When Life Gets Hard

Have you ever struggled?

I mean really, truly struggled? Fought the kind of battle that encompasses your heart and soul, your spirit and your will? Have you ever been so tired of fighting, struggling, losing that you want to just give up? Have you been to that place where the best option seems to cut your losses and run? To leave the battle and live to fight another day?

Me too. I've been there. It isn't easy.

Here's where the Bible comes in.

Here's where I bring up the stories of David, or Joseph, or Paul or Peter or John. Esther. Daniel. Stories of people who had tremendous struggles and responded with tremendous faith. They overcame, not in and of themselves, but with and by God.

But I'm no king. God didn't give me a dream of the future to hold on to. Christ has not spoken to me directly, blinded me and then returned my sight. Jesus did not say that I would be the rock for His church, nor give me a vision of things to come. I am not royalty. I cannot interpret dreams and visions.

I am just me. What does the Bible say about that?

It says that what they had, I have.

Not the authority of a king, but the power of the one who sets kings in place and brings them down. Not a dream of the future, but the unbreakable promise of glory to come. Not temporary blindness, but eternal sight and light. Not a position as a rock, but a role as a pillar. Not a vision of what is to come, but peace for when it does. Not earthly royalty, but heavenly adoption. Not an ability to interpret dreams, but a faith to believe them.

The Bible says that what they had was the power of God. I, too, am offered that. They, through their faith, accepted it. Their faith in God is what gave them power, perseverance, strength, stamina, and victory. Every one of them died, but every one of them lives today. Through God. With God.

What they had, so do I.

The old cliche . . .

No one said it would be easy. Actually, a lot of people do say and have said it would be easy, it will be easy, it should be easy. They're wrong. They're wrong, or they're liars. It's not easy. None of it. Life. Church. Faith. Family. Work. Whatever. In all things is struggle, unless you take the easy path of sin. And that path leads to further struggle still.

I feel like that old writer of Ecclesiastes who said, "this, too, is a chasing after the wind."

But even Solomon, in his darkest of days, realized this:

Now all has been heard;
  here is the conclusion of the matter:
Fear God and keep His commandments,
  for this is the whole duty of man. 

When life gets hard . . .

Keep going.  Fear God, and keep His commandments.  I'm not telling you it's going to be easy or even easier, but it is right. And that's what matters.