During this time of ‘lockdown’ I have felt stuck and some days I have felt as if I was in a rut, with each day’s routine looking exactly the same. Maybe you have felt this way too? Maybe you feel isolated (whether or not you have people with you in your home). Maybe you feel that you’re facing the problems and challenges of life all alone. Maybe you’re discouraged and downhearted.
If any of these things are true of you, then take heart, because you are never alone!
This quote from C. H. Spurgeon should bring hope to any Christian facing hard times:
“The Lord knows all about your troubles before they come to you; he anticipates them by his tender foresight. Before Satan can draw the bow, the Preserver of men will put his beloved beyond the reach of the arrow.”
You don’t have to face things alone. Whether you are stuck in a physical place or stuck in discouragement, Jesus meets us where we are and encourages us through His Word.
Though you feel isolated, you can know that Jesus is close at hand. He sees and He knows, and He does not leave you as an orphan to face this difficult world alone.
During the last week of His life on Earth, Jesus knew His departure was at hand. So before He left His disciples, He wanted to encourage them. First, He warned them that they would face hardship and difficulty. But then He told them:
“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.” (John 16:33 NIV).
Take heart was Christ’s call to courage in the lives of His frightened disciples, which also applies to us. Jesus wasn’t simply saying, “Cheer up. Come on, put a smile on your face!” He was saying more than that. He was saying, “Be brave. Be courageous.”
We will face trouble and heartaches and times of isolation in this broken world of ours. It’s part of life on this side of heaven. But we also have the assurance that He has already overcome the world.
And that makes us overcomers too.
– Valerie O’Regan