Hope in the Night (A 30-Day Reflection on Anxiety and Fear)

Thirtieth Night: The Conclusion

"Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him."
- James 1:12

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During pandemic, isolation made us think of the past - what we missed, what we could have done, our mistakes and what should have been - and our future - what we wanted to do, who we wanted to be with, our plans and what should be. Sometimes, we thought that new normal could be a bad thing. But a true Christian will know the true meaning behind the words, "But the Lord..."

Sometimes doubts and mistakes can lead to unbelief. But there are people like Habakkuk who have their doubts as part of their process of knowing and reminding themselves of God's character. Making them believe in God even more.

There are also people with the heart like the Apostle Paul, who had been in great suffering but still carried on for the cause of Christ. Making them hope in God even more.

I don’t know what you’re going through or what you’ve already survived. Maybe we are in different circumstances and different perceptions in those trials. But I do know one thing: God is good all the time. He, our God, is a good God who loves us enough to sacrifice His precious Son, the greatest He could give us. Why? So that we will know Him. So that we can glorify Him on earth while we are alive. So that, through His Son Jesus Christ, we become righteous before Him. So that we can spend eternity with Him in heaven.

His love is pure, holy and true. We are able to love Him or anyone else around us only because He first love us. Blessed! Happy are those who endured trials because they will receive the crown of life which God promised to those who love Him.

So when hard things happen, and you feel like all you can do is want to believe, that's enough. Don't stop wanting to believe.

Allow that spark of hope to grow by trusting that God is right there beside you. Do not cease to pray and ask God to help you overcome your unbelief, your doubts, your fear, anxiety and despair.

I love to take the prophet Habakkuk as an example when it comes to faith. He asked and he listened. Like him, ask your questions and then be prepared to listen to God’s response. Grow to have the kind of faith Habakkuk exhibited in the last chapter from the book of his namesake.

Remember, we cannot have the type of faith that Habakkuk showed us in Chapter 3 if we don't have the type of questions he asked of God in Chapter 1 and the kind of waiting he exemplified in Chapter 2. It is a process. It is patience, perseverance. It is experience, character. It is hope.

Whether you acknowledge it or you are still unaware of it, God is doing more spiritually in the valley than he does on the mountaintop. If you loved God and served Christ for so long, you will understand that having to walk with Jesus for enough yesterdays means you have enough reason to trust him with all your tomorrows.

Do you desire to grow closer to God? Do you want that intimacy with him more than you want a comfortable, free from problems kind of life? Do you want peace in those valleys with storms and floods from left and right?

Then never. Stop. Believing.

Do not stop believing in God's promises. Do not stop believing in God's character. Never stop believing in who God is and what He can do for you.

You can hope in the night of your trials. You can hope despite the storms and floods and landslides in your valley. Hopelessness are only for those without Christ. Why? Because as you grow to know God, He will reveal even more of His love, His faithfulness, His grace. And over time you will realize, believe, and embrace that even life is difficult, God is still good.

May you be comforted during these dark days. May you be blessed with the peace of God. Shine. Do not cease to shine the light of Christ. Even in your own hard questions, even in your own episodes of anxiety and fear, even in your own darkness, remember God and His character. Remember His promises and the fulfilment of it. Remember Jesus Christ whom you have served and who became your Savior and Mediator.

And know that He is good.

My prayer for you is that you continue to hold onto Him. That you continue the good fight of faith. And that we will finally meet during the marriage of the lamb as the incorruptible, glorified bride of Christ.

To God be all the glory and honor. Amen.