Life can be difficult. The only person who hasn’t experienced some kind of hardship is the person who hasn’t been born yet!

Think of Jesus on the cross. He was the only perfect person who ever lived… and even he suffered greatly!

None of us are given a free pass in life, but God offers to be with us and help us along the way.

One of the things that makes Psalm 80 special is that it is written in the first person plural. It’s a detail that many people miss. Here’s what I mean. Verse 19 says, “Restore US, Lord God Almighty; make your face shine on US, that WE may be saved.”

We call out to God TOGETHER. We pray TOGETHER. We worship TOGETHER. In fact, it was originally a song put to music, so it would have been something that was also sung TOGETHER.

To me it’s a subtle reminder that through the hurts of life, we’re not alone. Not only is God with us, but we are with other people.

That’s why you shouldn’t shy away from leaning on others who share your faith. They’re the ones you call out to God with, who you pray with, who you worship with, and who you sing with.

Can I get a WITHness! (Sorry, couldn’t help myself.)

The only person who hasn’t experienced some kind of hardship is the person who hasn’t been born yet. But for the rest of us, let’s not shy away from leaning on others who share our faith.

There are times when you might feel alone, but with God and others, you aren’t.

By Matthew Ruttan

–Today’s “Up!” is based on Part 1 in the “Help When It Hurts” series. Why not take a listen here?
–Bible quotes are from the NIV.