I know it seems like this could be the darkest day you’ve known
But believe you me, the God of strength will never let you go
He will overcome, I know
And the arms that hold the universe are holding you tonight
You can rest inside, it’s gonna be alright
And the voice that calmed the raging sea is calling you His child
So be still and know He’s in control
He will never let you go
Through many dangers, toils, and snares you have already come
His grace has brought you safe this far, and His grace will lead you home
And the arms that hold the universe are holding you tonight
You can rest inside, it’s gonna be alright
And the voice that calmed the raging sea is calling you His child
So be still and know He’s in control
He will never let you go
You can hope, you can rise, you can stand
He’s still got the whole world in His hands
You can hope, you can rise, you can stand
He’s still got the whole world, the whole world in His hands
And the arms that hold the universe are holding you tonight
You can rest inside, it’s gonna be alright
And the voice that calmed the raging sea is calling you His child
So be still and know He’s in control
He will never let you go
He’s still got the whole world in His hands
In his hands, yeah
He’s still got the whole world in His hands
But believe you me, the God of strength will never let you go
He will overcome, I know
And the arms that hold the universe are holding you tonight
You can rest inside, it’s gonna be alright
And the voice that calmed the raging sea is calling you His child
So be still and know He’s in control
He will never let you go
Through many dangers, toils, and snares you have already come
His grace has brought you safe this far, and His grace will lead you home
And the arms that hold the universe are holding you tonight
You can rest inside, it’s gonna be alright
And the voice that calmed the raging sea is calling you His child
So be still and know He’s in control
He will never let you go
You can hope, you can rise, you can stand
He’s still got the whole world in His hands
You can hope, you can rise, you can stand
He’s still got the whole world, the whole world in His hands
And the arms that hold the universe are holding you tonight
You can rest inside, it’s gonna be alright
And the voice that calmed the raging sea is calling you His child
So be still and know He’s in control
He will never let you go
He’s still got the whole world in His hands
In his hands, yeah
He’s still got the whole world in His hands
written by Steve Fee
Life can be so funny... just when I thought I'm starting afresh, with new opportunities of growth & friendship galore, I seemed to have plunged into a valley darker and deeper than the one I have just climbed out of. Just when I thought things cannot get worse than before, they actually did! For a while, I whipped myself badly with self-blame..."it must be YOU! You seem to bring trouble and conflict everywhere you go! Why don't you ever learn?" voices of accusation assailed my tormented mind and crushed my already minute self-confidence. Next, I wallowed in a pool of self-pity (you know, the "emo" mode) and cried my heart out. Gradually, I learn to be still and listen to my thoughts and God's voice whispering deep within my soul, "Lifang, do you trust Me? This is something I got to bring you through, so that you can learn about My love and strength and light in your life, that you cannot learn in other ways. When you don't know what to do, when you don't know who to trust, that is when you need to lean on Me and trust me most. I created you and I hold you in my hands. I promise, I will never test you beyond what you can bear."
There is something that is hardest to bear for each of us. For some, it could be shame. And others, it could be abandonment. The hardest thing for me to bear is betrayal and, next, is to be wronged. Somehow, I need the truth about everything, and I will pursue the truth as much as I can. When I feel wrongly understood, I find it very hard not to try to justify myself. But sometimes, self-justification only makes the matter worse, because it is telling someone, "You are wrong to think that way of me." And oftentimes, the wrong impression originates from someone who has been talking about me in my absence; by voicing out my objections to what he/she have said, I actually put him/her in a bad light, as if he/she has been badmouthing me.
Which is more important? To have peace or to have truth? Without justice, can there be real peace? Yet without mercy, can the truth ever be heard and received by open hearts? I can't really figure these out yet, even though each of us have to make decisions concerning these issues, in big and small ways, everyday. I can only try my best to pray and do what I believe is closest to what Jesus would do. But sometimes, it can hurt so much. That is when I need to trust that God can heal and mend the brokenness in His time. If God is my Defense, my Tower of Strength, why do I need to be so anxious about defending myself? It doesn't mean I become a voiceless doormat, but it does mean I learn to submit my right to demand for immediate justification, because justice will come in His way, His time.
And it comforts my soul and lifts my eyes from my self-centeredness to the greater Truth, to know that my Lord and Saviour went through betrayal and injustice way beyond what I have experienced. He understands how it feels, and He has overcome the thick, dense, heavy darkness of being misunderstood by the whole world--the very world He came to love, serve and die for. A friend shared with me this: after watching the Passion of Christ, she couldn't help but asked Jesus, "Why were You so stupid (to go through all the suffering)?" And His tender answer touched her where she was, "Love makes us do stupid things."
Perhaps that is the answer I am looking for. To learn to submit in love, for Love.
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