Wednesday, April 25, 2007

Persevering through lean times

When I first began doing Bible studies in the area of stewardship, I was really struck by a particular principle: God is sovereign and is fully capable of taking care of his part, if I will be obedient. It was simple and I had been taught it before, but when I began to apply it to my stewardship, I also began to see how much it applied in all areas of my life. That principle works well with Romans 8:28-29 where we learn that God is working all things together for the good of the believer in order to grow them into Christ-likeness.

I began to see how God may be moving not only in the midst of my pleasant circumstances but also my unpleasant circumstances as well. Wouldn’t the discomfort I endure through the hard times be worth the price if I were to become more like my Lord and a more fitting bride? Couldn’t God then use my service and my talents more effectively? Wouldn’t he receive the greater glory when he receives the victory over our trials?

I know that in my life, God uses the trials to grow me, to bring me to my knees in prayer when without the trials I might not concentrate quite so much on my desperate need of him. If my life is hidden in Christ then every circumstance that comes my way has to go through him and can be used as a tool to develop my character and to give me a greater impact for my witness to others.

When we realize how powerless we are to affect the victory in our circumstances, we can then appropriate and be awestruck by the mighty power of God. Our circumstances can be radically changed in an instant, or God may choose to grow us in time like he did with Joseph during his years of slavery and in prison.

Most of the best things in my life have not come without a bit of sacrifice. The sacrifice made the thing that much more precious. It was not without cost, it came at great cost. If you are waiting through financial hardships and waiting for God to come to your deliverance, take courage! He is still on the throne, he is still sovereign and as a Christian your life is hidden with him and cannot be taken from his hand. Pray on mighty warriors and keep doing right that God will get the glory and we will receive deliverance.

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