The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Deuteronomy 31:8 (NIV)
The stack of textbooks grew until she could barely see over the top. My mother vividly remembers her first day of nurses training.
Each instructor took a turn standing in front of the class to introduce her course, hand out another thick book, and give an assignment. At that moment, the farm girl from northern Minnesota wanted to go home. Quit. The challenge looked too overwhelming.
It’s a good thing my mother stuck it out. Far from home and lonely, she tackled assignments and diligently prepared for class.
Her closest lifetime friendships came out of those difficult days of nursing school. The girls faced the challenges together. They prayed, encouraged, and supported one another.
When their special graduation day arrived, the young women knew they were equipped for the job. They had walked through the hardship and survived.
Not only did they celebrate together that day, this group of nurses kept in close contact over the years. My mother can’t always make it to the every-five-year reunions, but she looks forward to Christmas cards and letters from these dear sisters.
God knew we would face insurmountable challenges. He wants us to courageously lean on Him.
He doesn’t promise easy, but He does promise to be faithful, to be present, and to give us strength for the day.
He offers hope. In three hundred sixty-five verses of scripture, He reminds us not to be afraid. He is God. When we trust Him to be bigger than our problem, fear has no power.
Challenges will block our vision as the books piled before my mother dimmed her dream. Jesus offers hope for the darkest of days.
We can run from the challenge or we can look to Him with confidence. He will free us from the grip of fear and equip us to accomplish the task.