Whatever!

Whatever!

Are there any believers in your fellowship suffering great hardship and distress? Encourage them to pray! Are there happy, cheerful ones among you? Encourage them to sing out their praises! James 5:13 TPT

So it is very clear, today's extract is directed at believers; people who are saved by the blood of Jesus. Who would have thought that you would use believers who follow Christ and the words: great hardship and distress in the same sentence. First lesson: salvation is a change of allegiance from the devil to God. The devil does not give up a fight, and he will fight on to the bitter end to lay hold of what sin gave him. In fact, Jesus himself clearly stated: In this world, you will have tribulation. It will therefore amount to a lie for anyone to claim that salvation insures anyone from hardship. It is not biblical or in line with the teachings of Jesus. So, which am I: a believer or a bystander? 

So, when these tough times come, what is expected of me, if I am a believer? Second lesson: my life should not look like what I have been through. Too many times, we throw pity parties to highlight our struggles and challenges, whilst we downplay the mercies and victories that we have had along the way. When times get tough, i am asked to pray. Prayer here isn't a talisman that automatically gets you out of the situation, but imagine the comfort and joy that men like Daniel, the three Hebrew boys, Stephen and Peter had in their dark moments, where they knew that God was with them, no matter what the external circumstances were. 

I am praying that the storm raging outside will not get into the boat of my life. It won't happen just by me saying it, but by praying it. Prayer is the antidote to worry and anxiety, and is the key to comfort and confidence in the ability of God to sustain through the storm. No wonder the other half of today's extract also says that when things get rosy, I must sing out in praise to appreciate all that God has done. Another lesson: my external circumstances are not to determine my internal status. What goes on around me shouldn't affect my relationship with God. In fact, whether things are rosy or thorny, I must keep my channel of communication with God clear, open and regular. 

God isn't God simply because things are going well. God isn't God only for the bad, uncertain times. He is God, no matter the circumstances, situations or experiences. The earlier I embrace that truth, the better for me. God does not promise perpetually bright skies, but He promises perpetual joy. So, I smile at the storms, because I know that He has all under control. His time of favour is here.