Small Beginnings

#
I am sure, like me, you’ve had times in your life when things look like they are going to get difficult . Times when you look at the future and you become concerned. You look ahead with confusion and distress and don’t know where to start to make improve things. The way ahead looks hard, there are obstacles to navigate, and plenty to pray about as you are coming into a season of being stretched.
It doesn’t really matter what the circumstances are, it could be; a work situation, a family issue, financial difficulties, illness or a whole multitude of other things. The fact remains though that you are contemplating the impact of whatever it is on your life, and you’re not sure what you can do to navigate this season well, you don’t know how to get the answers or solutions you need or maybe even the resources.

What do you do then?

When your life looks uncertain and you are worried, what do you do? These times certainly test our faith!

As a family, we have had a lot of change recently, there have been a lot of things that have happened. Some we have been in control of, others we haven’t, some have been expected, some events came out of the blue. A lot has occurred for our circumstances to change even in the last month.
A few of these circumstances caught my attention because of the long-term implications and the insurmountable solutions required. Looking at the future concerned me, and made me feel sad. I could not see how things could improve - So, what can I do?

The only thing I could - pray

When I say I pray, I admit that I haven’t spent hours in prayer, but I have let God know my worries, my thoughts and feelings, my hopes and ideas. I have spent time telling God what I could see was going on and I have asked Him to intervene. You see, God cares about the big and small worries of my life, and He cares about yours too. He likes us to admit how we are doing and for us to let him know how we are responding to these things. Some of you reading this may not have batted an eyelid to the things that have caused me concern, but that doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter how others perceive our situations because they are not the ones having to deal with it and having to work out their faith in it. We each have our own situations and concerns to manage and walk through in life, and we are responsible for how we handle and respond to the circumstances in our own lives.

So, I prayed. I told God how I was doing, how I had seen others respond, I asked Him how I should react, is there something I need to do God? I have also let God know I am really upset, disappointed, worried, scared, annoyed even. I have prayed for others involved, I pray for wisdom, for His love to be demonstrated. I pray for better to come. I pray and trust that God can and will transform what doesn’t seem good or helpful into something great and I continue to pray.

Do you know, as I have prayed about these situations, I have noticed God working. God has, in small ways, showed me that He is listening. The circumstances are no different, things have not been magically restored or repaired, but I have seen things from a new angle, and I have seen God provide in small ways. Would I have noticed such Godly intervention if I hadn’t been praying I wonder?

The circumstances have not been radically transformed, but I have seen small things that have and will make a huge difference. Some of these blessings may be temporary, but they show the presence, power and protection of God. It reminds me of the following verse;

Zecahriah 4:10; ‘Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin’.

I have seen, ’small beginnings’ of hope entering these situations. It gives me such gratitude that God would take the time to intervene, to show that he is aware of what is going on, that He is present and active even when things seem distressing and difficult. I love how this verse says that God, ‘rejoices to see the work begin’. God likes to bring about new things in our lives. Sometimes that means we will encounter difficult times, but God will show His presence - are you praying and preparing to hear from Him?

When you pray about something do you look out for the ‘small beginnings’? The little incidences that occur that aren’t the full answer, but show that God is on it? How awesome is it that we have a God who cares enough about us to remind us He is there and in charge?! I am grateful that I prayed, if I hadn’t I may of missed the small beginnings of the life changes that are going to follow. I have not seen the full picture yet, I do not know the far-reaching consequences of what is occurring, but God has renewed my confidence and invigorated my faith by stepping in to show He is in these problems.

So, today, if something is bothering you, don’t dismiss praying for it. Nothing is too big or small for God to intervene. It may be too big or small for you, but not for God. Once you’ve prayed, keep praying and be ready for the ‘small beginnings’ that will come. God rejoices in them, you should too. Be assured that God is at work. God will show His presence - are you looking for it?

is God really real?

This is a question that is easy to ask periodically in life, it’s a good one too and it usually arises at times of difficulty, especially if you’ve been believing, hoping maybe even fasting and praying for a certain outcome that does not manifest.

What then?

Is God really real?

Is God as real when things don’t go your way as when they do? Can you believe and trust in Him even when the answer to your greater desire is no? Is God still good when the worst happens? Does He still love you or even exist when the answer to pouring your heart out is silence?

 These are the very real  situations that we all come face-to-face with at some point in our lives. Disappointment, loneliness, grief, debt, illness, failure - these things can all lead us to question the very existence of God. How can God exist or be considered good when there’s suffering in the world? When I’ve asked God for help and He didn’t answer -where was He?
These questions are heart-wrenching responses to the battles of life, in times where we feel confused, alone, overwhelmed and desperate - where is the one who’s meant to love us? Is God really real?

As a believer in God, I am not immune to these questions, to these very real, confusing and desperate emotions that are a result to the circumstances we find ourselves in.
Maybe now you expect me to give you an eloquent answer to all of these confusing questions interlaced with a bit of knowledge and theological input - well, I’m not, and I’m not sure I could if I tried. You and I need to work out our own answers in response to these things, your faith cannot rest on my answers - you need to work out your own and your own standing with Almighty God. I will, however, tell you a few thoughts of my own that keep me going through the terrible times;

1) God is either real or He isn’t - His existence is not dependent on whether today is the best or worst day of my life. I either believe He is real or I don’t, circumstances and feelings are irrelevant to this fact. I may become angry, confused, lack hope, but I cannot alter from the crux of this matter - either God is really real, or He isn’t.

2) Don’t tell my kids - but I don’t know everything! There are things that are out of my realm of understanding, there are circumstances I cannot predict or understand, I also make mistakes. Therefore I cannot tell what will happen long-term, and although I feel bad or sad about things, this does not mean that I ultimately know best and that God has got it wrong. I am fallible, God is not.

3) God is not in it for instant gratification like we are. God sees the long game, He knows the beginning from the end, and whatever is going on will bring about good for His people.
We do not like discomfort or suffering, yet God can see the effect of this and that it is actually for our benefit and for those around us too in the long-run.

4) God is good and loving always. I try to think of it like this; as a parent, I have to disappoint my kids sometimes, I have to say no, I have to limit them in some capacity - why? Well, sometimes they need to learn, they need to wait, they need to understand and grow, they need to develop relationships, forgive people, be patient, be aware of risk and probably a million other things! They need to learn to be responsible so that they become adults, not remain children. Therefore there are boundaries, and at times I will limit them, they will also have to navigate situations they don’t want to because I know that they are learning something in the process.
Now, God is a greater parent than I ever will be, so His reasons for our discomfort are greater than ours for our children. He wants us to learn, He does not want us to remain with a childish faith, but wants us to grow up, He wants us to realise who we are and who those around us are, this means we will have to navigate situations we don’t want to because we need to grow up!

5) God is God of the impossible.
We can easily miss what God is doing when we focus on our own emotions. In times of persecution I see the christians in the Bible praising God and even thanking Him for what He is doing in their lives. We have forgotten this lost treasure. We forget God’s bigness when we allow the bigness or our situations to override who He is. We can end up relying on our own capabilities, skills and resources instead of remembering who God is.
God is God of the impossible - He can answer 101 questions at the same time, He can turn around situations, He can bring rest and relief, He can resolve issues, He can breakthrough, He can wait, He can be silent, He can led you, and He can allow you to make your own decisions. He is Love, He is good. He never fails.
So, can you fail to trust Him?

Is God really real to you?

Prosperity and Adversity

'In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider: God has made the one as well as the other, so that man may not find out anything that will be after him.' 
Ecclesiastes 7:14.

Solomon seems to like to make comparisons with opposing ideas. We have had death and life, mourning and celebration, now we have prosperity and adversity. Times of celebration and success versus times of trouble and struggle.

Solomon points out that prosperity and adversity BOTH come from God. We don’t really like to think of it like that do we? We quite happily accept that prosperity - all the good things, come from God, but adversity, all the bad things, too? God is good, right? So why would He allow the struggle and strife?

How do you feel about the fact that God brings success and calamity? Prosperity AND adversity?

We can see this demonstrated in the book of Job. Job, a faithful follower of God, devoted to Him even, suffers great calamity as his whole family dies, he loses all of his material possessions and then suffers physically too.
We see a conversation occurring about Job where the devil and God chat about him, and God gives permission for the devil to carry out these adverse times for Job. God has given authority for these things to happen. Why?
Why does God do that?

God ordains success and failure. He allows adversity as well as prosperity.
How does that fit with your perception of who God is?

Does your perception of God change whether you are in times of adversity or prosperity?
We tend to thank God for one and pray to get out of the other. We all want a relatively easy, happy and successful life.  We don’t want to suffer like Job, we don’t want to be alone, abandoned by friends, poor and hurting.
Yet, if you are, does it mean you have any less faith than anyone else? Does it mean that God has abandoned you? Doesn’t love or care for you?

The road to prosperity can often come through adversity.

How do we become prosperous? Is it by receiving the good things all the time? Getting our own way? Living the dream? Isn’t there some suffering that usually comes along before a breakthrough?

Well, let’s go back to Job, he had more than his fair share of adversity don’t you think? Yet, he held on, he kept his faith, I don’t know if I would of come through as assured of my own integrity and God’s existence as Job did. He truly held on to faith through the most appalling times. We can read the whole book in a matter of hours, but the whole season of life must of spanned years. Maybe you read this today and can relate to Job - years of strife and struggle with you holding on. If that is you - WELL DONE. You have achieved faith in greater measures than some of us will ever know. Like Job, you have endured and overcome great trials, and you have stuck with it.
Your time of prosperity will come - Job had all things restored in greater measure than he had before. God increased Job and his ministry because of his faithfulness. Yes, Job had a wobble and questioned God - he had a moan - who wouldn’t in that situation?! I admire Job. He endured, he questioned himself and his faith, yet he always knew the goodness of God was a reality. He grew in his understanding of who he was and who God is through it all. We know the end story of Job, but we don’t now the end story of our adversity. So, how will you handle it?
Will you hold on even if suffering lasts for years and you lose all you have? Will you trust in God even when He doesn’t seem to answer? Will you continue to believe in Him if God makes you go through it rather than escape it?

Times of prosperity are great, they are enjoyable and feel fulfilling, yet it’s the times of adversity that show the true colours of our character. There are areas in which we all need to grow and we know it, adversity is a great time to be stretched and grown even if we don’t like it. Adversity teaches us things, and can develop our faith if we set our heart to depend on God no matter what. Job did. He did not give up believing, he held firm and he was rewarded. Times of adversity can strengthen our faith, yes we have to persevere, we have to trust, we have to make the difficult decisions sometimes, but the end will be worth it for we DO serve a good God. He does want what s best for you, and sometimes that’s not having everything that you want. Sometimes that’s you being stretched, torn apart and rebuilt again. It’s painful, yet it is also a time of great richness. A richness of growth and dependence not on our own self, but on the One who sees the beginning and the end.

God brings prosperity and adversity, He knows what He is doing. We need prosperity, times of success, achievement and joy - we can turn our happiness into praise and gratitude, and we also need times of dependence and being at the end of ourselves otherwise what is our faith?

So in, ‘prosperity be joyful’ - appreciate the goodness, success, wealth given to you, be grateful for it and acknowledge it. It is nothing to be ashamed of, but it is to be enjoyed.
In, ‘adversity consider’ - contemplate the purpose of this time, your responsibility in it, what you should do. What part of your character is being reshaped right now? Is there something you are learning about yourself or God?