Week 11- Times of Difficulty

We are no strangers to difficulty. Life, it often seems, is a dance between breathtaking mountain-top-moments and the deepest, most painful valleys. It’s a bittersweet journey and sometimes it happens so suddenly that you’re left winded, with your head spinning and a bad case of whiplash. 

In these moments where we feel exposed and vulnerable, it’s hard not to live from a place of fear. Thankfully, Jesus loves to meet us in such places. Throughout this week's readings, God encourages us to commit our ways to Him, to trust in him, and he will act. In other words, do not be afraid, stand firm in the words He has spoken and pursue holiness. God will help you, He will prosper you.

To pursue holiness is to pursue God. To remain in Him, to dwell with Him, to rest. In his book Consolations poet David Whyte describes that to rest is ‘to prepare to give the best of ourselves.’ It’s to stop, to let go, to breathe and allow the Holy Spirit to work within us. 

When we rest in God, we start to look like Him: holy. He gives us peace, patience, strength, wisdom; he draws out our best selves. 

So as you read this week, take rest in the knowledge that our faithful Friend and Father is leading us by the hand through every difficulty. Whatever you’re facing - a fiery furnace, an unexpected bill, kids who can't sleep, the loss of a loved one, a deep depression; do not be afraid because God is on your side and He is supporting you through it all. 

---