Day 34: Strength in hard times
Isaiah 43:2-3
For many people, the last year has been the definition of ‘hard times’. There has been grief and sorrow, financial difficulties, job loss, relationship challenges, loneliness…..and the list goes on. Being Christians doesn’t make us immune to any of this! What does make us different is where we choose to look during these hardships.
As a church family with a real heart for people, we love to be able to reach out through the practical – Storehouse, Baby Bundles, the Community Shop and all of this is God led and needed, but as we know, some holes can’t be filled with the practical. Some holes are emotionally and mentally dark and we struggle to see the light, but take heart; God is still God and His strength is still enough!
In Isaiah 43:2-3 it says this:
‘When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Saviour, I give Egypt for you, Cush and Seba in your stead.’
I love that these verses use the words ‘pass through’ and ‘walk through’. These words enable us to know that whatever our situation is we are going ‘through’- we are not stuck ‘in it’!! Most importantly we are not going ‘through it’ alone! God knows that we will endure hardship but we can know that hardship will never completely overwhelm us when we hold on to Him.
I believe that this year has also been a year of witness and testament to all that God can do and everything He is. There are countless stories of God’s
power working – consoling those who grieve, providing jobs when all seems hopeless, financial blessing, relationships restored…..and yes this list also goes on and on!
Our hardship is God’s opportunity to show His overwhelming love in all situations. We can stand on the promise that God will always be our strength in hard times.
Prayer
Lord, I pray that whatever our situation may be we will always know, deep in our hearts, that your strength is all we need. That the rivers will not sweep over us and the fire not consume us because you are our hope when there seems to be no hope. Amen
Hayley Barry
Connect Leader