Monday April 8 was Holocaust Remembrance Day in Israel. We can learn a very valuable lesson about challenges from one remembrance story concerning observing Passover in a slave labor camp.
“When the camp commandant walked in and saw us eating the matzah, he yelled at us, ‘Eat bread! Don’t eat these crackers – they won’t give you any nourishment at all. What are these crackers?’
“After explaining to him that it was Passover and Jews are forbidden to eat bread, the Commandant became furious. ‘Your God has forsaken you and you still believe in Him?! You still eat these crackers just because He told you? Your God has completely abandoned you, don’t you see that?’
“The Commandant seemed to have stumped the entire group; they recognized the dire situation that they were in. While the group struggled to find an answer, a Jew named Akiva Goldschtof piped up. ‘No,’ he said. ‘God has not totally forsaken us. It is true that God has temporarily put us in this situation, but not totally and not forever.’”
I’m not making equivalents between our challenges and those who experienced horrors far beyond human comprehension; yet what a perspective on life’s challenges! Yes, we live in a fallen world where evil bombards us on all sides. Yes, we are going to face tough times that make us want our drugs of choice. Yet, we are not alone even in our darkest times! The temptation does not last forever, victory over it does. Our challenges will not last forever, our God will.
Each day, no matter what challenge you face, you choose who’s going to win – your enemy or Jesus. I speak from experience. Jesus tastes better.
Set “Free” Nowww