For Those Riding the Struggle Bus
"If this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to hold the unrighteous for punishment on the day of judgment." (2 Peter 2:9, NIV)
Some days a beautiful verse like this is hard to believe when our discouragement is weighing so heavy on our hearts. When you feel like there’s no way out of the cycle you havefound yourself in. Some days it’s hard to believe that God can truly change everything for you, but once we stop focusing on all our problems and sadness, we can see God for who He truly is.
Just to share a little bit of me with you guys, the last couple of days have been some of the hardest for me in a while. I have felt extremely discouraged and sad but what I want to say is, don’t feel bad for being sad. There is nothing wrong with letting your emotions out. If you need to cry, cry it out, but don’t throw yourself a constant pity party because that will never bring you anywhere. What I have learned over the past couple days is life is rough. Obstacles are big, and Satan loves to steal our joy, but God is so much bigger than anything we face.
This morning’s key verse is so much more encouraging to us when we put it in context. The author is talking about how God sees our hearts as we walk through this crazy world. He saw Noah, a righteous man in the midst of ungodly people. He saw Lot, a man after God’s heart in a city where the depraved, the sinful, and the lawless ran rampant. When the flood came for the ungodly, and fire rained down on Sodom and Gomorrah, God did not forget those who hid themselves in His grace. He protected Noah by giving him a boat. He protected Lot by giving him an escape route. Our key verse reminds us that God never forgets about those who are sold out for Him. When He comes to judge the evil in this world, He protects those who live for Him.
So when I feel like I’m riding the proverbial struggle bus and my heart is heavy with all the things that are trying to bury me in disappointment, I’m comforted by those in the Bible who struggle with me. Noah’s life had to literally be washed away before he could see God’s promise in a rainbow. Lot’s hometown burned to nothing but a pile of ash and he lost his wife in the process, but God spared his life because of his obedience.
A person without problems, is like and player off the field. If you don't experience trials throughout your walk with God, are you truly in it for him? We are living for an amazing God and in a mess of a world. Nothing will ever be perfect. If you’re not going through something, you're probably not in the game. God is with you and for you through those trials, and we have to accept that we are going to hit some dead ends, but at the end of the day, we have the best life: a life where we won’t be led astray.
God is our shield and he fights our battles for us. Instead of holding on to failure, we have the opportunity to experience victory in the fact that we have a loving God that protects us day in and day out! We are made in the Savior's love; we are more than conquers through Christ. We are champions. Put yourself wholeheartedly into his arms, and he will take care of the rest.
So on those days where your heart is heavy and it seems like you’re the only person you know riding the struggle bus, rest in the fact that God is holding your every moment. God has a beautiful plan for your life, and the one bad day you had doesn’t define the future that’s ahead.
Keep pushing forward. God is your rescue.
