In the world you shall have tribulation; but be of good cheer;

I have overcome the world.

—John 16:33

Now, I know you are completely puzzled by the title I’ve used today. As a believer, did I really mean to say that “sometimes” God answers prayers?  Well, let me finish the sentence; you deserve that.

Sometimes God answers prayers by not removing the hurt we are trying to pray away. Just today I finally had to turn the news off for a while. The story about the three young women held against their wills in Cleveland for nearly a decade was too heart-wrenching to continue watching.  What about the pain, the agony, the throbbing disappointment that those praying families had suffered? The news media reported that one young woman’s mother died a few years ago of a broken heart. How does God answer prayer when your heart is breaking?

Believe me; He does answer. God gives us strength to bear the weight of the seemingly unbearable.

We live in this world. Jesus himself warned us that the world was not to be our consolation. He spoke to His disciples the words recorded by John. He speaks them to you and me. Jesus did not sugar coat our Godly futures.

Yes, you are anointed, favored and highly regarded by the Great God of the universe. But, sometimes, He leaves you in it rather than taking you out of the storms of life.

I read an old story about a father who took his child to the doctor to repair a cut above her eyelid requiring stitches. Choosing not to use an anesthetic, the doctor asked the child “Can you keep from jumping while I fix your eyelid?” The child replied, “I can if Daddy will hold my hand.” She went through the entire procedure without flinching.

What can you take? What pain are you able to endure? What will the world hand you tomorrow that will really test your mettle? (That’s your courage, determination and enduring spirit.) You can take anything if your Daddy holds your hand! Just ask Him.