One week, my car got rear-ended and it got totaled. The car that hit me also got totaled. I was trying to figure out what exactly happened, not only to learn from it, but also to know how to be smarter in the future.

In times of stretch and strain, there are many people who have quite a few pieces of advice for you. You really do need to hear from the Lord when stuff happens.

So, a week after the crash, I was speaking with the Lord again, and said, “Lord, it would be really nice if You would just speak to me.” Suddenly, I heard his still, small voice say, “I already have: In the world, you will have tribulation…”

I looked up the Greek word for tribulation. It means: “persecution, affliction, and distress.” It’s used of a narrow place that hems in. Tribulation is especially about internal pressure that causes someone to feel confined or without options.

The good news is that Jesus already told us that, “Sometimes, you’re going to feel bad in this world, but take courage, for I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).

I bless you now, if you’re in a place of constriction, affliction, or persecution. May you feel the light of His face on your face and the breath of His spirit breathing upon your spirit. May it be a CPR breath of power, as you, having done everything, to stand firm.