FJWL_02:251
         (Dad:) If you find yourself going through a rough spot, just hold on! If you find yourself at wits' end corner, don't give up! There's always a bright and sunny day waiting for you just around the corner, if you don't give up! There's life, happiness and joy just beyond the bend in the road. There are fun times and fulfillment and dreams to come true, a little further than you can see. So if you give up now, you're going to miss all of the beauty and love that the Lord has stored up ahead for you. You wouldn't want to do that, would you?
         I know life is a fight. I know it's a struggle. These years are difficult, tough and trying. It's the trying of your faith, but it works patience and patience works love. You've got to keep the faith, you've got to keep that hope alive in your heart. Trust the Lord. If you can do that, then everything else will fall into place.
         When things look like they're getting worse and worse, that's the time to just hang tight. That's the time to not worry about the future, or to begin planning your escape route. That's the time to just sit still and wait. Get quiet and alone with the Lord. Think back to all the other times in your life when you were going through a time of real purging. Didn't it eventually end? You've never kept going through the same battle day after day, month after month, year after year with no relief or cessation from the battle. That's just not how things go. So you don't have to worry about feeling like this will last forever. It's going to pass.
         All things pass away, except for Jesus, of course. He never passes away. He'll never leave nor forsake you. He'll hold you tight and you and He will weather the storm together. He'll cover you with His love and with His strong arms and shield you from the storm. You might get a little wet from the rain pouring down all around you, but Jesus will bring you through safe and sound, if you'll let Him. You've got to let Him carry you.
         You've got to let Him know that you trust Him. You've got to tell Him that you're going to see it through--that you're not going to jump ship. You've got to commit yourself and tell Him that come hell or high water, you're going to hang in there and put your trust and confidence in Him. Though He slay you, yet will you trust in Him. That's the kind of faith that works. That's the kind of faith that gets results. That's the kind of faith that God blesses.



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