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\u201cFor we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our trouble which came to us in Asia: that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life\u201d (2 Corinthians 1:8).<\/p>\n
DAYS COME NOW AND THEN WHEN WE CAN SEE SO LITTLE HOPE THAT GIVING UP THE STRUGGLE SEEMS TO BE THE ONLY THING WE CAN DO. There are times when the burdens are not just heavy, but they are \u201cbeyond measure, above strength,\u201d as Paul said. His ordeal in Asia was so severe, he said that he \u201cdespaired even of life.\u201d And while our own troubles may not be so dangerous that our physical lives are threatened, most of us do know what it means to despair. We know what it\u2019s like to be in such darkness that our hearts harbor little hope we\u2019ll ever see the light again.<\/p>\n
On such desperate days, we need, first of all, to be honest. If the truth is that we\u2019re struggling to hang on to hope, we need to acknowledge our hopelessness \u2014 to ourselves, to God, and perhaps to some trusted friend who can encourage us. There\u2019s no need to pretend we\u2019re stronger or braver than we really are.<\/p>\n
But having been honest, we also need to be \u201cstubborn.\u201d We need to have enough holy hardheadedness about us that we simply refuse to let the devil defeat us. There may be many things we can\u2019t do, but we can choose to keep going a little while longer, even though there seems to be little point in doing so. If we\u2019re going to go down, we at least can go down swinging.<\/p>\n
We never display a finer faith than when we keep going, against all odds. When the obstacles seem insurmountable but we continue to reach forward \u2014 and upward<\/em> \u2014 that\u2019s when we show ourselves most clearly to be creatures made in God\u2019s image. Faith, trust, and hope are qualities that only personal beings can have, and that\u2019s what we are: personal<\/em> beings. Not helpless victims, but persons with the wondrous and undeniable power of choice.<\/em><\/p>\n So on desperate days, let\u2019s do the one thing that frustrates the devil the most: let\u2019s keep going.<\/em> He would like to see us drown in despair and give up, but we can refuse that option decisively. When we\u2019re hurting and the hurt seems nearly unbearable, we can take at least one more step. Our God is worth that and much more.<\/p>\n \u201cWe all need faith for desperate days . . . Desperate days are the stepping-stones on the paths of light\u201d (S. Chadwick).<\/p>\n Gary Henry \u2013 WordPoints.com + AreYouaChristian.com<\/p>\n