Can you imagine that in just a few months, we may soon celebrate a new year, if the Lord allows?  It is too easy as the year progresses, to be caught living life unintentionally.  Too often, we find ourselves moving from one activity to the next; from one event to the next, trying to keep up with an impossible schedule of duties.  Too often, we are consumed with the world and its groaning (Romans 8:22).  And with everything that is going on in our world; natural and man made disasters, at times, it is easy to find ourselves groaning right along with the world.  Do you know the story of Job? If not, I challenge you to read it.  It is found in the Bible, between the books of Esther and Psalms. It may appear to be lengthy at first, and the discourse may be challenging, but persevere, you will not regret it.  Although, I do not want to give any spoilers, two really good points about this story, you will encounter as you read are: “Greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world (I John 4:4), and we have an enemy, whose sole purpose is to steer our hearts away from God (Ephesians 6:11).  A popular saying, found in the Christian world, is “you are going through something (trial); you are getting ready to go through something; or you are getting out of something”.   

In other words, the Lord promises to take our burdens (I Peter 5:8), He promises to be there with us (Hebrews 13:5), He promises to be faithful (I Thessalonians 3:3), and He also says WE WILL HAVE TRIALS (James 1:2).  They are inevitable. So, what are we to do, when we encounter these difficult times?  Trust Him!  Believe me, I know these two words are monumental. Did you know ‘trust’ is an action?  The idea here is to release the burden, to ‘let go’.  It means acknowledging the trial, committing it and the end results to the Lord. It means being prepared to accept the end results, even when it is not what we want.  It means ‘finding the silver lining’ when to our naked eyes, there is none.  Sometimes, that ‘silver lining’ is holding onto the Lord, tightly, with both hands.  At times, it includes committing Psalm 27:13, 14 to memory and repeating it every time we are tempted to be anxious. (Memorize it, you will not regret it).   At times, we may be required to do something, other times, (most of the time) we may just need to wait.   And that right there is the hardest thing to do!  Wait! Wait, dear friends, you will not regret it. The Almighty, Loving, Gracious, Merciful and Faithful One has a great plan for you, even though, right now, it may not seem like it (Jeremiah 29:11).