During difficult times

Majority of us face difficult times at least once in our lifetime. Interestingly, some people handle the situations with great optimism, and yet there are others who are engulfed by the magnitude of their problems. The bible says in Matthew 11:28, “ Come to Me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” The phrase “Come to Me” struck me hard. I realised that it is only when we come before God and we lift up our burdens and difficulties to Him that we truly trust God for ways to handle them. Although this action should come naturally, many of us tend to rely on our own strength and knowledge. This tendency is dangerous because we risk living our own lives independently of God.
I believe there are reasons why we get weary when we are in difficult situations.
1. Our faith in God is not strong enough. The bible promises us that “whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” We must first not have doubts in our hearts that our problems cannot be solved. All it takes is time and strong faith. We must hold steadfast to this promise and not lose heart.

2. When we lean on our own strength, we become worn out. (I must admit I have the tendency to do so sometimes.) Perhaps this is why this verse is so relevant to me, and maybe to some of you. Let us really check if we have been too reliant on ourselves.

Proverbs 3:5-6
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths.”

It says that God shall direct our paths when we learn to lean on God and not depend on ourselves. This means we will be guided and be led out of the dark times that we go through, if we only trust in the Lord! Therefore, I encourage all of you to find the answers and solutions that we need by seeking God and praying fervently.

Our strength is limited, but with God’s strength, we can become conquerors and emerge victorious at the end of the day! =)

-Eunice