It’s Not About What I Know, but Who I Know

Let’s face it, we all go through extremely hard times. We all have troubles that will come our way. At times it seems as though the entire world is standing against us, just waiting for us to fall and fail. It’s actually normal to feel this way. Because of the human condition, there will be ups and downs, but what about when the downs outnumber the ups?

"Sometimes ups, outnumber the downs, but not in Nottingham"

There’s a cartoon about Robin Hood Disney put out years ago. In this funny, and kid friendly version, the animals of Nottingham are under the tyranny of Prince John.  At one point in the movie the townsfolk don’t have the funds they need to pay the tax that’s being enforced, and so the sheriff proceeds to throw everyone in jail. During this scene there’s a rooster singing about the events going on. The lyrics are as follows, “Sometimes ups, outnumber the downs, but not in Nottingham.” It seems as though our lives can reflect these lyrics and the animals portrayed in the movie. Nothing seems to work out as we plan, nothing is as good as we hoped, and there are no signs of things getting better. Sound pretty hopeless, right? But there is good news.

There’s another song that comes to my mind when thinking on this subject of hopelessness. The artist, J J Heller, has song entitled, Who You Are, and in this song she sings about tragedy and heartbreak. But at the end of every story the refrain states, “I don’t know, I don’t know what you’re doing, But I know who you are”. Of course she’s talking about how the Lord works in our lives. We may not always understand the tragedy that has befallen us, or someone we love, or why we’ve been fired, lost our house, been diagnosed with cancer, dealing with depression, or just being tired of it all. Sometimes we may feel like David in Psalm 6: 6-7 who states, “I am weary from my groaning; with my tears I dampen my pillow and drench my bed every night. My eyes are swollen from grief”.  We may not understand what’s going on, but we know that the Lord Jesus is with us every step of the way. No matter what happens, He will be there to catch us. You see, the Lord hurts when we hurt, He feels our pain just as we do, but the difference is, He does know what He’s doing.

What are you going through right now? Are you struggling with something that’s happened? Are you afraid of something that might happen? Or maybe you are in a situation that’s gradually getting worse with seemingly no way out. Have hope child of God! We all know Jeremiah 29:11 which states, “For I know the plans I have for you”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“plans for your welfare, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” That verse should encourage you to stay strong and hopeful, for the Lord has a future for you! Life will never be easy, but it doesn't necessarily matter what we know, it really matters Who we know. Take comfort in the Lord, and let Him strengthen and sustain you. In Psalm 16: 9-11 David says, “Therefore my heart is glad and my spirit rejoices; my body also rests securely. For You will not abandon me to Sheol; You will not allow Your Faithful One to see decay. You reveal the path of life to me; in Your presence is abundant joy; in Your right hand are eternal pleasures”. May we always trust in the Lord our God and realize that He will never abandon us, nor forsake us.

Rev. Benjamin W. Rhodes