YOU ARE NOT ALONE!

YOU ARE NOT ALONE!

Cursed be the day I was born! May the day my mother bore me not be blessed! Cursed be the man who brought my father the news, who made him very glad, saying, “A child is born to you—a son!” May that man be like the towns the Lord overthrew without pity. May he hear wailing in the morning, a battle cry at noon. For he did not kill me in the womb, with my mother as my grave, her womb enlarged forever. Why did I ever come out of the womb to see trouble and sorrow and to end my days in shame? —Jeremiah 20:14-18

After this, Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth. —Job 3:1

We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. —II Corinthians 1:8

Life can be hard at times for those who follow the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus actually told us that these things would happen, but that in Him we could have peace (John 16:33). There are those believers in this world that go through terrible persecution because of their love for Jesus. Others go through tremendous loss because of their faith in the Lord God Almighty. So many followers of Jesus go through great suffering of various sorts because of their commitment to the Lord.

There are times when believers think it may have been better that they were not born. What they are going through is so painful that they think like this. But God’s Word is clear and we need to cling to what He has to say. He is working all things out for God to those who love God and are called according to His purposes (Romans 8:28). We don’t understand all this at the moment, but that is what He is doing and we need to trust Him for it. “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all” (II Corinthians 4:17). Persecution, mocking, loss of loved ones, loss of jobs and businesses, loss of health— all these things and more happen so often to those who follow Jesus. They do not feel “light and momentary” when going through them. We need to keep our eyes on the “eternal glory that far outweighs them all.”

He has promised to “be with us until the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). He said “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you” (Deuteronomy 31:6, 8; Joshua 1:5; Hebrews 13:5). “Take courage,” Jesus said, “I have overcome the world” (John 16:33) and we overcome the world as well by our faith in Him (I John 5:5). “And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith” (Hebrews 12:1-2). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ow4OfW4DP9s We are not alone!

Dear Father, whatever comes my way may I be faithful to run the race You have for me. Oh, that I would keep my eyes on Jesus, the Author and Finisher of my faith. May this be so in the power of Your Holy Spirit and in the authority of Jesus. So be it!