You Can Do the Hard Stuff
“…Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
Joshua 1:9 NIV
Each morning on my way to work, the radio is blaring worship songs. It helps to set the tone for the day. But two songs have really made an impact on me this year, Matthew West’s “Don’t Stop Praying,” and Cain’s “I Made It.”
When I am going through hard things and the sun goes down on the day, everything seems worse. The night comes and Satan steps in working in the darkness. He stirs up fears and illuminates my failures. I reach for my Bible. The words that once jumped off the page now run together. I get my phone and play “Don’t Stop Praying.” I close my eyes and let each word sink in. I pray out loud to God to give me the strength to keep the faith as I battle health problems and all the worries that come along with life.
Satan whispers, “You will never make it; you are not good enough.” Or the worst of all, “You deserve this.”
I pray harder for Jesus to bring the peace I crave. A friend gave me a plaque that says, “You never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have.” Facing a cancer diagnosis, any life-threatening health illnesses, or difficult circumstances, can grow your faith in different ways. God’s way becomes clearer; friendships grow stronger, you want to savor each moment, and doing for others helps to ease your pain. Satan may use your health, finances, job problems, marriage issues or a prodigal child to turn you away from your faith, blame God, and push you away from the Bible. You must fight hard to stay focused on God and His goodness during those dark times. God didn’t do this to you, but He will bring you through it. Everything we face passes through God’s hands first. He sees us. I am sure He weeps at watching us go through the hard stuff. He knows pain.
God’s glory lights our darkest time. Satan flees to wait for another weak moment to strike. That’s when we put the armor back on and, with all the strength we can muster, we go to battle again with Jesus by our side. With Jesus we can do the hard stuff - just like Cain’s song, “I Made It.” You come out on the other side stronger than ever. Friends and church members surround us encouraging us with each step we take. When we see Jesus, He will wipe away the tears and hold us close to His wounded side. I believe He will say, “I knew you could do the hard stuff. I was there all the time.”
Mitzie Avera
