Hang Tough - Martin Wiles

Then the devil went away, and angels came and took care of Jesus. Matthew 4:11 NLT

“Tough times don’t last; tough people do.”

I figured if Jesus needed help then I did too. And I did. When I conducted a funeral for a young child who had been killed because his mom was driving drunk. When I told a husband his wife had been involved in a serious accident. When I endured years of financial hardship because of an immoral decision another person had made that affected me. When my son didn’t talk to me for a year because of an insignificant mishap on my part. When I waited on my dad to die after we had him disconnected from life-support instruments because he wished us too. And when I helped Dad conduct my grandmother and granddaddy’s funeral.

And this is only the tip of the iceberg. If I listed the hardships I’ve needed help to get through, the incidents would fill pages. Family issues. Church problems. Employment matters. Emotional concerns. Each one was tough … some tougher than others, but I made it through.

God, through His Spirit, led Jesus into the desert to be tempted by the devil for forty days. A strange scenario, but Jesus in His humanity had to learn obedience—and that lesson was tough. During His stint in the wilderness, Jesus endured every category of temptation we’ll ever face: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. At the end of the fight, angels came and comforted Jesus.

Knowing God controls the intensity and length of the tough time helps us endure. Jesus endured by the power of the Spirit, which is the same way we last. The moment we accept Christ as our Savior, God gives the Spirit. When we allow Him to fill us, we can persist through whatever life throws our way.

In His humanity, Jesus learned obedience through the tough time, and we do the same. Tough times increase our patience level and develop character in us.

Jesus fought Satan’s temptations with God’s Word—and He was victorious. When experiencing tough times or temptations, using God’s Word holds the key to our victory. Satan can’t stand against it, and the promises and stories will comfort and encourage us when we’re ready to give up.

In God’s power, you are tough. Don’t give up when the going gets rough.

Prayer: Father, thank You for equipping us for the tough times. When they arrive, give us the courage to trust You to get us through. 

Tweetable: Are you hanging tough?

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