Hunker Down When Life Gets Hard

Rolling out of bed this morning, I had the cheery thought that centered around the aches and pains of my 60+ year old body. Not that I have anything life threatening...but I just never really thought about living at this age when I was in my twenties or thirties. I think one of my most favorite quotes came from the movie Raiders Of The Lost Ark. Harrison Ford's character, Indiana Jones, when talking about his own aches and pains, said, "It ain't the years, hon....It's the mileage." In other words, it all about the journey.
News's flash....
Life is hard.
News's flash...
God is in control, no matter what my brain tells me or my eyes may see.

So if this is the truth (and it is)...
Then when I encounter hard times and difficult situations, I need to always keep my attention focused on God.
I need to not let my thoughts be taken hostage by the event I am moving through.
I need to lay hold of my emotions and feelings and keep them in check while I send my prayers skyward and listen for a reply.
I'm not going to flood you with cheesy platitudes about "Life is a bowl of cherries" or "When the going gets tough, the tough get going". Those such things do nothing more than stir up an emotional "Whoo-hoo". There isn't any substance to such things that would benefit you in the long run. The simple truth I have found is this.
1.) My God does love me.
2.) I live in an imperfect world.
3.) He (God) is guiding me daily to navigate this minefield of moral and physical mishaps.
4.) I have been given promises by God that supersede any law or theory or evil intent that may fall within the boundaries of life here on planet earth.
5.) bad things happen.
6.) When they do, such do not negate the love, the power or the authority God has. Nor does it keep Him from exercising such things on my behalf.
7.) Sometimes, due to my own personal stubbornness, I am more teachable during those hard times.God know this.

From time to time I have to return to a passage from Habakkuk. Not a very popular book as far as most Christians would rate scripture reading. But one that I find very interesting in what Habakkuk had to say about hard times. Babylon is coming to wage war against Judah, which means the hardest of hard times is approaching. Here, with this knowledge, we read Habakkuk's response to what he is facing.

I heard and my heart pounded, my lips quivered at the sound. Decay crept into my bones, and my legs trembled.
Yet I will wait patiently for the day of calamity to come on the nation invading us.
Though the fig tree does not bud...
And there are no grapes on the vines...
Though the olive crop fails
and the fields produce no food....
Though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls...
Yet I will rejoice in the LORD.
I will be joyful in God my Savior.
The Sovereign LORD is my strength.
He makes my feet like the feet of a deer.
He enables me to tread on the heights.

Maybe your addiction is raging full blown this morning and you want to find something to quell the storm....
Don't....
Do what your heart says to do...
Not your mind....
Not your feelings...
Not that voice that is screaming inside your brain right now, even as you read this.
Cry out to God....
I know it sounds corny or hokey...but I promise you...a real-deal, red alert promise.... I would not be putting such words down for you to read if they weren't true.

He (God) really does love you....
He wants to fill you with Himself and empower you to not be swept away by hard times....
Sometimes not being swept away is as simple as hunkering down and waiting for it to blow over.
He is with you every step of the way.....
Why not check into Jesus.....
He's got the answers.....(Thank you Larry Norman).

God on you.....
mb