We all face many hardships in life. Some of us may feel we are at the peak of those hardships right now. Times like these have caused the U.S. suicide rate to triple since 1970 because of the feeling that we are at the bottom of a bottomless pit of stress, worry, confusion, and depression.

Teenagers of today's generation have totally lost control of themselves, falling into the pressures and struggles that come with being a teenager.  We no longer know how to deal with the struggles of life. John 16:33 says, "Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world." God knows that we will go through these trials and hardships, which is why he sent his Son to overcome to world first. There are times in life when we just have to fight, times when we have to give God the glory because as soon as we are out of that bottomless pit, we will finally have our anointing. We have all heard the verse, "Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death…" Don't we all walk through that valley? But the Bible does not say we are walking in death; we are only in the shadow. One of our problems, though, is that we park in that valley; we wallow in our depression.  But the Bible says that we must walk "through" the valley of the shadow of death. And when we cannot bear to be in the shadow of death anymore, when we see no way out and we are about to give up, there is another shadow out there--the shadow of the Almighty, where Psalm 91 says we will find rest.

When we give God all the glory in these circumstances, our blessings are on the way. Job praised God even when he had lost everything. He walked through the valley of the shadow of death. "I came naked from my mother's womb, and I will be naked when I leave. The LORD gave me what I had, and the LORD has taken it away. Praise the name of the LORD!" Job still praised God and gave him thanks, even when he had lost everything.  In return God blessed Job with twice as much as he took away. When Job ran from the shadow of death to the shadow of the Almighty, his cup overflowed with blessings.

In 2 Corinthians 4:18 Paul tells us that "we look not to what is seen but to what is unseen; for what is seen is transitory" (tending to pass away, not persistent, temporary) "but what is unseen is eternal." What is seen is only temporary. When you can only see your troubles, and you feel like they are closing in on you, remember that this is only temporary. But the things that are unseen are eternal. God is eternal. Grace, love, and mercy--they are all eternal. Keep your focus on the things that are unseen, not on your troubles, because your troubles are temporary and will soon pass away.

Some of you may be going through trials or hardships, and you are not sure why. You wonder why God is letting this happen to you. You know you are walking through the valley of the shadow of death. Still, you must give God the glory and give him thanks, for this is right. The shadow of the Almighty is not as far as you think from the shadow of death...just run to him. He's waiting with his arms open wide.

Psalms 136:1
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good!
His faithful love endures forever.

May God bless you all and keep heart because your troubles will soon pass away.