God is never caught by surprise!

In this world you will have trouble. 

But take heart! I have overcome the world.

John 16:33

It is no news that believers and non-believers go through hardships. Jesus warned us that we would experience difficulties that would cause us to feel like there was no way to scape, or we were without options. People pressure us. Life in community pressures us. And most of time we will give up projects and dreams because of how we feel about such pressures, for we wish things didn´t happen that way.

Before a word is on my tongue

    you, Lord, know it completely.

Psalm 139:4

... all the days ordained for me were written in your book

    before one of them came to be.

Psalm 139:16

But we should not forget that NONE of these happenings is unknown or unseen by our Father in Heaven. Nothing catches Him by surprise! All our days pass before and through Him first before we get to live each one of them! This is the kind of thought that caused Jesus, Paul, and other men and women through history to stand firm before all the trials they faced. 

I press toward the mark 

for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:14

Another thought that made them unstoppable before difficulties was: they would see something greater ahead. They could see a greater purpose. They would undergo through certain situations (submit their will on "minor" matters) trusting that such attitude would bring greater benefits. That caused them not to give up. A good question to ask at this point is: which attitude will bring forth more fruit? giving up now or enduring this situation? Although our heart is prone to choose passivity, we are encouraged by Jesus to TAKE HEART. We are not to be led by our hearts but to LEAD them. That was the attitude of Stephen when he was being stoned for preaching the good news of the Kingdom of God.

  Behold, I see the heavens opened, 

and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God. 

Acts 7:56

Nothing will be able to stop us to advance in life if we keep these two thoughts in mind! There is something greater ahead of us just waiting for us to make the most advantageous choice even though they don´t seem to be the most pleasant at the moment. Plus, God has already visited that TIME in our lives and He already knows its outcome. Let us simply "be of good cheer", knowing that we are not left alone, but the one who conquered the world is with us in this battle, therefore we are more than conquerors in Him!

...you are strong, and the word of God lives in you,

    and you have overcome the evil one.

1 John 2:14

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