When all is said and done, what we hope for is to get through to the other side of our struggles, perhaps with a few bumps and bruises, but basically intact so that we can breathe that deep sigh of relief, “I made it!” Am I right?

When you’re in the middle of those struggles, though, it often feels like you’re not going to make it. And what in the blazes is God up to, anyhow? Why isn’t He stepping in? Why doesn’t He just put His cosmic finger on the scales and tip them in my favour?

Perhaps the answer lies in something that the Apostle Paul wrote to his protégé, Timothy, in the New Testament:

2 Timothy 2:3-6 As a good soldier of Christ Jesus, accept your share of the troubles we have. A soldier wants to please his commanding officer, so he does not spend any time on activities that are not a part of his duty. Athletes in a race must obey all the rules to win. The farmer who works hard deserves the first part of the harvest.

Life with God isn’t a free pass on all your struggles; it’s a blessed and powerful partnership with Him on the way through. It’s been said that if you ask God to win a marathon, he’ll send you a pair of shoes, not a medal.

Because His way is to equip us, not spoil us; to prepare us, not to bypass the process. He gives what we need to endure — not shortcuts, but strength.

So … as a good soldier of Christ Jesus, accept your share of the troubles we have.

That’s God’s Word. Fresh … for you … today.