He Will Carry You Through
By: Kristen L. McNulty
Reprint rights available on request. Email the author at kristenmcnulty@hotmail.com.
Recently I was reading in my Bible in 2 Thessalonians and I came across a verse in chapter three which I had underlined and put a date next to. The verse reads:
"May the Lord bring you into an even deeper understanding of the love of God and the endurance that comes from Christ." (2 Thes. 3:5)
While I can't remember exactly what was on my mind when I underlined that in my Bible, the date, a month in 2010 is one of great significance to me. Because if you had asked me at that moment in time how my life was, I would have been able to say it was beyond incredible. I was happy and so many things were going my way. It was a period of time where I felt like things were finally clicking and after many months of trials, not only was there light at the end of the tunnel, but I was out of the tunnel, having emerged in one piece. To say I was on top of the world would be an understatement. But that moment in time was actually more of an illusion than reality, because unknown to me at that moment in time, a storm was brewing and my life was about to blow up in ways I could have never imagined.
Finding Christ In The Middle Of A Mess
Getting into all the details of how my life spectacularly fell apart would take more time than I have right now, but suffice to say, it was a mess. The interesting thing is, now looking back at that underlined and dated verse in my Bible, I can see how perhaps God was preparing me for what was to come. I can also see now, looking back, just how true those verses were and are. Let me repeat them:
"May the Lord bring you into an even deeper understanding of the love of God and the endurance that comes from Christ." (V.5)
These verses, were originally addressed to a group of believers who were dealing with persecution, hardships and suffering (2 Thes. 1:4-6). So we know the apostle Paul didn't only intend for them to encourage us when life is smooth sailing. No over and over again in the Bible we learn that while we as Christians aren't exempt from suffering in this world, we are equipped to walk through it and not only survive, but come out on the other side stronger because of Christ.
These verses illustrate how even in the darkest of nights, God sends gifts to His children to help carry us through.
When my life underwent an epic upheaval that year, the two gifts I received are the same ones these verses talk about. His love and His endurance.
A Deeper Understanding Of The Love Of God
Looking back, one thing that stands out to me about that period in time is just how much God made His love known to me. I remember sitting in church one Sunday and literally having tears come into my eyes as it sunk in just how much He loves me. One week when I was at my lowest, I got to church and sat in group of empty chairs. As the minutes ticked down to the start of the service some good friends sat in the row behind me. Then others sat in the row in front of me. Then one friend came and sat on one side of me and another good friend one sat on the other side. Many of them had no idea what was happening at the time, but in that moment I was literally surrounded by the people who loved me the most, while the God who loves me even more reminded me of His love. The awareness of His love, the kind of love that leaves the 99 to seek out the one who is lost, is a precious gift, one that I've cherished ever since.
The Endurance That Comes From Christ
Another gift that life shift brought to me was, like the verse says, the endurance that comes from Christ. It's like in my pride I had to get in over my head before I could finally let go of the wheel and trust God to navigate through every part of my life and learn to rely on His strength, not mine. During that period of time I found in Him the endurance that I needed to carry me through. And He did carry me through not only in one piece, but better and stronger and filled with more faith than ever before.
I share this with you today because I know there's a good chance right now you're in the middle of a major upheaval due to COVID-19. Whether you've lost your job, lost a loved one, are sick, or scared or feeling alone, I want to encourage you that you are going to get through this. This isn't going to last forever. You will get to the other side. And when you do, chances are in years from now when you look back, you're going to see more than the size that the waves were. You're going to see how you were carried to the other side by God and you're going to remember the gifts He gave you to help you through. Because the Bible is clear, God does give us gifts to carry us through times of trials and suffering. Whether it's a deeper understanding of His love or extra endurance or peace that surpasses understanding (Phil. 4:6-7) or joy (John 15:11) or perseverance (James 1:2-4) or hope (Romans 5:3-5) or strength (Phil. 4:12-13).
He Will Carry You Through
So instead of running away from God when the waves roll in, run to Him. Tell Him your fears and struggles, ask Him for help, and seek His direction in what to do next. Jesus didn't save you from eternity without Him to only go and leave you alone now. He will carry you through.
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