Category: Making It Through Tough Times

One of my favorite pastors shared this story in the conclusion of his sermon.  A train derailed while traveling through the mountains, and tragedy seemed inevitable.  When the passengers realized what was happening, many of them panicked and started calling their loved ones or writing their last will and testament.  A few jumped out of the train, assuming it was better to die immediately than to prolong the suffering.  But in the midst of the hysteria, a little girl sat calm, playing with her baby doll’s hair.  One of the passengers asked her, “How can you sit calm, playing with your baby doll’s hair?  Don’t you realize we’re about to die?”  The little girl replied, “I’m not going to die.  My dad is the conductor, and he promised he was going to take me somewhere.”

Faith keeps us stable when everyone else is shaky.  More importantly, faith is our admission ticket to God’s favor, for “it is impossible to please God without faith” (Hebrews 11:6, New Living Translation).  Doubt offends God.  In the verses cited above, God got angry in response to the Israelites doubt, and He promised they (everyone who was 20 years old or older) would die without entering the promised land.  Only two exceptions were cited, Joshua and Caleb, because they believed God could do what He promised.

In spite of the news reports, economic woes, and other calamities, we can still trust God.  This is just a reminder – He has never lied, and He promised that His words would never disappear (Matthew 24:35).  Continue to believe what He said, and watch the promises show up in your life!

The story of Jairus and his daughter came to mind as I meditated for today’s recharge.  His daughter was so sick that he thought she would die, so Jairus requested Jesus’ help.  Jesus obliged, and on His way to help, He healed a bankrupt, yet hopeful, woman who had an issue of blood.  After Jairus received the Word and saw proof of Jesus’ power, I’m sure he was very excited and hopeful about his daughter’s deliverance.  Immediately afterward, however, some messengers told him, “Your daughter is dead.  There’s no use troubling the Teacher now” (Mark 5:35, New Living Translation).

What do you do when your reality does not match your revelation?  How do you respond when what you see is drastically different from what God promised?  In Monday’s recharge, Joshua was so excited about the promised land that Caleb and him rallied the Israelites to possess it.  Instead of celebration and consent, Joshua and Caleb received more complaints and some death threats.  But that didn’t stop Joshua and Caleb; they waited on God and eventually entered the promised land.

Maybe you’re living in a season when your circumstances are challenging your faith.  Instead of devising your own solution or throwing in the towel, wait it out, just like Joshua, Caleb, and Jairus.  Remember, “God is not a man, so he does not lie …” (Numbers 23:19, New Living Translation).  If He said it, you can count on it.  He will do just what He said!

I recall hearing a story about a man walking along the beach with his son.  As they walked, they noticed that hundreds of starfish had been washed upon the shore.  The son, moved with compassion, began picking up the starfish and throwing them back into the ocean.  As his father thought about how many starfish were on the shore, he told his son, “You can’t believe you can save all of these starfish.  There are just too many.”  Without missing a beat, the son reached down, grabbed another starfish, threw it back into the ocean, and said, “Well, I just saved that one.”

People who have faith can look at a situation and see potential where others see problems.  What others deem impossible, people with faith confess the possibilities.  Joshua was a lot like the son rescuing starfish.  While the other 10 spies doubted that the Israelites could inherit the promised land, Joshua was determined to succeed.  In the midst of complaints and insecurities, Joshua said, “… if the Lord is pleased with us, he will bring us safely into that land and give it to us” (Numbers 14:8, New Living Translation).

We’re living in a time when circumstances are making people lose hope, but don’t let the recession convince you that God is not able.  Like Joshua and the son determined to rescue the starfish, see beyond the problem.  Let your faith remind you that the Lord will provide!