“These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine & may result in praise, glory & honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.” (1 Peter 1:7)
While going through a particularly bad time lately, the question arose in my mind: “Is this it? Is this my breaking point where I finally cave in under the stress of my affliction?” But then I got to thinking about so many other terrible times in the past, when things looked & felt particularly grim. God pulled me through every one of those past terrible trials, & I concluded that He has not brought me this far just to let me be crushed by my affliction after all this time.
You may be feeling that an impossible load is upon your shoulders, more than you can ever hope to endure. Sometimes when our already terrible afflictions take an even worse turn, we are tempted to become discouraged, depressed, & perhaps even wonder if we are finally at the end of our rope.
Yet we are not left hopeless. My guess is that God has pulled you through some very hard times in the past, times that seemed particularly hopeless, but you survived by God’s grace & strength.
It is helpful to remember those past victories when things are looking bleak, when you cannot easily see a way forward. God has not brought you so far to leave you immobilized before reaching the end of your race. Trust Him, & remember what He has already done for you.
Prayer: Dear Lord, sometimes thing look bleak, dark & hopeless, yet You have never forsaken us. Carry us forward during those times we are too weak to carry ourselves. Get us to the finish line for Your glory & praise. Amen.
About the Author:
Karlton Douglas lives in Ohio with his lovely wife. With God’s help he has survived many years with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome & Crohn’s Disease. He is author of the book: Chronic Illness.
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