Life
is hard.
And
we find the strength to continue on.
Sue’s
husband died three years ago. And she is
finding daily courage and strength to continue on with her life. Way to go Sue.
I’ve
known David for ten years. In that time,
he has had three different jobs, with months in-between when it seemed he would
never work again. Yet God provided has
provided and David is finding the courage to continue.
Somehow,
in God’s grace and mercy, He provides us the courage to continue when life is
an uphill climb. And often, He brings to
mind some amazingly powerful words from the scriptures that assure, strengthen
and fortify at just the right moment.
“I will never leave you nor
forsake you.”
(Hebrews 13:5)
“And now listen to what the Lord
says. Fear not. I have redeemed you. I call you by name; you are mine. When you pass through deep waters, I will be
with you; and the rivers shall not overflow you; when you walk through the fire
you shall not be burned, nor will the spark of the fire light upon you, for I
am your God, the Holy One of Israel. (Isaiah 43:1-2)
One
of my favorite passages from the scriptures is this:
“Be not afraid nor dismayed, for I
the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9)
You
see, God is by our side and He is on our side.
He walks with us through our everyday experiences - the mundane and the
muddied
~Got
money problems – He is there.
~Marriage
problems – He is there.
~Has
someone near and dear died – He is there.
~Did
your favorite sports team lose – He is there.
~Did
you have a moral lapse – He is there.
~Did
you get the job you wanted – He is there.
God
is there, in every moment of life, offering a hand to pull us up out of our
predicament. He is offering us the
courage to continue.
We
have our part to play as well. Do you
remember the story of the lame man in John 5?
Jesus
was in Jerusalem for a Jewish holy day.
Throngs of sick people were everywhere – blind, lame, paralyzed. They were thick as fleas I suppose. One particular man was lying there who had
been sick for 38-years.
Jesus
walked up to him and asked, “Would you like to get well?”
He
made excuses for why he couldn’t get into the healing waters.
Jesus
said – “Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk!”
And
now comes the critical moment. Had he
heard the man correctly? He wants me to
stand up – a man who hasn’t stood for 38 years.
And he wants me to stand? Why,
what is that all about?
Somehow,
in some way, this crippled man found his courage that day and began moving off
his mat. He rolled over, put his hands
on the ground and began to push off, just like you and I would do if we were
lying on the ground.
And
he found his courage
And he found his strength
And he found healing
The
Bible says ‘instantly the man was healed!
He rolled up his sleeping mat and began walking.’
A
man crippled for 38 years found his courage to try one more time and Jesus
healed him.
Whatever
hardship, obstacle, difficulty you may face, God is standing nearby offering
you a hand of hope. He wants you to have
courage to keep going.
Keep
Going!
And
He will be with you!
Internet Church
Offering Words of
Hope Encouragement
Inspiration
One Word at a Time
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