HOLD ON!

It’s A Wonderful Life, Until……

Let’s be honest: sometimes, we wonder if God truly listens to our prayers.

When everything is going well, we smile a lot more. We laugh, we joke, and we have a carefree attitude. We want to be around people, and people want to be around us. We may even remember to thank the Lord for making things happen the way we envisioned - which we should do. However, during those hard times – those times when nothing seems to go your way; in those times of despair, when you lay awake at night wondering what you can do to “fix” your problems; when you’ve prayed and prayed, and it seems as though your prayers are falling on deaf ears - what do you do then? What do you do when you literally and figuratively cry out to the Lord for help, but nothing happens?

How Long, O Lord?

The Gospel of John, chapter 5, verses 2 through 8, describes a man who was both physically broken and spiritually brokenhearted. The man had been paralyzed for almost forty years. He was sitting near a sacred pool in Jerusalem, where the first person to enter the pool would be healed of their infirmities. When Jesus saw the man, He asked him if he wanted to be healed. The man, understandably scarred and tainted by his many years of brokenness, did not say “Yes.” He didn’t say “no,” either. Instead, he focused on his troubles, not realizing that he was speaking directly to the One who can heal him of all his physical and spiritual infirmities. Jesus did not question the man’s faith, nor did He give him a pep talk. Instead, Jesus had compassion on the man, and verses 8 and 9 say: “Jesus said to him, “Take up your bed, and walk.” And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked.” (ESV). Think about it: this man was paralyzed for almost forty years, and that’s a very long time to hope and pray for a miracle.

Trust and Believe!

In this life, we’ll never truly understand why we suffer. Sometimes, that suffering directly results from our decisions; other times, it seems as though trouble just picks us randomly. It’s during those hard times you must constantly remind yourself of several things:

1. God loves you. (John 3:16)

2. God knows all about your struggles. (1 John 3:20)

3. God’s timing is perfect. (2 Peter 3:8)

4. As a child of God, all things work together for your good and God’s glory. (Romans 8:28)

5. God is your strength. (Psalm 46:1-3)

6. When you mess up, confess your sins to the Lord, and He will forgive you. (1 John 1:9)

Faithful and True

Whatever trials you may be facing right now, hold on! The Lord is with you! If you put your trust and faith in the finished works of the Lord Jesus Christ, He guarantees that He will never leave or forsake you. Never stop praying. The Lord will be with you through every storm, every step of the way.

Hold on, Brothers and Sisters!