March 16th. Falling in around us. Have you ever seen a tornado? They are
incredible things to behold. It seems like almost out of nowhere a spinning
board text drops out of the sky with sucking winds up to 300 miles per hour.
Imagine that. And if you're in the way, you're certainly in a crisis. The chaos of
these destructive winds can make us feel, well, utterly helpless. Like our world is
crashing in around us. Well, it is. But we don't always have to be in the path of
a tornado to feel like this, do we? Even as Christians, our world can sometimes
feel like it's falling apart. And we might be wondering where is God in this?
Today we'll hear from a man in a very similar situation on this unshackled
daily devotional. I'm Alan Carrey, born to a third-generation Jewish family in
Brooklyn. When my learning disability was discovered in school, my mother took
over. Then to avoid the draft during Vietnam, she got me into a city college.
There are no years my father was withdrawn, deeply depressed. In college, I also
began seeing a therapist for depression. I had my first girlfriend at age 20, a
gentile, which upset my mother so much I moved out of the house to a dorm. Then I
quit school to drive a taxi. My mother died a cancer a year later. I was devastated.
One day I had a manic episode so bizarre I ended up in a psychiatric ward for
several weeks. Released to my father, I hardly spoke for the next three years. I
contemplated suicide. Then I overheard some messy and a Jews on the street and
went to a meeting. There, a number of Jews testified about Jesus, the Messiah, and
how he changed their lives. On Thanksgiving in 1974, I prayed to receive Jesus
Christ as my savior and Messiah. And the dark cloud lifted. Through prayer and
Bible reading, Jesus has kept me free of depression ever since.
Psalm chapter 46 verses 1 and 2 say, God is our refuge and strength, a very present
help in trouble. Therefore, will not we fear. Though the earth be removed, and though
the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea, friend, if you are facing a
crisis, we understand the fear and anxiety you are likely experiencing. It is a
very difficult place to be. But please know that God is not unaware of your
situation or powerless to it. In fact, I can promise you one thing that God is
near to you and he can draw you closer to him through this. And when you feel his
presence, it is a peace beyond anything humanly possible. He is our hiding place
and our help. Will you trust this truth today? Unshackled, the longest running
audio drama in history airs on over 3,000 radio stations worldwide. Real people,
real life stories, stirring dramatic accounts of hopelessness, and the hope
that changes everything. This award-winning program grips the heart with
compelling and relevant stories of transformed lives. Without Jesus Christ, we are
all shackled by sin, by our wrong choices, disobedience and selfish motives. But
God is at work, and the power of Christ sets us free of our bondage. Listen to a
new devotional every day, and don't forget to tell your friends about unshackled
