Trials and Tribulation

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God

As you go through life, don’t make the mistake in believing that it will be smooth sailing all the way home. The Scripture is filled with examples of the opposite, as well as warnings about it. Take, for example, the warning Jesus gave to His disciple: “…In this godless world you will continue to experience difficulties. But take heart! I’ve conquered the world” (John 16:33 – The Message Paraphrase).

Joseph and Mary are clear examples of this. They were in God’s will and part of His divine plan. And soon after the spectacular birth of the Son of God, they were forced to flee for their lives to a foreign country. The hardships Joseph and Mary faced were not because of sin and disobedience, it was just the opposite.

Take heart, dear Christ follower. Don’t become discouraged when you face opposition. Don’t allow opposition to make you doubt God’s will for your life. If you have walked daily with God, following Him, He will see you TRHOUGH whatever you are facing. 

I’m reminded of the first Christ followers. They were warned by the religious leaders not to preach about Jesus. As they continued to preach, they were beaten and jailed. Rather than throwing a “pity party,” they asked God to give them boldness (Acts 4:24-31). So be alert and ready for the hardships of life like the early Christ followers—even His Son, Jesus. But remember this, you won’t face more then you can handle.

No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he’ll never let you be pushed past your limit; he’ll always be there to help you come through it (1st Corinthians 10:13 – The Message Paraphrase).