Mar 20, 2015
Promises for the Stress of Packing and Moving
The Stresses of Moving
Tomorrow the movers come, and everything except what we have in our suitcases will be packed into a 20-foot storage container and shipped to Abu Dhabi.
So it’s been pretty stressful – as we had to give away, throw away, sell, or pack all our worldly possessions.
But the good news is that in Jesus Christ, God promises to be everything we need.
So I thought I would take this blog post to share with you promises God has used to bring us peace.
Help
ESV Psalm 33:20 Our soul waits for the LORD; he is our help and our shield.
Whether it’s wondering how many books to take, or having no idea how to get rid of an old wooden NordicTrack — God is our help. No problem is too small, or too big, for him.
And God promises that he will always help us, when we wait for him, which means asking and looking to him expectantly.
(We put the NordicTrack out on the curb with a “free” sign – two guys picked it up!)
Wisdom
ESV James 1:5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.
Moving requires dozens of huge decisions — all of which can cause stress and tension.
But through Jesus, God promises to give us the wisdom we need for all our decisions, when we ask him.
Grace
ESV 2 Corinthians 9:8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.
Good works are not just preaching and discipling and praying.
When God calls you to move to Abu Dhabi, good works include cleaning out the shed, filling boxes with books, and listing endless items on craigslist.
And when we look to God, and trust him, he gives us all the grace we need for every good work.
Time
ESV Psalm 31:15 My times are in your hand; rescue me from the hand of my enemies and from my persecutors!
If my times are in God’s hand, that means he is sovereign over every deadline.
So when the movers called and said we needed to bump our moving date up by five days, God was not surprised. He was not wringing his hands.
This was all part of his plan – his perfectly loving and flawlessly wise plan.
Forgiveness
ESV Micah 7:18 Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of his inheritance? He does not retain his anger forever, because he delights in steadfast love.
When I let unbelief overwhelm me, and get a little snippy with my wife, God is there — ready to forgive, to cleanse, and to restore.
Every time.
Strength
ESV Isaiah 40:31 But they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength.
There were times when the packing seemed like it would never end; like when we thought a room was finished, but then remembered the overflowing closet.
But when we were weary, and we waited for the Lord — looking to him, asking him for help, trusting his promise – he came, and brought strength.
(Hint: it didn’t hurt to have worship music playing in the background.)
Finances
ESV Philippians 4:19 And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
Moving can bring worry about money: Will we stay under budget? Are we having the movers do too much of the packing? How much will things cost in Abu Dhabi?
It’s good to raise these questions. But it’s not good to worry – because God has promised to supply every financial need. Trust him.
Questions? Comments?
I’d love to hear them, although I might not be able to respond. Leave a reply below — thanks.
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And here are some related posts you might find helpful –
- How God Called Us to Move to Abu Dhabi
- Four Reasons Your Faith Needs God’s Promises
- Delight Yourself in the Lord, and He Will Give You the Desires of Your Heart
- Don’t Neglect God’s Promises
Steve, you will never know how your posts have blessed me over the years! I will pray for your planting efforts. SDG!
Hi Steve, I’ve been reading your blog for some time now and wanted to leave a note to say how much God has used you in my battles with fear, discouragement and helping me to trust Him. When I read the post about moving, two things happened. One was to recognize almost identical feelings and experiences in your move to mine. I’m a single Dad and my daughter and I had to move after having lived in the same house for 16 years into a much smaller apartment. There was so much going on before the move including a week long hospital stay for my daughter, 60 days before we had to leave and layoffs and uncertainty at work up until we had to move. It was very stressful and difficult. God did so many things to guide us and help us through people, provision and timing that it was impossible not to see how He had been (and still is)intertwined with our daily lives, loving us through this. The other thing that happened when I read your post was to chuckle a bit and say to God, “Could of used this post _before_ we moved. LOL!” But I know that we didn’t lack for any good thing throughout. I’m sure you and your family won’t either. Steve, I hope you keep posting after your move to Abu Dhabi. God bless you all through this big change
I am certain the Lord will bless your move. Everything is in God’s hands.
This is an awesome interpretation of the Bible! Never thought that I can connect Bible and moving in one sentence but .. hey now I can! Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Man With Van Kentish Town Ltd.