Just Have Faith

Ooh, life lately. Gosh, it really has thrown us a few curve balls recently. Nothing majorly life altering. But serious enough, that we have found ourselves feeling a little more stressed than usual. We have felt the panic of, “Gosh, what are we actually going to do? How are we going to make it through this? Where is this coming from? Why is this happening?”

We have had to really dig deep, reject the lies and remind ourselves what is actually true. And let me tell you, that is not an easy thing to do, when you are in the thick of something uncomfortable.

Last week, I opened my You Version Bible app on my phone. This was the verse of the day:

“I prayed to the Lord, and He answered me. He freed me from all my fears. Those who look to Him for help, will be radiant with joy, no shadow of shame will darken their faces.”

Psalms 34 : 4-5

And wow, have these verses carried me through just this past week.

Now, just for some context, I read this Scripture last Monday morning, just after I woke up. And it stirred something in me. Comforted me. Gave me a sense of peace. Then I got stuck in a 3 hour traffic jam on my way into the office. To the point where I eventually turned around at the first chance I got, so I could work from home instead.

While I was stuck in this traffic jam, my phone died and I didn’t have a charger in the car with me – rookie mistake, I know! And about 90 minutes in to my slow drive, my petrol light came on. A great way to start the week!

However, I had read these 2 verses from Psalms just a few hours earlier. And while I was moving along at a snail pace in my car, worried about running out of fuel, and with no way to contact J, I reflected on these verses.

I realized, or rather, I was reminded once again, of the fact that God is always with us. He knows it all. He knows our struggles. He hears our prayers, and he answers them. I don’t need to be fearful, because God is on it. He is going to help me. Help my family. He is only a prayer away. All we need to do is keep praying. Keep those lines of communication with Him, open.

We also need to trust Him. We need to have faith and believe that He has heard our prayers. Believe that He is already working things out for our good. Trust that He is walking this road with us, that we are not alone in our struggles.

Now, our timing may not be the same as His timing. In fact, in my experience, it rarely ever is. But trust God’s timing. It is always good and always perfect. Just because we don’t see any immediate resolutions, have any answers, does not mean that God is not working on it. Trust Him. He is.

I came across these verses at church this morning:

“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.“

1 Thessalonians 5 : 16-18

I found these 3 verses to be such a great reminder of how we need to live, always. During good times. During bad times. During happy times. During stressful times. Always.

Rejoice. Be joyful. Be thankful for everything. In every moment (that’s a whole other blog post, all on it’s own!). Thank God for the good things in your life, no matter how big or how small they may seem. This is His will for us. This is how He wants us to live our lives – focused on Him, trusting Him, believing in Him.

Remember friends, He loves you. He wants only good things for you. And He wants you to rely on Him only. Totally. It’s not always easy to do this. It’s actually easy to forget this, and focus only on our immediate needs.

And that is where community comes in. Your inner circle. Those you trust most, who can pray with you and for you. Walk this road with you. Support you. I want to encourage you to find your community – your church, your home group, your family, your friends. We are not designed to go through life, face trials, alone. First, always remember that God is always with you. Always! Then, identify those around you, who you know and trust, who can walk your road with you.

This is how our family has gotten through these last few weeks. We have prayed a lot. More than we normally do, to be completely honest. We have also shared our current trials with those close to us. Our community. And these people and their prayers have carried us through. Their support has been unwavering. Their kindness has been a huge comfort. Their wisdom and advice has been food for thought for us.

We don’t necessarily have answers yet. We don’t know what the end of this road looks like, yet. But, we take comfort in knowing that God knows. He is with us. He has heard our prayers. And He has already gone before us.

All we need to do is continue to trust Him. And just have faith.