Through It All

          Do you often take time to look back and see how you survived difficult challenges in the past?  This often will give you the courage to face troubling times in the present.  This is especially true if you can see how the Lord brought you through challenges that you thought were impossible.

          Personally, I can recall so many times when it was only the Lord who made away for me through impossible situations which perplexed me.  I was reminded of that recently when I read a devotional, "Through It All" in David Jeremiah's Turning Point devotional booklet for January.  Now I don't normally copy a writing by somebody else, but I thought this was good enough to share.  So, here  goes:

          In 1991, NBA Lakers player Magic Johnson announced that he had AIDS.  In the years since, Magic and his wife, Cookie, have given their lives to Jesus Christ.  In a social media post a couple of years ago, Magic said "Today marks 30 years of living with HIV … Through it all I learned to trust in Jesus and I learned to trust in God!"

          Notice the verb he used: learned.
          Songwriter Andrae Crouch said the same thing: "Through it all, I've learned to trust in Jesus, I've learned to trust in God."  Trusting the Lord is a learning experience as we grow in faith.  When we trust the Lord with today's load, we see His faithfulness and learn to trust Him even more for tomorrow's uncertainties.  Paul told the Thessalonians, "We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, it is fitting, because your faith grows exceedingly."  (2Thessalonins 1:3)

          Whenever you face a crisis, turn to the Lord and find the needed promises in His Word.  Pray today that God will help you trust Him more and more with every passing day.

I've had many tears and sorrow

I've had questions for tomorrow

There've been times I didn't know right from wrong

But in every situation

God gave me blessed consolation

That my trials come to only make me strong

I've been to a lot of places

And I've seen millions of of faces

But there were times that I felt so all alone

But in my lonely hour

Yet those precious lonely hours

Jesus lets me know that I was His own

That's the reason I say that

Through it all

Through it all

Oh, I've learned to trust in Jesus

I've learned to trust in God

Let me tell ya that

Through it all

Oh, through it all

I've learned to depend upon His word

So I thank God for the mountains

And I thank Him for the valleys

And I thank Him for the storms He's brought me through

For if I'd never had a problem

I'd never know God could solve them

I'd never know what faith in His word could do

That's the reason I say that

Through it all

Oh, through it all

Oh, I've learned to trust in Jesus

I've learned to trust in God

Oh let me tell you

Through it all

Oh, through it all

Oh, I've learned to depend upon His word

Oh, let me tell you right now that

Through it all

Sometimes through the fire

Through it all

My, my, my Lord

Oh, I've learned to trust in Jesus (oh, I've learned)

I've learned to trust in God (and I can trust in God)

That through it all

Let me tell you that

Through it all

Oh, Lord, Lord

I've learned to depend upon His word

Oh, through my sickness and pain

I've learned to depend upon His word

Oh, through sorrow and shame

I've learned to depend upon His word