There is no easy path in this earthly world that we live in. We shall encounter all kinds of struggles and challenges, writes Bishop Tutai Pere of the Apostolic Church.

“In the world you shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world…E tumatetenga to kotou I teianei ao: ka akamaroiroi ra, kua riro te re o teianei ao Iaku” – John/Ioane 16:33.

Life has hurdles that must be overcome: Every race and competition is won at its completion. Awards or prizes are offered at the finish. Graduations occur after tests and exams are over. Human achievements are recognized and acknowledged at the end of one’s pivotal milestone journey.

Every human person born alive has his or her own individual pathways and plans set to accomplish and fulfil.

Jesus calls life’s hurdles as tribulation. Tribulation poses miseries, troubles and distresses.

There is no easy path in this earthly world that we live in. We shall encounter all kinds of struggles and challenges.

True deliverance is not from trouble but in trouble. Like a butterfly cannot spread its wings to fly unless it struggles to break out of its cocoon and able to fly on its own.

We fellow humans too cannot deliver ourselves from all our struggles unless we learn to survive in all troubles we encounter, only then are we able to move on from one phase to another in all our worldly cares.

The children of Israel, who lived in Egypt for 430 years, for the most part of that lifestyle, lived under bondage, captivity and slavery. They were powerless and could not find a way of escape but remained under the iron-fist of King Pharaoh and many died as slaves in Egypt.

It took a great leader like Moses, who came from Midian, met and challenged the power of Pharaoh and they eventually got their release, escaped and left. Moses demonstrated the power of his God of Israel to overpower Pharaoh and all his idol gods. Another example is how Daniel when cast into the den of lions, his life of prayer was able to shut the mouth of the hungry lions and he escaped from the lion’s den unscathed.

The three Hebrew children, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, when thrown into the fiery furnace, heated seven times hotter than normal, was joined in with another stranger. The three were preserved from harm and the king of Babylon saw four men walking in the flames, “the fourth ... like a son of God”.

God does not give us overcoming life. He gives us life as we overcome. The strain is our strength, if there is no strain neither shall there be any strength.

As the Apostle Paul declares, “For when I am weak then I am strong. As children of God, there will certainly be troubles along our way, but Jesus encourages us to hold our peace, trust in God, He shall be right there to weather our storms and accompany us in overcoming all tempests of life and bring us out to calmer waters.

Hence, as He says, “In the world you shall have tribulations: but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world, your have nothing to fear but have faith in God”.

Be an overcomer by overcoming it, just as young David challenged and defeated a giant of man Goliath, by just a sling and one stone – took him down and won victory for his Israeli army and people.

Have a blessed Jesus weekend, Kia Orana e Kia Manuia rava!