My World Needs You, God

Earthquakes. Hurricanes. Wars and rumors of wars. Chaos. Tragedy. Trouble on all sides. When we hear of all these things it is natural to become fearful. We worry about the future–about what it may hold. But should we worry? After all, we are children of God, and if we are connected to Him, we know that He knows what is ahead of us. He knows the way through it all.

So, if we are not to be afraid, then what are we to do when faced with such difficulties? Where are we to turn for comfort and sustenance? Here’s what I suggest:

We can read the Bible. Romans 10:17 says “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” We can read the Bible to increase our faith, and we can also read the Bible to know what’s coming next and how we should react. For according to II Timothy 3:16-17, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”

We can pray. I Thessalonians 5:16-18 urges us to “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

We can put on the full armor of God for protection. Ephesians 6:10-18 says: “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.:

We can know assuredly that we have the victory. Isaiah 54:17 says “No weapon that is formed against you shall prosper…” We know that God’s victory is already assured, and so our victory is assured as well.

We can do our part to keep the peace. We can spread God’s love to all who cross our path. Colossians 3:12-14 says “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselveswith compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.”

We can call on the name of Jesus. Philippians 2:9-11 says “Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,”

Those are some powerful tools that we can keep in our tool belts as we navigate our way through today’s trials and tribulations. But, I want to leave you with one more thing, a powerful and heartfelt song called My World Needs You (Artist: Kirk Franklin featuring Sarah Reeves, Tasha Cobbs, and Tamela Mann, January 2017; Album: Losing My Religion, Fo Yo Soul Records/RCA Records, November 2015.) This song is an honest cry for our Lord’s help. “Show me your face,” it begins. “Fill up this space.” These are powerful lyrics that let the Lord know we need His presence, we want His guidance, we need His light to light the way.

If we stick with Him, we don’t have to be afraid. We don’t have to worry about what’s coming next. The song’s words get increasingly stronger, beckoning God to not only fix the world, but to fix us too. And He can do that, not only outwardly but inwardly. But we’ve got to stick close to His side. We’ve got to dwell in the shelter of the Most High, so that He may be our refuge and our fortress (Psalm 91).

We’ve got to hold on. We must hold on. We can hold on, for God has given us what we need to be strong. For II Corinthians 4:8-9 promises that although things are difficult, we can make it through. “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.”

Let’s stick together and stick with the Lord, so that we can live victoriously through the troubles of this world. Amen!

My World Needs You (Official Lyric Video)
(Artist: Kirk Franklin featuring Sarah Reeves, Tasha Cobbs, and Tamela Mann, January 2017; Album: Losing My Religion, Fo Yo Soul Records/RCA Records, November 2015.)