It’s been a really rough couple of years for our family, and my 11-year-old has had a particularly difficult time. As her mother, I want to fix it for her, I want to change the experience that she is having. It’s excruciating to watch people that we love go through hard things.

As I was tucking her into bed a few nights ago, we were talking about it and I told her, “Baby, don’t let this ruin you, let it make you stronger.”

In Matthew 4, we see that even Jesus went through a confusing (not for Him obviously) time of testing before His earthly ministry officially began. He was led into the desert by the Spirit to be tempted by the devil. The interesting thing is, He let it happen! Certainly, Jesus could have stopped this experience from occurring, or shortened it. He didn’t. He knew the value of going through something difficult and coming out the other side with a stronger faith, a stronger spirit and some wisdom that will guide us in the future.

Jeremiah 12:5 says, “If you have raced with men on foot and they have worn you out, how can you compete with horses? If you stumble in safe country, how will you manage in the thickets by the Jordan?” Struggles are meant to make us better and more effective witnesses for Christ in the future.

Our struggles should drive us to our knees in prayer and to the scriptures in desperation. When we get a little distance from them, we will have a story to tell of God’s faithfulness that would not have been possible without the storm. If you find yourself in a struggle, flex your spiritual muscles and march on knowing that none of it will be wasted if we let God see us through.

***We are so glad to have you in Bible study with us! If you miss a devotion, you can find them archived at https://comethirstyministry.com/blog/

Reading Plan–Week One

Day One–Matthew 1
Day Two–Matthew 2
Day Three–Matthew 3
Day Four–Matthew 4
Day Five–Matthew 5