All of us have had the experience of getting stuck. Recently we experienced that in simply assembling a puzzle. It started off just fine putting together the borders and then we separated some of the colors. We were excited when we found that there were a specific colors and designs that quickly fit together. But then we got stuck.
Some are up to a challenge of a 5,000-piece puzzle but for others, it’s just too much of a challenge and we find ourselves stuck, We start wondering if we should continue or just put it all back in the box.
Sometimes getting stuck is a bigger issue. Perhaps it’s financial….We lose a job and the next thing we know we are about to lose our car or our home. We go to the doctor for a checkup and he says, “oh oh”….What do you mean oh-oh? Those are words we don’t want our physicians to say.
Perhaps some find themselves in a bad marriage, a bad job, or a bad neighborhood. God wants us to have peace in these situations and can give us that peace. Regardless of our situation, the scriptures remind us that we can be content for God has said, "I will never leave you, nor forsake you." (Hebrews 13:5)
But sometimes being stuck ends up becoming a true crisis. How are we to find peace in the midst of a crisis? The Apostle Paul tells us that first of all, we need to focus on God instead of the situation. That's easier said than done, but that's what Paul means when he says, "Rejoice in the Lord always. Again, I will say rejoice" (Philippians 4:4). Paul's not saying that we're happy about what we're going through; he's not even saying to rejoice in our difficulties. He's saying rejoice in the Lord, and that's something altogether different.
It’s possible to have joy in our lives not only when we are stuck but even in the midst of a crisis. True joy is the knowledge that God is in control of our circumstances and allows only that which He permits into our lives. That's why the Apostle and brother of the Lord, James says to consider it joy when a trial comes our way. (James 1:2)
It's not that the trial brings joy. Instead, it is what God is doing for us and in us through the trial. He is involved in our lives and is working through these situations. When we truly believe that God is involved, we will consider the trial joy and can find peace and rest in the Lord. In truth, our joy is in the Lord and is completely independent of our circumstances. That is why even in the midst of the worst situations we still worship God. That's what Job did when he lost his possessions and his family; he said, "Blessed be the name of the Lord" (Job 1:21)
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