When the heart is weary and heavy because of so many pressures and troubles, it is easy to languish and bemoan the fact that life is too difficult and the burdens are way too heavy to bear. The questions about our worth as people and significance to others can become a plague that torment and drag the spirit down into a ditch full of muck and mire.

Does God not know that I have burdens already and why does he add to them?

Do other Christians not know that we all suffer and that unkindness and sidelining strategies hurt and isolate others?

Do family members understand how I feel?

These questions are in reality complaints, as the answer is already known to those who seek to follow the Lord, and to daily submit to him. His pathway was full of trouble, pain, misunderstanding and rejection, so we must expect some of that too. His kindness precludes that we have a constant diet of these negative experiences, and in reality, our lives are full of blessing and joy, encouragement and peace, but there are times when it is hard to see where we are going.

Perhaps we are blinded by our own unbelief and we fail to see how God can make a difference to our situation, or how he could solve the complex issues we face, but he can and does. Whatever faith we have, it is enough to see us through, and as we step through the problems, our faith grows, as God fills us with confidence to strike out for him.

Sometimes life just has a lot of things to be addressed and they all seem to come together. The emotional pressure can seem too much and even physical symptoms can make us waver, that in the end, all will be lost. The promise stands, that God will not ask us to bear what we cannot manage, and will give the necessary strength to carry us over the hills and through the deepest valleys.

God calls us to serve him with full hearts and with sacrifice and love, and that does require some pain and selflessness, but as we take a plunge with him, his love will fill us and we will find power we didn’t know we had. We are all afraid of something, and when we seek to face it, our God will keep his word and bring us safely through.

Often, there is more to the burdens we bear than we at first see. The enemy of our souls is a constant trouble, and he will suddenly spring into action when we start doing things that disturb his kingdom. Should he start to witness and influence people who he has had safely asleep for so long, he will not be happy about this. We must always remember that he is primarily a liar, and the doubt and accusations that he throws into the mind, are all lies. He is also a coward and will run away at the wish of even the weakest Christian.

Of course, there is no weak Christian, for we are all protected and kept by God’s power, and he is a constant protection for all who are trusting in him. God will never allow us to be decimated and destroyed by any opposing force in the heavens or on the earth, but will bring us through the toughest battle by His mighty Spirit. God has also given weapons for us to use as we fight for him and it is wise for us to learn how to use them, so that when the attack comes, we are ready.

So, when it is all too much and our favourite word is “Why?’ let us remember the kind of God we worship and the extreme extent that he went to, in order to save us and make us clean. How can we ever imagine that he would ever allow us to be destroyed, since his beloved Son, gave his very life to redeem us from the curse of sin.

Don’t listen to the voices of unbelief, doubt, blame and fear. All these were conquered for you at the cross and you can never ultimately fail. Put on the armour then, and speak the Word of the sword of the Spirit, and all enemies will go running.