I remember very well the day I crashed my bike. Back then, we didn’t have laws governing helmets. I don’t think anyone wore a helmet while riding a bike. The hill looked too inviting; the thrill of the wind against my face and the potential speed forced a decision that wasn’t the best for me. And as I am sure you guessed, I wrecked – hit a group of trees, tumbled down the asphalt, left half my skin in a trail of blood and pain. Feeling a tad woozy, I glanced up to see my dad running down the hill, rolling up his sleeves. He’d heard the commotion as he was leaving for church. In one swoop, he took me in his arms and ran up the hill toward home as I rested my head against his chest.
Exodus 3:7-8, “And the LORD said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people…and I have come down to deliver them.”
When I read this verse, I see God, running toward me, pushing up His sleeves, scooping me in His arms, and caring for me. Do you know that even before we were born, God knew the trials and struggles we would face? He already has the answers. He has already worked out the details. And He is not sitting idly by, watching.
Acts 14:22, “…strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. ‘We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,’ they said.”
No one is exempt from hardship. Difficult times come in all shapes, colors, and sizes. Hardships are similar to a person jumping off a very tall building – Christian or non-Christian; good person or bad person; educated or non-educated; rich or poor; the results are all the same. He or she will splat on the concrete below.
God doesn’t pick and choose. He tells us we will all struggle so that He can refine us and mold us and make us into the people He needs us to be. But it comes with assurances. He will never forsake us. He will run to us with His sleeves rolled up, ready to fight for us, ready to care for us, ready to bring us the answer.
Cherish your relationship with our Heavenly Father who deeply and intimately loves you.
