1 Corinthians 10:13
No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he’ll never let you be pushed past your limit; he’ll always be there to help you come through it.
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
My husband and I watched Ken Burn’s documentary, The Dust Bowl, about the tragic situation man created in the Great Plains of America in the 1930s by turning the grasslands into wheat farms. When a drought ensued, huge storm clouds of dust were created as the winds whipped across the Plains. Much of the land in four or five states was buried beneath the soil. Cattle, crops and homes were destroyed and/or buried. Families gave up and moved away… many to California. Still others stayed and toughed it out… some became so despondent that they committed suicide. One woman who was interviewed told of her mother walking away one day and never returning. The woman was just a tiny girl at the time. That was the last time she ever saw her mother.
Burns interviewed a number of survivors who experienced the Dust Bowl as small children. The pervading story they told was one of perseverance… and of faith. One man told of being at church with his sister when a particular storm hit. Others spoke of parents and grandparents who were “religious sorts” or had a strong faith [in God] that sustained them.
What struck me profoundly as I watched this film was that all of the troubles and tribulations we face today are certainly nothing new… financial woes, sick and hungry children and family members, natural disasters, loss of jobs and relationships, homelessness, depression and despondency. I was reminded that God never left the people of the Great Plains… and He will never leave us. Sure, many succumbed to temptations… or lost their lives to such things as dust pneumonia, getting buried in a dust storm – or even suicide. But many hung on and survived. And I have to believe that a good number of them recognized God’s presence by their side.
I don’t know what you are facing today. I don’t know what tempts or troubles you. I have no idea what challenges you face each day… or whether you feel discouraged – or even hopeless. But I am here to tell you that God is still with you. He has not left… and He will not desert you. If you will only call on Him, you can feel Him lifting you out of the dirt and saying, “I’m gonna help you… we’ve got this!” You are not alone… you are not experiencing anything that God has not helped countless others survive already… and He will do the same for you. Have you asked Him to help? Isn’t it time you did?
©2012 Debbie Robus
No comments:
Post a Comment