by linzy bruno 
Learning to live above our circumstances requires a lifelong commitment to God’s Ways and a strong desire to mature and grow in Christ, and even with a degree of success, this countenance is not an easy one to sustain. Abiding under the safety of God’s Wing, as these Psalms so eloquently depict this spiritually sustaining metaphor, is an important key in reaching this life-changing pinnacle. For when we learn to trust Christ Jesus through all of our trials and tribulations and run to Him as our sustainer, our spirits grow large enough to keep us from growing weary in our troubles.
God-sustaining practices strengthen us, while allowing our circumstances to get the better of us can only weakens us….
“Because You have been my help,
Therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice.” (Psalm 63:7)
“Keep me as the apple of Your eye;
Hide me under the shadow of Your wings,” (Psalm 17:8)
Moreover, growing in our trust of God carries with it a freedom that is beyond measure, as unpleasantness, discomfort and even pain loses the power to control our outlook on the situation at hand.
God has laid it out plainly in His Word; believers must trust in Him. Being born again means giving God sovereignty over our lives, for not only does the One Who made us deserve that place in our lives, He is the only One able for such a task. With a foreknowledge of what’s going to happen, He can reconstruct the order and means of events and thereby alter outcomes for His children in accordance with His Will.
Oh how little we understand the boundless Almighty Powers of our Father in Heaven!
Only He is worthy of our trust and when we give Him that trust, we can abide in the joy of the Lord and be partakers of His strength:
“Then he said to them, “Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” (Nehemiah 8:10)
There are many benefits to putting our trust in the one who knows all, and even more exciting that God not only orchestrates His Perfect Will for us, He even uses our bad circumstances to open new doors to something good:
“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28)
Furthermore, Jesus taught His disciples the futility of worry, for if we trust in Him, all cause for worry is negated.
30 “Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” (Matthew 6:30-34)
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)
Also noteworthy is the fact that not only does God’s Word declare the need for believers to put their trusts in Him above all else, it also discourages us from putting our trust in ourselves (as in verse above) and other people:
“Do not trust in a friend;
Do not put your confidence in a companion;
Guard the doors of your mouth
From her who lies in your bosom.” (Micah 7:5)
More Verses on This Subject:
Jeremiah 17:7-8, Psalm 56:3, Psalm 91:1-2, 2Corinthians 5:7, Psalm 16:11 & 62:7, Proverbs 10:28,
James 1:2-4, Job 1:21, Philippians 4:7 & 4:19
Isaiah 40:31 Says that the Lord lifts us up on high even in our troubles, like the eagle flies above the storm, so God does lift us up over it.
Proverbs 15:15 Declares that God’s joy is possible even in the face of evil.
Acts 5:41 Tells us that joy comes from obedience, even when the circumstances are undesirable, joy unspeakable may abound, nonetheless.
2Corinthians 8:2 Is a testament to this truth, that joy in the Lord is not contingent upon circumstance, but is rather above circumstance.
As mentioned, this countenance of living above circumstance is a difficult one to sustain, but another noteworthy key is letting God be God in our lives, getting out of His Way and allowing Him to make the changes in us that He wants to make…(Sometimes we can override what the Lord is doing within us without even realizing it….)
And sometimes after a bit of success, we fall back into complacency without forethought the next time trails come. However, it can be helpful to recall your most recent success by reviewing memories and revisiting lessons learned.
NKJV
I have been writing for many years. I really got serious when my 3 kids were still quite young, as they inspired me to write children's fiction. I now have 22 Amazon publications. Also, I've just completed a Bible study course. I am now a certified Bible Counsellor!
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