The Watchman's Diary

Life can be difficult, and when our problems come, they seem to come in unrelenting waves. Our problems do not travel alone; they come with a combination of worry, anger, pain, anxiety, fear, and other forms of emotional turmoil. This emotional turmoil can create blind spots in our decision-making process. The more anxious we become, the more frantic our decisions, and the greater our problems become. It is easy to get so overwhelmed that we may become depressed and despondent.

Yeshua (Jesus) said “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted” (Matthew 5:4). One of the many blinders we wear while going through a difficult situation is the inability to see our way through. We may feel hopeless at times and as the waves crash over us, we tend to focus more on the problem than any possible solutions. The prophet Isaiah, after delivering some very hard words for the people living in Jerusalem wrote, “‘Comfort, comfort my people’, says your God” (Isaiah 40:1). God instructs Isaiah to tell the people their warfare has ended, and their guilt had been removed, yet the coming Babylonian exile had not yet taken place.

Our view of the problems surrounding us is limited to our ground-level vantage point. Our comfort is in God, Who sees the whole picture at once, and He is the Artist weaving it all together. It is a true test of faith to be still and just trust Him to bring us through. This is probably not what you or anyone wants to hear. Especially if you are going through a period of hard testing. The human desire is for an immediate resolution to our problems. We do not want any pain or discomfort—just comfort and peace. Yet, it is often through the pain and discomfort that God molds us and brings us to a place where we are most like Him.

If we keep our eyes on the Great Designer, we will have a proper focus. Who knows, He may even give you a glimpse of His grand design. Either way, let us take comfort. After all, He “causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).