In 1997 Singapore experienced the Asian financial crisis. Many people couldn’t find jobs—including me. After nine months of sending out countless resumes, I finally landed a job as a copywriter. God provided for my needs! Then the economy plummeted again because of the SARS outbreak. And, once again, I was jobless.
Ever been there? It seems like the worst is over and things are sailing along smoothly, when suddenly the bottom drops out and your life plunges into uncertainty.
The widow at Zarephath could definitely relate. There had been a terrible famine in the land and, facing starvation, the woman was preparing a last meal for herself and her son when the prophet Elijah requested a drink of water and a bite to eat. She responded and subsequently experienced a continuous miraculous supply of flour and oil by which Elijah and her family were sustained (1 Kings 17:10-16). Life was looking good. But then, her son fell ill. His health deteriorated and eventually he died.
At such times, we may respond as the widow did—wondering if God is punishing us for unconfessed sins (1 Kings 17:18). It’s easy to forget that while God may sometimes use suffering to discipline us, often bad things happen to us simply because we live in a fallen world.
Elijah chose to take his concerns to God (1 Kings 17:20). He prayed, “O Lord my God”—expressing his personal relationship with the One who is faithful and true. He then sought to understand God’s purpose for allowing the tragedy to happen. Finally, he prayed by faith in accordance to who He is and what He can do (1 Kings 17:21).
If life throws us a curveball, may we—like Elijah—realize that the faithful One will not desert us. We can rest in God’s purposes even as we pray by faith for understanding.
NLT 365-day reading plan passage for today: Daniel 6:1-28
More:
Read James 1:2-4 to see how God can use times of trial in our lives.
Next:
What do your responses to life’s trials reveal about your relationship with God? How can you grow in your trust in Him?
phip2016 on June 2, 2017 at 10:50 am
Thank you for this. I was unemployed for two and a half years during the financial crisis of 2008. The bail-out bankers who had created the problem scuttled off to their private jets and eye-watering bonuses. I had never even owned a credit card at that stage. But Asaph had a similar experience and poured out his frustrations in Psalm 73. Ultimately, he had the faith to believe what is very, very wrong will one day be very, very right.
Poh Fang Chia on June 4, 2017 at 9:32 pm
Thank you for sharing Psalm 73. I’m so thankful that we can pour out our frustration to Him, and He understands. He is our hope in seemingly hopeless situations.
Monica Brands on June 2, 2017 at 1:14 pm
Thanks for sharing this, Poh Fang.
minkjh on June 2, 2017 at 2:28 pm
Poh Fang, your inclusion of the selection from James 1 is appropriate for us today. Older translations used a word for endurance that we don’t often hear anymore…steadfastness. I like that word because it breathes a sense of permanence and immovability, which is exactly what believers need when they face the onslaughts that test their faith. We know, don’t we, that adding joy into the mix requires discernment into what God’s purpose is in all of the trials that beset us. Some can really test the limits of our faith. Praying for all to emain steadfast!
Poh Fang Chia on June 4, 2017 at 9:35 pm
Thank you, minkjh, for sharing that insight on James 1. Steadfastness—that is a good word! Gonna dwell more on this word today. 🙂