Later in this chapter in Isaiah it says, “Morning comes, and also the night” (Isaiah 21:12).
Sometimes life is great. It is all sunshine and blessing. However, there are also times that life is more difficult. Especially as we move more into the last days. Prophesy tells us that it will be more difficult for people.
Some time ago, I felt God speak to me about anguish. And seemingly, we have seen more difficulty than we have in the past with natural disasters, wars, disease, and uprisings. It has been a difficult time. Even one of my friends who always seems to be counting her blessings and seeing great things happen was told her daughter is in prison in another country. What? How devastating for her and all her grandchildren.
At the same time, we have seen more people come to know the Lord amidst the difficulties. It has turned people to be open that they may not have all the answers and need to turn seek God.
Whirlwinds of trouble draw people to find shelter.
When we experience difficulty, we have two choices: One is that we can panic and cling to our circumstances, trying to control them the best that we can. We can try to manage and manipulate things in our direction. We can try to minimize our pain and maximize our gain. Or, the other is that we can choose to trust God in the midst of our difficulty and let our circumstances run their course with open hands and hope in our hearts.
With Saul and David, we see examples of both of these. Saul experienced difficulty and threats
to his leadership and he became controlling. He did whatever he thought would advance his leadership and secure his position as king. He even went as far as trying to kill David to protect his family line. Out of fear, he manipulated and controlled his circumstances at every turn. And he demanded everyone’s loyalty while showing none for himself.
At the end of Saul’s life, knowing he is unfaithful by contradicting his own policy of no fortune tellers and summoners, he goes to one, calls back Samuel from the dead, and hears Samuel tell him that both him and his sons would be with him in the place of the dead shortly. If he processed this at all, he realized that instead of protecting his kingdom, he caused his own demise and that of his children as he chased away David’s protection of his family. He derailed his calling by fear and suspicion.
The irony of believing lies is that it usually derails us to believe them. Rather, love hopes all things and believes all things (good) instead of suspecting others. Love calls forth the Kingdom from a place of trust where suspicion causes greater and greater division from a place of fear.
“You turned my fear into faith” sings.
The opposite of operating out of fear is faith. When we step out in faith, we have to release our circumstances to God and allow Him to manage them. Can I say this again? We have to RELEASE our circumstances to God and allow HIM to manage them rather than control them for ourselves.
With David, he constantly showed faith rather than fear. When he was sent running from Saul and having to hide in caves, he could have given up. He could have become angry and resultful and saw the situation as hopeless. Afterall, he was about as far from king as he could get being chased down and forced to leave the land of his forefathers. But rather than fret, control, and manipulate, he continually trusted and honored God. He refused to touch Saul even though Saul was seeking his life. He also helped others and defended them in this place of his own poverty. And even when David’s men turned on him in Ziklag, he strengthened himself in the Lord. He demonstrated open hands and an open heart to God. He never got resentful or fearful which would not have benefited the situation.
When I got my middle child as a foster child, I did not have the youngest yet. The county ideally wanted to find a place for them to live with relatives or in the county in charge of his foster care. I prayed about it as, since he was not going to go to his folks or close relatives, I wanted to keep him. In my heart, I loved him as my son. But initially, rather than move the youngest into our home, the foster system was considering moving my middle child into another home with his brother that was in their county. I was distraught but heard the Lord speak, “What door I open, no man can shut’ and “What door I shut, no man can open.” I trusted and things all worked out as I ended up with both the boys.
Just recently I am going through some trials in my own life that seem insurmountable. They are huge issues. Part of me wants to panic. Ironically, a week before all this came about, someone pulled in front of me with license plates that read “DNTPNIC”. I looked at them and knew God was giving me a word for the coming season and shuddered. But this word has helped me greatly. I have told myself this every time I am tempted to panic.
I have had to come to realize that God has not promised me certain circumstances. He has not guaranteed me an easy life. But He has promised that He will be with me in all things –difficult and easy. He has also given me prayer to seek His best for my family.
Trusting God is a choice. When we stand at the crossroads let’s take the path of trust and abandonment. I saw this in the last year with the loss of my best friend. Also, the year or so before with the loss of my mother. They both chose trust in the face of death. They went home singing with faith. I could only hope to finish as well as these two ladies when my time comes.
Timothy Geoffrion, in the Spirit-Led Leader, challenges leaders that rather than letting their troubles turn them inward or undermine their confidence, vitality and ability to lead, they choose to trust God and look for his activity in the midst of their life and leadership. He writes. “Faith does not dictate to God what the results of our work must be, but trusts that God is producing valuable outcomes in one way or another.”[1]
What if that situation results in a loved one going home early? For me, facing my own death, I could embrace it with seeing the goodness of God but don’t know how to see goodness in the death of a family member. Geoffrion notes that life is on God’s terms and writes, “Faith clings to God, even if all our hopes, dreams, loved ones, and life itself perish.” He notes that faith does not gibley call suffering “good.” Rather, it looks to the source of hope when all else fails us or falls away. [2]
Geoffrion mentions that God does not guarantee us health or anything else, but rather that He is at work transforming our painful ordeals into outcomes that help us become more like Christ. We need to continue to rest in the unbreakable bond of our love relationship with God and in His sovereignty and ability to accomplish His will. [3]
Sometimes He does heal, deliver, and perform amazing miracles. In all circumstances we should hope and pray for this. We are not to forget all His benefits, He who not only forgives our sins (so easy to believe for) but also heals all our diseases (not as easy to believe for).
As we look to Christ, we get strength to go through the difficulty we faith. In the midst of suffering, distress, and uncertainty, we can count on the Lord to be faithful. He will be faithful to be there for us, to comfort and console us, and to even strengthen us to help others.
When my first pastor was in the hospital and spending her last days, she was witnessing and praying with many nurses. Besides praying for them, she gave away copies of her books to others struggling with the same life and death circumstances.
Geoffrion writes about handling our difficulties, “The way we respond will make all the difference in the world. The more we choose to trust, the more we will stay attuned to the good that God is producing through our circumstances, and to our opportunity to be part of God’s activity—consciously, fruitfully, and joyfully.”[4]
Mary from the Bible is a great example of suffering and enduring while drawing closer to the Lord. She endured ridicule and doubt with her pregnancy but instead of blaming God for this, she proclaims, “Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!” She then breaks out in this incredible song of praise.
Simeon then later prophesies over Jesus with incredible words that left them speechless. And in the midst of this proclamation about Jesus, he proclaims that a sword would pierce Mary’s heart. How immense the pain to watch her son die in such a horrific way as being tortured and hung on a cross. Yet, it did not cripple her. She kept hoping in the midst of circumstances that appeared hopeless.
“He’s still moving, still proving, how great He is” sings in the background.
Lord, help us to embrace You and grow from difficult circumstances that we face. Be in our midst and give us peace. At the same time, give us faith to hope and pray for Your best. Let us not grow weary, hopeless or resentful in suffering but become more like You. Let us see incredible miracles as we surrender all to You.
1-4. Geoffrion, Timothy, C. The Spirit-Led Leader: Nine Leadership Practices and Soul Principles. The Alban Institute, Herndon, VA. 2005.
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