Lately, I've struggled to write and spend time with God. I've struggled to praise Him in the uncertainty. I've asked questions and wondered what the purpose of my life is. I've wanted answers and jobs and fulfillment immediately but God hasn't given that to me.
Like many of you, my life has been significantly changed by the coronavirus. Seven weeks ago I traveled on a short term mission trip to Kenya and during the trip, the entire world began to shut down and make changes because of the virus. And like many of others around the world, I lost most of my hours of work because of it. In the past 2 months I've been able to work a total of 5-6 days instead of 2-3 days per week at the hospital. My external world around me: work, lifeguarding classes, shopping, going to the gym, entertainment came to a halt. The noisy world around me grew quiet.
And I began to wonder, began to wait.. for it all to start back again.
For the noise, for the action, for the since of fulfillment or the idea of purpose.. to be restored.
Friends, I was listening to the song "None but Jesus" and it spoke to me. Because it said, that in the quiet and stillness is where I can find God most. That I can be restored in the quiet places with my God and I can know that He is still the Savior of my life. Am I missing out in this opportunity of quiet to grow a more steadfast and faith-filled relationship with Him? Jesus is waiting, knocking at our hearts, for an opportunity to commune with us.
The song says that every day I have a new opportunity to choose to worship God and if God will be enough for me. No one else can ever fulfill or come close to what Jesus can be in my life. There will be no one else for me in this world like Jesus.
All my delight and all my hope is in Jesus. I should live to bring Him praise and that should be my purpose alone. Friends, if we are living for anything else, we will be discouraged and lose hope. I want to learn to put all my delights and hopes in Jesus' name.
How do we learn to put all of our identity, all of our purpose, in one thing? In Jesus? How do we learn that Jesus, and Jesus alone, is more than enough for all of our needs.
I want to share with you this song "None but Jesus" by Hillsong and I encourage you to listen to the lyrics.
Friends, wherever you are in the midst of the coronavirus, however you feel and whatever you are experiencing, God wants to draw closer to you. There is no one in this world that can satisfy you other than knowing Jesus. There is no thing in this world that can give you hope and joy except for knowing God and living for Him.
God is the God who sees you in the midst of your troubles and your struggling and who wants to lift you up. Genesis 17:13 Therefore Hagar used another name to refer to the Lord who had spoken to her. She said "You are the God who sees me." Wherever you are at, God knows your struggles, God knows who you really are. And He wants to give you purpose in your life. He wants to give you a reason to live and love.
I pray that we would draw closer to Christ. That in this time of uncertainty, we would choose to live in certainty because we know our Savior. That in this time when many are losing hope, we would find hope in Christ and we would be strengthened and renewed from the inside out. That in this time of quiet and stillness around us, instead of being sad, we would find Jesus more and more.
Psalm 147: 16 "You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing."