MANY QUESTIONS & ONE ANSWER

I’m a few years into what is known as the critical decade of life. On some days, this journey is a smooth sail, you kick back, relax and you enjoy the blessings that come with being “young and free”. I admit though that clarity on life seems far-fetched on some days and you pay a hefty price for being “young and foolish”. For days on end, I have wondered what God’s will is; for my life and particularly in scenarios that seem to suck the life out of me. In distress, I question “What is your will in all this confusion Lord?”

It is hard to comprehend God Himself, which affirms His word that echoes that His ways are not our ways and His thoughts are higher than ours (Isaiah 55:8-9). Ask me how I got this far in my life, and I’ll probably be quick to let you know “By the way, I too do not know, it must have been and still is by grace, which is sufficient.” Sometimes I wish I knew what next; but eventually when I get to know, I go ahead to inquire the purpose behind the current circumstance at the given moment. There are seasons when life’s journey is unpleasant. Dark valleys are no easy tracks to walk on and you are overwhelmed by thoughts that swim through you mind now and again.

Different scenarios push us to seek God’s will; we long to know the will of God, when a definite end has been stamped by the doctor for a friend’s or relative’s life or our own. We wonder what His will is when our finances need a breakthrough. We cry out to know His will when our circle of friends dump the singles quorum to enjoy the much waited “happily ever after” with the one they love. We wonder what God’s will is, when we are frustrated at our place of work, of less pay, more work and no satisfaction. God indeed is greater than all; we say it and sing it with all our hearts; but what happens when the glory in that statement feels like it is fading away? When trying to understand and trust that God has everything under control becomes more of a burden than an inspiration? You think to yourself, “I feel I know God more than I know about Him, I read my Bible, I pray, but why does that not seem enough to give an answer to my problem?”

We can't always have it together. We can't always have an answer to the "whys". We can't always erase the pain that lingers through and through when we don't know how to. We can't always run away. We can't constantly sing with a plastered smile on our faces. We can't know the future. We can't say our trials are enough, what happens when another day comes and we are still in dire need of a miracle? And another day follows and more days keep coming presenting the trial in a more difficult way? We can't stop time when its author has it in His hands.

But this we can do- We can stop what we are doing and pray. (Read Romans 12:12) We can find it in ourselves to call unto the name of the Lord. We may not have the strength, we may not even have the words to utter, but even in that silence, God hears. Prayer is not validated by long utterances, there's much to be said as the tears flow. There's much that is said when all you can do is look up. There's much to be said as you take gasps of breath, it's not for man to understand and fix, it's for God to come through and make Himself known. Richard Fuller writes: “This, Christian, is what you must do. Sometimes, like Paul, you can see neither sun nor stars, and no small tempest lies on you. Reason cannot help you. Past experiences give you no light. Only a single course is left. You must stay upon the Lord; and come what may - winds, waves, cross seas, thunder, lightning, frowning rocks, roaring breakers- no matter what, you must lash yourself to the helm and hold fast your confidence in God's faithfulness and His everlasting love in Christ Jesus.”

The book of 1st Thessalonians 5:18 urges us to “give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.” But the real struggle lies in being practical with this scripture. How do you give thanks in the midst of trials? I have found while in my season that I’d like to call “the fog” that I have the choice to “Trust and Obey”. Back when I was little, we would sing this hymn in Sunday school. Now that I am older, these words written by John H. Sammis make more sense in answering the question with regard to God’s will.

Trust, I believe entails the following things;

-Surrendering your will to God

-Saying what lies in the heart as it is, and

-Accepting that His will prevails, even though it does not come as we desired.

Obedience on the other hand requires us to abide in His word moment by moment. We may question what next, but we still have a responsibility to live a godly lifestyle; a lifestyle that follows the example of Christ and has based its values on the word of God. When we pray, we are free to give room to do His work in and through us. As He does so, we get to know Him for ourselves. He then eventually reveals His will to us as we purpose to find Him. For as it is written, that if we seek Him, we will find Him if we seek Him with all our hearts. (Jeremiah 29:12-13). We do not come with an ultimatum, we just come as us. Jennifer Kennedy Dean puts it this way, “The secret to powerful praying is to take the need to God, not the answer.”

As you journey through life in hope of finding answers, my prayer is that both you and I will choose to trust and obey. Among the greatest and rewarding acts is trusting an All-Knowing God with an unknown future. He is the sense in the confusion; the guide that leads the way through the unknown terrain; the Great Shepherd indeed, who calls us His sheep; and by virtue of His acceptance of us into his flock, we can have hope that, we will clearly hear his voice… and especially when we don’t know which way to go, or which way to turn, He will fulfill His promise to answer us and say, “This is the way, walk in it.

Peace therefore be with you, and may the spirit of love, power and more so a sound mind, be yours now and always,

Amen!