Introduction
Life is not a bed of roses is one of the popular saying which truly means that difficult times do occur during our lifetime. Many factors abound which makes life very hard and miserable for us. Some of them resulted from our poor decisions, being in wrong places at the wrong time while others are beyond our control. During these difficult times, we are saddened and not knowing where our help will come from.
Such times are extremely difficult times because it's not times of happiness and joy. It varies among people and different at times. Worries and anxieties are associated emotions during those times. For example, insecurities, worrying about the future, sickness, job losses, etc are some of them. But how can trusting in God help us to deal with these stressful episodes of our life and what can we learn from God's dealing with the ancient Israelites.
Around 520 B. C. E, Some exiled Jews came back from Babylon to their native lands after many years. Jerusalem was destroyed and her people taken into captive by the Babylonian armies as they disrespect God by abandoning of his worship and trusting on others. After their years of suffering on another lands, God had mercy for them and offer them, a rare opportunity to go back to their native lands to rebuild their temple, houses, walls and their farmlands. It really a difficult times for them as many of them will have to leave their business and life at Babylonian territories to Jerusalem, a deserted land for years. Many of them are born during in captive and does not know what their land was. Now, they are in Jerusalem, they have abandoned the work on the temple but went to their farms and business to cater for themselves. External forces and powers like the Persian Government that overthrow the Babylonians wants their titles, dues and royalties from them and surrounding area despite just arriving. Other surrounding nations are troubling them too. Jews needs to trust in God during these difficult times so they work on the walls and temple to worship him rightly again. From Hag chap 1:1 and Zech chap 1:1 reads that God send his prophets, Haggai and Zechariah to encourage them and help them. After some years, Jehovah God send Ezra as recorded on Ezra Chap 7:1,6 to help them trust in him and worship him aright.
As indicated above, we are facing difficult times similar to those Jews as economic, political and financial problems affects our love and trust in God thereby making it hard for us to worship him rightly. Let's examine some words of those prophets and copyist, Ezra to be encouraged to worship and trust in God even if we are in difficult times.
Haggai Chapter 2 VS 4 assured the Jews that God, Jehovah of armies is with them and they should work. These are exactly the words of encouragement that they needed to work for God and rebuild their temple. After mentioning their names in that verse, they are motivated. So to us, despite our struggles, we are assured that God is behind us. None of our problems is bigger than him and he offers solutions to every problems of us easily.
However, as the work on the walls and temple is ongoing, their enemies used their influences and stop that work. Many Jews was afraid to work but focused on themselves once more. Words of Zechariah as recorded on Zech chap 4:6,7 show them how God's holy spirit is operating over them and help them. They got approval to start the work again, money for the work and support against their enemies.
Our problems are like enemies that prevent or limiting our strengths and resources from doing the right times. They are strong enough to stop us momentarily. Having stronger trust on God and knowing how he helps others will assure us that we will be successful too. God is chief strategist and know how best to get our problem solved. He might raise helpers for us and encourage us rightly. Trusting in him completely will be helpful.
The prayers of Ezra and his findings from the past dealing with their forefathers from God help him a lot. He is a skilled copyist and had many of their stories that encourage him too. He became influential and God's tool to help his people to be courageous and victorious over their worrying situations. We too can be encouraged like him and learning of them show us how God can help us during our difficult times. We need to pray fervently to him and be hopeful that he will help us at all time.
Finally
Difficult times comes but does not last forever. Trusting in God is the only weapon in our arsenal to win over such challenging and difficult times.