From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham

We live in a hostile world that constantly seeks to pull us away from God, and sometimes its pressures are enormous. One reason we are vulnerable to life’s stresses is because of what happens around us. Trouble seeks out weak places in our lives.

A dam can hold enormous amounts of water back; it can be 99 percent solid—but if one percent is weak, eventually the whole structure may give way. This is why we must fortify ourselves by the Word of God. His promises strengthen us and prepare us for times when the dam breaks, whether through the loss of a loved one, illness, mental anguish, or a host of other calamities that assault us. The Bible tells us to put on the armor of God. It also tells us that when we are weak, our God is strong and shows Himself to us in remarkable ways, strengthening our faith—even though we live in a dark and sinful world.

Worldliness is an inner attitude that puts self at the center of life instead of God. God’s people should live consecrated, Spirit-filled lives because Christ lives in us and is victorious over the world, the flesh, and the devil. It is the Holy Spirit who goes before us to make our pathway sure. We must lift our eyes above our circumstances and “lay aside … the sin which so easily ensnares us, … looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith” (Hebrews 12:1-2).

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

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