Think back to a time the power went out in your home. Could be as a child or as an adult. Maybe a little fear and slight panic. If the outage lasted for any length of time, maybe you start longing for the things you could be doing when the power was on. Sometimes, this inconvenience or even “trial” leads to a blessing. A time of stories or a silent stillness lit with the soft glow of candles.
The first chapter of James asks us to count all things as joyful. The good and the bad. As stress builds into the holidays, remember that we cannot, nor should we, control everything. Trust that God may use a time of trouble, like a power outage, to bring people together or, most likely, bring us closer to Him.
Unfortunately, people think God changes and starts making bad things happen. Going from a good God when all is right with the world to a bad one when troubles come. He is still the source of all good things. God never changes. To turn away from Him and shrink into one’s self is as useless as running from the sun to avoid the shadows it casts.
So what does it mean to remain faithful in hard times? It means continuing to acknowledge that God is the source of what is good in our lives, and what will be good in the future. Keep faithful through Christmas, and into the new year. People who trust God don’t blame Him for their desire to sin; they give Him credit for all that is good in their lives. Take a look into His Word, and act on what you see there.
James 1:17 – Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.”
