Altar Call – Opelika-Auburn News

Walter Albritton

June 21, 2020

We will get through this!

In times like these, hope enables us to affirm to ourselves and others, “We will get through this!” When spoken with courageous faith, those words can help hurting people believe they can handle their pain and move on.

When her husband died at age 41, Sarah Brown said those words to her two young daughters, Dean and Dot. In the lean years that followed, the girls never forgot their mother’s determination to “make it” through the devastating loss of their father. Her grit gave them hope for their future. With the Lord’s help, they made it through some tough days.

Two things always come to mind when I think about the word “through.” The first is the 23^rd Psalm in which we find this powerful word of hope: “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” King David’s faith makes me want to shout!

His time to endure the darkness of the valley was at hand, but he did not plan to stop in it, or stay in it; he was determined to go through it! Soon or late, suffering comes to each of us. But we have a choice. We can sit in it and pity our plight or we can walk on. We can believe that by the grace of God, we are going to walk through whatever valley we have to face. We can also choose, like David did, to believe that the Lord will be with us. And such faith overcomes our fear of evil so we can walk on unafraid.

I call this “the Through Principle.” It can be applied to any horrendous situation that is thrust upon us. Instead of thinking of ourselves as victims, we can stand up and say to all who are listening, “We will get through this!”

The second thing that the word “through” brings to mind is the stirring song by Andrae Crouch, “Through It All.” Crouch wrote and sang many wonderful songs but none touched my heart like this one:

I've had many tears and sorrows,
I've had questions for tomorrow,
there's been times I didn't know right from wrong.
But in every situation,
God gave me blessed consolation,
that my trials come to only make me strong.

Through it all,
through it all,
I've learned to trust in Jesus,
I've learned to trust in God.

Through it all,
through it all,
I've learned to depend upon His Word.

I've been to lots of places,
I've seen a lot of faces

there's been times I felt so all alone.
But in my lonely hours,
yes, those precious lonely hours,
Jesus lets me know that I was His own

Reflect on the inspiring faith Crouch shares in this song:

1. In every difficult situation God consoled me.

2. God has used my trials to make me strong.

3. Through it all, I have learned to trust in God and depend upon His Word.

4. Jesus has made my lonely hours precious with His Presence.

5. I have learned that I can depend on God no matter what I must face.

That is the kind of faith we all need during the trying times of our lives, faith that inspires us to grit our teeth and say, “We will get through this!” When Saint Paul grew weary of his “thorn in the flesh,” he heard the Lord say, “My grace is sufficient for you.” Though God allowed Paul to endure much suffering, Paul made his way through it all. His faith never wavered because he was confident that God’s grace was all he needed.

In these days of social turmoil in America, and the uncertainty created by the novel coronavirus, we dare not think of ourselves as victims. We dare not think that we shall stay immersed in the pain and darkness of this valley. We must believe that, by the grace of God, we are going to walk through this valley!

We can work together to overcome racism. We can follow the health guidelines to protect ourselves and others from the deadly virus. We can defeat hatred with love. We can practice kindness in every situation. We can be peacemakers with our lips and our lives. We can trust God and rely on His Word. Together, we can create a better world for the next generation. We can walk on, resolutely saying to one and all, “We will get through this!” + + +