Showing Courage Amidst Trials

We all go through hard times. We can see the road ahead of us but we can't get through this giant, immovable road block. I've been there and know I can easily be there again in life. Its how we handle this time that matters.

I have learned to look into the Word of God to find people who have gone through similar trials. I gain my hope, my encouragement from their stories. Instead of believing the lie that I am alone, I get filled with encouragement that lasts. By reading the Word I also receive nuggets of wisdom that I can use.

Just recently I read a story in the Bible that did all this for me. I read about the life of Jochebed. If you are like me you might not recognize the name but you know her story well. She is the mother of Moses. When Jochebed was pregnant with Moses her country was in chaos. It was not the time to give birth to a son. All the baby boys being born were ordered by the king to be killed. Jochebed though does not lose not worry when she gives birth to a son. She instead risks her life and keeps her son.

She hides the fact he's a boy as long as she can. When she can longer do this she then does an amazing thing. She places her faith and trust in God. Jochebed puts her baby boy in a basket and into the river. I have always missed one part. The river she puts him in is the same river that all the babies are being told by the king to be drowned in. She though puts her son in to give him life. What blind faith!

This story amazes me when I look at it from her perspective. Jochebed was faced with difficult decision after difficult decision. She had to make choices that would affect her life, her families life, and this baby's life. Not once though did she stop and get overwhelmed with worry. Not once did she give up and lose hope. She put her faith in the One who would not fail her and she trusted He would take care of everything.

Moses went on to become a great man. He was the one who led the Israelites through the desert into the Promised Land. Jochebed's other son Aaron became High Priest. Her daughter Miriam became a prophetess. Her legacy lived on through the lives of her children. Her faith led to great things. Though she did not raise Moses for long, she was with him for a short time. This should speak volumes to us and could be a whole other blog for another day.

We can learn so much from her life. When you face difficulties that seem to have no answers, put your trust in the One who will not fail you. Humans will fail you. People will hurt you, give you bad advice, but your God will not. If you turn over your troubles to Him, He can take care of them. He knows the best plan for your life, if only you will trust Him.

I have learned to go to Him first now. Whenever I face something I have no control over, instead of letting fear paralyze me at a roadblock, I go to my God and give it to Him. I have learned that He knows what is best. Even when my problems can't be fixed right away, I know its all in His timing. I know when I give it over to Him, He has the best outcome for me.

I want to encourage you today if you feel like you cannot move, that you are trapped in your trials, to go to God and just let go. Don't let fear paralyze you. Show courage amidst your trials. Put your trust in the one worthy of your trust. Read in Exodus 1 the story of Jochebed again and learn from her.

Faithful in Prayer

As I was led to study Luke 18:1 today from a sermon preached last Sunday, I finally grasped a concept.
The NIV version reads, “Then Jesus told His disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.” I have read this before. I have heard it growing up in church, but today it really meant something to me.

If you attended Sunday school as a child you most likely would have learned that Jesus hears our prayers. We encourage our young ones to talk to Jesus at any time, anywhere. He is always listening and always there for us. As a child that brings us comfort. I can remember being six years old and loving Jesus so much. He was my hero. I talked about him all the time, I prayed a lot, and I felt I had a best friend in Jesus. Slowly and sadly, I forgot how I first felt at six.

Today, this passage has illuminated that for me again. Recently I prayed with a group of friends and I was led to pray,” help me to believe like I did when I was six”. This morning that prayer has been answered. I truly feel in my heart again that Jesus is my hero, best friend, and that I can talk to Him all the time. I am once again comforted by these thoughts.

By reading further into Luke 18 and reading verse 8 we see that persistent prayer is counted as faith. I never saw those words before until today. Even though I knew the Parable of the Persistent Widow and knew I should pray continually, I always felt a little guilty. I felt that I was lacking faith by not believing that God would answer my prayer the first time. That was a lie I believed. The Word tells me the truth. It tells me that I should and I need to go to God my Father in prayer always, and persevere until Jesus returns.

Also how I pray is a big part of it. I need to go to Him with a joyful heart and with hope. I need to be faithful in my prayers. (Romans 12:12). I need to have confidence that if I am asking something that is in His will, that He will answer my prayer, BUT in His time. Praying in this way makes all the difference. Your heart will be right and you will feel that God-confidence rising up in you.

My prayer for you today is that this encourages you to begin praying, begin petitioning your Father in Heaven for His will in your life, and that you never give up. If you need to, find someone you trust to pray with you and encourage each other that God is hearing your prayers, and He is taking care of all you ask.

“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” (Romans 12:12 NIV)