Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will surely help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.

— Isaiah 41:10

For the LORD your God is a merciful God; He will not abandon you or destroy you or forget the covenant with your fathers, which He swore to them by oath.

— Deuteronomy 4:31

For the LORD will not forsake His people; He will never abandon His heritage.

— Psalm 94:14

The LORD is near to the brokenhearted; He saves the contrite in spirit.

— Psalm 34:18

Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.

— 1 Peter 5:7

Consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

— Hebrews 12:3

Thoughts on Today’s Reading

Grace, mercy and love from Christ to you.

God’s faithful people will always face both internal and external opposition. Due to a misunderstanding of grace, overestimating personal strength, or underestimating the inner struggle against temptation, we may wrongly expect obedience to God will come easily. While obedience is a response to love, it is often a difficult, costly act of trust rather than an effortless, automatic action. We can lose confidence and hope when circumstances turn hard or challenging.

The world’s worries or our own waning interest can destroy our enthusiasm to follow God and His ways. The dark, sin-filled world we live in has opposed God since Adam and Eve’s first sin in the garden. Let’s learn to turn to the Lord again and again when we are discouraged or when everyone or everything seems to be against us. We are never alone. God is always with us and longs for us to turn to Him. He gives us His Word, His Spirit, and His Church to combat the evil forces both inside and outside of our own hearts to continue the work to which He has called us. Let’s hold this perspective to help us sort through the challenges we may face.