WHEN CHALLENGES PERSIST

Challenges by nature  serve as a call to battle or contest. Challenges have the tendency to be ugly and painful, especially when they persist or refuse to cease. When challenges persistently become painful, it is possible to cause man to wonder or question if God remembers or sees them in those challenging situations. Are you facing a long enduring challenge that seems like it will never end? It is important to understand and know that God is not asleep and at appointed time deliverance shall come as you continue to remain focused on God for His intervention. Jesus already warned about challenges being undeniable in the life of man. However, the antidote for challenging time (tribulation) is peace for those who receive and believe in Him. John 16:33 buttressed, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” In this world, tribulation will come either man likes it or not. However, it is better to accept Jesus for the purpose of having peace during tribulation or man can make the choice of not having Jesus to engage tribulation without peace. In challenging situations, patiently waiting on God is the key and, how one chooses to wait determines the outcome of waiting. It is certain when we wait on God, God will not fail and the time of waiting cannot be wasted. The Word promised in Isaiah 64:4-5, “For since the beginning of the world men have not heard nor perceived by the ear, nor has the eye seen any God besides You, who acts for the one who waits for Him.”
When challenges persist and it seems like heaven is not attending, one needs to attend to the words of God as identified in Psalm 71:10-11. The psalmist must have been   facing challenges when he stated, “For my enemies speak against me; and those who lie in wait for my life take counsel together, saying, God has forsaken him; pursue and take him, for there is none to deliver him.”(Psalm 71:10-11) The psalmist, after having mentioned his challenge went further to identify what he did while waiting on God for intervention.

First, the psalmist stated, “But I will hope continually…” (Psalm 71:14) Hope can be identified as the heartbeat of faith because faith is the substance of things hoped for. (Hebrews 11:1) As a believer waiting on God, one must know to hope continually. The life of a believer is like that of a race runner and it is clear that continuity is the rule of a race. To stop hoping is the evidence of faith-failure. Until heaven intervenes, hoping on God without complaint is a sure way to wait on God and not waste.
Secondly, it is mentioned, “And I will praise You yet more and more.” (Psalm 71:14) As challenges increase giving God all the attention through praising should never reduce but increase. God inhabits the praises of His people. Are you praising him enough instead positioning yourself as a vessel of pity? God will show up at an appointed time. Do not stop praising Him, but rather increase praising Him by setting praise worship time between you and your God.
Thirdly, “My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness and Your salvation all the day, for I do not know their limits.” (Psalm 71:15) Our righteousness is in Christ Jesus, He is our salvation in God. To engage challenging times by talking more about God’s righteousness and salvation to others rather than constantly talking about one’s challenge is enough to get heaven’s attention for God’s intervention. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, were set to die in the furnace of fire because they refused to serve any other god beside the Almighty God. In spite of the threat they were facing, they did not stop talking about their salvation from God and responded to the threat from the king by saying “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter.  If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king.  But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.”(Daniel 3:16-19) When we declare God in our talk, regardless of the challenge He will decorate us with divine intervention. The three friends of Daniel, regardless of their challenge, declared God through the words of their mouth and God showed up on their behalf. No man knows the limit of God’s deliverance power of saving His people but it is certain that He alone is the Almighty deliverer.
The psalmist identifies the fourth action to be engaged with when waiting in time of challenges stating, “I will go in the strength of the Lord God.” (Psalm 71:16) The word of God is the strength of God. Exodus 15:13 buttressed the truth that the word of God is the strength of God when it stated; “…You have guided them in Your strength.” Truly, God used nothing else to guide the Israelites to the Promised Land but by His word which is also His presence. Why not engage the word of God, the manual of life to navigate through persisting challenges? God is true to His word and He shall never fail. The word of God is the strength of our salvation. Rest in the word to resist your challenge; be strong and do not be discouraged, your challenge shall subside and His name shall be glorified in your life.