God is Refining You

You ever wonder where God is, in your time of need? Have you come to the point where you’ve literally cried out, “God, do you see what I’m going through down here? Where are you?” Maybe you’ve prayed and prayed and fasted and prayed, waiting on God to work a miracle through your unique situation, to no avail. Jesus felt like that once. He was literally dying on the cross, his life almost completely spent, when he cried out to the Lord. Matthew 27:46 says,

“About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).

Jesus could have chosen to use his divine powers to free himself. He could have turned away from the father’s plan and taken up matters into his own hands. But he didn’t. Our Lord remained faithful in trusting God. By doing so, you and I were freed from the bondage of sin and death through his sacrifice.

To date, the year of 2014 has been one trial after another for me. For every positive and miraculous situation that occurred, it seemed as if Satan was always just around the corner, waiting to snatch victory away. We can become bogged down by his snares and intimidations. He’s such a master of deception, sometimes it seems as if God is just too far away and busy to take notice.

My wife sent me a text message yesterday that read, “God is ready to help, but He wishes first to build Faith in His followers.” This message spoke directly into my heart because it reminded me that God is omnipotent. He sees everything, and is fully aware of the trials we encounter. I think God desires faithful followers, not folks who will turn away from Him when times grow difficult. Sometimes, I think He allows room for difficult trials to temper our resolve. We’ve all heard the saying, “He never gives you more than you can handle.”

When hard times come, dig deep into God’s presence. This may mean you have to completely ignore your emotions, but God is faithful. For me, having the support of a Christian family helps me to delve deeper into God’s presence during the difficult times. After all, there is strength in numbers. Whether you have a supportive family, or the backing of your church family, don’t give up on God or yourself. Your period of hardship may just be your time of trial in which God is refining you.