Have you ever watched a movie in which a prisoner is being tortured at increasingly horrible levels of pain until they either give up a secret or give in to death? This is what comes to mind when reading the apostle Paul’s dread-list of the worst things that could happen to God’s people. Which of these might cause them to doubt God’s love?

In this passage Paul was naming some of his own hardships and then confirming to his own soul, and to ours, “No, not persecution. No, not famine. No, not that, or that, or that.” Why? Because God’s love is unshakable, and God gives us the strength not only to face but also to conquer the enemy’s attacks. How? Through the finished work of Christ’s victorious death and resurrection.

Paul says neither the present nor the future shall threaten our confidence in God’s loving grip on us. This passage has been a stronghold for my Uncle Ivan over the past 45 years since his wife, Ruth, woke up one day and was unable to move. Her increasing paralysis changed their future dramatically, but they have trusted in God every step of the way.

Is there anything in your life that feels too overwhelming to handle? The power of the living God guarantees a strong grip on you as you face your hardship head-on. Never give up.