Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Stepping Stones: Use Your Safety Net?

Transformational Tip
In psychiatry residency, I was in the ER, and hospital security called. A guy was in our parking garage and threatening to jump off the 4th level. I ran over, got the info security gathered, then started talking to the depressed man. I worked my way up the garage toward him…he stopped my pursuit with serious threats to jump. I turned to the chief and asked, “When is the big net or pad going to get here, ‘cause I’m not to sure how long he’ll last?” The chief answered, “those nets are just in the movies, there is no safety net.” We are human…and with our humanness come ups and downs. However, God’s promises, love, and presence limits just how far we can go down….protecting you from falling into despair. He is your safety net, but you need to leap in His arms, not away from Him.
Today, keep reminding yourself of these four words; “I am with you.” These words are your safety net. As soon as you realize He is with you and is strong enough to catch you…everything changes. Click here to go to comment how God has been your safety net, or when you have trouble seeing His safety net below… or what God’s revealing in your heart.

Prayer
Dear Father God,
I feel like I am in a free fall. I have fallen into despair. The people and things I have counted on have all let me down. I have put too much stock in them and not enough in You. Help me Father to remember today and always that You are with me…that I do have a safety net…that I do have a way out of despair and depression. Help me Father to not grasp for idols as my safety nets, for I know they only accelerate my fall. Guide me Father with Your council and take me into Your Glory. I pray in Jesus’ ultimate safety, and all God’s people said – AMEN!

The Truth
Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand.
You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory.
Psalm 73:23-24
At my first defense no one came to stand by me, but all deserted me. May it not be charged against them! But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion's mouth.
2 Timothy 4:16-17

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

My whole life I have fallen over and over with no one catching me. If they tried it was not in the way I needed. I so want to believe that God will catch me but so far my experiences tell me that I am on my own. If God could not catch me as a child, how can He catch me now.

dr karl said...

thanks for your honesty. God is there but we often look at other "nets", fearing that His really won't work, or not understanding wshat His really is.
EX. the rich young prince was told by Jesus to give up his possessions(this is his safety net) but the prince decided to use his own safety net and keep his possessions. As a father, i provide a safety net telling my kids to get home at curfew, no alcohol, drugs, or sex - this is part of the safety net i provide. if they choose to do these things (ignoring my safety net and relying on their own, harm will come.
we need to spend time getting to know God and His instruction so we know what His safety net looks like and how to access it. satan does a great job deceiving us so we think we are using God's but really we are jumping into crap.

Anonymous said...

I needed this today. There are times when I feel total despair from the very hard times in life...currently marital separation with a husband who still seems not to have accepted the grace and love of the Lord, and will not do the hard work required to find healing from his long list of issues and ultimately change for the betterment of his own life and his family.

My despair becomes deeper at times from the damage he continues to do to the children by not being present, lack of contact when it's not his time with them, anger toward them when he is with them, bad mouthing remarks about me to them...etc/ It hurts so much to see our kids hurting!

I have to keep reminding myself that God is bigger than these circumstances and He is sovereign. He is with me and the kids as we continue to wade through the pain.

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