I've been thinking about how hard things seem to be these days and how we will live in these days. I've lived long enough now to realize that things are really changing in the world and not for the better.

I got to looking at Habakkuk 3 in the Bible. At the end of the chapter it says, Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall the fruit be in the vine; the labor of the olive shall fail and the fields shall yield no harvest; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls, yet will I rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.

In other words, even when everything goes wrong that can go wrong, this man makes a decision to rejoice and praise God. In so doing he is acknowledging that it is not God who has brought all this difficulty into his life. And he is also deciding not to let all the difficulty turn him away from his faith in God.

It really helps when you can identify who the enemy is! It isn't God who is bringing all this on mankind. He is not our enemy but our friend. He walks with us in the most difficult places in our lives if we will only let him.

People sometimes think that if you become a Christian you will no longer have problems in your life. That just isn't true. In fact all you have to do to see that is read a little in the Word of God. How about Paul? Peter? Well how about Jesus Himself? Life was pretty hard for all of them. What made us think it would be different for us?

What Christianity offers is a way to live victoriously in the midst of the difficulties of life. It isn't an escape from life. Troubles come to everyone (and with increasing speed these days.) But Christianity offers to those who choose it, a friendship with someone who will always love us, never leave us nor forsake us. Someone who doesn't want to condemn us or judge us. Rather someone who is always there to help us.

How I thank God for God! I really don't know how anyone can live without Him in these days. He is always there to help me understand what is going on and help me deal with what ever circumstance I find myself in.

Life is hard! But He alone makes it worth living. He even helps me get the most out of it and enjoy it. He prepares a table right in front of me, in the very presence of my enemies. And there He dines with me and strengthens me.

So, no matter what is going wrong today, I will make a decision not to blame Him but rather to praise Him and thank Him for my salvation. It's another good day because today is the day of salvation! Rev Mary