Navigating rough waters

Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. — 1 Chronicles 28: 20

I was enjoying the start of my first whitewater rafting experience — until I heard the roar of the rapids up ahead. My emotions were flooded with feelings of uncertainty, fear, and insecurity at the same time. Riding through the whitewater was a first-rate, white-knuckle experience! And then, suddenly, it was over. The guide in the back of the raft had navigated us through. I was safe — at least until the next set of rapids.

Transitions in our lives can be like whitewater experiences. The inevitable leaps from one season of life to the next — college to career, changing jobs, living with parents to living alone or with a spouse, career to retirement, youth to old age — are all marked by uncertainty and insecurity.

In one of the most significant transitions recorded in Old Testament history, Solomon assumed the throne from his father David. I’m sure he was filled with uncertainty about the future. His father’s advice? “Be strong and courageous, and do the work. . . . For the Lord God, my God, is with you” (1 Chron. 28:20).

We’ll have our fair share of tough transitions in life. But with God in our raft we’re not alone. Keeping our eyes on the One who is navigating the rapids brings joy and security. He’s taken lots of others through before. — Joe Stowell

Read: 1 Chronicles 28:9-20

God guides us through the rapids of change.

Bible in a Year: 1 Chronicles 28-29 and John 9:24-41