When tragedy and crisis strike at the same time, will God stay faithful? Of more importance to Him, will He find me faithful?
This week, the anthology, Life Changing Miracles hit the cyber-shelves and bookstores. It’s a delightful collection of story after story proclaiming God’s presence in the present. I’m so excited that the story of my eye surgery is included in that volume.
It’s actually the story behind the story because behind the scenes, I was facing another potential health crisis at the same time. What a reality check for me. Could I face two debilitating health issues at once?
I invite you to get a copy of the book so you can read the entire story!
Deep down, whenever we face multiple crises, we wonder if God has abandoned us. Why won’t He, why didn’t He deliver us? And I think, if we were honest, we wonder if our faith is strong enough to handle the onslaught of multiple trials. Will our confidence in the faithfulness of God remain intact even when the worst happens?
My daughter once considered becoming part of a readiness team in the U.S. Army. For two years they would practice readiness skills so, if a deployment call came, they would have equipment ready and boots on the ground within twelve hours. The key to survival during multiple crises is being ready.
Here are three pieces of character equipment you can have in readiness should you receive a deployment call to face a tough time in your life.
Covenant
As I waited for medical test results, I reaffirmed my covenant with God. I remembered His promises to always be with me and to uphold me (Isaiah 41:10). Using the model of the three men in the fiery furnace from Daniel 3, I concurred that He could rescue me from anything. But if He didn’t, I would not cave to despair or doubt. That’s what the three men told the King. “But if not . . .” (see Daniel 3:16-18).
Decide now. You will stay strong. You will trust God. Make it a no option resolution. Recognize God has made a covenant-strength promise to never leave you. Do the same for Him. If you begin your season of suffering with the starting point that there is no way God will ever let you down, then there must be another reason for what is happening to you. Have it out with God right now. You know His terms and you’ll do the same for Him.
Consistent
It’s so easy to wake up the next morning with doubts threatening to suffocate us like pillows held down by an unseen hand. I can prepare for the Big Bad Moment by being consistent in my trust in God moment by moment. “He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much,” says Luke 16:10. It’s easier to trust in God’s faithfulness when you’ve had a daily experience of journaling His goodness.
Look at your current life. How can you trust God today?
- In your relationships?
- Your daily needs?
- That jump in your electric or Internet bill?
- The blow-up you had with your teen-ager this morning?
- The tension you felt with that overbearing church member last Sunday?
Give it to the Lord. Trust Him to give you wisdom, provide your needs, and work things to His glory. Like working out at the gym every day, your trust muscles will be strong enough to withstand the strain of The Worst Possible Moment.
Contentment
I am so grateful for the years of good health and enough eyesight to read, write, take care of my family, and function well enough that strangers aren’t aware I have an eyesight problem until I make jokes about not being able to drive!. God has taken care of me in so many marvelous ways. To grumble about possibly losing my eyesight after years of His protection and provision would seem like spitting in His face.
It’s easier to trust God when life gets tough if you’ve already spent your life content with the blessings God showers upon you. Remembering God’s goodness throughout my life acted like the harness of a zip line during my hard time; the memories of what God had already done kept me from dropping into a bottomless pit of despair.
I thought again of those three guys in the furnace who were punished for their allegiance to the one true God. At one point, the king noted there was a fourth person in the furnace—hadn’t they thrown in only three men? In fact, that fourth one looked like a son of God.
Here’s the key
Jesus will be with us until he rescues us. He will never abandon us. We can find contentment that He’s working out His plan for our deliverance. Until then, He’ll take care of the small and not so small needs. And He’ll never, never let us go.
Show God through your faithfulness to Him that you believe He will do just that.
Life Changing Miracles is available through:
Or you can order it through your local Christian bookstore.
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