We Will Find Him in Every Challenge
Psalm 34:4-8 says, “I prayed to the Lord and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears. Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces. In my desperation, I prayed and the Lord listened. He saved me from all my troubles. For the angel of the Lord is a guard. He surrounds and defends all who fear him. Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him.”
On our life's journey to know and experience our Heavenly Father intimately through our relationship with Jesus, there are circumstances that can occur beyond our control and troubles that will come. The power that sustains us is our faith in Him and His grace that is released to carry us through them all. The power that is awakened by Him will find some only in their darkest hour, lest they go through life and never find Him.
Eleanor Roosevelt made a great quote, “You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, ‘I have lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along’… You must do the thing you think you cannot do.”
We serve a God who cares deeply for His creation and longs desperately to be in relationship with each of us. His love is eternal beyond natural comprehension for His creation. Communication through prayer is essential to that relationship, for it is the method by which we talk intimately with Him. Some would never find God nor talk to Him unless they saw a need for Him. They would coast through life without a need to know Him at all.
I believe the Lord uses many situations that come in hopes that people will turn to Him in intimate relationship. Challenges are necessary for spiritual growth and development of each child. I find it's in the hard places of life that I see another aspect of my Father and experience a deeper touch of His love and grace. This is the fuel that feeds my life with power and strength to continue in hopes of one day knowing Him fully in every area of my life. Trials come to perfect my understanding of and faith in Jesus Christ. I understand that in Him all is victory, according to 1John 5:4 says for whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world-our faith!
Paul writes, “More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead." Philippians 3:8, 10-11
Today and always our hope is in Him alone. Nothing can separate us, not even death nor take our faith from us. Our love only grows stronger and more solid as we overcome life's challenges. So, face them head on and walk through the fires that come, knowing this too shall pass leaving behind a deeper intimacy with your God and eternal blessings that nothing can compare.