“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:4-7).

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Despite hardship and sorrow, I remain grateful for my struggles (2 Corinthians 4). The Lord walks with me through dark and painful places. He never abandons me in my trials. When I stumble, he lifts me to my feet. He is not without compassion (Hebrews 4:15). When I turn from my circumstances and trust in God, the enemy flees, but I’ll admit that’s not always easy to do. 

The devil is a liar, and the flesh is a willing accomplice. I’m thankful to God that he has overcome both (Romans 6-8). Trials come, trials go, and boy do they ever hurt, but I’ve come to see God working amidst my tribulations and blessed to know that I’m never on my own. God is my refuge, my protector, and the source of my peace. I am called to sacrifice just as Christ sacrificed (Matthew 16:24). May I comfort others with the comfort I receive from God in Christ Jesus, then my trials will not have been in vain. “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:4-7).

The road to get to the man I am today was a painful one, but I realize now that it was during those painful stretches that I called out to the Lord; it was during those painful stretches that I found Jesus. Satan would have probably been closer to seizing my soul, if he had just left me alone; he is his own undoing. I realize God allows things to happen that might not feel good at the time but work for my good in the way that counts; the timing is his and not mine. How God works everything together is beyond any human understanding, but somehow he does, and in that, I find peace.

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