Our Hope: Walkin’ On Through It

‘Those who know Your name will trust in You, for You, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek You.’  Psalm 9:10 (NIV)

Let’s agree right away that life is hard.  There is no splitting hairs about it, no glossing it over, no making it sound better than that.  But even though life is difficult at best, its value to us, and the goodness in it, are much to be grateful for.  In other words, it is well worth every breath, each new day, all the troubles.

We don’t start out realizing how hard life is, do we?  When we are children, we frolic and play, and of course, if we don’t get a toy we want, or get our way in something, then we think it’s just the end of the world.  I can remember when my parents grounded me for some infraction, and it was the night before a sock hop, yes, I did say a sock hop, and I was sure it was simply the end of my entire world.  I was maybe 13 at the time.  But I just knew my life was over.  Still, for the most part, we grew, we played, and we didn’t worry about the things we worry about today, now that we are grown up.

There are all kinds of bumps in the road we travel daily.  Sometimes its finances.  Or it could be our jobs.  Or maybe it’s those relationships with people who expect us to be perfect.  Boy, they sure get let down, don’t they?  Quite often, it can be health issues.  And yes, it can even be our faith, or our lack of it.  Whatever the bumps we face on a regular basis, they make life hard.  Difficult.  Sometimes downright impossible.

But it doesn’t have to be that way!  No, I don’t mean we can make those bumps go away, but we can learn how to better deal with them, how to face them head-on with confidence, how to survive even the most challenging issues, and when we later look back on them, laugh!  That comes from not taking our own lives too seriously.  I don’t mean to simply skate through it like nothing matters, just have a good time and forget the rest.  I mean, mold our attitudes, our outlook, our assessment of the situations we face to model Christ.  Yes, I did say that.  We are to walk like Him, and talk like Him.  He is the epitome of gentleness and compassion.  If we take on those types of qualities, then we can face anything that life chooses to throw at us.  We can remember always that no matter what comes today or tonight, His mercies are new every morning.  Every morning, each and every day, year in and year out.  We must remember this about our Lord.  He is always there with grace and mercy, no matter what we face, no matter how we face it, because He cares.

Jesus is Our Hope.  He will keep us walkin’, talkin’, and He will always make a way.  We can trust Him to help us leap over the obstacles, to shrug off the burdens that weigh us down, and to fight for the things that are important.  So keep on walkin’ through it, my friend, and just see how good life really is!

‘Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths.’  Proverbs 3:5-6 (ESV)

Blessings!