Many times when we encounter problems in our lives, we experience the familiar feelings of anxiety, fear, and distress. However, our loving God counsels His children not to be afraid, because He is close and has a plan to help us in the middle of our difficulties. To spiritually progress from anxiety, fear, and distress to reassurance, faith, and peace takes grace, experience and time to develop in our hearts. We are all at different levels spiritually, and God wants to meet and recognize each individual at their “point of need”. He has not promised that troubles and struggles will not come our way, but He has promised that He will strengthen and harden us to difficulties. The dictionary states the meaning of harden as “to make hardy, robust or capable of endurance; to become confirmed or strengthened with reference to character, intentions, or feelings.”  The crisis that feels so hard to undergo today is being used by God as a tool to build and create  spiritual strength and character for tomorrow. Because of this hardening, we will gradually  find ourselves unconcerned about circumstances that would have caused us enormous worry in the past. God longs to help us during and through tough times and bring us to a new place of victory.

“Fear not [there is nothing to fear], for I am with you; do not look around you in terror and be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen and harden you to difficulties, yes, I will help you; yes, I will hold you up and retain you with My [victorious] right hand of rightness and justice’ (Isaiah 41:10).