Surely, some of you, when you began to follow God, thought just like I did: "I am willing to give up the world, the pleasures it can offer me, and if I live according to God's commandments from now on, my whole life will be easy, my whole life will be free of struggles, and it will be a walk in the park, a downhill path."

But it hasn't really been like that. On the contrary, we often find ourselves having to fight, experiencing difficult moments, times of discouragement, and having to face things we had not foreseen or considered. And this is normal in the life of faith. We see that even Jesus' apostles experienced difficult moments. Let's read Mark 4:35-41:

"On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, 'Let us cross over to the other side. ' Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was. And other little boats were also with Him. And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, 'Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing? ' Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, 'Peace, be still! ' And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. But He said to them, 'Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith? ' And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, 'Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him! '"

We can clearly see that the disciples were doing Jesus' will. They had decided to accompany Him on this journey, and they had embarked on the same boat with Jesus. Yet, something unexpected happens: a storm breaks out, a great windstorm. Imagine the waves rising, battering the boat from one side to the other, so much so that the boat begins to fill with water. And the disciples on the boat are tossed from side to side. They see the boat filling with water. They don't know what to do. They don't know if they will survive.

And often, we find ourselves in these situations too. We face unexpected events that we hadn't considered. Perhaps an illness. Perhaps a sudden accident. We fear for our lives. We don't know what to do, we don't know what to think. It might be a financial problem. From one day to the next, we find ourselves without a job, in a precarious financial situation, perhaps even with a family to look after. And we are afraid, wondering what we will eat tomorrow, how I will pay the rent, how we will pay the utilities. Or we might have family problems—with our partner, parents, or children. Difficult situations that hurt. Perhaps you have thought: "I have been faithful to God, so why does God allow these moments of suffering in my life? Wasn't He supposed to protect me?"

But God never promised us an easy life, He never promised us a downhill path, He never promised us that everything would always go well, and He never promised us that we would never cry. In Revelation, it is written that in heaven there will be no more tears. This implies that here on Earth we will still cry, we will have moments of discouragement, and we will face difficult times. In fact, in Isaiah 43:2-5, it says:

"When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you. For I am the Lord your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I gave Egypt for your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in your place. Since you were precious in My sight, You have been honored, And I have loved you; Therefore I will give men for you, And people for your life. Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your descendants from the east, And gather you from the west;"

This is what God promised us: that even when we cross through waters, rivers, or walk through fire, God will be with us. God will be with us in difficult moments, God will be with us in suffering, God will be with us in discouragement and confusion. He never said,"I will not allow you to suffer," He never said,"I will not allow you to experience difficult times." He never said we wouldn't have battles. On the contrary, He promised us victory—and if there is a victory, there is also a battle. He promised us healing—and if there is healing, there is also sickness.

And not only does God allow these difficult moments, but He uses them for our good. In fact, in Romans 8:28, He says:

"And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose."

Therefore, even those financial problems, God will use them for your good. Even health problems, God will use them for good. Even the problems you are experiencing in your family, God will use them for good. So do not be afraid, do not be discouraged, do not fear, because God is by your side and He will give you the strength to face these battles, these moments of despair. He will be by your side, He will encourage you, and He will sustain you.

When another piece of bad news arrives, when another discouragement comes, what will you do? Will you ask,"God, why did You allow this? Why didn't You protect me?" or will you ask,"How are You going to use this for my good?"