"Fear not
[there is nothing to fear], for I am with you; do not look around you in terror
and be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen and harden
you to difficulties, yes, I will help you; yes, I will hold you up and retain
you with My [victorious] right hand of rightness and justice."
Isaiah 41:10 (AMP)
This powerful verse seems very timely
given what many on the eastern coast have endured and what those of us in
Northern Virginia and to the north are bracing for this morning. Whatever
happens, may we draw strength from this verse now and for as long as we are on
the earth. Regardless of what happens around us, our God reigns!
In John 16:33 Christ says, “I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect]
peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation and
trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer [take
courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. [I
have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.]”
You see, we are here on the earth for
a purpose…to bring Glory to God, and in doing so we will point others to Him.
We have a mission here. We are God’s and under His care at all times, but He
will not keep us from being affected by the same things nonbeliever experience.
Rather He will harden us to difficulties, give us His supernatural strength to
endure trials of all kinds and will not allow those trails to ultimately defeat
us. As the world watches us endure the same hardships they will notice that the
source of our strength must come from something greater than ourselves. And
if we will hold to our faith and walk out this Christian life they will ask
questions, and the door will be opened to take them into the throne room of our
mighty God and introduce them to our Lord - the Source of our strength, the Giver
of our peace, the Reason for our joy!
So “…count it all joy when you encounter trials of various kinds…” welcoming
them as an opportunity to let Christ shine in you!
