No matter who we are, our life will, at some point, be subject to difficulties and struggles. Regardless of where we are in life or how secure we thought we were until a crisis, we are all destined to run into strife that will at times rattle us to our core, and we are all susceptible to losing confidence when we do. The path that God has chosen for us is uniquely ours, and so too are the problems He has carefully planned for us to confront and cope with, so when we do run into troubled waters, we must be able to retain our confidence and faith when we feel most doubtful of our Lord. When hardship shakes the foundation of our life, it inevitably makes us question why a loving Father would subject His children to physical and emotional pain, stress, unhappiness, and unrest. If our health fails, we can easily see it as a failure of our Father, and when our relationships or finances become unstable, we are embittered by and disappointed in how our Father could allow this to happen. However, the disquiet and unhappiness that arises from the inevitable struggles of life are largely of our own making. Our Father gives us these hardships because He has confidence in us, believing that we can be blessed by them, grow from them, and flourish in the wake of a crisis. We must reach out to our God, and in return, have confidence in Him, knowing that His love has not failed us, but only allowed us to go through the growing pains of showing our true mettle of faith, and maturing as a Christian soldier. When we cry out to Him, He never abandons us, but comes to our aid, helping us through the most difficult of circumstances. We need have no fear, but instead confidently rely on His guiding hand that will deliver us and uphold us when we have no strength to hold ourselves upright. Resting our gaze on His glory, we can have peace and comfort in knowing that no earthly force, illness, or person can take us down when the Lord strengthens us against any opposition. The struggles of our life, even when they hit us as our most vulnerable points, are no match for the Lord that has overcome them all. No matter how dire our lives may seem, or how much pain we may endure, let us boldly have joy instead of fear or frustration, because we are children of God. In our hour of need, He hears us, and when we feel heavy, He shoulders our load and lightens our heart. With confidence in Him, and freed by His love and promise, we can both praise Him joyfully and lightly walk on air with deer’s feet.

“Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war arise against me, yet I will be confident.” Psalm 27:3

“So we can say with confidence, ‘The LORD is my helper, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?’”  Hebrews 13:6

“These things I have spoken to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you shall have distress: but have confidence, I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10

“Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. GOD, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer’s; he makes me tread on my high places.” Habakkuk 3:17-19

“On the day I called, You answered me; You made me bold with strength in my soul.” Psalm 138:3