There is an old hymn that goes, “In times like these, we need a Savior; In times like these, we need an anchor. Be very sure, be very sure, your anchor holds and grips the solid rock! This rock is Jesus, yes He’s the One. This rock is Jesus, the only One. Be very sure, be very sure, your anchor holds and grips the solid rock!”
I have been searching for what I believe the Lord may be saying in this time. I believe He is trying to train us not only to endure our difficulties, but to transform them into His presence. This is a supernatural feat, and it requires the help of the Lord’s supernatural Holy Spirit. When problems are weighing heavily upon us, our natural tendencies are to speed up our pace of living, frantically searching for answers. But what we need at such times is to slow down and seek the Lord’s face and not just His hands – to look for His will, not just our comfort!
When we seek God’s Spirit to help us as we discuss our difficulties with Him in prayer, then we will know that He has not forsaken us and is with us in the middle of our problems. Laying our requests before our generous Lord and waiting upon Him in expectation of the answer will help us find solace “in times like these…”
Even when we pray expectantly, the Lord will not always answer our prayers quickly. Our Savior is always doing something important in our lives – far beyond simply solving our problems. The great evangelist Billy Graham’s wife, Ruth, wrote, “I have lived long enough to be thankful that my Lord did not answer all my prayers – especially the way I thought He should!” Our struggles are part of a much larger battle, and I have learned that the tougher the fight, the closer the victory – the longer the battle, the greater and sweeter the win. The way we handle the struggles can contribute to the outcome with eternal significances. When I fight “flesh and blood” (with people), I always lose, but when I allow the Lord to help me fight against “the powers of this world” (against worldly systems), I always win big!
When we respond to our troubles in the Lord, and always learning to pray with thanksgiving, we move toward answers at warp speed. When we try to handle our problems within our own strength, we always see a humiliating defeat. Our practice of praying persistently will eventually make a vast difference in us personally!
“In times like these…” we must learn to trust the Lord to lead and guide us to the places where we can see victory in our personal lives! God created us with a winning DNA! Allow nothing to rip that from our lives – even in times like these!
