Suffering from Inauguration Instability? Here's the Biblical Cure.

If you're like me, there is a lot of uncertainty that may come with Inauguration Day. Personally, my mind can easily wonder and fret about the possibility of what may come in these next four years. However, despite the uncertainty and the changes that may come, the Lord is constant. Always. 

Psalm 46:5 reads, “God is in the midst of her (Israel); she will not be moved.” In other words, because the presence of God was near, the people of Israel would remain stable despite uncertain circumstances. When we make God local, we have nothing to fear.

Psalm 46:5

 If you look at the other verses in the chapter you will see that this stability is despite the transformation of the earth, toppling of mountains into the depths of the sea, raging nations, and crumbling kingdoms. I would argue that this world has experienced or is experiencing some if not all of these. So how do we remain stable? Psalm 46:5 tells us that stability comes from having God in our midst. That happens when we abide, bless, and call. I'll call these the ABC's of stability.

Abide

“Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me.” John 15:4

John 15:4

Let's think back a few years ago to the pandemic. During the pandemic, we stayed inside of our homes. We stocked up on supplies so we would not have to leave. The popularity of TikTok increased dramatically because we were entertaining ourselves inside the house. Traveling to another country, even just another state, was out of the question. We postponed celebrations and reunions; we did not leave unless it was absolutely necessary because going out was risking the possibility of catching COVID. Your presence in your home was ongoing. That was abiding. That is what we need to do with our relationship with Christ. Stay. And this verse tells us if we abide in Christ, then Christ promises to abide in us. (And just a side note, the risk of leaving God's presence is far worse than COVID.)

The imagery of this verse is a branch abiding in the vine. The branch is connected; relying on the vine for everything necessary for its survival. When we abide in Christ we are dependent on Him. We receive all things necessary for us to live. Abiding in Christ is necessary to live; we cannot do or produce anything without it (v. 5). When the world seems especially uncertain, couldn’t we use some joy and peace?

John 15:4 MSG

These are fruits of the Spirit that are not dependent on what is going on in the world, but are dependent on a faithful, constant God. This verse tells us that we are not abiding in Christ, we cannot bear these fruits. 

Bless

“Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits” Psalm 103:1-2

When we bless the Lord, we are giving Him gratitude. In order to be thankful, you have to remember what that person has done!

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 David wanted his soul, his entire being, to “forget not all His benefits”. In just the next two verses, David reminds us that the Lord “forgives all your iniquity, heals all your diseases, redeems your life from the pit, crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, satisfies you with good” (v. 3-5). He goes on to list about a dozen more reasons in the rest of the chapter! When we remember things, the brain goes to our storage and brings the memory into our consciousness. We are literally bringing Him near in our brain. If you are feeling uncertain, I encourage you to bless the Lord.

Remember the times He has been there in times of uncertainty. Bring those memories of His goodness near. If you cannot think of one personally, think of the author of this psalm, David. David fought wild animals that threatened his families’ sheep and livelihood, went up against a giant that taunted his God and nation, had to run and hide from his enemies. And he blessed the Lord, bringing Him near. He knew that doing so would bring stability despite uncertain circumstances.

Call

“The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.” Psalm 145:18

Psalm 145:18

Call on Him. That’s it, that’s all. While God is near to everyone (because He’s God), this verse implies a special nearness to those who simply ask “in truth”. Meaning that when we pray, we have the faith that God is going to do what we asked if it’s according to His will. The Hebrew word for truth here means “faithfully or steadfastly”.

James 1:6-8 reads “But when you ask God, you must believe and not doubt. Anyone who doubts is like a wave in the sea, blown up and down by the wind.

James 1:6

Such doubters are thinking two different things at the same time, and they cannot decide about anything they do. They should not think they will receive anything from the Lord.” 

Wow! If you are praying for something, but don’t believe that God is actually going to do it, what’s the point? In this time of uncertainty, one thing we can do to remain stable is to simply request God’s presence, knowing that He will indeed come.

"local": an inhabitant of a particular area or neighborhood

Are you feeling uncertain with the changing president? Or maybe its job security? A relationship? Things not working out how you planned? Make God a local in you. Abide in Him, bless His name, call out to Him. Momma, sis, big cousin, & your best friend are great I'm sure, but only Jesus offers true stability. For “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forevermore.”  Hebrews 13:8