The older I get, and the longer I spend time with and around God, the more I realize that there are a few things are always true. One of those key points of wisdom is that God works even in the bad times of life.
Tough times tend to bring out our true nature. It is easy to talk about how blessed we are when everything is going right in our life, yet few still talk of their blessings when the tough times come. Tough times will come trust me in that, they always do, the issue is how we will respond to them when they arrive.
Too many times our response is to quit, or to flee, or to run, yet many times God’s call is to remain where we are and flower there the best we can. We all desire to be planted in soft soil that is regularly watered, yet the reality is that the Bible clearly tells us that we will face opposition and tough times. Many times we are and will be planted in tough soil, where it is hard to stay rooted and hard for our roots to grow deeper, yet that is where God has us planted for that season. At times the sustaining flow of blessings from the Lord will be come in the form of mercy drops, not in regular rain showers. In those times, the mercy drops seem so much more sustaining to us then the same sized drops when the shower of blessings come.
These tough / rough times are the very things and events that build us into the people that we need to be though in the end. They hone our character to a point where the rough places are gone. When that process is done, we are left with nothing but the core of our self and left with little more then God alone to cling too. That is where real faith shows itself. It takes no faith to cling to God when you are self assured, self sustaining, self reliant, and self righteous. In the tough times self wanes and God waxes. In those tough times real friends arrive while others flee. In those tough times pride falls and knees bend.
The great news is that there is hope even within these tough times. Within those very trying tough times I believe we can always lean on the promises of God that He will never leave us nor forsake us. He promises that He will provide. He promises to bless us not to sufficiency, but to overflowing. Yes, after the testing phase and even sometimes during the testing phase, there is and are blessings.
Many of us miss the fact that for God to fulfill His promise to bless us to overflowing, that He expects us to keep pour out and giving away what He gives us where He can refill us. He can only fill containers that are being depleted. When tough times come, we can become selfish and stingy. Yet God assures us that even in the dry times He is still working and that He will still provide. That means we must continue to give back and give up, even when we are not personally sure how much more we can give.
Additional issues that arrives within dry spiritual times is that many people quit trying during the testing and never reach the blessing. Good things do come to those that remain devoted to their call and too the things that are important in life. A key point to understand is exactly what those good things really are and that those things can and do take time to develop. How much more does something mean when we have to yearn and wait for it, instead of it coming easily and without sacrifice. Most people do not value the things that are easy and free. People do appreciate things that required labor, time, craftsmanship, and patience to be produced or achieved. As a example we propose this question. How valuable would a Doctorate Degree in a academic disciple, or a Medical Doctorate, or a Judicial Doctorate, or a Theology Doctorate be if they handed them out the first day of kindergarten?
The good things that come to those that persevere are the result of remaining devoted to their vital calls, and too the important things in life. Many times though these things are not the things that are visible or measurable to others . At no time does God promise us material blessings or material wealth. Most blessings from God take the from of internal change to ourselves, changes we see in those we influence, inter personal shifts we see in other people, or in our relationships due to our actions and our labors. The internal changes, the mental growth, the strengthened will, the deepening of friendships / relationships, the learned power of both hope and faith are all things that patience and perseverance bring. None of those are tangible and measurable by worldly standards or scales.
So, today I urge you to continue to fight the good fight, weather you are on a mountain or in a valley at the moment. God is there with you, weather you want Him to be or not. He is willing, able and ready to help if you trust Him. His call is constant, His truth is timeless, His way is worthwhile, His hold is heavenly, His burden is bearable, and His timing is true. He is God. No power, no force, no person, no government, no job, no degree, no law, no situation, and no anything else can change that. He has not forgotten, nor forsaken, those that He calls by His name. Nothing occurs to Him, nothing changes His plans, nothing impacts His timing, as He is in control of all things. Though it is tough at times to remember all the above, they are always true. God is good all the time, and all the time God is good.
Have a great day, stay strong in faith, stick to what you are called too, be courageous in your actions, and serve God in all things.
