Months and months ago, the puppet choir at church was practicing a new song. The song was sort of a kid’s version of What a Friend We Have in Jesus mixed with a bunch of nah, nah, nah, nahs and part of another song. One part of the song, though, says Jesus knows all about our struggles. He will guide til the day is done.
Friend, that same week we were practicing that song for the puppet choir, I wrote the lyrics of that song down on a sticky note and kept it on my desk.
This month’s scripture reading plan focuses on the theme of hope. As I’m sure everyone knows (I mean, unless you live under a rock, it’s hard not to know), Christmas is this month. And if celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ isn’t the best reminder of the hope that we have been given, then I don’t know what is.
I was sitting at my desk today with more than a slight case of writer’s block. I began to pray that the Lord would give me the right words for this post. And what did I see when I looked up at my bulletin board?
Yep, you betcha. The sticky note with the lyrics from that kid’s song.
Jesus knows all about our struggles. He will guide til the day is done. 
Friend, I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve sat at my desk completely absorbed and tangled up in my struggles, only to see that sticky note. That sticky note acts as a reminder that Jesus knows all about the tangles and tangles of struggles that I’ve wrapped myself up in. He knows every knot. He knows every snag. And He knows exactly how to release us from those struggles, too. Sometimes, He’ll pull us lose from the struggles one by one. Other times, He’ll take the scissors and cut us free immediately. Either way, friend, He cares enough about us to free us from it all. And that gives me hope.
Honesty Hour
I’ll be completely honest here, dear reader. In the last little while, the struggles in my own life have felt absolutely suffocating. Ever been in a spot that felt like no matter which way you turned, the struggle wrapped around you tighter? I hear that’s actually how boa constrictors kill their prey. They squeeze so tightly that the circulation of the prey cuts off and eventually the prey passes out and croaks. (Side note- I looked up the facts on this just to make sure I was right. Unless you want to be absolutely horrified, don’t ever google it.)
That’s exactly what the enemy of our soul tries to do with us. Satan wants us to see a magnified version of our struggles and feel like we’re trapped. He wants to wind us up in our struggles, so that we forget about the One that can save us, and instead we lose hope and pass out.
But, friend, we’ve been given hope that even in our darkest days of adversity, Jesus will guide us, lead us, and see us through. There is strength in the Lord. Stop looking at the fun house mirrors that distort what’s going on in your life and look to the One that can give you hope.
Look to Christ. He knows all about the struggles. He will guide til the day is done.
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Thoughts?