Struggling

Yesterday I noticed a theme as I read through my daily Scripture passages.

Psalm 71:14: "But as for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more."

Proverbs 24:10: "If you falter in times of trouble, how small is your strength?"

Philippians 1:18: Paul, after sharing about being in chains and about people trying to undermine him, says, "Yes, and I will continue to rejoice."

I think one of the hardest things to do is rejoice and have hope in times of trouble. But I loved the way the Proverb I cited puts it. The best way to measure the strength of your faith is to see how well it stands up when you're struggling. Will you, like the Psalmist, always have hope? Will you, like Paul, continue to rejoice?

I know I haven't often (or ever?) done this. I guess that tells you the measure of my strength. But I'm inspired by this theme in my Bible reading. I want to be strong enough to say I will always have hope - no matter what happens. I will continue to rejoice - even in the midst of bad circumstances.