"And I am sure of this, that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ". (Philippians 1:6) When we finally make the decision to follow God completely, it seems that everything is wonderful in the beginning. There is so much joy and peace that it seems endless! The feeling of walking day by day with the Holy Spirit so closely to your side, is priceless! It is such a wonderful feeling when He embraces you daily. And we immediately realize that following God was the absolute best decision that we ever made. But, what happens when all of a sudden, hell breaks loose in your world? What happens when your peace and joy are interrupted by the constant problems of life? What happens when we continue to call out to God, during troubled times to no avail? It was during these times that I learned the absolute importance of staying the course. It was during these times that I learned that God walks just as closely with us in the dark times, as He does when there is light.
I had to learn that just because I was now a believer in God, that I was now fully a Christian, that problems would not just disappear or even decrease. In fact, more than likely, problems will increase. The reason for encountering more problems- I found out- was simply because to live a life of faith, I had to exercise such faith. I also had to learn that since I had made the decision to completely follow Christ, that the enemy would forever try to persuade me to change my mind. And one way that the enemy tries to change our minds is by distractions. Distractions come in forms of problems that keep us doubtful and fearful, not releasing our faith in the given situation. Another form of distraction is that we begin to feel that God does not love us as we thought. I mean, if He did, why hasn't He come to save us right? The truth of the matter is, God loves us so much that He allows things to happen, in order to strengthen us, grow us, mature us. And the only way that we can be strengthened, is by trials and tribulations. No one ever learns anything if everything is always going well!
So, what we must learn is that when troubles come, we need to keep holding on to God. We need to keep going, even if we have no more strength left to go. We must do so in faith and believing, trusting that God is still walking ever so closely with us. One important thing that I learned about walking with God during trying times is simply that nothing ever moves God, but faith. He does not move because we are weary and crying. He will not move because we throw a fit. He will not move if we are angry at Him. He only responds to FAITH! (Dr. Mike Murdock) And while we are battling, we must do so with a thankful heart, and a grateful tongue. We must give ourselves in praise and worship, instead of griping and complaining, during the hard times. Because praise will guarantee a breakthrough. (Pastor John P. Kee) So, if you feel that you are not able to stay the course, please keep going! Please remember that regardless of how hard it gets, or how hard it may seem, God is still with you-walking it out with you and working it out for you! Please continue to trust the process, and praise your way through whatever has you hurting. Your blessings will eventually flow! I dare you to still think that following God was the absolute best decision you have ever made! "You're blessed when you stay on course, walking steadily on the road revealed by God". (Psalm 119:1)
https://youtu.be/IZLQqNUlYMg
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