...In Christ

Life can be so overwhelming. It's busy and stressful and demanding and on the days when everything goes wrong, we can wonder how we are supposed to manage it all.

But this is such a well known feeling, such a common concern, that we really don’t have to look far to find encouragement. The message of “you are enough” is everywhere: over pretty pictures on Instagram, on coffee mugs, in cool quotes on Pinterest. It's spoken over us like a blessing, we are assured that we can do it. We can do all things. We are enough.

Very much like my post on self-care, I do appreciate the motive behind these words. The words are meant to affirm us, calm our fears and reduce the crippling anxiety of life. They're supposed to put cement in our bones so we can stand up, stop complaining and fight the good fight. But in and of themselves, those words will never be enough—because it's not true.

It's like the whole, “God helps those who help themselves,”— it is nowhere to be found in the Bible and is possibly more damaging than we might think.

This is why I say that. When you say that I am enough, you're telling me that I am able to do this on my own. That I myself am sufficient for my life. Being enough means that I don’t need anyone’s help or input. I can conquer, I can fulfill, I can earn my way on my own. Why stop there? Believing I am enough lends me to believe I can overcome anything, even my sins on my own.

Possibly a little dramatic, and I get that this is not what the message is aiming for at all, but I do genuinely believe that too much 'self-belief' feeds my pride and leaves little room for the saving grace and sustaining power of Jesus in me. Because if I am enough, then I don’t need anyone else–including God.

And life where there is no room for God—life separate from God—is quite literally hell.

In fact, trying to live as a Christian without Christ is an oxymoron. He is the very essence and definition of who and what we are. And if we stop to think about it, we're definitely not enough to keep our hearts pumping, much less hold the atoms of the universe together. How then do we assume we can hold our own lives together?

This was the devil's game plan from day one in the Garden. Get them to believe that they have no need for God. I pray that we are not perpetuating that lie in our world today with our inspirational quotes and culture.

It is so vital that we always remember for everything in our lives: "...this is not your own doing (!!!); it is the gift of God.” (Ephesians 2:8)

So we are not enough. What do we do with that? How do we face our overwhelming lives and struggles with that truth in mind?

Well, when searching for 'enough' through the scriptures, Philemon 1:8 answered that. "I am bold enough in Christ." In Christ. Such a simple little phrase, but two of the most powerful words there could be. In fact, Paul uses it over 70 times in his letters.

And like a game that is played in restaurants to change the meaning of the quotes on the sugar sachets by adding on a few words at the end— adding "...in Christ" to the end of "I am enough" changes everything.

Because Jesus Christ is enough.

In Jesus is all the fullness of God, all power, all wisdom, all ability (Colossians 2:9). He is head and authority and sovereign over all things (Ephesians 1:22) This means that he can handle anything, understand everything, know every issue and every solution, and accomplish absolutely all that he wills. He is enough.

Jesus is aboundingly more than enough, for the chaos of this overwhelming life, enough for all the struggles and temptations and inundations.

And you and I, we are in Christ.

“In Christ Jesus you are all sons of God”(Galatians 3:26), which gives us security and identities as kids of the Most High King. We are “created in Christ Jesus for good works”(Ephesians 2:10), which means we not only have a purpose given by God, but also that he will enable us to do what he created us for.

In Christ, we can stand firm and sure (Colossians 2:5), steadfast and anointed for his glory (2 Corinthians 1:21), we stand upright, redeemed and justified (Romans 3:24). In Christ, we are abundantly blessed and made holy and blameless (Ephesians 1:3-4), we are purified and called (1 Corinthians 1:2). In Christ we are complete and full (Colossians 2:10) and can have perfect peace (Philippians 4:7).

The list goes on, but I think you catch my drift.

In Christ. In him alone.

So does this give us a free pass from trying, from working, from doing our best? As Paul once said: “By no means!” We need to acknowledge that we can't do it on our own, but we must also acknowledge that we're not on our own anymore. We belong to God and because of that, he is always with us and we are always in him. God’s grace, which is essentially Christ’s enoughness now lives and works in us, enabling us to truly be enough and prompting us to faithfully and actively run the race he has called us to.

We can make those tricky decisions, because we are in Christ, the fount of all wisdom. We can be kind to rude clients, because we are in Christ, the One who was mocked and despised, yet still loved sacrificially and died on our behalf. We can finish the hard job, overcome temptation, see it through rough patches, because we are in Christ, the Saviour who has overcome the world. And importantly, we can give ourselves grace when we fail, when we aren’t enough—because we are in Christ who already did it all, who lived the perfect life on our behalf, who is not changed by my accomplishments or lack thereof.

We have been given all that we need to live our lives (2 Peter 1:3), but that "You are enough" encouragement too often leaves off the most important part: in Christ. When we lose that, we lose so much. (Sadly we do this with other scriptures too, as I've written about before.)

Focusing on the “you are enough,” gets us stuck on what we can and can't do which will inevitably result in us spiraling into the depths of hopelessness via the pit of pride. Not quite where I want to be.

But when we remember the “in Christ,” the spotlight is shifted. The emphasis changes and the focus is correctly back in place. It's about Jesus, what he has done, what he can do, and what he will do. And it is in this that courage, true, lasting encouragement, is found.

I, on my own, am not enough. Please don’t tell me that I am, for that lie will destroy me.

Instead, let's remind each other of our gracious Savior, mighty King, and empowering Jesus. That his grace is sufficient for us, that he is more than enough for anything we will ever need and that in Christ alone will we find our enough.

I am not enough. But Christ is.

Fail

It's a dumb pride thing, but boy do I hate looking like I don't know what's going on. This has come to light more clearly as I've been living in a new country in the last month. Everything is different: filling up with gas, public transport, banks, shopping, the processes at work. But I don't want people to know that I don't know. I research as much as possible before doing it, and even if I'm still unsure I just plough ahead with a confident look on my face, so that I can keep my uncertainty a secret. It's so silly, I know! I know that the people hardly even notice me, either way.

But I was thinking about this today, and asking myself, "why am I like this?!" I think the root causes are pride and the fear of failure. I say failure because doing something wrong, being lost, or having to ask for help is for me a 'failure' of being the perfect person. 

Failure is the worst. It can really, really hurt. Whether it's a driving test (failing this broke my spirit in the most needed way when I was 18) or math test (yip, got a solid 3% at university once) or failing to live up to my own impossible standards for myself—failure sucks. Its effects reach much further than the failed activity itself and too often can begin to erode self-worth and confidence and the desire to keep going and try again.  

I know it shouldn't be like this. I know that failure is par for the course of life; that absolutely everyone fails repeatedly their whole life long. And I know that this disappointment is simply a feeling that will fade in time. I know, but sometimes just knowing isn't quite enough to shake it. 

So how am I learning to deal with failure? 

1. Separating the failure from my worth and remembering where my worth is truly found

My worth is not found in passing tests, or impressing people, or having a 'perfect' day.

“Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.”- Luke 12:6-7

It doesn’t say, “you are of more value than many sparrows if you get 100%.” It doesn’t say “you are of more value than many sparrows if you are an impressive person.” There is no requirement or threshold or qualification to have worth. Because in the sight of God (i.e. the MOST important being in the universe), you’re immeasurably and immensely full of worth! And because my worth is rooted in him, nothing I do or don't do has the ability to alter that worth, for better or for worse. 

It’s not what I do, or even who I am, but whose I am. My belonging to Jesus is unshakable, therefore my worth in him is unshakable too. 

2. Trusting God's plan and his control

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” - Jeremiah 29:11

My entire life is directed by God. The highs and the lows are within his control. He see the bigger picture, he knows the end of the story and every step along the way as well. He is not surprised, even when I fail, even when everything feels like it's spinning out of control. 

This brings such a sense of peace that I won't ever find by relying on myself. God's got me, through the successes, failures and everything in between.

3. Admitting it hurts, then moving on

Bottling up feelings is never the best idea. I tell myself to man up and harden up and say “I’m fine!” when really, I'm not. And I don't think that helps at all.

I have to remind myself that I'm allowed to feel. That emotions aren't inherently evil; it's how I act out of them that can be. So I'm allowed to be honest about my feelings. I'm allowed to feel disappointed. I'm allowed to mourn the loss of my success.

And the active processing of that allows me to move on. I can't stay in that rut of sadness and pity all the time, otherwise it will become too comfortable and too much like home. I think it's important to acknowledge the feelings, but never to let them dictate me. 

In order to move on, I have to remind myself that it's not over until the fat lady sings, and she ain't singing until the day I find myself face to face with Jesus. It's important to fully live through this chapter, feelings and all, so that I can freely turn the page to what is next. And there are still so many other chapters to be lived out. My failure is not the last sentence in my story.

Not that I'm an expert in this by any means, but by taking little baby steps, I am starting to find that failure and the fear thereof doesn't have to define me. I'm growing in my ability to shake off the failure and try again. To step out and do new things, even when I'll likely fail the first time, because I'm learning that it doesn't for a second impact my identity and worth. 

Jesus told his disciples that they would have trouble and tribulations in this world, but his solution to that wasn't to simply give up. He called them to be of good cheer and take heart, trusting in his overcoming power. The same is true for us. No matter how big or small, let's step out and do the things we need to do, trusting in Jesus for our worth and story, and knowing that failure is only one step toward those goals.

Today I saw a Facebook memory from 7 years ago where I had shared a quote from Jon Acuff:
"Though fear tries to tell me otherwise, the truth is that the size of my failures will never eclipse God's ability to redeem them."

So I just wanted to write all this to remind you (and me) that life is more than a list or a certificate or an achievement. That your failure will never trump Jesus. Because failure and its feelings are not forever. But Jesus and his love are. 

Shipwrecks And Storms

"When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and the storm continued raging, we finally gave up all hope of being saved." - Acts 27:20

I've just finished reading through Acts. At the end of the book, Paul and Co experience the craziest series of unfortunate events. This scripture is describing a terrible storm they were in that led to them being shipwrecked and marooned on an island. But when I read this particular verse it caught my attention and brought to mind the crazy wave of depression and hopelessness and suicide that is currently sweeping the world.

The darkness: no sun or stars to light the way and give guidance and something to look forward to, no purpose to live for.

The raging storm: the inner turmoil of thoughts and the despair that screams louder and feels more powerful than any strength that can be mustered up in ourselves.

The giving up of hope: the succumbing to the hopelessness that says we are too far gone to be saved, that says we are not loved, that we are not worthy of love and that no one cares of our existence or non-existence on this earth.

Even just typing that all out feels a little terrifying, that someone would be in that place. And sadly, way too many people are stuck in this place of hopelessness; where it feels like the light will never break through and the storm will never end; where they are too far gone to be saved.

I don't say this lightly, but the reality is, there is no such place! No night is too dark for God's light to pierce in, no storm is too wild to be commanded by him to be still, no place is too far or too hidden or too wicked to be rescued by Jesus.

"The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." - John 1:5

The darkness has not and will not ever overcome the Light of the world, Jesus. Ask him to shine in your life. Even if there is just a little pilot light left in you, fan that thing into flame and let the Light burn in you and dissipate the darkness.

"A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm." - Mark 4:37-39

Jesus, the Prince of Peace, offers us peace in the midst of the storm. Even when the wind and waves are raging, we can find rest in him. He has complete dominion over everything, the natural elements of physical storms, as well as the hormones and crazy mental world that can be so tumultuous. And he does care. He hasn't brought you out in the boat with him to drown, but in the midst of the storm, he does want you to trust that nothing is out of his control and that he cares for you.

“Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” - Romans 10:13

It seems too good to be true. But God cannot lie. So when he says that if you call on him you will be saved, then I totally believe with everything in me that absolutely anyone can be saved. There are no filters or preconditions to this saving, which means that no one can ever be too far, or too bad, or too unworthy. Because the 'goodness' and the 'worthiness' of the saving is all on Jesus, and not on us. Through him, anyone can be qualified and all can be saved.

I know that there are many other factors and things to consider when it comes to depression and hopelessness. But I do believe that these are three pillars of truth that are foundational in living a life of hope in Jesus.

I love what Paul says two verses after the hopelessness of their situation is so strongly stated: "I urge you to keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed."

Yes, the ship will be destroyed—we will lose possessions, our plans will go awry, we will deal with devastating loss and heartbreak. But not one will be lost. You will not be lost. God holds you safely in the palm of his Almighty hand. I pray that today you would find such peace, light and hope in that.

Finally, perhaps, like me, this is not an area that you find yourself struggling with right now. If so, let's take after Paul's example of standing in the gap for the people around him:

v25 "So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me."

Would we have faith in God for the people that can't find the faith in their darkest moments, and would we stand alongside them in their rocking boat and raging storm and speak the truth to them, helping put courage in them to stand, to keep going and to fight once more.

The American Dream

Today I drove through a perfect, manicured, wealthy suburb of Texas. It was exactly what I imagine the American dream looking like. And though I didn't actively think to myself, "I am coveting that man's house," the reality is as I imagined myself living in those streets and driving their sweet cars, something of discontent rose up in me a little. Discontent rooted in envy for what someone else has and I don't.

And when I realised that, the obvious commandment came to mind:

“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbors.” - Exodus 20:17

Regardless of whether we even act on our selfish desire, this coveting is the craving for something that is not ours to have. It stems from good ole pride that says I deserve to have all the things. It's almost as though we are calling life unfair and God unjust for not providing us this thing we so yearn for.

Interestingly, in Ephesians 5:5 in the ESV, coveting is equated to idolatry. But when you stop and think about it, it makes sense. When we deeply yearn for something or someone that is not ours, it monopolizes our focus and we begin to idolize that thing which elevates it into a position of importance above God. If we let the root sink in too deep, eventually we lose all focus and begin to worship the creation rather than the Creator.

"They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator--who is forever praised." - Romans 1:25

In our culture these days, coveting is such a 'natural' part that most people hardly even notice its existence. Everything is about the biggest houses, coolest cars, best Insta feeds, finding the perfect bachelor and keeping up with the Kardashians.

But we were called to live differently. We are called to be content no matter the circumstance and to actively choose to not covet.

HOW??

I'm still learning, but these are some things that have helped me on this journey on laying down my coveting and idols.

Number one is to seek first Jesus and his kingdom. To above all, love him with all my heart, mind and strength. As I seek him more and more, I find myself more and more satisfied in his love and presence and I become more and more convinced that he truly is enough for me. As this happens, the things that used to draw my eyes and my heart have a little less of a shine and allure.

The more I seek him, the more I get to know him and so the more I trust that he is good and that he has given me everything I need and more. More than I could ask or imagine. So then when I look at something that I don't have, it's okay, because I believe that God, in all his infinite wisdom and unfailing love for me, deemed it unnecessary in my life at this time.

The second thing is to try and look at all things in life through the spectacles of eternity. And this is definitely not the easiest thing, because what I see is so tangible and real and physically within my grasp. But when I remember that the shiny things I so desire will eventually fade and fail, rot and rust, it is a little easier to put things in perspective.

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." - Matthew 6:19-21

"So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." - 2 Corin 4:18

The things that scream for my attention in this world probably won't carry any weight in eternity. So why do I give them so much of my time and emotion and thoughts? Obviously I need many things in order to exist in my day to day life, and I do think it's okay to want things. But when that want breeds discontent in my heart, I need to take a step back and apply the filter of eternity.

And the final thing is asking God, in his transforming power, to realign my desires after his heart. Romans 12 talks about God renewing my mind in a way that transforms me, makes me more like him and stops me from conforming to the world—the world that loves to covet.

Psalm 37:4 says, "Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart." And I believe this means he will provide me with the deep desires he's placed in my heart, but I also believe that as I seek after him and delight in him, my desires become more synchronised and moulded like his.

I'm broken and sinful and I will always find myself wanting more and desiring what is not mine, but I pray that as I continue to seek Jesus, keep eternity in mind and ask God to keep transforming me, I will learn to be content whatever the circumstances (Phil 4:11).

I pray this for you too. Let's kill the weeds of coveting that are strangling us and make room for the beautiful life that comes through being content in Jesus to grow.

ME! (AKA Self-love)

Self-love. Self-care.

Lately, it's popped up in so many podcasts I've listened to, YouTube videos I've watched, Instagram posts I've scrolled past, even a whole new big drive at my work. It's everywhere.

The basic premise is to encourage us to take care of ourselves in all aspects: physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. It charges you to take time to exercise, eat healthy, relax, take a deep breath, drink more water, cry it all out or whatever it may be that you feel your body or mind or heart needs in the moment.

I totally agree with taking care of ourselves. I think it’s very good for people to take care of their own body and emotional well-being and to actively work to be at least moderately healthy in all aspects. Jesus calls us to love our neighbours as ourselves (Matt 22:39) which inherently implies we should be loving ourselves. I actually think you can love and care for others better if you are taking the time to first properly care for yourself. So to most extents, I agree with the concept behind the movement.

But what does not sit well with me is the catch-phrase used to describe this movement: self-love.

It just sounds so extremely self-centered, putting all the focus on ME!—my wants, my needs, my feelings, taking care of me. It's all about me. And I can't buy into this, because I believe that as a Christian, my top focus is not me. It's God first, and others second.

Matthew 22:37-39 "Jesus declared, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’"

Yes, in order to love God and love people with all my heart, mind and strength, I need to take care of my heart, mind and body. So I guess we could say that taking care of our bodies is Biblical. This body is not meant to last forever, so it is in no way the end goal, but it is a very useful tool in living and serving God. But the heart behind it is not quite like the 'self-care' movement. I believe we are commanded to care for ourselves because it enables us to glorify God and carry out the things he has for us to do.

Ephesians 2:10 "For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."

Here are some more scriptures that tell us to both care for and use our bodies for God’s glory:

Romans 12:1 “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercy of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.”

Although God will with open arms accept any form of sacrifice we bring him, surely it would be better if we were able to bring more than a shell of an empty person to him? By spending time (but not obsessing! NB!!) on the things that keep us healthy, inside and out, we'll be able to love and give and serve and lay down rich lives before our King.

1 Corinthians 10:31 “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”

Even the smallest acts of eating and drinking can be used to glorify God. Something as simple as excessive gorging on junk food—probably not so glorifying to God as it shows us searching for comfort in something other than him. Or choosing not to drink alcohol excessively—this glorifies God as it is submitting to God's call to live sober and self-controlled lives. These are little choices of a healthy lifestyle that glorify our God.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.”

This verse reminds us that the decisions we make impact our bodies—physically, emotionally, mentally. The context is aimed toward sexual sin, which definitely impacts all the aspects of our lives. But I think in all ways, our bodies, a temple of the Holy Spirit, are directly impacted by our lifestyles. So I believe that making healthy choices—the food I eat, the shows I watch, the people I allow to influence me, the thoughts I wallow in, etc etc— sets me up stronger to be able to glorify God with my body and life.

So if you follow Jesus but also want to buy into this self-love movement, can I challenge you to take a moment to consider the why? Is it for your glory or for God's? Let's look after and steward well the things God has entrusted to us, including our own bodies and minds. But at the same time, let's make sure our motives are rightly rooted in Biblical truth and gospel, sacrificial, 'for something bigger than me' living.

We are commanded to care for the body God gave us for his glory because our body is not our own and has been bought by his precious blood. Yes, in doing so I'm loving and caring for my own body, too, but ultimately it puts the focus rightly back on Jesus where it's always supposed to be and no longer on ME!.

Unsolicited Kindness

I didn't have the greatest day yesterday. Nothing major, but just a lot of little things that kept going wrong. Being on the other side of the world at the moment, I asked my friends back home to pray for me, which they graciously did.

That evening I got a lift back to my apartment with my colleague and his wife. As we arrived back, out of the blue, she invited me to join them for dinner that night. Now she didn't know that I had had a bad day, but for some reason (which I wholly believe to be God— despite the fact that she doesn't even believe in my God), some extra kindness and boldness bubbled up in her in the very moment I needed it and we had a great chilled evening eating curry and watching The Office and my bad day was made so much better.

So this all made me stop and think how many times I've ignored a prompting to be extra kind and/or bold in a moment, and how those were potentially moments created by the prayers of friends and family that I dropped the ball in. Maybe my kindness could answer prayers of people around me without me even knowing what those prayers are.

This isn't a fancy post or any wild revelation, but I just wanted to share these thoughts with you:

Number 1: who are you praying for today?

And number 2: are you being actively kind, even in the smallest of actions, in a way that God can use your kindness to answer prayers of the people you'll encounter?

Our God is extremely kind. Let's be wildly kind too.

The Good News In The Bad News

The news this week has been terrifyingly awful. The headlines pop up on my phone and lately it's felt like a constant barrage of bad news. Rape, murder, kidnapping, children found hanged, shootings, terror, corruption, racism, deceitfulness, hurricanes, droughts and all round hopelessness.

These are some truths that keep me in the midst of the storm:

"In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." - John 16:33

• God is not surprised by the trouble of this world— not to say that he doesn't care, he does, deeply. But all this bad news is the product of living in a broken, sinful world. I don't say that to cheapen the pain and destruction and desperation that people are facing today. It so breaks my heart to witness— how much more the heart of God who knows and sees all, even in the darkest places.
• However, the brokenness and darkness is not too big for Jesus. He overcame it all.
• That doesn't take away the pain and consequences, but it does enable us to take heart and stand in the storm, with the hope of Jesus' victory anchoring our souls and keeping us firm and secure in him (Hebrews 6:19).

"When the earth and all its people quake, it is I who hold its pillars firm." - Psalm 75:3

• The world is currently being shaken to its core. I don't think there is a single person out there who can even pretend that all is peachy with our world right now.
• But in the midst of the quaking and shaking and breaking, our God holds firm. He is not shaken. He is still on the throne. He is still the foundation and cornerstone on which we stand. 
• And when we keep our eyes always on the Lord and believe that he is always with us, we too will not be shaken (Psalm 16:8).

"The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 4:5-7

• The Lord, the God of peace, is near. He is not far off, he is not disinterested, he is not unaffected by our pain and anger and broken hearts. He hears our cries and knows our suffering (Exodus 3:7).
• So let us cry out more and more to our God. Before we post the angry status or go off in a rage in response to the next inevitable heart-breaking headline, let us bring it to God. In every situation, without ceasing, with thankfulness, let us pray. 
• Not to say that we passively sit back and watch the world burn. No, let us pray AND let us rise up and show mercy, and love, and give, and instigate change in the spaces around us. 

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." - Romans 8:28

• In the midst of the brokenness, we have to choose to believe that this true. That our God will bring beauty from pain. That he will take the mess and create a masterpiece. That he still has plans for each one of us that are full of hope, that he is still writing our stories, that he is still good.

Let us lift our eyes to our God, where our help comes from. Let us cling to his truth and cry out to him. 

May the God of peace be with us all.