Living in God’s Territory

Living in God’s Territory

by | Jul 8, 2021 | Devotionals, reflections, and encouragement, Guest Posts

By Jerusha Agen

When people tell me they’re afraid to fly, I can easily diagnosis their fear and its cause. As most of them will admit, they dislike and fear flying because they have a hard time trusting the pilot. They’d rather be in a car that they’re driving.

They want to be in control.

But I’ve never minded flying. At least, the part of actually being on the plane, taking off, flying to a destination, and so on. I can easily identify that being afraid because I’m not the one flying the plane would be irrational. After all, I could die just as easily if I were in a car I was driving myself. (In fact, I’d be statistically much more likely to die in a car!)

Have you noticed how easier it is to address and excuse the fears of others’ than your own? In typical fashion for us human beings, I’m much slower to recognize and diagnosis my own fear.

Whenever I do fly through airports, I spend that entire day filled with anxiety. No, I’m not afraid of flying, but air travel is still extremely stressful for me.

First, there’s the worry about packing everything I need and not forgetting anything. Then, there’s the concern about arriving at the airport early enough to check-in and get through security.

Next, fear plagues me as I wait in the TSA line—will I be picked for a random, invasive, and humiliating search? Will they reject my carry-on because of some prohibited item I didn’t realize I’d packed? Will security take too long, and I’ll miss my flight?

Once through security, I need to find my gate. Will I have time to reach it before boarding? Time to use the restroom first or grab food?

The list of my potential worries related to air travel goes on and on.

And, yet, I’m fine on the plane. I don’t fear the flight itself. I’ve examined this odd dichotomy that I seem to have, trying to figure it out.

I think that rising into the sky itself, up above clouds and reaching unearthly, unexplored territory in a floating contraption that somehow rides on air I can’t see makes me acutely aware of how out of control I am.

More than that, I’m up near the heavens in an airplane. It feels like I’m undeniably in God’s territory. How could I not, then, realize my own finite and limited abilities and rest in His control over my airborne fate?

But clearly, I’m forgetting something when I give in to anxiety when I’m still on the ground, navigating the logistics of successful air travel.

I’m forgetting that everywhere is God’s territory.

Rising Danger

This is a lesson Bristol Bachmann, the heroine of my new suspense novel Rising Danger, has to learn, too. As a survivor of Hurricane Katrina, Bristol has tasted the danger of things she can’t control. Her response is to try to control everything in her life.

As a bomb technician and handler of an explosives detection K-9, Bristol faces danger every day. But it’s a risk she believes she can control because she knows how to find and disarm a bomb. She’s in her element with bombs—that’s her territory, the part of her life she can control.

But the reality she encounters in the story is one we all encounter in our lives, sooner or later, if not every day.

We are not in control of anything that happens in our lives. Even in our comfort of driving a car versus flying on a plane, we’re kidding ourselves. We’re no more in control of our own car than we are the hundreds or thousands of other vehicles we’ll encounter as we drive—all of which could cause an accident that could lead to our injury or death.

But the surprising twist to this reality is that, rather than having more fear if we accept that we’re not in control, the key to fearlessness is embracing this truth.

It’s good—no, wonderful—news that I’m not in control. Because the One Who is in control of everything is God Himself. He’s omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent, and perfect. And He is good, all the time, in every way.

We cannot travel out of His territory or get too far away for Him to be in control, even if we pierce the heavens in a soaring airplane.

Whether land, sea, sky or the far reaches of outer space—whether in good times or horrific tragedy—we can be fearless as our illusion of control shatters around us.

Relinquishing that fabricated comfort frees us to live with indestructible peace. Because only then can we rest in the glorious reality that we are in the hands of our loving Father and almighty God Who is in control and will do all things for the good of those Who love Him.

Rising Danger cover
Preview or Buy Now!

My Thoughts:

I enjoyed Rising Danger for so many reasons.

  • First, it is my favourite genre to read and write: inspirational romantic suspense.
  • Second, the danger of explosives destroying the dams threatened to unleash one of my favourite conflicts – man-against-nature (in this case – water). I adore water-related plots! (No, I don’t know why, lol.)
  • Third, there is plenty of man-against-man conflict and man-against-self to keep you flipping the pages long into the night. Every time I’d planned to stop reading at the end of the chapter, the hook had me turning the page. (I blame Jerusha for the dark circles under my eyes!).

Not only does Rising Danger deliver on genre expectations, but it also contains a beautiful spiritual thread to the story. It’s refreshing to find a fictional author who shares my desire to “do all things for the glory of God” and “show nothing except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.” That ranks Rising Danger as top shelf in my books.

Contest announcement!

When are you most aware you’re not in control? Do you battle anxiety or other forms of fear when things are out of your control?  Please share (and see contest rules below).

*Contest open to USA residents only.

Commenters located in the USA will be entered into a draw for a signed copy of Rising Danger. The winner will be chosen by random draw on August 5th and notified via the email address connected to your comment. You must note your country of residence in your comment and answer the question to be entered.

About Jerusha

Jerusha Agen imagines danger around every corner but knows God is there, too. So naturally, she writes suspense infused with the hope of salvation in Jesus Christ.

With a B.A. in English and a background in screenwriting, Jerusha is a speaker, writing instructor, and Fear Warrior who sounds the call to battle against fear in our everyday lives.

Jerusha loves to hang out with her big furry dogs and little furry cats. You’ll often find her sharing irresistibly adorable photos of them in her newsletter and on social media.

Get a free suspense story from Jerusha and find more of her thrilling, fear-fighting novels at www.JerushaAgen.com.

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My tongue as a pen

My tongue as a pen

by | Jun 25, 2021 | Devotionals, reflections, and encouragement, For Writers

“My heart overflows with a pleasing theme; I address my verses to the king; my tongue is like the pen of a ready scribe.”

Psalm 45:1

Context:
A love song written for a royal wedding and addresses a king.1

A Pleasing theme

In Psalm 45:1, the author is overwhelmed with a “pleasing theme.” These beautiful words stir his heart (NLT). The Contemporary English Version says it like this: My thoughts are filled with beautiful words for the king, and I will use my voice as a writer would use pen and ink.

Imagine your tongue as your pen and ink.

A computer feature that I have come to appreciate is the voice-to-text shortcut. It is very easy for me to click a few buttons, speak, and see the words magically appear on the screen. I love this. My tongue is my pen. Consider the implications for writers if we carry this metaphor through Scripture.

  • Psalm 141:3, “Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips!”
  • Proverbs 21:23, “Whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps himself out of trouble.”
  • Ephesians 4:29, “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.”
  • James 1:26, “If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless.”

Scripture has a lot to say about the words we speak, and the implications apply to the words we write as authors. This new blog series is an opportunity to journey together and consider what God has to say about the words stirring in our hearts and spilling out of our mouths or onto the page.

Pray


Pray through the verses above, asking the Lord to set a guard over your words to keep you from trouble. Resolve to write and speak no “corrupting words.” Resolve to “build up your readers” and “build up the people around you.” Consider the solemn warning for Christians who do not “bridle their words.” Ask the Lord to expose your heart, so you do not deceive yourself.

Pen

Footnotes:

  1. Crossway Bibles. (2008). The ESV Study Bible (p. 992). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

Island Charm with Audrey Wick

Island Charm with Audrey Wick

by | Jun 11, 2021 | Guest Posts

I have the pleasure of introducing you to author Audrey Wick. She and I both write contemporary romance, and I had the privilege of reading Island Charm, her latest novel. I’ll let Audrey tell you about it, but scroll down to the end to hear my thoughts.

Are you getting ready for summertime? I love the warmer weather and breezy evenings, which my characters also experience in my latest book, ISLAND CHARM. I’m excited to share this standalone novel with readers that’s a perfect beach book—so even for people who can’t physically travel, they can enjoy a getaway through this book!

Island Charm

When Anna Worthington’s twin sister gets jilted by her fiancé, Anna steps in with a plan for a girls’ Key West getaway instead of a honeymoon trip. Yet when her twin has her own crisis of commitment and doesn’t board the plane, Anna finds herself on a romantic getaway that she’s forced to navigate alone.

Gunnar Lockhart, whose specialty is island tourism, is the perfect match for helping Anna complete her vacation bucket list, but time together forges a connection more personal than either anticipates. As they make island memories, Anna has to untangle her mixed emotions. Are her feelings toward Gunnar real? Or like her sister’s wedding day, has this connection been doomed from the start?

In ISLAND CHARM, readers see how one woman navigates twists and turns in life’s journey. In the novel, readers meet the protagonist, Anna, who has to react to a surprise decision by her twin sister that creates a situation not of her own making.

Having to react to someone else’s choices is not uncommon. But it can be frustrating, for when this happens, we are an innocent party having to cope with a difficult situation we didn’t cause. But God assures us that we are not alone, and that with His grace, the unjust issues that plague us will be dealt with in a righteous way.

In many cases, God’s solutions are very elegant and have more far-reaching effects for the good of all. How joyful indeed!

In ISLAND CHARM, the protagonist has to pick up the pieces when someone else’s decision impacts her life. When she meets just the right person to help her through her unexpected situation, she is swept into a whirlwind of second chances aimed at helping someone else rise above unfairness. Her commitment to her task brings joy to more than one person, and her own circumstances are given a surprising twist that brings peace to her heart and soul.

My thoughts:

Island Charm was like revisiting Key West. Audrey captures the setting perfectly. I remember the wild turkeys, seeing a shark off the pier, and the tiny local shops that made Key West even more charming than I expected. I enjoyed how the novel stored such fun vacation memories for me. Pls, the story is sweet, clean, and a perfect summer read.

Question:

Now, here’s a question for readers: HAVE YOU EVER FOUND YOURSELF IN A SITUATION NOT OF YOUR OWN MAKING THAT WAS DIFFICULT TO HANDLE? If so, share a bit below so we can encourage one another and learn that we are not alone.

Audrey Wick is a full-time English professor at Blinn College and author of women’s fiction/romance. Her writing has also appeared in college textbooks, and she is a guest blog columnist with Writer’s Digest. Wick believes the secret to happiness includes lifelong learning and good stories. But travel and coffee help. She has journeyed to over twenty countries—and sipped coffee at every one. See photos on her website audreywick.com and follow her on Twitter and Instagram @WickWrites.