When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. -Isaiah 43:2 (KJV)

I am blessed to have many friends whom I love a great deal and would want to be there for in times of distress. I hate to see my friends suffer or have anything bad befall them. That is how our great God is. He loves us and is with us in good times and bad. He is the one who has the power to see us through the hard times — and He will. God has the power to impart to us the strength we need for victory in the face of tremendous adversity. That is something I cannot do for my friends. What I can do is encourage and pray and point the way to Jesus. Even those things I sometimes fall short in accomplishing. Thank God He is patient and loving beyond anything I could ever imagine.