Never Promised You A Rose Garden

I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.

John 16:33 

What do you do when things don't seem to be going your way?  What do you do when your plans seem to crumble around you and you can't see how to get out, much less the next step? 

When we feel like our world has imploded onto us, it's very easy to blame God, isn't it?  It's easy to say God isn't listening to my prayers because I didn't get my way.  Fact of the matter, God hears ALL of our prayers and sometimes allows situations to happen that will take us out of our comfort zones to challenge us to become stronger and to rely on Him more.

Jesus told us, "Here on earth you WILL HAVE MANY TRIALS AND SORROWS!"  And He wasn't kidding!  We have been warned that they will come so when they do come, we can be prepared and not destroyed!  How do we deal with these trials and sorrows?  By trusting in Jesus who reminds us that HE has overcome the world and every trial and sorrow the world can through at us.

We have to be like George Foreman when he won the World Heavyweight Boxing Championship the last time when he was in his late 40s.  When asked how he did it, his response was simple: "I got up one more time than I was knocked down."  And if you have ever heard him preach (he's a preacher too, by the way) his message is "You WILL get knocked down by this world but not knocked out!  When you get knocked down, remember who is in your corner!  God is in your corner and Jesus it the referee!  Get back up because the referee isn't going to end the fight until God's plan for you is finished!"