In the Kingdom of God, just because we lose a battle, it doesn’t mean we’ve lost the war! Life is full of setbacks, and the forces of discouragement are raging to get us to surrender our hope. Nevertheless, we must persevere. Many good things have been forfeited by Christians who lost their grit and gave up because they were discouraged by what they saw. This is why it’s important to remember that faith is confidence in things hoped for and certainty in things unseen. Even when we endure loss, hardship, and disappointment, there is still joy and a future for us — we just need to keep believing. No matter how many trials come our way, our Savior will never abandon us, and He is using each upset to chisel us into people who reflect His tough, tenacious, loving, and tender heart. He is for us, not against us, so we can remain confident that in our moments of greatest loss, He is fashioning us into a masterpiece that is more beautiful and awe-inspiring than we can fathom.

My friend, if you’ve lost a job, a home, a business, or a loved one and you feel like you can’t move ahead, the God of Creation has a word for you — keep going. The Lord is not finished writing your story, and He has already promised that the end will be glorious and full of hope. He loves you beyond your mind’s ability to conceive, and He will never let go of your hand, no matter how rough or rugged the worldly terrain.