“It is the Lord who goes before you; he will be with you, he will not fail you or forsake you; do not fear or be dismayed.” – Deuteronomy 31:8
Have you ever had trouble opening your car door from the inside? It’s happened a few times in my life – with a Chevy, a Ford, and a Mazda.
Each time, the door itself worked fine. The problem was that I wasn’t reaching for the handle. I didn’t want to get out… because then I would have to walk into a negative situation.
Several years ago, I was really struggling in a job that had a toxic environment. Management didn’t exactly practice The Golden Rule with its employees.
One morning I was really, really dreading going into the office. I remember staring through my windshield, thinking about how life was too short to be miserable. The stress paralyzed me. Little did I know that music would open the door for me.
I noticed my engine was still running and my radio was still on. Here’s what I heard next:
I know who goes before me… I know who stands behind.
The God of angel armies… is always by my side.
The one who reigns forever… He is a friend of mine.
The God of angel armies… is always by my side.
The song was “Whom Shall I Fear” by Chris Tomlin.
A light bulb went off. Whom shall I fear? No one. If I walk with God, there should be no situation, no problem too big for the one who commands angel armies – the one who created me. We can handle anything with God by our side. I confronted that day with a new awareness – a new spirit. Music really did change my world in that moment.
Fast forward to St. Luke’s mission trip to Russia in October of 2015. I was a little nervous about traveling to the former Soviet Union. Before takeoff at Will Rogers Airport, I looked at the itinerary again and noticed the back of a page I had previously overlooked.
There were those same song lyrics – printed as part of a prayer. That was a “God moment” for me. It would become one of the most life-changing trips I’ve ever been privileged to take.
The fear of the “unknown” is inevitably sprinkled throughout our lives. But we don’t have to worry. God goes before us. I now know that whenever I open my car door, I’m not the first one who reached for the handle that day.
Ed Doney, Staff Writer
