Post | Honouring the Lord in Tough Times

This story is a testimony of the Lord’s goodness and faithfulness, even when my faith “dried up”. I recently shared this with our local church community, which was not easy. It was difficult to write this down in preparation to share with our community, since although the Lord shifted my circumstances for the better, the broader circumstances largely still existed when I shared it with our community (and even as I write this post). Would others be encouraged by an “incomplete” story? But the Lord’s Spirit was prompting me to do it anyway.

One of the Spirit’s prompts came through a fellow sister in Christ from our community, who was going through health issues and treatments. Although she and her family were going through a very tough time, she was very open about the journey that they were on. One day she put up a social media post talking about her illness, difficulties they were facing, and how she was personally struggling with the journey. But she continued to say that the post was done not to get sympathy or that it was not to get clicks & likes, but to encourage others in similar situations to remain strong and courageous in the Lord (I’m paraphrasing as I can’t remember the exact wording on the post). The Spirit showed me instantly that she was still acknowledging and honouring the Lord in the midst of her own struggles by being open to share and to encourage others. This really spoke to me, because I was not honouring the Lord with my situation, which was nowhere near as tough as hers. I was so consumed with my circumstances and I was not honouring the Lord in how I was handling the situation, and definitely not thinking about how the Lord could use my situation to help others.

The Journey

The journey has been ongoing over several years. I started my own business in mid 2018, which only really came together in about August 2019. So when Covid-19 lockdown hit in March 2020, the business was basically brand new. However, against all logic, the business found clients and was operating above a breakeven for the next twelve months (Lord, thank You!). However in March 2021, the same month my dad suddenly passed away, something changed in the business and most months thereafter were losses, with a few months of breaking even. This lasted for 2 years.

Needless to say, during this period there was much praying, soul searching, frustration, seeking counsel and advice, as well as trying new products and services to revive the business. Many times I wanted to give up and a few times I tried to give up, but now I realise that the Lord prevented that.

In the second quarter of 2023, the business gained some momentum by landing new clients and getting work from existing clients. “This must be it! The prayers, patience and perseverance have paid off. The business will now gain momentum” is what I thought. For about six months I felt that the business was now established and was set to grow. But in July 2023, it “fell off a cliff”.

New clients that had just been signed up, terminated unexpectedly before the implementations were completed. Existing clients suddenly stopped using the software and services my business provided. Although the reasons from clients varied, it was for things outside of my business’s control. It seemed to be a recurring theme, month after month, for the next 12 months. And the business’s financial losses were greater than the previous three years.

My spiritual journey was difficult and very dry, especially towards the end of the next 12 months. I never sank to a place where I didn’t believe and know that the Lord is sovereign, or that I was saved by Jesus’ sacrifice. But even though I continued going to church, meeting with our small church community group, having regular quiet times reading the Word and spending time in prayer, the Lord seemed very quiet and distant. Towards the end of the twelve months, I couldn’t bring myself to have quiet times or pray. Eventually the simplest prayers like “Lord, help me (whatever that looks like)” echoed in the silence and emptiness I felt. If there is such a thing, I was “spiritually fatigued”, and my hope was gone, especially in the latter 2 months of this time.

Financially, the pressure increased. Besides trying to sustain the month-to-month expenses during this time, there were exceptional expenses like prolonged illness for our family, regular therapy and upcoming surgery costs for my son, an unexpected and unplanned (but necessary) bathroom renovation, and unexpected house and car maintenance. At the end of July 2024, there were no financial or debt reserves personally or for the business. I thought this was now truly the end of the road.

Then the Lord stepped in!

The Lord’s Blessings

Firstly, during July He kept reminding me of 1 John 5:4-5 “For everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.” (NIV) (emphasis added)

Secondly, He spoke to me through the social media post I mentioned earlier, convicting me that I was not honouring Him “in all things” that He was using it for “my good” (Romans 8:28).

Thirdly, He practically and miraculously intervened in several ways in the first 2 weeks of August 2024.

Business Client Turn-around

One of my business’s big clients had indicated a year before that they intended to discontinue using the software that my business provided, as well as the associated services, for valid reasons which were once again outside of my control. However the Lord changed this situation, and the client did continue with the software and services. The renewal of the software subscription swung the business’s accumulated loss for the last twelve months to an accumulated profit!

Underground Problem Found and Fixed

We had been experiencing a long term problem with an underground sewer line at our home, which we could not find nor resolve. The problem was getting progressively worse and worse (don’t worry, no details!). Previous quotes to find and fix the problem would cost us thousands. “Co-incidentally” (or “God-incidentally” as some of you will agree), I asked a friend to let me use some of his labourers to start digging up my garden until I found the problem and see if I could fix it. He arrived with the labourers, we “co-incidentally” picked a spot to start digging, found the problem in that exact spot, managed to fix it easily, filled the hole and it cost me hundreds instead of thousands!

My Son’s Work Contract Renewal

My son was between work contracts for a few months, and the renewal of the next contract had been complicated and delayed, to the point we were doubting it would happen and thought our prayers would go unanswered. “Suddenly” during the same two weeks that the Lord was intervening, the contract was finalised, signed and my son started work within days!

A “Resurrected” Washing Line

Although not a big issue, but certainly an inconvenience, our washing line “died” a few months before He started intervening. Unfortunately, due to our financial situation and the other more significant expenses we had to cover, the washing line could not be repaired or replaced. Again, I mentioned this in passing to a friend. At the beginning of August he phoned me to say that he had a new stainless steel wash line made for us and wanted to come put it up. Although I offered to pay for it, he said that it was a gift and that he didn’t want to be reimbursed.

Anonymously Donated Tyres

The last thing that the Lord did during these 2 weeks was something like the stories that I heard from other people’s lives but which had never happened in my life. My car’s front tyres were worn and were neither legal nor safe. But again, due to our financial situation, there was no cash (or debt) available to replace them. I must admit that I would do my best to avoid traffic police vehicle checks to avoid fines (although I found out they do walk around parking lots and issue fines for illegal tyres). At the end of the first week in August, I received a telephone call from someone saying they worked at the local tyre fitment centre. He asked if I needed front tyres for my car, which he also identified, and asked what type of tyres I needed. Suspiciously, I said I did need tyres and asked why he wanted to know. He responded that I should bring my car in to get new tyres fitted. Still very suspicious, I pushed how he knew that I needed tyres and where he got my phone number. He said that someone wanted to anonymously pay for replacement tyres! To this day, I still don’t know who that generous donor is.

Unexpected Business Contract

The Lord also had something else in the pipeline during this time, which had not come to bear fruit yet and which I didn’t share in the testimony with our church community at the time. For various reasons, my business did not target clients which were part of the government or state-owned enterprises. However, during July I did the administration to register my business on the national and provincial government supplier databases, for “co-incidental” reasons I won’t cover now. At this time, I received a phone call “out of the blue” from a state operated business wanting a quote for a year of software subscription and services. I didn’t really take the inquiry seriously, as I believed the requirements of the tender process would eliminate my business quickly. But fortunately, the government supplier registrations had just been completed, so I was in a situation to provide a quote. Within 4 weeks, I received an appointment letter!

The Point

I shared this testimony at our church and have written this post to acknowledge the Lord as the source of these blessings. And although this story is “incomplete”, as there is still debt to be covered and the business is not “out-of-the-woods” yet, I believe the Lord wants me to share it to encourage others who are facing similar circumstances. This was confirmed after I shared this testimony at church. I was taken aback by how many people came up to me, thanking me for sharing the story and saying that they were encouraged.

We need to remember that life is not perfect, now or will be going forward. Jesus never promised us that life would be without trouble. In fact He said the opposite when He said “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33 NIV). We don’t always understand what the Lord is doing, but we should walk in our trials in a way that honours Him. He has purpose for our lives and will use the things we experience “for good”, for us and for others. If we don’t handle our difficulties well, as His Word requires of us, we can become obstacles instead of instruments.

So how do we overcome difficulties and avoid being obstacles to His purposes? 1 John 5:4-5 says that we must be born of God and believe that Jesus is the Son of God. Sounds simple? Yes. Is it easy? No, unfortunately not for the majority of us. Holding the belief that Jesus is the Son of God is probably the easy part. But living it out, especially each time difficulties hit, can be difficult. Maybe find encouragement, as I do, that the original words which are translated to “believe” and “overcome” in 1 John 5 are verbs or “doing words”. For me, this implies an active and ongoing participation on my part in His plan and purposes, regardless of the circumstances. To overcome, we need to actively participate in our circumstances, with Jesus as Lord.