The Bible is filled with promises from God — promises that He’ll strength us, uphold us, and be with us through all the trials and tribulations this world brings. His grace is sufficient for us in our weaknesses; when we keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, He renews the Spirit within us to face any challenge the enemy tries to bring.

When we hear the term “The Olive Garden”, the Garden of the Gethsemane probably isn’t the first place that comes to mind. Yet there’s perhaps no account in the Bible that more clearly reveals the humanity of Jesus. He prayed for His Father to let the cup pass from Him so that He would not have to die — but He also prayed that His Father’s will be done. Jesus’ struggle in the garden is an example to us of what it means to surrender to the Lord: we have to be ready to give up our own lives, take up our own cross, and follow Him.

Do you want to hear some really, really good news today? The same God that parted the Red Sea, raised Jesus from the dead, and rescued Paul from prison works on behalf of you and me. God may allow suffering, but He always has a plan to bring us through suffering.

If you’ve ever been a film junkie, a sports enthusiast, or an avid supporter of a musician or band, you know that there’s a difference between being a “fan” and being a “follower”. We can all be fans of Jesus without ever actually obeying what He told us to do in order to follow Him. We can choose to be Christians who believe for the sake of salvation and continue to go about life as we please, or we can accept the exciting and fulfilling invitation Jesus extends for us to follow Him.

Sometimes we bring suffering on ourselves. Other times, God allows it to come — not to hurt us, but to grow and strengthen us. In times of struggle it’s important to lean into His goodness and trust in His love for us. He’s promised to meet all of our needs, and He’s faithful to keep that promise.

How do we treat our “friendship” with Jesus? Are we quick to abandon Him in the heat of the moment, or do we stand by Him no matter what? To love and serve God is to identify with Him — not only in good times, when it suits us, but also in suffering, even when it might cost us everything this world has to offer.

A life lived in obedience to God will always be accompanied by suffering, especially when it comes to fighting the temptations of this world. But we are not a people without hope. Scripture promises us that no matter the struggles and pain we trudge through on this side of Heaven, all will be restored and made perfect in eternity.

If you or someone you know is struggling so much in this life that you wish you’d never been born, the best thing you can do is be born again. Through all of our struggles and suffering, the only hope we can cling to is in God Almighty. He sees the whole picture, He knows the whole story, and He has good plans for each and every person who puts their trust in Him.

No matter how closely we walk with the Lord, there will undoubtedly be situations in this life where we find ourselves stumped by difficult circumstances. In those moments, we can choose to run from God in the midst of our suffering, or we can seek Him, knowing He can handle our doubt. We may not get the answers we’re looking for on this side of Heaven, but when we enter eternity with Christ, He’ll make all things known to us.

When we hear the term “The Olive Garden”, the Garden of the Gethsemane probably isn’t the first place that comes to mind. Yet there’s perhaps no account in the Bible that more clearly reveals the humanity of Jesus. He prayed for His Father to let the cup pass from Him so that He would not have to die — but He also prayed that His Father’s will be done. Jesus’ struggle in the garden is an example to us of what it means to surrender to the Lord: we have to be ready to give up our own lives, take up our own cross, and follow Him.

To prostrate ourselves before the Lord is to humble ourselves and submit to His will above our own. Jesus warned us that we must deny ourselves and take up our crosses if we want to follow Him. In order to obey that command, we have to be willing to commit to going where He leads us — no matter what suffering it may involve.

Suffering can take us down one of two roads as followers of Jesus: it can build our character, or it can drive us back to our old ways of sinning. 1 Peter 4:1 says, “Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because whoever suffers in the body is done with sin.” When we fix our eyes on Him and base our hope in His promises, God gifts us the strength to persevere through our pain and endure our struggles.