Sometimes, or maybe most of the time, we can’t avoid the hardships of life. There will certainly be long days, sleepless nights, heart-wrenching experiences, turmoil within and turmoil without. You will become so exhausted you will try to think of ways to escape. But it won’t work. You’ll question your ability to survive. You will feel like crumbling or running away. And you might give up. But sometimes there just isn’t a way to give up. So what happens when you desperately search for the strength to endure and realize there is none? You may realize that our innate source of strength is so pitiful. And sometimes we don’t realize this until we are completely emptied. Then we must look to another. And there is an abounding source of strength and peace from our Lord. When there is nothing but wordless groanings of the soul, God can supply strength upon strength. When you look across the future, whether a few hours, a few days, a month, or years, and wonder how you will traverse that path, you will suddenly realize that through Christ you can do all things.
What am I trying to say here? I think part of growing up is realizing you won’t be able to do everything your way. When you have made a decision or gotten yourself into a rough situation, you can’t look to someone else to extricate you. You have to face it yourself. Then sometimes it just isn’t possible for you to do it on your own. But for the Christian, there is need for fear. I’ve struggled with fear in my life. Fear about a lot of things. Fear of situations that would overwhelm me. Fear of stupid things that don’t deserve anything like fear. But I’ve discovered this amazing truth of Christianity. When we are in the hands of our sovereign God, there is absolutely no place for fear. There is no need to dread the future or escape the present because there is nothing that can hurt us. I have found unimaginable sources of strength, not from within, but from my Lord. The Christian has no need for fear, only victory through Christ.
