Winning is Inevitable

 

In my newly launched website, the first paragraph promises that the website will provide adequate encouragement and some inspiring words to boost hope. That is just what I hope to do in today’s blog.

We all have our ups and high joyful and happy moments, and because life's journey is characterized by its ups and downs, we also get to have our down times.  These downtimes come with varying degrees of intensity. Sometimes, they genuinely feel like the "valley of shadow of death" that David spoke about in Psalm 23:4. I have experienced this enough times in my life to know just what it feels like to be desperately in need of help, someone to talk to, or at least for that phase or situation to just go away.

Some of us have faith enough to pray and wait on God, but fear and doubt begin to set in when the wait seems endless. Sometimes, we second-guess ourselves, sometimes, we blame God, and sometimes, we blame ourselves and even allow others to guilt trip us. But in all these, the Lord still sits on His throne in heaven watching.

I was reading the book of Exodus some days ago and found something profound in Exodus 3:7-9. I will summarise it like this: God tells Moses that He had heard the cry of His people in Egypt and had come down to deliver them. At the time God came down for the deliverance of Israel, they didn’t even know it; they didn’t see it coming, nor did they understand it. As a matter of fact, if we continue reading, they grumbled and quarreled with Moses, saying that he brought more trouble to them. But in truth, what they called trouble was God working behind the scenes for them. He didn’t want to just bring them out of Egypt; He wanted them to be rewarded abundantly for all their labor in Egypt. He would make Eygpt so vulnerable that Israel could take valuables from them effortlessly and leave with abundant treasure in gold, silver, money, and clothing. They could not have left empty-handed just like that. So, more than Israel gaining their freedom, God would ensure they got duly paid for all the years of their labor in Egypt.

Israel didn’t see this; they only saw increased pain and added burden, and they grumbled, doubted God, and insulted His vessel – Moses. And this story feels so like us right now. The pain, the suffering, and the challenges all add up to give us reasons to fear and doubt. But I find hope in Romans 8:18, in which Paul says, “He considers that the sufferings of the present time are not worthy to be compared to the glory which shall be revealed in us.”  This was the situation of the children of Israel when they were in Egypt. They probably would have rejoiced instead of grumbling if they knew what was coming.

Some of our challenges may not bring the desired outcome in the short term. But in the long term, there is glory that awaits. I say this because I have been there before. Consider this illustration: You probably had been praying that your landlord would not send you packing. You trusted God and got people to wait on God with you; you prayed and exercised deep faith, but guess what? The landlord ended up sending you packing. It was a painful experience. You felt God failed on this one. He didn’t show up when you needed Him. He watched and did nothing when the landlord threatened and eventually evicted you. It was a gruesome experience that almost shattered your faith and trust in God. Then, 12 months down the line, 12 months of uncertainty, 12 months of shame and reproach, 12 months of having faith when there is nothing tangible to tie the faith to, 12 months down the line, you find yourself comfortable in your own home. Your property, where you never have to fear the horrors of a landlord – the pain, the horrors, the reproach, all gone. Something in you now thanks God that the landlord evicted you because you probably would not be in this better place if he didn't. This is why Paul would say that our sufferings of the present time are not worthy compared to the glory that shall be revealed in us.

One assurance I have always had, which has never failed, is that God will always come through. He may not come through at my timing or in my presumed pattern, but He comes big when He wants to come and does so at the perfect time. After experiencing this repeatedly, I have understood one time: He surely comes through. My only prayer is: “What will you have me do while I wait.” The waiting time is the toughest of them all. Numerous temptations exist, and the battle is fierce during the waiting period. But if you have a grateful heart, never forgetting your past wins, you will resolve within yourself that if God won the war for you before, He would win the battle now, so you hinge your faith on that and trust Him.

I hope you have been encouraged today. In another two days, you can pop in again. There will be some encouragement waiting for you.