Something I often say is that there’s seasons for everything. This comes from Ecclesiastes 3:1-8:
“There is an occasion for everything,
and a time for every activity under heaven:
a time to give birth and a time to die;
a time to plant and a time to uproot;
a time to kill and a time to heal;
a time to tear down and a time to build;
a time to weep and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn and a time to dance;
a time to throw stones and a time to gather stones;
a time to embrace and a time to avoid embracing;
a time to search and a time to count as lost;
a time to keep and a time to throw away;
a time to tear and a time to sew;
a time to be silent and a time to speak;
a time to love and a time to hate;
a time for war and a time for peace.”
In my Warrior in Training Bible Study for women, I share how there’s a time for training, battle, and recovery. Currently, this season is a time of training. It’s exciting to be involved in the areas God has me serving and the opportunities I’m receiving to learn a ton of skills and gain insights into where He’s working. It reminds me there’s so little I actually know which humbles me and ignites a desire to learn all I can.
Spiritually, I am also loving this season of training through God’s word. He has revealed many amazing connections between the Old Testament and the New. It’s bringing the Gospel to light in a greater sense. So far this year, I’ve been sharing a lot more Scripture-based content on the blog and on social media. On the surface, it doesn’t seem to match Hope Through Hard Times. How does working through the book of Genesis and studying connections between the Old Testament Passover and New Testament of Christ’s death and resurrection have anything to do with holding onto Hope through our hard times? But as I’ve gone through the Scriptures this way, I’ve found it ignite deeper trust and understanding in the Lord which has increased His joy and awe within me. It’s caused the trials of this earthly life to pale in comparison to His eternal greatness! As we keep our eyes fixed on our Creator, the chaos around us seems manageable. As soon as our eyes drift downward to ourselves, others, and circumstances (creation), we begin to worry and fear. We become prideful and over-confident in ourselves, which is a dangerous place to be.
The lyrics in David Crowder Band’s song, How He Loves, often plays in my mind this season:
“And He is jealous for me
Love’s like a hurricane, I am a tree
Bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy
When all of a sudden
I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory
And I realize just how beautiful You are
And how great Your affections are for me
And, oh, how He loves us, oh”
(italics added)
The responsibilities of this season have been great, and I love it that way. I thoroughly enjoy variety; it’s how God designed me to be. The more facets at play, the happier I am. Each opportunity I’m currently involved with is part of God’s will for me. I don’t doubt it because I check in with Him, especially when everything feels overwhelming as the tasks mount. He’s given me the insight to see how each ministry is shaping my skills and understanding for the future and vision He planted in my spirit years ago. It’s exciting! There’s just one piece that’s really hard to manage through it right now: my health.
That’s where I usually get hit the most. I was doing so well for a couple of years, and then exhaustion hit again along with other symptoms. What in the world was happening now? “Lord, is this physical or spiritual? Should I ignore it, take time to rest, or keep going? Is there a different doctor I should see?” For once, I wasn’t going to let my broken body consume me. When we’re not sure what to do, we speak what we do know: God’s truth over the situation. 2 Corinthians 4:16 says, “Therefore we do not give up. Even though our outer person is being destroyed, our inner person is being renewed day by day.” Since I knew I’m right where God wants me to be, I continued to build on the things that were being renewed. I prayerfully communed with the Lord while reading the Bible. Each day, I prayed for His strength, joy, and the filling of His Spirit to help me through. Something Andy Stanley said years ago in his study, In the Meantime Moments, gets repeated by me frequently. He said, God, “I can’t, but You can, and You can through me.” It’s simple, yet profound. Jesus said, “I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without me.” (John 15:5). Truly, we can do nothing of any kind of significance without Him. Clinging to God’s promises is necessary through the fog of uncertainty.
Sitting in the Naturopath’s office last night receiving the results of what’s going on with me yet again left me in awe of God’s intricate work! We explored many facets of what’s happening in my body. There are so many pieces at play within the human body that interact with one another. As I listened to her share, I couldn’t help but think, “No one can deny there is a God when you look at the minute details of the human body. None of this can happen by chance.” And the amazing thing is that the Creator of the heavens and earth, the One who sustains ALL organisms is sustaining yours and my bodies to keep all systems running. Living in a fallen world where sin corrupts our bodies and death is imminent apart from Christ’s return, there are going to be functions that break down and bring sickness and pain. It’s unfortunately part of this life. Hallelujah for the gift of salvation and eternal life in Jesus Christ to those who put their faith in Him! There’s always hope!
The good news is, everything I learned last night about what’s happening within me described exactly how I’ve been feeling and why. Now it’s working on the treatment to rebuild. I realized very early in life that my health will most often be the trigger that the enemy likes to strike and that the Lord uses to keep me humbly dependent on Him. Instead of getting angry, He’s teaching me to acknowledge it, deal with it, and keep going as He directs. And in this, I see His hand of grace and provision sustaining me in incredible ways where I shouldn’t really be functioning right now.
Though I should have posted about Genesis 12 yesterday or today, the brain fuel wasn’t there to do it. And so, I thought it might be helpful to you to hear where I’m at and why I’m posting the types of devotionals I am right now. That will probably change as the year progresses, but in the meantime bask in the glory of the Lord with me through His awe-inspiring Word, and I’ll check in here and there with personal encouragement as He inspires.
Thank you to each of you who hold me and this ministry in prayer. Your care and support are always greatly appreciated! For those of you who are also in a ministry leadership (pastor, missionary, Christian organization) position, we’d love to strive side-by-side with you in prayer. Email us at pr****@cu***********.org.
To those of you who are in a season of sickness and/or pain: Grab hold of God’s word! If you’re lost or overwhelmed in what to do, start praying the Psalms out loud. Allow the word of the Lord to minister to your spirit as you seek the Lord and give Him the praise through it all. He will walk you through all trials as the Good Shepherd. If you’re struggling to keep your eyes on Him, seek counsel and accountability from others. That’s partly why God has given us His family. “Finally, be strengthened by the Lord and by His vast strength.” (Ephesians 6:10)
