And It Came To Pass

Psalm 30:5

Recently one of our parishioners lost a loved one and I felt led to minister to them during their time of bereavement. Some of you may recall my mother went home to be with the Lord last year. Although I still miss her terribly, each day the pain of losing her decreases. As I look back over the past several months, there were times the pain of losing her was acute and I wondered what I would do. While in the midst of the tragedy, I questioned if the agony, loneliness and despair would ever go away. In short, the answer is yes. Eventually the sadness, anxiousness and bitterness will diminish if we allow the Lord to help us. As I prayed and sought the Lord for a means to encourage, God reminded me of the phrase in the scripture, “…and it came to pass.” This phrase appears more than four hundred times in the Bible.

Raise your hands if you have been in a struggle recently. Now for the rest of you, raise your hands if you are in a struggle right now. For those of you that are left don’t worry – your trial is on the way. It has been my experience that one of the devices the enemy uses is isolation. He will convince us that we are in the struggle alone, and no one else has ever gone through what we are dealing with. When we feel that way, we usually pull away from those that are most able to strengthen and encourage us. Back in the day we had something in our church called testimony service. Invariably, God would anoint someone to get up and offer a victorious praise of how God delivered them from the same dilemma you were in the middle of. You hadn’t told anyone your situation so you knew it had to have been God. Today, however, we are so sanctimonious. We put on airs as if we have never experienced any hardship.  We have forgotten how powerful testimonies can be. God always seems to have someone in the midst of us (provided we don’t stop attending church) that can identify with our circumstance.

But what if you have that one in a million situation? What if you have that rare disease that no one has ever heard of, let alone knows how to pronounce? The scripture reminds us in Hebrews 4:15 “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” That means whatever I am going through, Jesus has already gone through it.  No matter what I am feeling, Jesus has already felt it! No matter what is trying to overcome me, Jesus has already defeated it!

The next thought I would like for you to consider is, whatever you are experiencing, you will get through it!  It may seem as though you have been dealing with the problem for a long time, but the Word of God reminds us that “…weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning” (Psalm 30:5). If you consider the many difficulties you went through in the past, they did not take you out!  As bad as they were, you are still here today. The Bible tells us that many are the afflictions of the righteous, but God will deliver us out of them all (Psalm 34:19).

I recall several years ago my wife and I were returning home from a trip to the Blue Ridge Mountains. It was late and a heavy rainstorm descended upon us. It rained harder than I had ever experienced. As we were driving, I noticed several vehicles had pulled off the road and were waiting the storm out either on the shoulder or under an overpass. I kept driving. Although I had to slow down and grip the steering wheel tighter, I kept moving forward. I could feel my wife praying and I was praying as well, but we kept moving forward. I was determined (1) not to stop and (2) to make it home. Needless to say, that storm came to pass – we made it through! I do not know what happened to the vehicles that pulled over. I imagine that they made it home eventually (I pray that they did). But I do know I made it out of the storm sooner than they did because I persevered. I knew that if I progressed forward, eventually the storm would either cease, or I would drive out of it.  Either way, “…it came to pass.”

Friends of mine, I want to encourage you to press on. We already know storms are going to come in our lives. The Apostle James told us to count it all joy when we face divers temptations (James 1:28). The experiences you are going through did not come to break you, but if you endure they will make you stronger! The Word of God tells us that “…all things work together for the good” (Romans 8:28). So when you are going through a tough time, please remember: 

1. Someone else has dealt with the same issue victoriously;
2. Do not isolate yourself – stay in fellowship with the saints;
3. Keep moving forward; and
4. Commit yourself to prayer.

Soon you will join all of us and say, “…and it came to pass.”

I bless you in the name of the Lord!