“Blessed is the man whose strength is in You, whose heart is set on pilgrimage.” (Ps 84:5)
Have you ever felt like your life is shattered by the unpredictable trouble and fear in recent years from the global pandemic, inflation boom, growing violence, and numerous natural disasters? It is hard to feel secure about our life and surroundings. The world is full of uncertainty, afflictions, and tears. Yet, we all need to face and pass through our journey of life to make the pilgrimage.
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” (Prov 3:5-6)
We are to trust God with all our hearts and not depend on what we know. We may not always know what lies ahead. At all times, we should include God in everything we do. This way, we give Him a chance to keep us on the right track. Nothing is so serious that God can’t solve it, and nothing is too small that God can’t care about it. It is like the relationship between the Lord Jesus Christ and the universe. He is so big that He fills the entire universe, and He is so small that He lives in our hearts. If we have faith in God, our anxiety and unease can be minimized when things are tough.
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” (2Co 1:3-4)
Paul calls God “the Father of mercies and God of all comfort.” God cares about us and helps us in our weakness and suffering. We may suffer for our faith or for the ministry. The source of suffering could be persecution, ideological disputes, differing ideas between members, natural and man-made disasters such as wars, famines, and a pandemic. But our Lord is an almighty, merciful, and loving God. He will help us. He will enable us to endure through our affliction when we rely on Him. The Holy Spirit is our comforter. The Bible says that “now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us” (Rom 5:5). When we receive comfort from God, we are to pass on the comfort we have received to others who are in suffering.
And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, “Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!” (Mark 4:41)
The disciples panicked when the storm on the sea of Galilee threatened their lives. In fear, they asked their sleeping Master if He did not care that they perished. Then, Jesus arose from His sleep and rebuked the wind and the waves, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!”. And there suddenly came a great calm. Witnessing His supernatural power over nature, the disciples responded in fear, “Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!”
Introduction
As we read Joseph’s story again, you may realize as you get older that our difficulties are nothing compared to what he went through. But before we get to the turning point of maturity, most of us feel that what we go through is bad, something that no one will understand. But what we have in common with Joseph is that we are all God’s children. If we reflect on Joseph’s life difficulties, we realize God must understand our difficulties and will provide a way out for us in order to overcome. As Joseph’s life was in God’s hand and His salvation plan, so are our lives, are they not?