A girl I know is starting the above Project and so I thought I would touch on the subject myself and share. :)
This is to those who are struggling with any challenges in life, no matter what they are. If you feel like you can't keep going, that nothing is going right, know that you aren't alone. Even if there is no one left to hold you, stand by you, or help you, God is always, always watching.
There are so many examples in the Bible, of people going through hardship, trials, and suffering, but they were never left to deal with it on their own. God was there, holding them in His hand, working things out in His providence. Think of the Psalmist, who frequently cries to God, asking Him why he seems to be hiding His face, and ignoring David in His suffering. He pours out his heart to God, telling Him his troubles and asking Him to show His mercy. And then, he writes Psalms of how God is good to him and how his loving kindness endures forever. How God never forsook him.
Then there is Job, who lost everything dear to him, and he still praised and worshipped God.
Gideon, who was hopelessly outnumbered, and had to put his complete faith in God to give them the victory.
Abraham, who left the only home he had ever known, to go where God had told him.
All the martyrs, who never lost faith in God, even when their very lives were being threatened, whether by burning, beheading, or some other torture their enemies thought up for them.
These are only a few of the many people who trusted God to do what was best for them, and to get them through the trials set before them.
God promises us that even in our darkest hours, he will not abandon us. That He will always go before us. That things are never out of His control.
"Be strong and of good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them; for the Lord thy God, it is He that goes with you. He will not fail you, or forsake you...fear not neither be dismayed." `Deuteronomy 31: 6, 8c
"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose." ~Romans 8:28
God promises this to us. And He tells us to trust Him to keep that promise. Is trusting God hard? Absolutely. But He never promised us our paths would be easy. In fact, He tells us the opposite. But, we have something that others do not.
"What shall we say then to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?....For I am convinced that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ our Lord." ~Romans 8:31, 38-38.
When we think about it, we really have no cause for worry, because we know that even though this life is hard, we have Eternal Life with God. Forever and ever, we will be filled with peace, and joy, no more tears, and no more pain. That is to give us comfort. That is to give us the strength to say; "I can keep going, I will not let this trial defeat me, because I have God on my side, who is in control of all things. A God who knows when the sparrows fall, and he knows what is best for me. He will never abandon me."
Are we going to stumble? Yes. Are we going to ask why things are how they are? Yes. But we should never let those things pull us under. We should let God pull us up. Because he commands us to trust.
"Trust and obey, there is no other way, to be happy in Jesus, than to trust and obey." ~Old Hymn
I like what Paul says in 1 Cor. 1:3-4
"Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus, Father of all mercies and the God of all comfort. Who comforts us in all our tribulation that we may be able to comfort them which are troubled, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted by God."
Our enduring our suffering is a testimony to others. It is part of our witness, and it helps us to grow in our faith, so that we are able to help others when they are suffering, and grow ever closer to God.
Take comfort in this and much more, so we will be able to say:
"The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?"~Psalm 27:1
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