Are you in the midst of difficult times? Are you afraid you won’t get through them? We all struggle with these feelings from time to time. We fear the depression will never leave, and the pain will never stop. Here in the pits, we wonder: Will this gray sky ever brighten? This load ever lighten? We might even be asking, “Does God really care, is He good?” We may feel stuck, locked in, trapped. Predestined for failure. Will we ever exit this pit? Yes! Author Max Lucado’s “Survivor’s Creed” will give you hope in difficult times!
THE SURVIVOR'S CREED By Max Lucado
You’ll get through this.
It won’t be painless.
It won’t be quick.
But God will use this mess for good.
Don’t be foolish or naïve.
But don’t despair either.
With God’s help, you’ll get through this.
YOU'LL GET THROUGH THIS...
You fear you won’t. We all do. We fear that the depression will never leave, the yelling will never stop, and the pain will never leave. Here in the pits, surrounded by steep walls and angry brothers, we wonder: Will this gray sky ever brighten? This load ever lighten? We feel stuck, trapped, locked in. Predestined for failure. Will we ever exit this pit? Yes! Deliverance is to the Bible what jazz music is to Mardi Gras: bold, brassy, and everywhere.
IT WON'T BE PAINLESS...
Have you wept your final tear or received your last round of chemotherapy? Not necessarily. Will your unhappy marriage become happy in a heartbreak? Not likely. Are you exempt from any trip to the cemetery? Does God guarantee the absence of struggle and the abundance of strength? Not in this life. But He does pledge to reweave your pain for a higher purpose.
IT WON'T BE QUICK...
Joseph was seventeen years old when his brothers abandoned him. He was at least thirty-seven when he saw them again. Another couple of years passed before he saw his father. Sometimes God takes His time: One hundred twenty years to prepare Noah for the flood, eighty years to prepare Moses for his work. God then isolated him in Arabia for perhaps three years. Jesus was on earth for three decades before He built anything more than a kitchen table. How long will God take with you? He may take His time. His history is redeemed not in minutes but in lifetimes.
BUT GOD WILL USE THIS MESS FOR GOOD...
We see a perfect mess; God sees a perfect chance to train, test, and teach the future prime minister. We see a prison; God sees a kiln. We see famine; God sees the relocation of His chosen lineage. We call it Egypt; God calls it protective custody, where the sons of Jacob can escape barbaric Canaan and multiply abundantly in peace. We see Satan’s tricks and ploys. God sees Satan tripped and foiled.
DON'T BE FOOLISH OR NAIVE...
Turbulent times will tempt you to forget God. Shortcuts will lure you. Sirens will call you. But don’t be foolish or naïve. Do what pleases God. Nothing more, nothing less.
BUT DON'T DESPAIR EITHER...
Each day has a pop quiz. And some seasons are final exams. Brutal, sudden pitfalls of stress, sickness, or sadness. Like Joseph, you did your best. Like Joseph, your best was rewarded with incarceration. What is the purpose of the test? Why didn’t God keep Joseph out of prison? Might this be the answer? “For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything (Jas. 1:3-4, NLT).
WITH GOD'S HELP, YOU'LL GET THROUGH THIS...
Just Between Us (JBU) has many resources for Christian women, including sharing specific examples of hardships life has thrown at others. Take a moment to read one that speaks to you. Learn from someone else’s mistakes or victories. Don’t stop there. Apply it to the trial you’re in. We pray your faith will grow and that you will find hope in difficult times. Remember, with God's help, you'll get through this.
FOR MORE ON GETTING THROUGH HARD TIMES READ: