Be strong and brave,
all of you who are waiting for the LORD’s help.

What do you do when things don’t seem to be working out as you planned? What do you do when what the Lord guided you into doesn’t seem to be turning out the way you were led to believe? The college He wanted you to attend doesn’t seem to be a good fit. The new business He inspired you to start is withering instead of flourishing. You felt led to run for office, but the election is headed south. The new ministry you wouldn’t have gone into without the Lord’s approval has been less than effective. What do you do?

You have done everything you believe you are supposed to do. You have prayed to the Lord for help. You have reminded Him of his many promises in the Bible. Like the promises that He will come through for those who look to Him. And the promises that He is faithful to those who follow His lead. You have reminded Him of the fact that you wouldn’t have even embarked upon the new initiative if He hadn’t led you into it. It wasn’t a project you wanted. It was something He wanted. Why, then, the problems?

You also know that you’re supposed to wait – and you have. You know that the Lord wants us to wait patiently for Him. You haven’t given up. But it’s getting to the point at which the decision to stop will be made for you, instead of by you. What do you do then?

What you do is what our verse for today says you should do: You should be strong. You should rely on the strength of the Lord instead of your own strength. Don’t just pray and wait. Be strong in the Lord and be brave. Don’t fix your eyes on the problems, causing fear to rise up in your soul. Fix your eyes on the Lord and His faithfulness. He is more than able to handle every problem and difficulty you are facing.

Today, then, let all of you who are waiting for the Lord’s help be strong and brave and patient.

By John Huisman