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He can give you rest and peace no matter what trial you face 

The darkness of these current days can appear abysmal.  There are wars, earthquakes, tsunamis and hurricanes in the news.  We watch helplessly as people throughout the world and in our own country face uncertainty as they try to rebuild their disaster devastated lives.  So much is happening and some may wonder if God really cares.

The answer to this lies in God’s word.  In Matthew 28:20, Jesus says,” And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age”. God’s word says 1 Peter 5:7, “Cast all your cares on him because he cares for you”. There is nothing that is happening that God is not sovereign over.  If he is allowing it, there is a purpose.  Scripture tells us that though now you may have to suffer grief in all kinds of trials, it is so that your faith may be proved genuine. The winds that blow through your life as a believer are never meant to weaken you but rather to strengthen you in your walk with God.  In the book of Genesis, Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers and ultimately unfairly imprisoned for many years. But God was with him.  Prisons then were dark, damp and filthy and the prisoners did not get much food. After all those years Joseph should have come out of prison emaciated and sickly. Instead, Joseph emerged from prison to be appointed second highest in command in Egypt. He had the energy and the sound mind to rule despite what he had endured.  God was perfectly able to keep Joseph’s mind and body strong during his time of trial and to use the evil done to him for good to accomplish the saving of many lives.

God is still with us during our struggles to lift us up above our circumstances and to use them for our good.   He tells us in Psalm 41:13, “For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear, I will help you”.  Those who have hope in the shed blood of Jesus have nothing to fear from this world.  Hebrews 7:25 tells us that Jesus is able to save completely those who come to God through him because he always lives to intercede for them. Jesus gave his life for you so that you can have life to the fullest.  He cares about your hurts, your pain, your injustice, your addictions and anything that seeks to bring you down.  He left us his peace so that we can have joy no matter what trial we have because we know that Christ is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine according to his power that is at work within us.

This world is not our home and Jesus has promised to go and prepare a place for us.  Nothing you have done can stand in the way of Christ’s forgiveness and mercy if you call on him.  For now, there will be problems and disasters on this earth, but we have the hope that God will one day wipe away every tear and bring us to eternal life with him.