Persevering Through Financial Trials

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The dream of having one’s own apartment in New York City is at the top of most New Yorkers’ wish lists. It’s known to be one of the most expensive cities in the world, with rent accounting for 30-50 percent of the average New Yorker’s salary. It was a great desire of mine, not only because I wanted my own space but also because where I had been living at the time caused me so much grief, I needed to be in my own little oasis.

In the apartment I shared, my personal stuff kept getting stolen. Not only were these items of sentimental value (gifts from relatives), but I had repeatedly brought the issue up with my roommates. It felt like my grievances were going in one ear and out the next. So, I did what I knew to do, I prayed, begging God to help me get my own apartment. Psalm 62:1-2 (NIV) became my lifeline: "Truly my soul finds rest in God, my salvation comes from him. Truly he is my rock and my salvation."

Shortly after, I came across an article that listed the requirements for a person looking to secure a lease for an apartment in the Big Apple. This included having enough money to cover the first and last month’s rent and a 15 percent broker’s fee. It was a large amount of money for me to work and save for, but I knew this was God preparing me. In all, it was about a year later that I finally signed the lease on my own apartment. God provided it during a recession, making it affordable for me.

What I learned through the trial of waiting and preparing for God’s timing to move was that there are going to be times in our lives where we must endure the difficulty for a period, but if we seek God and pray for His guidance, He will answer and provide us with the direction we need to go. Romans 5:3-4 tells us that we should "glory in our sufferings, because we know suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope".

You may be in an environment where your faith is being mocked, or like me, you need God to provide the finances for a great need, or maybe you’ve been praying for a loved one to make better choices. Be assured, God does hear your cries. Whatever trials we go through (and we all go through them) we can have hope knowing that in the end, the lover of our souls will provide us with an answer we can trust.

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