Try to exclude the possibility of suffering which the order of nature and the existence of free wills involve, and you find that you have excluded life itself. – C. S. Lewis

Until my early sixties, I was a very active person. In my childhood, I did roller skating, swimming, and bike riding. Participation in various sports continued in high school with playing on the tennis and field hockey teams. Then as an adult, I was involved with bowling, downhill snow skiing, whitewater rafting, and playing golf with several 18-hole golf clubs.

Since I was 29, however, I have suffered with the problem of pain. It all began with the realization that I would not be able to continue with my recreational activity of western-style horseback riding. I was unable to recover easily from the pain in my back after a ride. Subsequently, an x-ray revealed that I had osteoarthritis, a common, but persistent malady. Although I didn't let any of this slow me down, the worst of all for my back was my 40-year nursing career.

Throughout the many years of suffering with pain, I have learned to depend on God's Word with its many promises. A song entitled, Through it All, written by Andrae Crouch, a popular gospel singer/song writer, says it all:

I thank God for the mountains,
And I thank Him for the valleys,
I thank Him for the storms He's brought me through.
For if I'd never had a problem,
I wouldn't know that God could solve them,
I wouldn't know what faith in His Word could do.

Through it all, through it all,
I've learned to trust in Jesus,
I've learned to trust in God.
Through it all, through it all,
I've learned to depend upon His Word.

1 John 4:4 – My dear children, you come from God and belong to God. You have already won a big victory … for the Spirit in you is far stronger than anything in the world. (MSG)

1 Corinthians 15:57 – But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (NASB)

Are we burdened with trouble in one form or another? We are encouraged to keep on keeping on with the knowledge that our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is with us by His Spirit to give us the victory through Him.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for the steadfast love and care that You provide for us each day. May we remain faithful to the end in the work that You have given us to do. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

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