When you pass through the waters, I will be with you. – Isaiah 43:2

To “run the gauntlet” is a military term dating back as far as recorded time. The idea is to run between two lines of opposers, who strike out at you. In some cultures, it was not lethal, just a punishment meant to pay your debt to society; in other settings, it was a death sentence. Today, it is used as an analogy to depict being attacked on all sides.

For followers of Christ, finding hope in suffering may feel like going through a gauntlet. Some believers seem to think they can make a “contract“ with God, and that, if they read the Bible, pray, and possibly attend church regularly, He will prevent problems from arising. When life becomes hard and challenging circumstances occur, they can feel that God is not keeping His end of their self-imposed bargain!

God’s people suffer – anyone who says otherwise is not being faithful to the Word of God. And suffering will change you. It forces you to move in one of two directions: closer to God or further away. The apostle Paul notes, “Suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit“ (Romans 5:3-5). 

Hope is the result of moving toward God in suffering. You will become intimately acquainted with the One accompanying you through the gauntlet. Pray for those making a public stand for Christ in the United States today, that they will be encouraged and remain faithful in their trials. Ask that those in positions of authority heed their witness.