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New Article: When Life Feels Uncertain

 

               When the apostle Paul arrived in the city of Corinth, he felt defeated.  Despite his best efforts, nothing was working.  Instead of people responding to his preaching with faith, he had been ignored, mocked, thrown in jail, or run out of town everywhere he went.  His confidence was so low that he said he came to Corinth “in weakness and fear, and with much trembling” (1 Corinthians 2:3). Then he received a word of encouragement that changed everything.

               Jesus spoke to Paul in a vision and said, “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.” (Acts 18:9-10).  That one message changed Paul’s outlook and it has some good reminders for us as well.

               The first thing to notice is that even when Paul felt lost and hopeless, God had a plan.  Paul did not know it at the time, but God had been working on the hearts of the people of Corinth and he could see the results that were coming.  We must remember that there is more going on than what we see and that we are not in charge.  It is not our job to make things happen, rather we are to join in on what God is already doing.  God is working out his plan even when we do not understand it yet (See Jeremiah 29:11).

               The second big reminder is that everything happens according to God’s timing, not ours.  It is difficult to keep doing the right things when you do not see any results, but that is what is necessary.  There were God-honouring people in the city, but Paul would find them when the time was right.  We may want everything right now, but maybe we are not ready for those blessings yet.  One of the themes of God’s word is that he acts when the time is right (See Romans 5:6). 

               Most of us like clarity.  We want to know what we are doing, where we are going and how things will turn out ahead of time.  However, we must learn to trust that God has a plan and that he will give us what we need when we need it.

               That is what faith is all about.

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