I CAN AND I WILL: Hope and faith in God make life bearable

To recite the lyrics of the immensely talented Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn:

I can't quote the book

The chapter or the verse

You can't tell me it all ends

In a slow ride in a hearse.

You know I'm more and more convinced

The longer that I live

Yeah, this can't be (no, this can't be), no, this can't be (no, this can't be)

No, this can't be all there is.

Lord, I raise my hands

Bow my head

Oh, I'm findin' more and more truth

In the words written in red.

They tell me that there's more to life

Than just what I can see (just what I can see), I believe.

“And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.” 1 Peter 5:10

I don’t know what your life is like at this very moment. Maybe life is good, and everything is going great, or maybe it’s not going the way you intended. Maybe you are in the middle of a situation that seems irreversible, and you can’t see any path to get out of it. I’ve been there. I promise you, the way out is Jesus. Whatever you’re going through, the answer is God.

Things happen in this life that we don’t understand, and the devil wants us to get angry at God for not giving us what we want. If you lose a loved one, get sick, lose your job, or your marriage is falling apart, the answer is still God.

Our hope and faith in God is what makes this world a loving place, but it also makes it bearable. Hunker down and keep living your life for God because in the end, this life is but a vapor. We’ll be rewarded for our dedication, even if things don’t work out perfectly for us now.

There’s more to this life than an ending with a slow ride in a hearse. I believe.

Rick Stanfield is a syndicated columnist, professor, motivational speaker and author. For more information, visit his website at www.rickstanfield.com.