The Blessed War and Trusting God

Matthew 26:42 (New International Version)

He went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.”

Just before World War II, Iceland was going through a harsh economic time known as "the Depression". Many were unemployed and in despair.

As Iceland is a nation consisting largely of Christians, many were praying to God for relief, but "not my will, but Yours will be done."

Then, to make things worse, World War II broke out. As Iceland had no army, they would be prone for an easy invasion by the Germans. The outlook became dimmer and dimmer.

On May 10, 1940, six months after World War II was declared, British warships headed for Reykjavik, the capital of Iceland, and Iceland fell under British occupation.

It looks like things got even worse, doesn't it? The only problem is, many Icelanders refer to this time period as the "Blessed War". You see, although their country was occupied and many soldiers lost their lives at sea, the presence of the British soldiers, and eventually the American military, revived the Icelandic economy, bringing considerable relief to the impoverished country.

But that's not all. Although Iceland had been ruled by the Danish for several centuries, World War II also brought an ironic end to this. With Denmark occupied by the Germans from April 9, 1940 onward, all communication between Iceland and her mother country ceased. This gave Icelanders the opportunity to hold a referendum, and on June 17, 1944 they became an independent republic.

We never know what the future holds for us, but one thing we do know for sure is that our future, as believers in the Almighty God, is guaranteed. We have nothing to fear. If we are going through troubled times and we find ourselves in total despair, we need to realize that this is our opportunity to either trust in God or not.

When broken, we can either flourish or perish. It all depends on Who we put our trust in! Letting God lead the way is always our best option, for only then can we truly shine.

Jesus, too, faced troubled times, worse than any that we will ever face. At Gethsemane He voiced "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death." (Matt 26:38 NIV)

What did He do in such times? Did He complain? Did he curse the wicked Pharisees? No way! He went to His Father in Heaven in prayer. And although Jesus wished that His circumstances would go away, He put His complete trust in God, His Father:

Trouble may be looming in the horizon, but God is way above any of these circumstances. His glory will be revealed. It's our choice to be part of it or not.

Dear Lord we pray today that we would completely trust in You in all circumstances knowing that You are in control. In Jesus’ name, Amen.