Grace for Trials

Welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread. I'm Amy Boucher-Pye, and I called today's reading Grace for Trials. Annie Johnson Flint was crippled by severe arthritis just a few years after high school. She never walked again and relied on others to help care for her needs. Because of her poetry and hymns, she received many visitors, including a deaconess who felt discouraged about her own ministry. When the visitor returned home, she wrote to Annie, wondering why God allowed such hard things in her life.

In response, Annie sent a poem. God hath not promised, skies always blue, flower strewn pathways all our lives through. She knew from experience that suffering often occurred, but that God would never abandon those He loves. Instead, He promised to give grace for the trials, help from above, unfailing sympathy, undying love.

You may recognize that poem as the hymn, What God Hath Promised. Moses also suffered and faced strife, but he knew God's presence was with him. When he passed his leadership of the Israelites to Joshua in Deuteronomy 31, he told the younger man to be strong and courageous, because the Lord your God goes with you. Moses, knowing that the people of Israel would face formidable enemies as they entered and took the promised land, said to Joshua, Do not be afraid, do not be discouraged. Disciples of Christ will face hardship, but we have God's Spirit to encourage us.

He'll never leave us. Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is from Deuteronomy chapter 31, verses 1 through 8. Then Moses went out and spoke these words to all Israel.

I am now one hundred and twenty years old, and I am no longer able to lead you. The Lord has said to me, You shall not cross the Jordan. The Lord your God Himself will cross over ahead of you. He will destroy these nations before you, and you will take possession of their land. Joshua also will cross over ahead of you, as the Lord said.

And the Lord will do to them what He did to Sion and Og, the kings of the Amorites, whom He destroyed along with their land. The Lord will deliver them to you, and you must do to them all I have commanded you. Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you. He will never leave you nor forsake you.

Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the presence of all Israel, Be strong and courageous, for you must go with this people into the land that the Lord swore to their ancestors to give them, and you must divide it among them as their inheritance. The Lord Himself goes before you and will be with you. He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid. Do not be discouraged. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, when we're feeling discouraged and distressed, please remind us through your Holy Spirit that you'll never leave us and you will never forsake us. We pray with gratitude in the name of Jesus. Amen. Thank you for listening. Today's encouragement was provided by Our Daily Bread Ministries.