words written on them say “God made me, and He loves me. God listens to me, and He loves me. God takes care of me, and He loves me.” These truths remind me of Scripture passages about God’s love that I have meditated upon for many, many weeks. This undercurrent of feeling loved and cared for, personally, by God has become my default mode of mind. It is one way Jesus helps me overcome the troubles in my world. (John 16:33)
How to change your default. How do we get to the place so that even when life thunders, we remember God’s love and remain secure? By doing the hard work of renewing our mind, in other words, by changing our default mode of mind and heart (Romans 12:21). It is a simple process.
[1] Look diligently into the Word for ourselves to find the truths we personally need. (Proverbs 2:1-11)
[2] Keep those truths in our thoughts constantly (Deuteronomy 6:7).
The process is simple. However, it takes hard work, and it takes time. So be patient, like a farmer tending a crop. (James 5:7) In due time, you will be rewarded. (Hebrews 11:6)
How does an undercurrent work? In reading about undercurrents, I learned that they are currents flowing under the surface of a large body of water. A riptide is a powerful, fast-moving undercurrent flowing at right angles to the shore. I like to think of God’s love as a powerful undercurrent, a riptide, that we can, by choice, dive into and that will carry us out to clear, open water, far from the crashing waves. Once we have stored up His truth within our hearts, that undercurrent, that default mode of mind and heart, is firmly established (Deuteronomy 28:9). In darkest trial, we will feel safe, in His everlasting arms.
“There is no one like the God of Israel. He rides across the heavens to help you, across the skies in majestic splendor. The eternal God is your refuge, and His everlasting arms are under you. He drives out the enemy before you, saying, “Destroy them!” So Israel will live in safety, prosperous Jacob in security, in a land of grain and new wine, while the heavens drop down dew. How blessed you are, O Israel! Who else is like you, a people saved by the Lord? He is your protecting shield and your triumphant sword! Your enemies will cringe before you, and you will stomp on their backs.” (Deuteronomy 33:26-29, NLT)