"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him,
who have been called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28, NIV)
During those difficult moments where I had to adjust to living without a C-PAP
machine while I was also weaning myself off of the addictive Zoplicone medicine,
there were also plenty of other "fires" vying for my attention.
My mother, back in Belgium, wasn't doing well at all, and we were afraid she
wouldn't pull through. We had to prepare for the inevitable and be ready to
leave the country at any moment. Not knowing day by day what the outcome would
be was a real challenge.
It didn't help that my clientele at work was less than cooperative, difficult at
best, and certainly doing everything they could to make it the most stressful
year ever. Fires at my school had to be stomped out on a daily
basis, and constant vigilance on my part was required.
To top it all off, we had financial woes as well, as the tax laws from my wife's
birth country had changed drastically and had to be addressed by a professional
accountant. This took months to rectify, and his fee was well outside of our
definition of "normal." At least we didn't owe anything tax-wise!
As a result of all this, anxiety took up residence at my front door, and it did
everything in its power to bring me unrest. Sleep was elusive at times, and I
hungered for support from above, which I gladly received.
How easy it would have been for me to temporarily withdraw from the ministry God
had given me. After all, I had my own fires to extinguish, and these required
lots of my time. Had I done that, however, I would have missed out on
experiencing God fully. It's during these stressful times when I experienced Him
the most!
First of all, by praying for those who had their own fires burning brightly, it
made me focus on others instead of on myself, and somehow that helped me not to
let my problems get out of proportion. Thinking of others first helped me to see
the world through Jesus' eyes. After all, we are on a mission to help others,
pray for them, encourage them and lead them into the arms of our Heavenly Father
Himself.
Secondly, as I had nowhere to turn to, I leaned solely on the One who would see
me through. Who else could claim: "He will cover you with his feathers, and
under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and
rampart. You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day,
nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at
midday." (Ps 91:4-6, NIV)
Although I would rather have skipped these stressful months, they were the best
days of my life, for during that time I learned to rely solely on my Father. I
found that nowhere else could I obtain such peace, comfort and rest. Jesus'
words are so true: "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will
give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and
humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and
my burden is light." (Matt 11:28-30, NIV)
I learned during adversity that God cares for us much more than we may know. He
sustains us when we rely on Him, and He will see us through, leading us to
complete victory. I have completely abandoned myself to Him, and all my stress
was dissolved into trust in the One who saw me through.
The previous year, right before summer arrived, my wife was diagnosed with
breast cancer. I was shocked. How could this have happened? What were her
chances?
I immediately confided to my Father and he gave me this promise on behalf of my
wife: "And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ,
after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you
strong, firm and steadfast." (1 Peter 5:10)
That day I started to learn how to leave my troubles at His feet. He fulfilled
His promise not only for my wife, but for me as well, a year later. And He will
do the same for you!
"Is anyone thirsty? Come! All who will, come and drink, Drink freely of the
Water of Life!" (Revelation 22:17, MSG)
Come to Him and learn from Him. He will see you through, guaranteed. All you
need to do is focus solely on Him and bathe in His love.
Rob Chaffart
The Illustrator: This daily newsletter is dedicated to encouraging
everyone to look towards Jesus as the source of all the solutions to our
problems. It contains a daily inspirational story, a Bible verse and encouraging
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The Nugget: Published three times a week, this newsletter features inspirational devotionals and mini-sermons dedicated to drawing mankind closer to each other and to Christ.