Some time around the beginning of of the year 2011 while moving in a small village in the southern part of Africa I met a sister in the Lord with a stab wound on her face; in the last months of the previous year, there had been three robberies in my neighbourhood; still around the same time one of the families in the small village had two of their children murdered on separate occasions.

Friends we had known for some time had lost their jobs; some christian couples have adulterous spouses; accidents happen and people are either hurt or die; you probably are not sure how you are going to pay your bills or cater for your children`s tuition; you are not being promoted at your job and as if that`s not enough, the people you train are promoted instead; You`ve waited so long for a marriage partner but haven’t been successful yet; Up to now you are still waiting for your healing; the list is endless.

Many- including some Christians- thus say that faith in our Lord is difficult to maintain when faced with such situations. The resulting discouragement leads to dangerous compromise. We then end up with a bunch of many people going for Sunday prayers and even midweek devotions but lacking confidence in God. The temptation then is to trust in other things e.g. power, people, money which leads to further failure. ( Psalm 20:7).

God wants us to trust Him despite all situations. Nothing can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus ( Romans 8: 37-39).

(To be continued next week)