When things don’t start turning out the way they would like, or expect, they become disillusioned.
But Jesus never promised that trusting Him would remove all our troubles, only that He would help us negotiate them in a way that no-one else can.
Since it was first published in 1678, Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan has never been out of print.
This is because of the message of encouragement it brings to believers, who are struggling with life’s battles.
Although an allegory tale, it tells of a man named Christian on his journey to the Celestial City.
Bunyan did not write from a life of ease, but from a difficult struggle of being left to raise four children when his wife died, and being jailed for preaching the gospel of Jesus against opposition, amongst other things.
More recently, Corrie Ten Boom told of her heartache and persecution of being a prisoner of war with her sister, Betsie, under the Nazi Germany regime.
Both of these writers held fast to their trust in a faithful God who delivered them through their troubles.
A Christian life is not promised to be easy, but it need not de-rail us. God delivers on His promise to be with us always.
We can imagine nothing more challenging than the difficulties we face in the world around us today, but God, through Jesus has promised that He will help us meet those challenges.
We were never meant to do it alone.
“In this world you will have trouble, but I (Jesus) have overcome the world.” (John16:33).
~ Contributed by Bruce Driver from the Uniting Church on behalf of the Combined Churches of Deniliquin.
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