As many of you know, I have been away for a month, training with the Air Force in Montgomery, Alabama at the Basic Chaplain Course (BCC). It was a very valuable time for me. I learned a lot and got to practice many different ministry skills while I was there, and now I am thankful to be home.

While I was training, I got to have some very cool experiences! I met the Chief of Chaplains for the Air Force, and I got to ride on an Army Blackhawk helicopter.

There were also some difficult moments for me. I had to work to be vulnerable with my fellow chaplains so they could know me better and so I could grow best in our class. We did some personal grief work in our counseling class and that was difficult as well. The most difficult aspect of my time in Alabama was the news about my cousin. My cousin Nate is in the hospital and has been there for some weeks now. He needs the Lord’s intervention to recover, and he may die in the hospital.

My time at BCC was good and difficult. It reminded me of one of my favorite Psalms, Psalm 73, which speaks about struggle and God’s goodness in hard times. I encourage you to read the whole Psalm. Here are the highlights:

The Psalmist, Asaph, begins his Psalm with the truth that,

Surely God is good to Israel,
to those who are pure in heart.
Psalm 73:1

However, he shifts immediately into his complaint. The Psalmist writes that he cannot understand why the unrighteous prosper, since God is good and merciful and righteous and powerful. It seems like the unrighteous have no troubles, that life is full of joy for them, and that they are rewarded for their wickedness.

I felt a similar mismatch while away. I know that God is good, that He loves perfectly, that He wants good things for us, and that He can heal my cousin. And, at the same time, I know that He has not healed Nate. For His own reasons, He has not willed to heal Nate. Instead, He has allowed Nate to continue in his sickness up until this point.

Well, the reason this Psalm is one of my favorites is the Psalmist’s response to his inner struggle. The Psalmist says in verses sixteen and seventeen,

When I tried to understand all this,
 it troubled me deeply
till I entered the sanctuary of God;
 then I understood their final destiny.
Psalm 73:16-17

The Psalmist cannot overcome his struggles on his own. He cannot reconcile his knowledge of God with his observed reality, so he seeks out God in the sanctuary. Because the Psalmist spent time with God, he was able to trust and follow God’s plan, even though he didn’t know all the details.

While I was away, I needed that same connection with God. I went out walking with the Father, talking with Him in the cold streets of Alabama. I sought Him and He was there. He didn’t give me any answers, but He reminded me of His faithfulness and His goodness. He gave me the strength to trust Him with my future and my cousin’s health.

So, wherever you are today, take a moment to go and bring your problems before the Lord. Enter His Sanctuary and lay your struggles before Him. Go somewhere where you can be honest and humble before our Father and give Him your burdens and needs.

Our Lord may not fix your problem immediately. He may not provide you with the answers you seek. But He will be there for you. He is big enough to hold all of your thoughts, your feelings, and your needs. Trust Him today and tell Him what you are struggling with and what you need. Then, we will be able to say with the Psalmist,

Yet I am always with you;
 you hold me by my right hand.
You guide me with your counsel,
 and afterward you will take me into glory.
Whom have I in heaven but you?
 And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
My flesh and my heart may fail,
 but God is the strength of my heart
 and my portion forever.
Those who are far from you will perish;
 you destroy all who are unfaithful to you.
But as for me, it is good to be near God.
 I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge;
 I will tell of all your deeds.
Psalm 73:23-28

God’s Presence and Strength be with you all,
Noah