Surviving

Have you ever had an old song that keeps ringing in your head? You know, a song you heard once just keeps repeating in your ear. Well, that happened to me and I keep hearing Gloria Gaynor singing, "I Will Survive!"

Do you think I'd crumble
Did you think I'd lay down and die?
Oh no, not I. I will survive
Oh as long as I know how to love I know I'll stay alive;
I've got all my life to live,
I've got all my love to give and I'll survive,
I will survive. Hey hey

I love the sentiment in that song. Oh sure, it is a secular song and maybe I am back-sliding or having repressed memories, but I often want to shout out to the Devil:

Do you think I'd crumble
Did you think I'd lay down and die?
Oh no, not I. I will survive

Several years ago, when we were struggling with life and finances (ooh, we still are. Oops). Anyway, during those times I gave my wife a card that said, “Our circumstance does not determine our happiness,” (or something close to that). What I was telling her is that life can be tough, but those difficult times do not define our attitudes. Oh sure, they can if we let them, but we can choose how we react to those circumstances

One thing I think we need to remember, though, is that our happiness (however you define that) does not mean that we live our lives without pain or hurt—not at all. True happiness is learning how to live one day at a time, in spite of sorrow and pain. It is learning how to rejoice in the Lord, no matter what is currently happening in our life.

You may feel rejected and abandoned. Your faith may be weak and you think you are down for the count. Sorrow, tears, pain, and emptiness may swallow you up at times, but God is still on the throne. He is still God!

Convince yourself that you will survive. You will come out of it and, live or die, you belong to the Lord. Life does go on and it will surprise you how much you can bear with God’s help.

I will tell you now that you cannot help yourself or stop the pain, however, our gracious and tender Lord will come to you. He will place his loving hand under you and lift you up to sit again in heavenly places. He will deliver you and he will reveal his endless love for you.

Look up! Encourage yourself in the Lord. When the fog surrounds you and you can’t see any way out of your dilemma, just lie back in the arms of Jesus and simply trust him. I know that is easier said than done. But your Father must to do it all! He wants your faith and your confidence. He wants you to declare how He loves you and cares for you! Hey! Why do you? Go ahead and shout it out:

“Jesus loves me! He is with me! He will not fail me! He is working it all out, right now! I will not be cast down! I will not be defeated! I will not be a victim of Satan! I will not lose my mind or my direction. God is on my side! I love him and he loves me!”

The bottom line is faith. And faith rests on this one absolute: “No weapon forged against you will prevail . . .” (Isaiah 54:17).

Nickolas