Have you noticed that hard times really test your faith? This certainly holds true for marriage and family life. Spiritually speaking, tough times offer opportunities to grow in faith. While our natural tendency is to dread these kinds of situations, the Bible offers many examples of people who faced their circumstances with great courage.
“‘I am the Lord’s servant,’ Mary answered. ‘May it be to me as you have said.’ Then the angel left her” (Luke 1:38, NKJV).
Consider Mary, the mother of Jesus. As a young teenager, an angel told her that she would be the mother of the Messiah. Sounds great, doesn’t it? But try to imagine this situation. She will become pregnant, but not by Joseph. What’s her fiancée, Joseph, going to think? And even if Joseph can handle this, what are neighbors and others around her to think? Sex before marriage was strictly forbidden by Jewish law. And immaculate conception — how do you explain that to the people around you? It has never happened before.
Who will actually believe that? Get the picture? If you are experiencing hard times in your marriage or family, don’t give up. Trust God. He will not let you down.
The content of this article comes from “The Warrior’s Bible” (2014) and is copyrighted by Life Publishers International. Used with permission.
