Hopeful Faithfuls (I)
“I am the Lord, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?” (NIV) Jeremiah 32:27
Many Christians have read the stories of Hannah, Job, the nation of Israel and some other biblical characters that went through trying times and how God came through for them. However, these stories sometimes come across as stories of people that are “super humans” and we think people of our time cannot go through similar situations and still stand tall with attitudes that inspire confidence in God. This devotional series will highlight some friends of mine with very difficult situations and their attitude actually has been a source of strength for me. I hope their stories inspire you enough to be hopeful in God to see you through whatever you may be going through right now.
There’s a saying that “you think you have the worse of problems until you hear someone’s problem”. I was lamenting about how difficult pregnancy was to a friend when she smiled at me and told me to count it all joy. She then told me about her story. She had recently lost a five-month-old pregnancy. Immediately, my eyes were filled with tears, but she smiled again and told me she was fine and over it. Well, this may seem normal but this is not just the story.
My friend has been married for over ten years now and has lost countless pregnancies. The painful aspect is that she loses them when she is well advanced in the second trimester. Sometimes, she goes through normal child labour only to deliver a still baby. Just imagine having a still baby in your hands over and over again. It is a really difficult and challenging moment, not to talk of burying these babies.
After my chat with her, she got pregnant again. We prayed fervently for a successful pregnancy and was very excited and hopeful when she passed the fifth month. However, she lost the pregnancy after the sixth month. I was very depressed when I learnt of it and was lost of words to encourage her when I visited her at home. But then again, she smiled at me and said, “it’s well”. That day, I saw strength that only God can give in difficult times.
The focus of this devotion is not about her problem but the strength and confidence in God she showed in the face of this problem. Since I got to know her, she inspires me so much that, I have stopped being moody over my own problems because I see her as the “Job” of our time. I know that the Lord will bless her at the appointed time and when that happens, I will share that with you so your trust will be rooted in God but for now, find the strength just like my friend and keep trusting God to come through for you. God bless you.