From the text above, we could see a similarity between what we are passing through today
in the world and what the disciples of Jesus went through. God knows the challenges we
face as Christians, as a country, community and families and as a church but He is mightier
than the situation. Jesus asked the disciples ‘’Where is your faith?’’ In other words; faith is
palpable, touchable and does not operate in a vacuum; it needs something to work upon. If
there are no challenges faith is useless. Psalms 93: 4 – 5 says, ‘’The lord on high is
mightier than the noise of many waters, yea, than the mighty waves of the sea. Thy
testimonies are very sure: holiness becometh thine house, Oh lord, forever’’ [KJV].
When men see us succeeding in the midst of the challenges of life that is a pointer to them
that there is a God at work in our lives and thus, they will be persuaded to identify with our
God and serve Him. Jeremiah 10: 10 says, ‘’But the Lord is the true God, He is the living
God, and an everlasting king; at His wrath the earth shall tremble, and the nations
shall not be able to abide His indignation [KJV]. We are made to understand that God is
the true God and He holds the key to our lives. Therefore in the midst of challenges and the
trials of life, this God stands with us. The world is overwhelmingly bedeviled with violent
attacks in form of storms, tribulations, tempest, trials, traumas and temptations but the
assurance we have in the midst of all these is that the God of all impossibilities is with us as
rightly declared in our 2023 theme.
EXAMPLES OF SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ARE CHALLENGING US NOW
When we say challenging times, we can rightly affirm that it is a time of storm, crisis,
difficulty, anxiety, a time of stress, period of irritation, unpleasantness, hardship, burdens,
suffering, predicament, grief, sadness, travail and fear. How do we overcome in such bleak
times as these? When we don’t know where to turn to, the solution is to turn to God.
Because God is over and above everything else and so He is there to preside over every
situation. Underneath us is the everlasting arm of God to ensure nothing affects us
negatively. God is alive and He will not fail us.
There are unavoidably storms that hit one unannounced. In Job 14: 1, the Bible records:
‘’Man that is born of a woman is of a few days and full of trouble’’ [KJV]. What that
means is that as we are born into this world, we are bound to face some challenges and so it
is not a strange thing when challenges do come to us; it is universal irrespective of your
location, colour, race and belief. The only solution to these challenges is in GOD and He is
waiting for us to run to Him.
Challenging times are unanticipated and unprepared issues of life hence; we may not have
control over them. Challenging times take us by surprise but in the face of this God will not
forget us. The world is looking at Christians to provide solution to all these travails of life
[Romans 8: 22 – 23 KJV]. 2 Corinthians 4: 8 say, ‘’We are troubled on every side, yet not
distressed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but
not destroyed; always bearing about in the body the dying of the lord Jesus, that the life
also of Christ might be made manifest in our body’’ [KJV]. These issues of life do not have
respect for any individual. The good news for us in this time of crises is that when trouble
comes, Jehovah that sees and knows will prevail for us [1 Corinthians 10: 13 KJV].
Like our Daddy often says; ‘’God is real no matter how you feel about Him;
circumstances cannot change the character of God.’’ God is not just a Thermometer, He is
equally a Thermostat; the Thermometer is used in measuring temperature but the
Thermostat regulates the weather. God is regulating our lives as individuals and as a
church. He knows what the church faces at the moment and so He is going to attend to our
situation.
HOW DO WE MANAGE CHALLENGING TIMES:
1. SEE THE POSITIVE SIDE OF EVERY CHALLENGE;
“It is not an easy road, we’re travelling to heaven, many are the thorns on the way’’
was the song we sang many years back when one gave his or her life to Christ. But
today, the song has been changed to; ‘’Express is the way to heaven, there is no
challenge.’’ If that is true then of what use is the sacrifice and suffering of Christ to
us? To be like Christ is having the character and the nature of Christ. We are
transformed by troubles, meaning that if we must have the character of Christ;
troubles are some of the things we will pass through. These troubles will not
overwhelm us but we will receive help from God. The things we are passing through
are light afflictions compared to the Glory that is before us.
God has undisclosed purpose behind every problem in life; He uses circumstances to
develop our character and faith even more than when we read the Bible. If there are
no problems in the life of a Christian, the fruits of the spirit will not include patience.
Prayer goes beyond the superficial to authenticity when we know we are facing
challenges [1Peter 4: 12]. We will never know that God is all we need until God is all
you got. Every problem is a character building opportunity; they are for building
spiritual muscles and moral fibers. If we don’t carry heavy weights we will not
develop muscles and challenges are our heavy weights.
2. TRUST IN THE ASSURANCE DELIVERANCE PROMISE OF GOD: No challenges will
terminate our lives, it will rather renew our lives and so rest on the assurances of
God’s word and He is going to keep us in Jesus’ name. [Job 14: 7 – 9, 5: 19 – 27 KJV].
EXAMPLES OF PEOPLE GOD DELIVERED IN THEIR CHALLENGING TIMES
1. Job. Although Job was faithful in serving God but he had challenges in his lifetime
that no one could understand. In the end the Bible tells us that the Lord turned the
captivity of Job and his end was better than the beginning.
2. The city of Samaria:
Samaria was besieged, no one could come into the city or go out of the city. But God
who is able to change situation overnight came through and turned around the
situation of the country. In the midst of poverty and famine God is going to give us
surplus in Jesus name [2 kings 7: 1 – 20 KJV].
3. Others like Daniel, Paul, Peter, etc. are examples that God can deliver even in times
of challenges.
KEYS WE MUST ENGAGE FOR OUR DELIVERANCE
1. Ensure that Jesus is in your boat; Psalm 124: 1 – 8 [KJV]. Each time God wants us to
cross to the other side of life, the devil is always in between to hinder us.
2. Recognize that God never sleeps, He commands the wind to stop and it obeys; we
need not fear.
3. Have faith, don’t doubt and by the grace of the Almighty God we are more than
conquerors.
QUOTES
“Faith is palpable, touchable and does not operate in a vacuum; it needs something to work
upon. If there are no challenges faith is useless.”
“We will never know that God is all we need until God is all you got. Every problem is a
character building opportunity; they are for building spiritual muscles and moral fibers.”
“Every problem is a character building opportunity; they are for building spiritual muscles
and moral fibers. If we don’t carry heavy weights we will not develop muscles and
challenges are our heavy weights.”