Anyone can celebrate life going right, but the true character test happens when nothing seems to be falling into place.
I have learned the hard way that just because you do what is right doesn’t guarantee that you won’t face your fair share of wrong. The greatest lesson God has taught me is that He is faithful amid any circumstance. Just when we think the Lord opted out of His promise to be with us always, He appears in the most miraculous ways.
Most religions don’t have any purpose for suffering and hard times. The best of belief systems advises its followers to avoid trials and tribulations at any cost. This is not the case with Christianity.
Jesus made it clear to His disciples that, in this world, they would experience their fair share of bumps and bruises, but nobody should be shocked by such a rude awakening. He also promised to be with us every step of the way.
Hard times didn’t mean lean seasons in the sojourn of any seeker chasing after the Savior. The Bible teaches us that Christians can celebrate the God times whenever and wherever despite the situation. Even in the year of the unpredictable and unthinkable, this is no time for Jesus’ followers to be longing to live in another era.
God created us for times like these and provides what we need to succeed, where He leads as long as we choose to walk by faith, not sight. If we stay true to His word, no matter what we see or hear from others, we will discover spiritual diamonds amidst the dust of these crazy days. Despite what is thrown at us this side of Heaven, as recipients of God’s amazing grace and peace that doesn’t make sense unless we look through an eternal perspective, we have all we need to get to where we want to proceed.
Grace and peace don’t alter our destination. They accompany us to it.
Marge had an experience aboard a Cleveland-bound plane awaiting takeoff. As she settled into her seat, she noticed a strange phenomenon. A sunset on one side of the airplane painted the sky with glorious, majestic color, but out of the window next to her seat, all Marge could see was an ominous sky, dark and threatening, with no sunset in sight.
As the plane’s engines began roaring, she sensed God speaking to her.
“You have noticed the windows,” she heard beneath the roar and thrust of takeoff. “Your life, too, will contain some happy, beautiful times, but also some dark shadows. Here’s a lesson I want to teach you to save you much heartache and allow you to ‘ride with Me’ with continual peace and joy.
“You see, it doesn’t matter which window you look through because no matter what your view, this plane is still going to Cleveland, so it is in your life. You have a choice. You can dwell on the gloomy picture, or you can focus on the bright things and leave the dark, gloomy situations to Me.
“I, alone, can handle them anyway. The final destination is not influenced by what you see and hear along the way.”
No matter what happens around us, nothing can rob Christians from the reality that our ticket is punched for glory.
l am going to heaven, regardless if I catch COVID, have cancer, become broke, am persecuted or swinging on a star. When I land, I will be greeted by a welcoming party that will take me into a land where the pain of the past will not be allowed into the present. Learn this, act on it, and you will be free, able to experience God’s peace that passes understanding and the grace that fuels our engines when this earth forces us to run on empty.
When your faith is anchored by the simple, straight-forward truths that God said we should care about, it will be more than enough to keep you focused on the important tasks that He has ahead for everyone.
I know that my biggest messes come when I try doing God’s will my way. I know that I only set myself up for failure when I try controlling what only God can handle. How many of us are looking to play it safe during a time when we should be looking to walk on water?
When Jesus met the first disciples fishing, he told them to push out a little deeper. These were lifetime experts who knew the seas inside and out, and suddenly, a carpenter was directing them to do what they already knew.
They could have said, “If we need any help fixing a chair, we will give you a call, but leave the fishing to us.” They probably thought it was a stupid idea, but they did it regardless.
Jesus challenged them to push out into deeper waters, and they did. He encouraged them to throw their nets on the other side of their boat, and they did. Grace and peace flood our hearts when we simply trust and obey the Lord. What is He asking you to do today?
I know life amid 2020 can be unpredictable. Nobody knows what might be coming in the months ahead, expect God, who has even given us a foretaste of what our future holds if we stay connected to Him.
He might ask you to do something beyond your ability, or might ask you to do something that won’t be popular with the people around you. He also might challenge you to do something that doesn’t make any sense, but do it anyway.
Keep your eye on the ball. Darkness can’t destroy us, but it sure will try to distract us.
Keep the light on and trust the ultimate pilot, no matter which side of the airplane you’re sitting. Don’t settle on making yourself at home until your plane lands in heaven. Bon voyage.
ED. NOTE: The author is the senior pastor of The Lighthouse Church, 1248 Route 9 South, Court House.
