Life is filled with many wonderful adventures such as going to college, moving away from home, getting married, going on mission trips, etc. Even though life is so wonderful, rough times will come. There is no way to escape trials and tribulations, even as a child of God. Great men of faith suffered many things (i.e. Paul [2 Corinthians 11:24-28] and Job). When these rough times come, what do you do? To whom do you turn?

Psalm 23:4 says, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.” To “walk through the valley of the shadow of death” essentially means to go through the midst of dangers that are deep as a valley and dark as a shadow. David wasn’t exempt from tough times, and he knew that. When those tough times came, David “fear[ed] no evil” because he knew that God is with him. We need to have the same mindset as David; we need to fear less because God is always with us. “Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you” (Deuteronomy 31:6).

If you turn to Amos 5:8, it says “…He turns the shadow of death into morning…” When I think of morning, I think of a fresh start, a new day filled with opportunities for good things to happen. God will never allow His children to suffer for eternity. “Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you” (Matthew 5:12). If we hold on and endure through the rough times, we will be rewarded spiritually. In heaven, there will be no more death, sorrow, crying, or pain (Revelation 21:4). You might not see better days on this earth but, as children of God, death has no sting, life will be considerably better in heaven (1 Corinthians 15:58). We need to endure and “press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Jesus Christ” (Philippians 3:14).

Some things you can do when life gets rough:

• Pray constantly (1 Thessalonians 5:17)
• Spend time with God in His word
• Sing praises to God just like Paul and Silas did (Acts 16:25)

Keep pressing forward, endure the things Satan throws at you, and look to God in every aspect of life.

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Jennifer Odom

Jennifer has been a Christian since October 2011. She lives in Fairfield, Illinios and worships at the Fairfield Church of Christ where her father is the minister. She is a 16-year-old senior in high school and plans to attend Freed-Hardeman University in the fall of 2017. She enjoys reading, crocheting, and Bible journaling. Jennifer's favorite verse is Philippians 1:21. One day she wants to speak at ladies days, become a missionary, and bring as many people as she can with her to heaven.

Latest posts by Jennifer Odom (see all)

• Going the Distance - July 23, 2020
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• Little Did They Know - August 21, 2017