Such a Time

 

Everyone has their own story, their own walk with Christ (or without Christ), their own struggles and trials. It doesn’t matter if you had a charmed life growing up because there has likely been a tragedy or hardship you’ve had to face. No one is absolved from living out their own turbulent times, even if they look different from the person standing next to you. So, do me a favor, and for a moment close your eyes and think back to the hardest season in your life. The situation may have lasted for a few days, weeks, or even years. Maybe you’re in the season right now, going through the loss of a loved one, the loss of a job, a diagnosis, or a pit you just can’t seem to fight your way out of. If your experience was a number of years ago, what feelings arise in you as you think back? Are you relieved to be out of that situation or does your heart still race with the memories of the trials? Personally, I am able to look back and remember the despair, but I am also amazed to see how far the Lord has brought me and everyone else involved in the events. I know not everyone’s journey is the same and I’m not here to tell you how you should be reflecting. If you’re going through something right now, please know my purpose is not to try to rush you through it or paint your struggle as any less difficult than it is. My prayer is that, as you read this, you realize you are not alone, and that you continue to reach your hand up to the Father and know that He will pull you up.

 

Those we read about in the Bible serve as constant reminders that there is a loving and all-powerful God in Heaven. Their stories are traumatic and there is no shortage of pain and suffering! But their stories show that we are not alone. Yes, we will suffer on earth, but we will be made whole in Christ. 

 

“And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.” (1 Peter 5:10)

 

If you need proof, look to the story of Joseph. You can read the whole story in Genesis 37-50. But here is a summary: Joseph was the favorite son of his father, which definitely upset his older brothers, so much so that they threw him into a pit and then sold him into slavery in Egypt, far from his home. Just as Joseph started to find favor with his master, his master's wife tried to seduce him, and when he ran from her, she flipped the script and accused Joseph of unsavory behavior, landing him in jail. Joseph, though, found favor with the warden and was put in charge of the prison. Years passed in the prison and finally, due to his gift of interpreting dreams, Joseph was freed from prison and became second-in-command over all of Egypt, only Pharaoh was above him, and while in this position of power, Joseph chose to forgive his brothers instead of bringing punishment on them.

 

The absolute roller-coaster ride that was Joseph's life set him in place to be exactly where God wanted him to be. He was never without the favor of the Lord in his life, even as he spent years locked away for a crime he didn’t commit. Our trials may not be wrapped up in a matter of days. For some of us, the worst time in our life may take years. There may be times we are in “prison,” not understanding how it could possibly be the Lord’s will for our lives. When we find ourselves there, will we continue to lift our hand up to the Lord, trusting in Him? Reaching up to Jesus takes persistence. My word of the year is “trust,” and that means trusting even when I don’t like the circumstances and maybe even the outcome that He has planned for me. 


 

Jonah has his own book in the Bible. It’s hidden in the minor prophets’ section, right before the New Testament. But I’m sure most of you have heard the story. As a refresher, Jonah was a prophet called to go to Nineveh to tell them that their wicked ways were going to bring judgment from the Lord. Jonah, unwilling to go to Nineveh, boarded a ship going in the opposite direction and attempted to run away from God. God sent a storm and Jonah, knowing it was from God, agreed to be thrown overboard to end the storm. God then sent a huge fish to swallow Jonah, where he remained for three days. While in the belly of the great fish, Jonah prayed a prayer of thanksgiving because he was so grateful for the undeserving forgiveness and grace that was shown to him! God commanded the fish to spit Jonah onto dry land and Jonah was given a second chance to do what the Lord commanded him to do. So Jonah went to Nineveh and the Ninevites repented of their evil ways and God forgave them. But Jonah? He was NOT happy with God’s grace and deliverance of the Ninevites, and wanted to choose death over this reality.

 

In my mind, what would have been the worst three days of my life, living in the stomach of a huge (probably stinky) fish and being cold and wet as I’m tossed around with every movement of the creature, turned out to be a time for Jonah to be thankful and rejoice in the Lord’s grace. BUT when a wicked nation turned from their pagan ways and chose God, Jonah decided that was his worst nightmare. He was unhappy that the Lord had His own plans for the people of Nineveh and that the end result was not what Jonah had planned. Friends, please don’t feel alone if you ever find yourself in the “Jonah mindset” because I’ve been there too! Not when people come to Christ, but when plans don’t go my way, when I have to step back and realize God’s plans are far greater than mine. We will never fully understand the mind of God, and He can work in mysterious ways. But remember that even if a trial, or the resolution of an issue, or the pain we go through doesn’t work out according to how we think it should, none of it is wasted if we submit it all to the Lord. Reach your hand up to the Father and ask Him to reveal His ways to you. But ultimately, we need to trust Him in His plans.

 

Before I conclude, please take a minute to remember that, if you are still here on this earth, the Lord is not done with you yet. Oftentimes when we are at our lowest or dealing with the greatest struggle, the enemy will try to convince us that we are nothing more than the situation we are in. And that is a lie from the pit of hell. You were born for such a time as this. Even if it is a season of strife, it does not diminish the Lord’s work in and through your life.

 

There are countless stories of people who saw the worst life had to offer but chose to reach up to Jesus, despite their circumstances. I encourage you to read the story of Job who lost everything he owned and all of his children but did not curse God. Or Paul, who went through shipwrecks, imprisonments, floggings, and more, all to share the Gospel. Consider reading the stories of Corrie Ten Boom or Ernest Cassutto or others like them, who survived the Holocaust and had their strength renewed in Jesus or met Him for the first time. 

 

It can feel so unnatural to reach up to Jesus in the hardest of life’s moments, when all we want is to turn inward and feel the grief or frustrations. But the more we lean on Him and surrender that control, the closer our relationship with Him becomes. We are here for such a time as this, and we can move forward with confidence knowing that He will never leave us nor forsake us.