He Is The Answer

 

Almost every day before go to the office I always hear a live piano music that played by my little foster sister, Sandra. One day, I spent more time to watch her plays her beloved white grand piano. I am amaze watch her fingers sprightly pressing each piano keys. While I enjoying a beautiful piece of a classical music,  my eyes stared to a series of piano strings that hit by small and soft hammers. To could produce beautiful notes, piano strings must be hit. There are times the strings hit one by one but also there are times some strings hit at the same time. There are times the strings hit softly but often hit very hard.

Don’t know why when I saw the piano strings, suddenly I am thinking about  my personal life that recently  is like piano strings .  Lately I hit by some serious problems that come at the same time. One of my big problem was that I have shared in my previous post (They Could Find no Charge) I feel being in a situation like a tangled thread that very difficult to disentangle, also it seems I am walking in the endless dark tunnel that there’s no light at all.

Yesterday evening, after we read the bible and prayer together, my husband asked me to once again to open our bible and read 1 Samuel 30:1-25. This Bible passage tells the story of David facing very difficult situation but successfully came out as a winner in the very short time. At the time David and his troops reached Ziklag that had attacked and burned by the Amalekites. Although no one was killed, but the women and everyone else both young and old being captivate by the Amalekites. The problem wasn’t stop there. It is written that David was greatly distressed for the people spoke of stoning him, because the all people were grieved, every man for his sons and his daughters. (Verse 6a-b) My husband asked me to imagine David’s situation at the time. Not only the afraid of seeing the whole town burned down, not just sad to see women and children taken captive even his two wives, but he also had to face the people who are ready to kill him by stoning because they anger the enemies deprived their wives and children. David had to face the entire hard situation in the moment. Then my husband said, “Maybe David’s situation was similar with your current situation but let’s see what David’s reaction was and what he did to handle his problems. I strongly believe you will get something.”  It turns out David wasn’t discouraged and faltered at all. He wasn’t disappointed to God though what he faced was extremely hard and didn’t know how to solve it all if he relying on his own strength. The bible very clearly says what David’s reaction was and what he did.

But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God. (Verse 6c)

That was the choice made by David as his reaction to all the problems he faced.

What happened next was very incredible. From the dusk till the evening he was destroying the Amalekites. Except four hundred young men who fled by camel, there was no one of them escaped. Then all had carried away by Amalekites recovered successfully by David also rescued his two wives. (Verse 17-20) David was successful overcome the problems that came insistently.  My husband asked me again to think deeper about what was David’s successful key. Then I got one big thing that made David successful overcome his problems. Although David was the king with many troops, he still realized that as human being he had many limitations and then he took the right decision. He decided to not rely on his own ability but he simply relies on God who has power above of all. He fully understood and believed that God’s power is able to overcome everything and he also was sure that there is nothing impossible with God. David strengthens his faith and belief to God.

Indeed the Bible doesn’t describe in detail how David strengthens his faith and belief in God but at least from this story we could know David had a life style  that always totally cling to God and we could know that he always rely on God not on his own strength and ability. David said:

The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. (Psalm 18:2)

This clearly illustrates how strong David relies on God and how much his trust and hope to God. In the other verse he also said:

For who is God besides the Lord? And who is the Rock except our God? (Psalm 18:31)

His life experiences formed him in such a way to have a very strong faith and really know exactly who is God.

My beloved friends, maybe this time you have very hard time like me. Maybe our lives today is like “piano strings” and maybe it makes us disappointed, upset, frantic, angry, and confused. To digest the situation has been so difficult let alone to thinking about the solution. This evening please allow me to encourage all of us to always remember that we have God who really loves us.  We have God as a place to rely on, always be with us, and will never allow us to suffer alone. Heavier the burden we face, harder the storm hit us it means we should be more aware to build relationship that hold strong in God. My problems not been completed and maybe so it is with you now. Maybe now we haven’t seen the answer of our prayers, but I encourage all of us to always remember and embed in the deepest of our heart that there is always answer from God and He will surely answer our cry.

When we say: “God, I am really afraid to live this life”, God reminds us: “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9)

When we say: “I’m too tired to face life’s problems.” Jesus replied:” Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)

At the moment we said: “I couldn’t possibly do this. Too hard for me” then Jesus answered: “you can. For with God nothing is impossible.” (Luke 1:37)

When we ask: “can you help to overcome my problems” He answered:  “if you can? Everything is possible for one who believes.” (Mark 9:23)

We are feeling alone and lonely facing all burdens, Gently Jesus promised: “I am with you always, even to the end of the age (Matthew 28:20)

When we doubt about God’s plan in our lives, firmly God said, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11)

At the moment we feel that we couldn’t bear the life temptation, God said to us: “but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able…” (1Corinthians 10:13)

If we say: “God I need the light to go through this dark tunnel” Jesus said to us: “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in the darkness, but have the light of life” (John 8:12)

My beloved blog friend, Lauren, said that “as Christians we are not guaranteed a problem-free life.” Yes I do agree with her. There are times our lives like a piano strings that must be hit to produce a beautiful music notes. Sometime we need to be “hit” as well in order to be strong, not spoiled, not easily shaken, not easily discouraged and give up. There are times we have to face shocks in life. There are times we feel so tired even reached the lowest point in life and began to lose the spirit of life. There are times we face the storm of life and it’s all been, still, and we will remain experiencing at the certain times. But we don’t have to afraid and worry because we have God who always with us, who always help us, always hears our cry, and He also gives us the answers and ways to overcome our problems. If God help and made David successfully overcome his problems at the time, likewise with us now because God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. (Hebrews 13:8) Let’s start to not always focus on the problems but let’s change our focus and rely on God. Don’t allow our feelings controlled by fear, anxiety, doubt, and uncertainty. From the beginning God has promised us:

And the LORD, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you; He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed.” (Deuteronomy 31:8)

  Hold this promise tightly in our lives. We just need to be patient and cast my entire burden to God as written in Psalm 55:22,

Cast your burden on the LORD, and He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved. (Psalm 55:22)

We too must walk in unwavering faith because Jesus remains us:

“Do not be afraid; only believe.” (Mark 5:36)

Like David did, let’s make “always lean on God” become our lifestyle.  If this time we still have a lot of problems that difficult to be resolved, don’t be afraid and worry, hold our hands to God, cast all burden of life to Him, God will always be ready to lend a hand to help and guided us.  There’s always an answer in Jesus because He is the answer and like piano strings that produce a beautiful music notes, our lives will be beautiful because He has made everything beautiful in its time (Ecclesiastes 3:11) Amen.

Karina – Living by faith

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