It’s not over or around, it’s through

Over the last few months as a church we have prayed for a number of people who have had extremely difficult health situations. Ranging from various cancer to brain bleeds. Each of these has looked different in some ways but all have carried a level of worry, fear and even dispair. Thankfully we have seen almost everyone either be healed or come through treatment. They haven’t gotten over the treatment or had the treatment, they’ve gone through it. The young man who had a severe brain bleed which led to surgeries went through a life=altering time, his body went through an emergency life-saving operation.

When we think of the difficult times of life we often refer to them as going ‘through’ them. Sadly you’ve likely heard the phrase ‘went through a divorce’ or ‘we got through his unemployment’ for example. Going through an experience isn’t only normal it’s Biblical. Throughout the pages of the Word of God we read of people and nations going through trials and trouble. The Israelites went through the desert as they left Egypt in the Exodus from slavery. David went through his struggles with Saul as he ran for his life on numerous occasions.

The Apostle Paul went through and endured shipwrecks, imprisonments, beatings and more for the sake of the gospel going forward. The greatest example of going through was the sacrifice of Jesus both in the run up to and on the cross. He forsook up to take our place, to go through the pain, humiliation and mutilation of the cruel cross. He went through it all so we can have eternal life and not have to suffer for our sin, we have a Saviour who has relieved us of that punishment.

In Psalms 23 it says that even when we walk through the valley of shadow of death the Lord is with us and we need not fear. That’s amazing, you don’t walk through it alone. The next time you meet someone having a difficult day, or someone who has received tough news think about how you might walk with them through it. We all need help getting through, it’s much easier when you’re not walking that path alone.