Patti Burris

Joshua 1:9

 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Deuteronomy 31:8

The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

God promises that He will go before us and be with us. He promises that He will never leave us nor forsake us, but He also expects something from us. He expects us to be strong and courageous. He expects us to look fear in the face and have enough faith to step out anyway. He expects us to look past our current situations, as bad as they may be and have faith that as long as we center our lives around Him, everything will be okay. We will not drown in our circumstances. We will not faint under the pressure. The struggles of life will not take us down, as long as we stay strong and trust God.

But, you don’t know my circumstances, you say. No I don’t. But, I know my circumstances. I know my life and I know that my life has been full of trials and struggle. It has not been easy to raise 5 kids as a single mom. It has not been easy to live under the oppression of poverty for 17 years, working my butt off and feeling like I am still drowning in my circumstances. I know how it is to feel like you will never get ahead in life. I know how hard it is to be an outcast as a foster child in someone else’s home. I know the grief of having your dreams destroyed along with your marriage. I know how discouraging it is trying to find out who you are and trying to find a way to fix your mind because you struggle everyday with an anxiety disorder. I know the frustration of dealing with chronic illness and the ups and downs of that illness. I know, but more importantly, God knows. God knows how I struggle to simply exist some days. God also knows your circumstances and how you are struggling to get through each day. Don’t think that God does not care. He cares and He has promised to be with you wherever you go. Have courage in your circumstances, knowing that God is in those circumstances with you. He is not going to leave you struggling alone. He will never turn His back on you. Be strong. Have courage. Trust God. He is with us in every situation of our lives. He will comfort you. He will fight for you. He will NEVER forsake you! DO NOT BE DISCOURAGED!