"Scotty, Beam me up!"

Luke 1:28&29 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”

“Scotty, beam me up.” Is a famous saying from our modern culture. Those are the word uttered by Captain James T. Kirk to his Chief Engineer Montgomery Scott in the television and movie series Star Trek. How many times have you been eyeball deep in a crisis or very difficult situation in your life and wanted to  “beam up” out of your difficulties.

Are you the kind of person who enjoys a life free from struggles, trials, and troubles?  If that is how your life is, you are one of a very select group of people who have that kind of life. The rest of us have enough difficulties to share. There is good news. First and foremost we need to remember the words of the anger Gabriel to Mary. “The Lord is with you.” The Lord is there right by our side. He never leaves us. He is our rock, and our salvation. He is there to share our load. And second, we must heed the words of James 1:2-4 “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds,  because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.  Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”  We are being tested, tempered, and refined. Nothing happens in our lives that does not have a purpose. We must look deep into our lives and our situations and search out the purpose of our struggles. We must carefully and prayerfully examine each situation and ask our Father in heaven what he would have us learn from each experience. When we sell ourselves short on our endurance and ability to learn and share from each trial we surrender an opportunity to share what we could have learned with others who may be struggling. We miss the opportunity to share the love God has for all with people we may not even know today. We give up an entry point for someone in need when we just throw up our hands and give up. Brothers and Sisters in Christ. Never give up, and never surrender for the Lord is always with us. And if the Lord is with us, who can possible stand against us?

PRAYER:  Father, Your children often encounter problems that seem to be beyond our capabilities to cope. We try with all of our might to fix things. And in doing so, we fail. Help us Father to remember to come to you with all our problems. Guide us in Your way so that in our lives You will would be done. Help us as we struggle to learn what You would have us learn. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.