“…weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.” –Psalm 30:5 (NIV)

Today as I was walking downtown, I saw an interesting quote by Rabindranath Tagore posted on a church billboard. Being the huge fan that I am of the Indian poet, I had to stop and take a picture. His quote displayed on the billboard was, “Faith is the bird that feels the light when the dawn is still dark”. It got me thinking of my own faith journey and how God has brought me out of those dark moments in my own life. Though initially I may feel discouraged and distraught when trials come along my path, the moment I take my fears and concerns to Him while spending time in His Word, I feel at peace and strengthened in the promise that He will turn my mourning into dancing. By the faith which He perfects in me I am able to feel the light though darkness may be around me.

Sometimes we may feel overwhelmed by circumstances around us. We look at ourselves and the struggles we face thinking how will we ever get the strength to endure them. No matter how hard we try, we cannot shake that feeling of hopelessness and despair; becoming weak under the weight of our situations. But Christ came into this world to bring hope and life. When we have allowed Him to enter our hearts and permit Him to work in our lives, we will experience first hand His faithfulness. Resting in the promises found in His Word, He will give us strength in the hope that though sorrow may plague us, they are not permanent. He is always working towards the fulfilment of His perfect plan for our lives and by His love and omnipotence He will turn our weeping into rejoicing. Making that decision to trust in Him is the best choice which we can make and when we have done this He will strengthen our faith so that though the clouds of darkness surround us, we will feel His light; walking boldly in the hope we have through Him.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

“For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you…” –Colossians 1:9 (NIV)

Have you ever left something unfinished? Perhaps it was a model kit or home project that seemed too difficult to complete. Maybe it was a hobby which we had an initial passion for, but soon grew wearisome as it became harder to do. Often times when we do not see immediate results, we become frustrated and give up on what we have invested our energies and resources towards. Yet how often do we turn around and complain why we are not good at this or that. Why can’t we excel at that hobby or interest, or why can’t we complete that project we had set our minds to. The answer is simple actually. We did not persevere. If we see our tasks through to the end, we will be able to complete what we started and would have gained valuable experience to help us become better at what we do.

In prayer as well we are often tempted to give up. Despite our most earnest and faithful prayers, we do not see the results we hope for. We question whether God is really there listening or our prayers, or if He is even there at all. Thus in our despair we give up and stop praying thinking it is all hopeless. But in our frustration we end to overlook an important truth. No prayer directed to God falls on deaf ears. He is always listening and working out His perfect plan for our lives. Though we cannot see Him at work, He is there behind the scenes bringing together events in such as way as to fulfil His great purposes for us. But do we trust Him and His ability to lead us? Or is our unwillingness to continue our prayers a subtle declaration that we do not trust the Lord of the Universe to do what He has promised to do. When we have allowed Christ to enter our heart and carry out His work in our lives, we can rest in the assurance that He always answers prayer and according to His flawless timing and will in order to fulfil His plan for us. All He requires is that we trust Him, being persistent in our prayers that we can see for ourselves His faithful providence and thereby strengthening our faith in Him.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

“I call to God, and the Lord saves me. Evening, morning and noon I cry out in distress, and he hears my voice.” -Psalm 55:16-17 (NIV)

Human beings cannot be in two places at once. This fact is exacerbated even more in the fast-paced culture we currently live in. As much as we would like others to be where we want them to be, this does not always happen. I remember moments when I travelled wanting to meet someone, hoping to catch them in their office, only to find that they were not there. I have also had times when I urgently needed to get something from the local convenience store only to find out that they had just closed. Of course this is all understandable. Whether it is because of unexpected events or simply a matter of needing rest, we cannot guarantee that the people we wish to see will always be there when we call, despite our wishes that it be otherwise.

But the wonderful truth about God is that He is there for us! No matter when we call upon Him or for whatever purpose, He promises in His Word that He listens to and answers those who come to Him. We are His precious children and He wants to hear from us and be a part of our lives. Just as how a loving and caring parent would rush to their children when they are in need, God does the same for us. What is more is that when we call upon God, we have the Lord of the Universe as our rock and fortress, against which no obstacles will be able to stand!  When we have allowed Christ to enter our hearts so that by His blood He may cleanse us of our sin, we have entered through Him into a restored relationship with God. We become adopted into His family and are able to dwell in the faithful love and providence He will show to those who have chosen to abide in Him so that He may work out His perfect plan for us.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

“Hear my prayer, O Lord; listen to my cry for mercy. In the day of my trouble I will call to you, for you will answer me.” –Psalm 86:6-7 (NIV)

It is an almost instinctive cry. When our world has been turned upside-down, and chaos and despair is all around us, our voices turn to God. Knowing that He has ultimate power when we are powerless, we ask for His aid; to help us in our misery and suffering. But sometimes it feels as if our cries are in vain. Despite our constant prayers it feels as if God is not listening. Our sufferings continue to haunt us and we begin to wonder where He is in the midst of our circumstances. We ask if He sees our pain and feels our hurts, or if He is blind and simply does not care. These thoughts can discourage us greatly. But if we allow them to consume us they will lead us away from the truth of who God really is.

God is love. It is in His very nature. Him creating us is an act of love in itself because we are made in His image and we are irreplaceable to Him. Yet we live in a fallen world, made so because of the entrance of sin. But does His seeming silence mean that He has turned His back on humanity because we have allowed sin to corrupt His creation? Not at all! It grieves Him to watch us suffer and He knows full well the hardship we endure here on Earth. That is why He is always at work, seeking to redeem us from sin and restore what has been destroyed. He has done this to Christ so that by His death and resurrection we are cleansed of our sin and have the hope of eternal life with Him. When we choose to trust in Him, He will prove His faithfulness to us for He is able and works all things together for good. In Him we will find joy in our sufferings as He lifts us up according to His perfect will, and assures of the day when He will wipe every tear from our eyes and will turn our mourning into dancing.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

“For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him.” –Psalm 62:5 (ESV)

Today as I was walking through the mall I came across an interesting product. Running late for an early morning appointment? Take “Cereal on the Go” with you; a curious little container in which you can pour your milk and cereal, and eat from it while you travel. But what was interesting about it was not what it does, but the statement which it made. We have become such a fast-paced culture that we cannot even carve out time so that we may  sit down and enjoy the first meal of our day. So great is the demand to meet deadlines and go from here to there as quickly as possible that we end up having to multi-task almost everything we do. But if our minds are everywhere, we are actually nowhere, and this causes much stress and anxiety in our lives.

Sometimes we face this problem when it comes to spending time with God. In the midst of our busy lives we feel that we cannot possibly fit Him into our schedules. Even when we want Him to be involved in our lives, we find ourselves being so caught up in the affairs of this world that He becomes only a mere afterthought. But this is not meant to be. If it is true peace and strength we seek, we can only find it by spending time with Christ; who has created the day and given us breath. It is only sensible that we bring our day before Him. When we have allowed Christ to enter our hearts and seek to align ourselves with Him, He will teach us what it means to put Him first. By taking time to be in His presence through prayer and reading His Word, we will learn that when we wait on Him, He will strengthen and empower us for the day ahead. Placing our trust in Him first, we will be blessed as He proves His faithfulness to us; assuring us with the hope that through Him we are able to overcome.

Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

“No wisdom, no understanding, no counsel can avail against the Lord.” –Proverbs 21:30 (ESV)

In elementary school we had several rules. One rule in particular was that if we were doing an assignment in class and had a question, we were to ask three other people before asking the teacher herself. While this was meant to build teamwork, even then I knew of the possibility that all three of the people I asked could have been wrong. That is why I always made it a point to let the teacher have the final word when I needed to clear my doubts. Sometimes her answer was the same as that of the others I had asked. Sometimes it was completely different. Yet I knew that if I took my uncertainties to my teacher, I would always leave with the right answer and a better idea of what she is expecting from me as a student.

When stricken by doubt, to whom do we take these feelings to? In such moments we may try to seek the counsel of family and friends. If those avenues do not seem to work, we may attempt to find guidance in the many philosophies of this world. But has it ever occurred to us that the wisdom we can find in this world has the potential to be wrong? As a result of sin, human fallibility has corrupted even the most brilliant of minds. Though occasionally we may be able to discern sound advice and act upon it, there are times when we are simply unable to do so. However, if it is true wisdom we seek, why do we fail to ask God? He is the Creator of the Universe! Nothing is new to Him for He is all-knowing. When we allow Christ to carry out His redeeming work in our lives, He will restore our minds so that through His help we may be able to understand the beauty and love found in His perfect wisdom. Knowing this, He will become the standard by which all wisdom is measured, and we will be able to discern whether the counsel of the world is there to hinder us, or to keep us walking in the right path.

Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

“Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear.” –Isaiah 65:24 (NIV)

Often times, a good doctor can tell what is wrong with a patient even before the patient himself utters a word. Outward signs, such as overall complexion and severity of coughing for example, can often be enough information for doctors to understand the situation and recommend prescriptions accordingly. But doctors usually do not do this right away. They first wait for the patient to tell them what is ailing them. Only after the patient requests to undergo treatment does the doctor act. Doctors cannot simply force treatment on someone, but are required to wait until the patient willingly submits himself to the doctor’s expertise. When this happens, doctors are required to act towards the restoration of the health of the patient; doing all that is within their power to bring healing.

In His infinite wisdom God knows exactly what we need. He has created us and knows us intimately well; even better than we know ourselves! As the embodiment of love and righteousness He wants to provide for us in our time of need. Yet He will not act if we have not submitted ourselves to Christ and His perfect will for our lives. If we in our pride have rejected Him by clinging onto our flawed wisdom and understanding, we cannot assume that He will grant us what we need. Only when we have come with humble hearts to Him in prayer, making that choice to trust in His flawless guidance and allowing Him to direct our steps, will He unveil the wonderful plan He has in store for us according to His faultless timing. By abandoning our pride and fear; running instead into the arms of Christ and acknowledging that His ways are better than ours, we will be able to find rest in His promise that He already knows what we need in our situations and will lovingly provide for us when we ask.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.