In Tough Time
And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. (John 3:14-15)
In the mid of 80s there was a popular song by Leslie Sebatian Charles (also known as Billy Ocean) that made him an international artist with a Grammy Award. The song was entitled “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.” Later in the 90s I began to see bumper stickers with these same words, but I had no idea where the saying originated. These words resonate in me more and more these days. We are living in a tough time more than ever. The pandemic affects all walks of life such as our health, our economy, our relationship, our mentality and our faith. How do we get going in tough times?
When the Israelites went through tough times in the wilderness they were instructed to look up to the bronze serpent on a pole, instead of focusing on complaints. They were to look to God with faith. 1500 years after, people were reminded of the bronze serpent as a metaphor for the crucifixion of Jesus. We need to look to something bigger than ourselves, or our miseries and our past glory. Instead, we should be looking for something better, futuristic, eternal, spiritual and divine. When we do this, things can get better and life will be saved. We must not quit! We must keep going, no matter how long or how weary the journey (life) may be. We must keep on believing, hoping and praying… putting our faith in God completely. I think this is what the song means for “the tough” who get going.
How do we get going when the going gets tough? Let’s look to God as our focus instead of our miseries or complaints. Believe in JESUS and his promise to be with us. Kneel and pray to him. Put all our challenges, our tears and our bitterness before him and he will lift us up. Jesus Christ is our hope, our strength, our shield and our deliverance in tough time. As the Israelites looked to the bronze serpent and were saved, so shall we who look to Jesus, the Savior of the world.
Dear Jesus, you are the Christ, the Savior of the world. You are the source life. You have the power to heal and to save, to strengthen and to comfort. I pray to you, O Lord, for your mercy and grace that I and all your people may be saved in this tough time. Amen.