From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham

Only in fairy tales do people live charmed lives. We may think that some people have it all, but if we turn the pages of their lives we will see the sorrow and burdens they often bear. Sometimes life touches one person with a bouquet and another with a thorn bush. But the first may find a wasp in the flowers, and the second may discover roses among the thorns.

Who said life was fair? There are those who have made their fortunes on other people’s misfortune. The Bible never promised that life would be fair. Christian living that sounds like a magazine cover story may leave us unprepared for a world where Hell does break loose.

In the latter part of the 20th century we saw the remarkable crumbling of the Berlin Wall and the opening of Eastern Europe to democracy and religious freedom, at least to a point. But on the heels of such victories, and shortly after a new millennium dawned, we watched horror strike our land on September 11, 2001. Suddenly we were faced with new tyrannies. We must not become complacent in our sanctuaries.

This present age is interested in success, not suffering, but people cannot escape suffering in this life. We must rely on Jesus Christ to strengthen us in our times of sorrow and He will give us power to face the challenges life brings. God is not blind. He knows about you and your problems and is a very present help in trouble (Psalm 46:1).

(This column is based on the words and writings of the late Rev. Billy Graham.)

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