– Encounter Alumni. Baguio City
FAITH IN THE EYE OF THE STORM
The Christian life is all about FAITH. Hebrews 11 says, "faith is being sure of what we hope for, and knowing something is real even if we do not see it." I love this verse because it always brings me comfort when I am in the midst of a season where I'm finding it difficult to hold on. When God has called us to do something, we must believe and act on it. I believe that God delights in those who will follow the call He's placed in the heart, and risk the comfort of everyday life for the Kingdom's sake.
The easiest thing for us to do is doubt. As an emotionally driven people, we often find ourselves in peaks and valleys, caught between hope and despair. It seems as if the journey of life is a constant roller coaster of highs and lows. It seems that even when we want to move forward with confidence, our flesh continuously wants to resort to the comfort of what we can see, feel, and physically grasp. This can be extremely frustrating because we want to see results and the fruits of our labor quickly.
Are you in a season right now where you feel like nothing exciting is happening for you? Are you feeling alone, hopeless, or discouraged? Especially in this time we are in, it is easy to lose faith and doubt if God really will deliver us from what we are going through. And personally, I can personally attest to that. As some of you may know, I am planning to work in Japan. Ever since I set my mind to it last year, I did my best on making it a reality. And I did. I was accepted and I went through a 5-month training all for this dream of mine, and eventually I finished the training and I graduated. At that point it looks like it's just a clear one-shot victory.
But of course, the unthinkable happened. A virus, SARS-CoV-2, inflicted the world and put everything to a near stop. Stores closed, economies crashing, and people quarantined. In the span of less than a month, everything froze. I was supposed to be there by the 3rd week of March but due to the lockdown, my trip has been pushed back. I wanted to go to Japan. I wanted to fulfill my dream, but things in life don't go the way you always want. God sometimes uses your situation to grow spiritually, or to tell you to put your trust in Him. But I doubted God a lot. I asked Him "will I ever fulfill this dream?", "will this crisis ever end?" But God showed me that even when you're in the eye of the storm, there'll always be hope, and a future. Jeremiah 29:11 states, "I know the plans that I have for you...plans to prosper you...to give you a future and a hope." If you are feeling discouraged today and are having a hard time believing, just know that God is closer to you than you know. In my case, God showed me the value of family, the people around you, and the importance of being patient. Though now I'm uncertain on when I'll be going, or what I'll be encountering when I go there, though it feels like I'm a step short of my goal, just within my vision, but a hair short of my grasp, I know to trust in God's perfect will and timing.
He is using this crisis right now to stretch, bend, purify, and refine you into a warrior for the Kingdom. Like grapes that get crushed and pressed and eventually turn into beautiful wine, so our character and faith after the Lord puts us through His refining process. This may require some crushing, pressing, filtering out the junk, and even sitting for a while to mature, but in due season, it's our time to be released! And though at many times the future may look bleak, just know that God has a plan for you, and it's probably just around the corner! BELIEVE IT!