We will all go through hard times; the Bible says as much. But the great thing about God is that although we will go through hard times, God also says that He will be with us no matter how hard it gets.
One of my favorite Bible verses is Proverbs 3:5, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” (NKJV) This verse reminds me that, at the end of the day, God knows I won’t understand everything I go through and why I go through it, but it’s ok because I was never meant to know. This verse leads into Proverbs 3:6, “In all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your path.” (NKJV) In these two short verses we can see that not only are we not meant to understand everything, but if we put everything we are going through in God’s hands, He will direct our path.
I saw these verses put into practice in my life in early 2017, when my father, Pastor Tomas, was diagnosed with cancer. In the beginning stages of doctor visits, a lot of things were very uncertain, from what treatment options were available to when and how many appointments my father should have. Through it all, I saw how my father maintained his faith, believing that God would provide a solution, no matter how difficult or uncertain the situation seemed.
Before deciding on any treatment, my father would make sure to pray and put God first. On those long hospital nights, when it was uncertain when he would come back home, he and my mother, who was in the room with him, would always put on worship music to drown out the beeping monitors. Even after all his hair fell off from the chemotherapy, he would still have a smile of his face and thank God for another day.
Through the ups and downs of cancer, my father always put God first, just as Proverbs 3:5-6 says. This reminded me that although hard times are going to happen, it is guaranteed that our God will help us every step of the way. All we have to do is put God first and simply have faith and trust He will see us through. Although our individual struggles can seem difficult and never ending, God’s promise to us is that we will never be alone.
The opinions expressed in articles posted on Mosaic’s website are those of the author and may not reflect the official policy of Mosaic Conference. Mosaic is a large conference, crossing ethnicities, geographies, generations, theologies, and politics. Each person can only speak for themselves; no one can represent “the conference.” May God give us the grace to hear what the Spirit is speaking to us through people with whom we disagree and the humility and courage to love one another even when those disagreements can’t be bridged.