REMEMBER, THAT AFFLICTION WILL ONLY LAST A SEASON!

Yes, I know, cliché, isn’t it? We hear it all the time. We even say it to encourage someone going through a difficult time. But wait a minute, do we even remember that statement when in our own fiery furnace? Right there in the middle of the valley of the shadow of death? Does it even make sense to us in those moments when we’re hard-pressed on every side? Desperate for solutions? Hmmm…

I recently saw something in the scriptures which reminded me just how true it is that indeed, those difficult days, challenging moments, depressing circumstances and unpleasant experiences will only last a season. They won’t last forever. It’s in 1 Peter 5.

The 6th verse says,  “Therefore humble yourselves [demote, lower yourselves in your own estimation] under the mighty hand of God, that in due time He may exalt you”.

The phrase, “in due time”, means that there is a time and a season apportioned to that situation. It means that when the countdown is over and the time is up, God Himself will lift you out of the valley, will rebrand you, set you on that elevated place and usher in the next peaceful season of your life. And when God says it’s time to lift you out of that pit of turmoil, NOTHING AND NO ONE IN HEAVEN OR ON EARTH CAN STOP HIM! But first, the humbling needs to happen.

How do I humble myself under the mighty hand of God? By casting all my worries on Him, that’s how. Just as the next verse says, “casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully”. Therefore, being able to hand my worries over to Him is indeed a sign of submission and humility.

Lazarus had been dead for four days before Jesus arrived at Bethany and when Martha met Him, notice she was nearly accusing Him, expressing her displeasure at His “lateness”. She believed in Him alright, she believed He could raise her brother, she didn’t doubt His love and friendship yet she whined. She complained. She questioned Him … But, when Mary came to Him, still carrying that grief, that unexplainable pain and sadness that must have weighed a zillion tonnes in her heart, she SIMPLY FELL AT HIS FEET! She humbled herself before Him, deeply aware of His love for her and her brother. She laid her heart and the grief in it bare, right there at His feet. She submitted! And do you know how Jesus responded? He felt her heart and the lorry-load of pain in it. He was moved with compassion and HE WEPT!

Let’s cast them down my friends! Let’s lay them all bare at Jesus’ feet. Our fears, worries and troubles! Giving them to Him and carrying them no more. Now, that’s how we humble ourselves under His mighty hand. Why should I do that? Because He cares my friend, and very affectionately at that. That’s why.

Worrying about that disheartening situation is not a sign of responsibility. It is pride! What the Lord wants, is for us to remember that HE CARES! HE GENUINELY DOES! He wants us to be conscious of His love for us. If He didn’t hold back but willingly gave His life for ours, could there possibly be anything else He wouldn’t give up for us or do for us?

CASTING OUR CARES BEFORE THE LORD AND SUBMITTING TO HIM BECAUSE WE TRUST HIS LOVE FOR US, IS A SIGN OF HUMILITY !!

So, what happens next? Apostle Peter says in the following verses (I’m paraphrasing), be calm, rest in His love for you. Remember that your enemy, the devil is moving about like a roaring lion looking for his next prey. So stop! Don’t get carried away. Don’t let your heartache overwhelm you so much that you fall into his trap! Stand firmly in faith against his wiles and tricks. He wants you to think you are alone! But no, you’re not! Your brothers and sisters in Christ all over the world are going through different difficult situations as well! He wants you to keep brooding, whining and worrying over that situation instead of laying and casting it at the Lord’s feet. Because he knows, as James also encouraged us (James 4:7), that when you submit to God (first and afterwards) resist the devil, he will flee from you!

Oh, and the story gets better and ends beautifully dear friends, verse10 of 1 Peter 5 then says, “And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace [Who imparts all blessing and favour], Who has called you to His [own] eternal glory in Christ Jesus, will Himself complete and make you what you ought to be, establish and ground you securely, and strengthen, and settle you! Isn’t that an amazing promise made by an amazing God?

So be encouraged my friend, the distressing situation, the challenge, the problem has an expiry date and it will end in praise. Amen. James also admonishes us in the first chapter of his letter to hold on. In fact, he says we should rejoice and be joyful when we go through diverse temptations(troubles, difficult times) because those trying times will be working in us to produce patience.

However, we need to wait until that patience is fully formed in us. Yes. We’d have to let “patience” finish its job to perfection inside of us through that “fiery furnace” experience. And afterwards, we would be refined, would have grown and been perfectly pruned. We would have become equipped to handle what God has for us next! We’ll be ready! Perfect and complete, lacking nothing!

That’s the way to go my friends. I know it may not be as easy as it sounds but all we can do when we have no control over a situation is to hand it over to Jesus. To humble ourselves before Him by casting our heartaches unto Him and watch Him bring us through it all in DUE SEASON! Amen.

PLEASE PRAY WITH ME

Father, I thank you for reminding me that you are still right here with me in this valley. Help me rest in Your love for me Lord and to stop carrying the burden of my hurts and troubles all by myself. Please give me a humble and trusting heart to lay them before you. And I thank you because I know that in due time you’ll bring me out into that elevated and enlarged place of peace and rest in Jesus name. Thank you for caring for me and for giving me strength through it all in Jesus name. Amen.

God bless and keep you always friend.

Shalom.

Adenike.