going through a tough time right now?
i bet it’s not your first, is it?
meaning, i bet this isn’t the first time you’ve had to go through something hard.

maybe it was a friend who suddenly unfriended you when you were in middle school.
or that high school chemistry class you were failing.
or a grandparent who got sick.
or a parent who left.

but somehow, what’s happening now seems next level, doesn’t it?
those things were hard, but you’re just not sure how to find your way out of where you are now.
things seem pretty dark.
confusing.
neverending.
painful.

as you much as you want to escape, take a side route, hide at a rest stop, you just have to keep walking through it.
because every day it’s staring you in the face.

let me remind you of something—you’ve done it before. you can get through this too.
but . . . but
no buts.
take a minute and remember.

every hardship, every scar, every memory, every battle has been preparing you for the next one.every hardship, every scar, every memory, every battle has been preparing you for the next one. Click To Tweet
because Jesus said in this life we’ll have trouble.
it’s going to happen.
and He’s been preparing you for whatever you are facing now.

just think about David in the Old Testament.

when David was on the run from King Saul, with all the emotional drama that entailed, he knew that God would take care of him.
because before there was a Saul, there was a Goliath.
and before there was a Goliath, there were was a bear. and a lion. and whatever else he had to face to protect his sheep.

every hardship you’ve endured is helping you for the future.
but it’s not just intended to build your endurance.
God is showing you who He is.
the things you walk through are opportunities for God to reveal His character.
you discover the names of God and how they have meaning in your life.

the God who provided.
the God who was a banner over you.
the God who healed—whether it was physically, emotionally or spiritually.

so this cancer battle? it’s not the first time you’ve faced something hard.
remember the past, and keep moving forward.

the parenting issue that breaks your heart everyday? the God who helped in the past will get you through it.

this may be the hardest time you’ve ever faced, but it’s not your first hard time.
you got this.
and God’s got you.

He always has. and He always will.

the contents on this site are ©2015 tim walker. all rights reserved. for permission to reprint or publish this content elsewhere, please contact me through this blog. (i usually say “yes.”)

photo credit: image courtesy of flickr.com/creative commons/by mike