“The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” Deuteronomy 31:8 NIV
I am incredibly thankful that Jesus has always been by my side!
The other day while I was reflecting on some of the more trying and difficult times during my teenage and young adult years, I came to an eye-opening realization. Even before I was walking with the Lord, He was there with me. I couldn’t feel Him during those moments, but He was there!
He’s Always By Our Side
As a young adult, I struggled with depression. On three occasions, I tried to take my own life. The last attempt landed me in the ER to stop the effects of the medicine I tried to overdose on. Next, I was hospitalized in the mental health unit for several days. That then led to a prescription of antidepressants, weekly counselor visits and continued follow up visits with my primary care physician as I began to heal from the emotional trauma from my youth.
You may ask, “If He was there, then why did He allow you to endure the hardships that you did?” While I don’t know the exact reasons why I can use the scriptures as my guide. Romans 8.28 says, “That God works all things together for the good of those who love him and who have been called according to his purpose.” Hardships are a part of our life to help us mature and to be more like Christ.
Count It All Joy
In the book of James we read, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.” (Verses 2-3) When you are in the midst of a trial or hardship, we can easily lose sight and focus only on the here and now. But God is always with you, and He will use this pain for good. We may not see that during the present situation, but wisdom will transpire over time. And in that moment, we will see God’s graceful hands in the thick of our trials.