Sometimes working with kids is hard. One or two kids in a group can be
difficult to deal with. Some days you find ALL the kids in a group have
caught a contagion of “bad attitude”. Now that’s when you have to rely
on the patience and persistence that only comes from the Holy Spirit!

When the challenges come, I often remind myself “this is why I’m here”,
to demonstrate love in the face of apathy, to show persistence through a
time of negativity, to show that I care even when someone else does not.

There are, however, two greater reasons to cling to hope, and be
persistent in the work. One of these reasons applies to everyone’s work
and life, not just the Gospel worker.

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Reason #1

First, we have the assurance that God’s Word will achieve its purposes.
God declares that just as the rain comes down and achieves its purpose
of nourishing the land, before returning to the heavens, “so is my word
that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will
accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”
(Isaiah 55:11)

Earlier in Isaiah 55, God exhorts us to turn to Him, and know that He is
mighty, that our thoughts and plans pale in comparison to His thoughts.
We can be confident that the Gospel will achieve the purposes God
intends for it, even though we may not see the results we would like.

Lately I’m learning that we must often be content with knowing that in
spite of our imperfect attempts to reveal Christ, we are planting seeds
that may not flourish for some time. We can be confident that as the
Word goes out in our ministry, God will be using it to achieve His
plans, to further His purposes, even when we do not see it or realize
it. We stand on the truth that “the gospel … is the power of God that
brings salvation to everyone who believes”. (Romans 1:16)

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Reason #2

The second reason to cling to hope in the midst of trouble is that God
is absolutely sovereign. This of course is a matter of faith, as we
trust that God is ruler over all, the supreme king (1 Timothy 6:15),
whose plans are good and will not be thwarted, in spite of our
perception of evil and trouble in the world. God rules over the nations
(Psalm 22:28), the host of heaven and all those on earth (Daniel 4:35).
We should be comforted that the power and love of the Almighty God will
rule over all evil and trouble in the way He has ordained. No matter
what your line of work, you can trust that God is in control even in the
tough times, even in the storm (Mark 4:35-40)

Dr. David Johnson

… the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. (Mark 4:27)