Ruth Graham - Fear Not Tomorrow, God Is Already There Devotional: 100 Certain Truths for Uncertain Times

R UTH
G RAHAM

D EVOTIONAL

100 C ERTAIN T RUTHS FOR U NCERTAIN T IMES

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Fear Not Tomorrow, God Is Already There Devotional 2009 Ruth Graham

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Edited by Cindy Lambert
Interior design by Davina Mock-Maniscalco

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the New
American Standard Bible. Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960,
1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977. Used by permission.
(www.Lockman.org). Scripture quotations marked ( KJV ) are taken from
the King James Version. Scripture quotations from The Message by Eugene
H. Peterson are copyright 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used
by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. All rights reserved. Scripture
quotations marked ( NLT ) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living
Translation, copyright 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House
Publishers Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

Italics in Scripture quotations indicate authors emphasis.

Forever, O L ORD ,
Thy word is settled in Heaven.
Thy faithfulness continues throughout all generations;
Thou didst establish the earth, and it stands.
They stand this day according to Thine ordinances,
For all things are Thy servants.
Psalms 119:8991

T HOSE ANCIENT WORDS BRING comfort in a world full of uncertainty. We live in uncertain times. Its scary out there. We need only turn on the news, check the balances on our retirement accounts, or look at the brokenness within our own families to be reminded that nothing seems certain. Nothing. But still we long for certainty. We long for something that we can count on. Something to be sure of.

King David, who wrote the above words, lived in an uncertain world. His life was riddled with uncertainty and danger. Family jealousy. Political intrigue. War. Betrayal. Depression. Ridicule. Yet David was secure in the certain knowledge that God was faithful and Gods truth eternal. How did he cling to that certain knowledge? Practice. He practiced citing the truth of Gods character.

There are certain truths we can take hold of and count on. The verse above tells us that Gods word is settledit is a sure thing. Everything else may seem unsettled, precarious, and uncertain, but Gods word is sure.

Through His eternal word we can know His character. We can know He is present with us, will lead us, and will hold us securely; that He has a plan for us and it is good. Such truth cannot only chase away the fears that plague us, but can build courage and strength into our lives. To see such certainties, we have to be looking in the right place. We need to turn our eyes toward the Source of Truth: Absolute Truth.

In theory, that sounds so easy. A pat spiritual answerjust focus on Gods truth, found in His word, and our fears will just melt away. So why do I worry and fret? Why is it so hard to trust God during times of uncertainty? Personal experience has shown me a few uncomfortable realities about myself. I have a short memory for truth when the trials of life pile in on me. I suspect you are the same way. So what, then, is the answer? What will help us remember and apply truth to life when we need it? What will help us conquer our fears?

Practice.

We need to practice Gods certain truths over and over again as we meet each new uncomfortable challenge in our lives. Like King David did. Growing in faith is a processan ongoing lifelong process. It is a choice. A decision we make to take Gods truths and apply them to our own life. When fear, worry, and anxiety invade your thoughts and feelings, rather than beating yourself up, recognize that such moments are simply the evidence that God is about to build new faith and strength into your life if only you turn to Him for the wisdom He promises to give to all who ask for it. This is the purpose of this bookto help us consider, focus upon, and practice the certain truths of God.

As I write this, I have just completed the book Fear Not Tomorrow, God Is Already There, in which I explore how to trust God in uncertain times. This devotional, which can be used as a companion or follow-up to that book or as a stand-alone book, has provided me with a way to practice and apply Gods certain truths in my own life uncertainties. My hope and prayer is that it does the same for you.

I invite you to focus on Gods certain truths in your uncertain times.

Ruth Graham

Those who know Thy name
will put their trust in Thee;
for Thou, O L ORD , hast not forsaken
those who seek Thee.
Psalm 9:10

W HATS IN A NAME? Plenty! We greet one another by name. We introduce people by name. We offer our own names to others when we want to strike up a connection or initiate a conversation. Lets face it. Names matter.

When we read through the Scriptures, we run across whole lists of names. I often wondered whyit makes for rough reading. But God is meticulous about His records and keeping track of names. Names are important to Him. Your name is important to Him.

In Bible times names were significant. They had meaning and were given for a purpose such as a declaration of the parents desire for a child or as an expression of the parents convictions or as recognition of divine assistance.

Gods names, and there are many, reveal His character. In His Word, God introduces Himself to us through many names: Mighty Creator, Everlasting God, Prince of Peace, Good Shepherd, Refuge, and the list goes on. As we come to know His names, we find it easier to put our trust in Him. How can we not trust the One who is the mighty creator, the one who wants the very best for those He made? And what great confidence we can have in One who is everlasting, for though this world and everything in it is temporary, He will never fade away. When we know His names, His character, we want more of Him. We seek Him out. We discover Him.