In John 16:33 NIV Jesus said “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world, you will have trouble, but take heart! I have overcome the world.”

Our God did not promise us a life without difficulties. The way of the cross is actually a journey of suffering.

Think about the accounts of all the faithful patriarchs of God in the Bible. Think about Abraham, the father of our faith, who lived childless till old age; think about Joseph’s story; think about David the shepherd boy. Now think about Jesus our saviour.

We all have our difficult moments: when the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, …the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, …when there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls’. – Habakkuk 3:17.

We weep, we wail and we mourn. And we are justified because our Lord and Master Jesus himself wept. – John 11:35.

But think about all the names referred to in the second paragraph of this write-up: think again about Joseph going through all those bad years of his life for no wrong committed. Think about Jesus with all His power, yet was arrested, humiliated, and shamefully crucified on the cross for no sin.

None of these people attempted to fight the situation. Joseph did not get an attorney to fight his case, and neither did he fight his way out of the prison walls. Jesus stopped His disciples from fighting for Him.

The amazing thing I found is that these people brought out their very best in whatever situation they found themselves in. Joseph became an excellent dream interpreter; David brought excellence to bare on his job as a shepherd boy in the wilderness. Jesus remained faithful through the woods.

It’s your turn

James 1:2-4 “consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything”.