On the Struggle Bus

Let me tell y’all, there has been a lot of difficulties going on here. I am not sure what sort of difficulties you all face, but I can guess that you have something going on. If not, just you wait. Something will come up out of the blue for you. That is just a part of life. However, this doesn’t have to be a daunting event to stop you in your tracks to wallow in self pity or to derail what God has been doing in and through you. This is something that we can joy in no matter how difficult it is. James 1 says that we should “count it all joy” when we “meet trials of various kinds”.

It is not easy to “rejoice in the Lord always” as it says in Philippians 4:4, but with God’s every present strength we can “do all things through Him who strengthens” us (Phil. 4:13). And when we get to the point of wanting to throw our hands up in the air and give up, that is another time to trust in God. It is so hard to do what we say to others to do, but it would not be “trials and testings” if it was easy.

And I just have to mention here, just because something is “simple” doesn’t mean it is “easy”. Simple is saying that something is “easy to understand”. Easy is saying that something is “easy to execute”. There is a large difference here. The instructions God has provided for us in His Word are “simple”, not “easy”. So memorizing verses and passages may be simple to understand, but living out the principles in those verses and walking in them is not easy for most of us in this Struggle Bus of life.

Now, back to the doing part of hard times. God created such a beautiful earth and community with Him close. However, one thing led to another, and sin came into our harmonious environment disrupting it all – and I mean all of it. Romans 5 says in verses 12 to 14, “…sin came in to the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned – for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come.” Sin entered into the world ushering in death.

Moving on from Adam to Abraham, Abraham’s wife, Sarah, was barren at the time God gave him the promise of being the father of many nations. Abraham was experiencing the hardship of knowing that all of his work and dedication would not be carried on through his lineage. His accumulation would move to one of his servants. And his family line (through him) would end. God promised that he would have children, and Abraham looked at his current circumstances being an old man and having a barren, old wife. However, if we read Romans 4:20-21, we see, “No belief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised.” We can learn from Abraham’s unwavering faith and apply that lesson to our lives.

As we look around at our current circumstances, keeping our focus on God’s promise, we, too, can have unwavering faith, grow strong in our faith, give glory to God, and be “fully convinced” that God is able to do what He has promised to do in and through our lives. We have purpose and worth. And when God promises something, He will “fulfill it” (Numbers 23:19). We have so many promises in His Word that we can hold on this on the Struggle Bus of life. We have endless encouragement and strength in Jesus. We are a temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 3:16). We are able to call God our “Abba (which is Daddy)” (Romans 8:15), because we have received the Spirit and are adopted into God’s family.

If there is one thing – one bit of Scripture – I can pass on to you to hold on to, it is the one God highlighted for me late one night, and it is Isaiah 43:1-4, and it says:

"...Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire, you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, you Savior... Because you are precious in my eyes, and honored, and I love you..."

This right here got me in my feels, y’all. This was like a love arrow shot to my heart. I was overwhelmed in love and peace. It was almost as if He hugged me right then and there. He sees our struggles; He sees our hurts; He sees what we are facing, and He is here with us. He loves us. Did you catch that at the end of this portion of Scripture? He loves us. I know that this was written many years ago, as it is written by Isaiah as inspired by the Holy Spirit, but as children of God, He is timelessly speaking to not only the Israelites, but to us as well. He is so perfect, and His timing is impeccable.

When you are facing hard times and difficult situations, remember, as a child of God, He is right there with you, sitting next to you on the bench seat of that Struggle Bus holding your hand. And we are on this Struggle Bus together headed toward our heavenly destination.

Gotta go fill up my cup…..