To be surrounded by problems and still have the ability to remain calm is, in my estimation, nothing short of a miracle. It’s not natural. And yet, having the awareness of God’s presence in the center of my life enables me to do nothing and simply be still, trusting Him to guide me through the chaos. Nothing can separate me from the Lord except the desire to try and save my life. It is not that He abandons me when that happens because He always remains faithfully near. But the moment I try to save my life, I lose the awareness of His presence and begin looking for ways to escape and get away from or out of the situation. The secret is in being willing to die and lose my life to know Him more intimately. Being able to think like that is unnatural and goes against the laws of self-preservation; nevertheless, it is what God asks me to do all of the time. I pray that He will help me make that my normal way of living.
"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows."
Psalm 23:4-5
"Then Jesus said to his disciples, 'If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.'"
Matthew 16:24-25