GRACE ANCHORED JOURNEY

Tough times can drag us away from fully experiencing God. Things tend to overwhelm and swallow us even in the midst of His wonderful words. And, if we are not careful enough, we will drift away without knowing it at a glance. I have experienced this for many times and I always end up thanking the Lord for His grace and mercy. During moments of uncertainties and difficulties, I like to read the book of Habakkuk. There, we see the thoughts of Habakkuk about the world and why God is slow to take actions towards evil happenings.

I once came to the darkest point of my life because of deteriorating health. Having been diagnosed with tumors in the thyroid part has never been easy. I need to adjust my activities, food, work, and basically, my entire life. I have to travel a different road that is far from what I used to walk on for so many years. Days became so dragging and the thought of hopelessness and despair suddenly came in uninvited. But those dark days that God allowed me to go though were also the days when I had deep thoughts about life, God, and my existence. Those moments prepared me to the path that God has paved for me long time ago, but due to disobedience, I chose my own will to manage my life. During those difficult times that we learn to seek God whole heartedly. Through dark alleys, we learn to seek the Light that is found in Jesus.

Whenever we have questions, doubts, problems, trials, do we instinctively turn to God or to other things or people?  In the book of Habakkuk, the inquisitive nature of this prophet led Him to converse with God deeply and seriously. Yet at the end of his complaints and laments, he ended up praising God.

Many times, we are put in the shoes of Prophet Habakkuk. We do not understand many things nor grasp what is happening and why is it happening. Our minds are filled with questions of how’s and why’s.

How do we seek God during tough times? Nancy Leigh deMoss (my favorite author) once said that “seeking God means to inquire of Him, to seek His direction, His wisdom, His understanding and His perspective.”

These principles grounded me as I learn to seek and trust God day by day.

Seek God in a deeper way. The way we know God is the way we communicate with Him. There are times when a lot of things are happening without our understanding. Like Habakkuk, he wanted God to reveal the answer to Him. However, He is not obliged to give us answers. It is not His responsibility to explain everything to us. Yet God is still gracious. Those doubts and uncertainties that we feel, He is patiently showing Himself.

I love asking questions. I always have “what’s” “why’s” and “how’s.” There are times that I like to understand why this thing happens. I always wonder the reason behind. And, I can relate with prophet Habakkuk. I shared the same laments. And one thing I can assure is that God listens even to our boring and non-sense questions.

Most often than not, those blurry and gray areas lead us to go to God for answers. When things start to get more difficult, we run to Him. Like Habakkuk, we express our griefs and anguish. Yet in the end, we will realize that God’s sovereignty still prevails.

“And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 23:13

Read His Word and Learn from it. Where can we find answers except from His Word? The Bible is full of stories and testimonies about the attributes of God. His Word will point us to the right direction.

I had those emotional and doubtful moments. I ha seasons of confusion. Through all of those, His Word kept me steady and firm. The battle is not easy because it is easier to pursue our own desires and decisions. But if we really know God, we will be assured that His Words will neve fail. His Word will never lead us to any danger.

“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:” 2 Timothy 3:16

May our only resort during tough times is to go digging in His Word.

Praise His name. No matter what happens, God is still in control. He knows all. This may sound cliché in our Christian journey, but it is different when we are the ones walking in it. Praising God in the midst of storms? How would that be possible? And yet, it is. I had so many challenging times and I still praised God. You know why? Because I know the Lord. His loving kindness compels me to trust Him because I am confident that He will never leave me nor forsake me (Hebrews 13:5). And because of that, I will forever praise His name no matter what I have been going through.

It won’t come naturally though. I have not found easy to praise God and trust in Him during those early days of my Christian journey. It takes discipline to know the truth and apply it to control our emotions. Praising Him in the storm lies in the truth of Jesus that we keep in our hearts and minds. The more we know Him and His character, the easier we can praise Him during trials and problems.

“Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.” Habakkuk 3:17-18

Wait for His deliverance. One thing that amazed me is when God delivers His servant. I had a lot of experiences about God’s deliverance and it delights my heart to know that God is always with me. He is always with us. Even when we think that He is far, that He does not hear our prayers, or that He does not listen. His deliverance reveals His character. There’s no other way to be saved from whatever we are going through today. It is only by and through God’s mercy. Of course, whenever we seek God and His deliverance, we wait with an expectant heart.

“Salvation belongeth unto the LORD: thy blessing is upon thy people. Selah.” Psalm 3:8

 The Bible is full of stories about His deliverance starting from Adam and Eve who fell into sin, to Moses who led millions out of captivity, to David who became victorious because of His allegiance to the Lord.

My prayer, my dear friend is that may we learn from these people and wait for God’s mighty rescue. Always keep in mind that there is nothing too hard for the Lord (Jeremiah 32:17).