He brought me through
Praise God, He brought me through
He’s done everything my Lord said He would do
Through impossibilities, He’s given victory
He’ll do the same for you; He brought me through.

(as sung by Gold City on their Pillars of Faith CD)

It didn’t come to stay; it came to pass
The Lord will move that mountain if you’ll ask
The trials that we see today won’t last
No, it didn’t come to stay; it came to pass

(as sung by The Martins on their self-titled CD)

This past week, I was at a conference and thinking about my mom quite a bit. As usual, when I think of people who have gone on, my mind took a trip down memory lane, and I thought once again of some of the things that God brought me through in order to get me where I am today. I remember as a teenager being told that trials are only temporary. They may seem to last forever but, given time, I would come out on the other side. At 50 years old, I can attest that they knew what they were talking about. If my life had ended back then (as I wanted it to at times), I would have missed so much that God had waiting for me. Most importantly, I would have lost the privilege of seeing His hand at work.

Trials are a part of life. Second Timothy 3:12 tells us that, “All who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.” But Jesus tells us in John 16, “In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” (v. 33).

Victory is ours! If you don’t see it in life, you’ll see it in death if you remain faithful, refusing to give the enemy a foothold whereby he can bring you down. You may get discouraged at times as I do, but don’t stay there. Reach out to others when you need prayer or purpose. Find someone who needs encouragement. Ministering to others can lift your spirits as well. Praise God even when you don’t feel like it. Then be still and know that He is God (Psalm 46:10).

I pray you find encouragement this week as you serve God in whatever capacity He has called you.