This ride gets better when it's over

"And those who know Your name will put their trust in You;

For You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You."

Psalm 9:10 (NKJV) 

What a Ride

I used to love riding roller coasters, the faster and wilder the better. Sharp turns, quick rollovers, corkscrews, brief pauses at the top and fierce plunges to the bottom: I like them all. But, alas, while my mind still likes roller coasters, my equilibrium does not. So now I have to watch from the ground or spend several days wishing I had. But for the last few months, I’ve had a chance to ride again. Since we elected a new president, it’s been a wild ride that I have mostly enjoyed. 

There are times I would like to see him speak differently – maybe with a little more humility – but I do appreciate a man who makes promises and seeks to keep them even when it is difficult for him to do so. Yet, President Trump’s polices have taken the financial markets on a wild ride that rivals the most cutting-edge of coasters. Up, down, up, down (sounds like an exercise class) but this ride doesn’t take your breath away; it takes away some of the funds – literally over-night – that have probably taken many years to accrue. So far, as I said, it’s been a wild ride but I can’t say I’ve enjoyed all of it and I think I’m starting to get a little dizzy.   

It's Run Well

But there is another reason I like roller coasters. When I still rode them, I believed they were safe because someone who knew what they were doing – the designer, the engineer, the construction crew, the operators – knew the specifics of roller coaster design and had carefully and cautiously built the ride so it would just scare me and not harm me. In other words, I had faith in the people who built it and ran it.

The current economic conditions are volatile to say the least but, as followers of Christ, we put our trust in the ONE Who designed, created, constructed, and superintends our ride. Can the plunges make us tighten up? Can the quick turns make our heads snap?  Yes. But our Lord and Savior is still at the right hand of the Father and we can trust in Him from the beginning of the ride to the end of it. Jesus knows what He is doing. If we trusted Him with our very souls when we got on the ride, we can certainly trust Him in the midst of the ride with all the less important things like finances as well.  It’s all His anyways, right? 

It Ends Even Better

So, sit back, buckle up, pull down the shoulder bar, and enjoy the ride. God has never lost one of His passengers and all His rides have 100% promise that, for those who love Him and follow Him, every ride turns out good. We still need to diligently seek wisdom from Jesus, His Word, and His people to be good stewards of what He has given us to use for Him and His Kingdom, but, having done all we can, we then need to try to enjoy the ups and downs and inversions that are ahead and always remember:  when you get off this ride, it only gets better.  

RALI on brothers.

Mike Book

MD5 Facilitator