PERSONAL 5 (SCRIPTURE TO GET YOU THROUGH TOUGH TIMES)



Cody F, Miller

  
If you were stranded on a deserted island or maybe you were the lone survivor of a plane crash, do you have at least 5 scriptures hidden in your heart that would help you through it?

The closest I would come to being stranded, would have to be sheltering in at work, on a Friday, in the event of a snow storm and of course the usual mania on the Beltway. I imagine in that instance, I would have already packed a 72 hr kit, charged up my portable DVD player and portable lantern and they are in my office. (Not so much). Of course I would have some food stashed in case of electrical failure. I am searching in my imaginary kit, and I hope I at least put a Book of Mormon in there. But what if I am stranded, with no kit, no book, and no food? I can tell you that everywhere I go I have at least 1 bottle of water.

One of my favorite movies is “Castaway” with Tom Hanks. The very title implies that he was not only stranded, but literally cast away from his friends, family and life. The mindset of the people he loved back home was that he was gone and there was nothing they could do about it. His character was a survivor and one of the more telling moments in the movie was his “surreal” relationship with a soccer ball, Wilson.
I know that if I were stranded on a deserted island, I would be hysterical for at least a week. The first thing I would probably do is to kick myself for not having something in my pocket or purse to eat or even start a fire with. It sound’s irrational but then I am sure I would be. After about an hour of recriminations I would have to face reality and get into survival mode.
I was inspired by a book that I have never read (yet), but I listened to some of the MP3 recording. It is a book by a man named John Byetheway
When Times Are Tough: 5 Scriptures That Will Help You Get Through Almost Anything"

Earth life has been characterized as a series of tests, trials, temptations, and tragedies, but through the gospel and the scriptures, our Heavenly Father has given us answers that will help us survive and find joy in the midst of our troubles.
So writes bestselling author John Bytheway in When Times Are Tough. In this uplifting book for all ages, the author shows how power, hope, and perspective are found in the scriptures. In addition to identifying five scriptures that will help us get through difficult time, John offers scriptural insights that will strengthen marriages, improve family relationships, build faith, and motivate to action. In his distinctive way, John explains how we can be lifted by the gospel when times are easy and lean on the gospel "when times are tough

I feel that we are at times "cast away" in this world, through trials and just everyday life. I feel that every day I walk out of my door, I need to be fortified and have something to help me brace myself for the oncoming assault. Lately some of my fears have come to fruition, earthquakes at work, white out snow storms that clog the roads for more than 24 hrs and getting stuck in my car on them. I believe that our temporal survival hinges on our spiritual strength. Its OK to be scared, but have a plan too. So I thought about 5 verses that would help me in a "cast away" type of situation:  

I am not good a foraging for food.....
Psalms 81:1010 I am the Lord your God, Who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. Open your mouth wide and I will fill it.

I am afraid of the dark, and things that go bump...... 
Psalm 91:5
You shall not be afraid of the terror by night,Nor of the arrow that flies by day,
I would hate to be alone.......
Psalm 46:1
God is our refuge and strength,A very present help in trouble.
I think that I would spend a lot of time talking to myself; pretty much as I do now, but I want to exercise rational thoughts: The Lord is our cheerleader
Samuel 22:32-34

“For who is God, except the LORD?And who is a rock, except our God?
 God is my strength and power,And He makes my way perfect.
I would need to have proof that I was not alone, and I had a chance of being rescued, but most of all that the Lord was there to "see about me" That I could "hang in there" for my rescue.
Hebrews 6:10-12

 For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister.
 And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end,

Thy word have I hid in my heart.....