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By Ann Farabee

I understand, Habakkuk.

I really do.

Life sure can be a mystery.

Sometimes, there are things we need to know.

Sometimes, there are questions we need to ask.

Knowing that you — a minor prophet — took your questions to God, helps me know that God will answer my questions, too.

When reading your questions from Habakkuk 1:2, I felt your pain. I felt you crying out.

I sure have been there.

You asked, “Oh Lord, how long must I cry out and You will not hear me? How long must I cry out and You will not save me?”

I sure am glad you asked God those questions, because I really wanted to know the answer, as well. We may not often admit it, but sometimes it seems as if it is taking forever for the answer to come.

Yes, Habakkuk. God answered you.

God who created the world — and created us — is willing to answer our questions.

That knowledge takes my breath away.

As does the response Habakkuk received.

God’s response? In Habakkuk 1:5, God said, “Be utterly astounded! I will work a work in your days, that you would not believe, even if I told you.”

God was going to do an unbelievable work in Habakkuk’s days. “Will work a work”’ meant that he would begin, continue and finish. “In your days” meant it will not be deferred, put off or postponed. The unbelievable would happen in his lifetime.

We need to believe God will do the unbelievable. Really believe — not just for the past or for the future, but for the here and now. God is here. His presence is real. He will work a work in our days.

Mark 11:24 tells us that whatever we ask in prayer, believe that we have received it, and it will be ours.

Jeremiah 33:3 says that we are to call on him and he will answer us, and show us great and mighty things, that we did not know.

• Lord — your plans are bigger than we could ever imagine.

Help us to imagine the unimaginable.

• Lord — you still do the unbelievable.

Help us to believe the unbelievable.

• Lord — you still can — and you still will — astound us.

Help us to be utterly astounded.

Lord, may we expect to be astounded by the unimaginable and the unbelievable. Amen.

Ann Farabee is a teacher, writer and speaker. Contact her at  annfarabee@gmail.com or annfarabee.com.

By Ann Farabee

Letting go.

It is personal.

No one can do it for you.

Telling someone to let go can be helpful — but only if they let go.

As a 10-year-old, I attended swim classes at the YMCA. The instructor was nice. The water was not too cold. I would sit on the steps of the pool. I would then walk down the steps while holding on to the side of the pool.

The next step would be to let go of the side of the pool. I refused. Not one time during those lessons did I let go. I regret that my parents had to pay for me to hold on to the side of the pool.

As a 20-year-old, I was required to pass a swim test in college in order to pass PE. My teacher very calmly told me that I would need to let go of the side of the pool in order to swim.

I promised I would try. He waited. Nothing.

Finally he counted expressively, “One, two, three. Let go!”

After a few countdowns, he gently spoke these words, “In order to let go, you will have to open your hands.”

Trust me — the side of the pool was not easy to let go of, but I finally did. Instruction became possible. I learned to swim that semester and earned my A in PE. My teacher was proud.

Until I opened my hands, let go and chose to trust, there would have been little chance of overcoming my lifelong fear of the water. I could have held on with hands tightly clenched to the side of the pool for the entire semester — and admit defeat. But I chose to trust my teacher and then began to trust the water that surrounded me.

Trust changed everything.

Trust. It is a small but beautiful word that brings out our emotions and resonates as a firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone or some thing.

When most of us were growing up, we may remember standing on some stairs yelling out, “Catch me, Daddy!” Then, with reckless abandon we would let go and fly through the air because we had complete trust that our father would catch us. He always would.

Or maybe we remember our children jumping into their father’s arms from the stairs, as they yelled out, “Catch me, Daddy!” and went diving through the air with complete trust that he would catch them. He always would.

The trust a child can have in his father — it is an amazing thing.

The trust we can have in our heavenly father — it is an amazing thing.

Which would feel sweeter?

How we feel when we know we can trust God?

Or how God must feel knowing that we trust him?

I think both make him smile.

Ecclesiastes 3:6 tells us that there is a time to let go.

Trust God! Do not fear. He will catch us!

Every. Time.

Ann Farabee is a teacher, writer and speaker. Contact her at  annfarabee@gmail.com or annfarabee.com.

By Ann Farabee

Without a doubt, the columns I have received the most messages and emails about have dealt with going through difficult circumstances in life. The Lord has certainly allowed me to go through many trials — and my tests have become my testimonies.

I love the promise in John 16:33: “These things have I spoken unto you, that in me you may have peace. In the world, you will have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”

How much tribulation must we deal with that needs to be overcome?

In most of our lives, the answer to that question is: a lot!

But we can be of good cheer! Not only can we be of good cheer, but we can have peace. Not only can we be of good cheer and have peace, but we also have an overcomer! His name is Jesus!

To overcome means to prevail over, to defeat, to overpower or ascendancy. The word ascendancy is a noun that means to occupy a position of power or influence.

The Lord is our overcomer! He prevails over our lives. He defeats and overpowers our enemies. He occupies the position of power and influence in our world. This knowledge surely can bring peace in our lives.

It seems way too often that my husband and I have to look at each other with a sigh and a head-shake as we say, “It’s always something!”

It is always something, isn’t it? I mean — that’s a promise, right? We will have tribulation. The meaning of tribulation is great trouble. Yes, great trouble comes quite often.

I like to repeat this often: Jesus is my overcomer.

• Health problems? Jesus is my overcomer.

• Financial needs? Jesus is my overcomer.

• Anxiety? Jesus is my overcomer.

• Spiritual weakness? Jesus is my overcomer.

• Emotional problems? Jesus is my overcomer.

• Children struggling? Jesus is my overcomer.

• Marriage problems? Jesus is my overcomer.

• Fear? Jesus is my overcomer.

• Problems at work? Jesus is my overcomer.

• Loneliness? Jesus is my overcomer.

• Grieving? Jesus is my overcomer.

• Failure? Jesus is my overcomer.

• Ice cream in a cone melting over my hand? Jesus is my overcomer.

• Need to get a flying bug out of my house? Jesus is my overcomer.

The last two were to see if you were paying attention, but also remind us that Jesus is not only our overcomer in times of life’s big problems, but also in our everyday lives.

Jesus is my overcomer!

Ann Farabee is a teacher, writer and speaker. Contact her at  annfarabee@gmail.com or annfarabee.com.