Is everything going just the way you want it to right now? Has there ever been a time in your life during which things kept going wrong? I remember Job in the Bible and his trials that Satan put him through. He lost his family, all of his belongings and then his health disappeared. His wife told him just to curse God and die. I loved his response.

Sometimes, even though we are living for God, bad things happen. That is just a fact of life.

In the Old Testament, Habakkuk was a minor prophet with a lot of wisdom. He told us plainly that even when bad times come, we should still be rejoicing in the Lord. You see, God does not move away from us or love us less during the hard times. He is still right there, if we just have the faith to lean closer to Him. Our human tendency is to move away from God and to blame Him for our troubles. But God is not to blame for the sin that is in the world. It is that lost condition of the world that causes our sicknesses, our broken relationships; in fact, anything that might separate us from God is because of the sin that entered the world with Adam and Eve’s choice to sin. So we need to realize that and as we start feeling like the world is collapsing around us, we need to remember that God is still our Savior and rejoice in Him. This is an easy topic to write about if everything is going fine in your life. I must tell you honestly that I have had some trials lately, the biggest one being my health. However, through it all, I can also honestly say that I have not turned away from God. Rather, I have run to Him, getting closer to His presence so that I feel His comfort and love during this entire ordeal. What allowed me to be able to do this? Nothing in me, I can tell you! The person inside me has been screaming for relief from this awful diet that I have to follow. I have been frustrated and in tears over the invasive medical tests that I had to undergo. But the spirit inside me says to rest and to know that He is my Lord and will be there for me, always.

You see, my faith has been tested, just as Job’s faith was tested and just as yours will be. It isn’t that God loves us less so He is picking on us. No, He loves us so much that He gave us His Son who died for us! God doesn’t “pick on” people. Life happens. That’s the truth. It’s what you do when life happens that is the test of your faith. Bad things come and bad things go. But good things come, too. We have to accept that. It’s a part of life and a part of our walk with God. We walk through valleys sometimes; other times, we view life from a mountaintop. God has never stopped being the Lord of our lives; He doesn’t change just because the circumstances of our lives change. Do I have everything all figured out and I’m just resting in peace and faith? Of course not! I still struggle at times, but I refuse to give up on God and His great love and plan for me. I hope that you are able to see the blossoms in your life that God is bringing about. Through great trials come great and beautiful testimonies! God is still working on me…and I hope that you will let Him continue to work on you.

Photo courtesy of aiobp.org

We can rejoice because we know that God is always in control. Rejoice always! When things are going all wrong, rejoice because God is working things out for you. His plan will not be thwarted; He has a good plan for you. Rest and enjoy the journey.