You have been struggling. Everything seems grey. Nothing is right. One bad thing and another one follows. You can’t get up high before getting knocked down. You think you’ll make it past the home plate, but instead, you strike out on the first go round. You’re always striking out.

It’s as if the devil himself is looking at you from your reflection in the mirror — mocking you. Saying you just won’t make it. Saying to give up now while you’re at it. Saying that your time will soon be over.

You look up to the sky as tears roll down your face and ask the lingering question: “God! Why are you doing this? Why me? Have I not tried? Have I not fought? Why is this happening? I can’t take this anymore!”

There are a plethora of examples in the Bible of people who have only been down and out, and it looked like there was no hope for them. However, God was watching. He knew everything. He knew there was a brighter light at the end of the tunnel.

Job’s case is a perfect example. He loved the Lord with all his heart and soul, but he also had many blessings. That isn’t to say that his life didn’t come with complications, but he was favored by God.

The Devil sought to get him off his pedestal. He thought that if everything was taken away from him, he would curse God. He would turn from God and never look back.

God allowed him to take away his family, health, shelter, livestock. Everything. Although, there was one thing he couldn’t take away – Job’s love for God.

When everyone else around him said to curse God and die, he wouldn’t. He believed that God had something in store for him. His mindset was there. His drive was there. His fight was there.

He was right.

God gave everything back and some. He allowed him to go through and made him even stronger in the end. He was there through it all. All of the pain and trials and heartache weren’t a waste.

I know how it feels to think that you have nothing for you. It feels as if there will never be anything better than this moment right now. It feels like everyone else around you is doing fine while your life is hanging in the balance. You feel hopeless, pathetic, incapable, unworthy.

God has the blueprint. He can see the entire map. This might be typical of me to say, but he isn’t giving you anything more than you can handle. There is only one thing you can do.

One small but difficult thing.

Trust.

Trust in Him. Know that He would never leave you. Know that He created you and loves you more than you could ever imagine.

It won’t always be like this. Change your mindset. Instead of looking at it as a deterrent, think of ways in which it will better your life.

Take small steps each day to come closer to Job’s character. The character that never stopped fighting, believing, trusting.

God has his hand on you. Just because you can’t see it — doesn’t mean it isn’t there.

-Jas