As Children of God, we don’t have to be afraid of what’s to come, nor do we have to fear the unknown. Our only requirement is to trust God as it says in Psalm 23:4-5(NLT), “Even when I walk through the darkest valley I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me. 5 You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies.” Heavenly Father wants us to know that He is with us always. He will never leave us or forsake us, in good times and in the bad times. When we need comfort, He’s with us. When we need protection, He’s right there beside us. If these last couple of weeks has shown us nothing else, it’s revealed that the unexpected is right around the corner. When we face it, our faith in God must remain anchored in His power and His love for us.
Because of Jesus Christ, we have a new identity through our born-again experience. We became alive in ways that woke us up. Now we are children of light, and not darkness. 1 Peter 2:9 (NLT) tells us, “9 But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.” As followers of Jesus Christ, we are a chosen people. We belong to God, and not ourselves, and we have a responsibility to show others the goodness of God.
It is one thing to show them goodness when times are good. Just about anyone can do this, but what about when times are bad? This is when things look dark, and we can’t see as clearly as we would like. We don’t have all the answers and the situation might seem bleak. We all face seasons in our lives like this, but the difference between us and others is that we don’t give up. Christians do not surrender their sound minds in the times of turmoil. We cling to the peace of God, because it passes all understanding. Others might want to fall apart because of what is happening, and they are watching us to see if we will do the same thing.
None of us realize the extent to which eyes are upon us. The person that you might least expect is watching, and waiting to see how you respond under pressure. People talk, and more know your story than you think. When you had trouble in your marriage, and your sister in the Lord was a co-conspirator. When he left you with two mouths to feed and no child-support. When you had to pawn your jewelry to keep your car from being repossessed. When your child was locked up or knocked up, and you didn’t know how your nerves could handle one more thing. Oh yeah, someone was watching to see if you would buckle. They wanted to know if you would sink to the ground.
Faith is an enigma to those that don’t have it. Like all of God’s extraordinary gifts, faith is a gift that keeps on giving. It isn’t stagnant and ineffective. The faith of Jesus Christ comes into a situation and completely changes it. Expressed through words and deeds, it has a powerful effect, but sometimes we don’t have to say a word. The mere fact that we keep pressing and pushing everyday speaks volumes.
Isaiah 40:29(NLT) tells us, “He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless.” This is a wonderful scripture, and we need to remember that sometimes the way that God strengthens others is through us. The unexpected can shift our circumstances so quickly that it can literally take our breath away, but after the initial shock, we have to remember that God has not left us without spiritual weapons to use. We have been equipped to make a difference, and if we will trust Him, we can do just that.
During difficult times remember to:
Pray without ceasing
1 Thessalonians 5:17 (NLT) “17 Never stop praying.”
Philippians 4:6 (NLT) “6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.”
Luke 18:1 (NLT) “18 One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up.”
Draw closer to God
Hebrews 4:16 (NLT) “16 So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.”
James 4:7-10 (NLT) “7 So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. 9 Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.”
Hebrews 10:22 (NLT) “22 let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water.”
Matthew 6:33 (NLT) “33 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.”■
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
“Even in Our Darkest Valley, God Is Still in Control”, written by Kim Times, edited by Reverend Fran Mack for Sundie Morning Sistas ©2017. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! SMS is dedicated to inspiring and encouraging Christian Women through the Word of God.
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