There is one phrase in the Bible that might seem repetitive, but when pondered, can give us great hope.

"And it came to pass ..."

It is found 772 times in the King James version of the Bible, and I'm sure a similar phrase is found in other versions.

I remember once sitting in the lobby of our church, unable to endure the meeting due to an abscessed tooth. I was in agony. One of my ecclesiastical leaders walked by and asked what the matter was. I told him of my ailment. He patted me on the shoulder and said, "Oh, sweet sister, this tooth shall pass." The laughter eased my pain and caused me to ponder.

Then it struck me. It came to pass. It didn't come to linger, or to stay and torment. It came to pass. Eventually, all pain will end. All strife will end. All trials and tribulations will end. Then we will be left with a beautiful day, and an eternal life free from all of those things.

Enduring is one of the hardest things we are asked to do, but that is precisely what the Lord is requiring of us. He wants us to understand that if we endure these tribulations well, they will pass. And we will get what we have earned. Eternal life in his presence.

Sometimes our trials seem overwhelmingly impossible to us. We get to the point where we don't really believe we can go on. We wonder if it is worth the fight.

It is. It will be. It comes to pass.

How can we endure? Here are some things to ponder and give hope:

The Lord will not give us any more than we can handle

He loves us and wants us to not only endure, but to succeed. He, loving us as his children, would never give us more than we can handle. It is our worldly mindset that allows us to fail. It is when we lack faith that we fall.

It is how we are saved

Mark 13:13: "And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved." By enduring our trials, we shall be saved, even if it means being hated by those around us for our beliefs.

the apostles, and the saints

God, the apostles, and the saints glory in our endurance

2 Thessalonians 1:4: "So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure:" Paul tells us here that they thank God for us when we endure and that God glories in our faith. What greater reward can there be than making God proud. He always has faith in us. We must have faith in him.

It is our duty

2 Timothy 2:3: "Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ." We are instructed to soldier on and not give in to our weaknesses. The fight is real. It is meant to be because it is how we grow spiritually. It is our test here on earth. But it does come to pass.

Doubts will come

Esther 8:6: "For how can I endure to see the evil that shall come unto my people? or how can I endure to see the destruction of my kindred?" Doubt and fear are actors that will come on to the stage of our faith. The question is, do we watch the show or do we close the curtain and shut them down? By doing so, we will find the strength to carry on. Even Esther, with all her strength and faith, had moments when she wasn't sure she could endure. But endure, she did.

The Lord is with us always

2 Thessalonians 3:16: "Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all means. The Lord be with you all." Throughout all the scriptures, we learn that the Lord is always by our side and is there to give us peace if we can only believe it and accept his gifts.

Replace fear and anxiety with faith

This may be difficult, but realizing that God is in our corner may give us the courage to eradicate the anxiety of our trials and summon the faith that may be cowering inside us. We must bring that faith to the forefront. We need to face our demons head on and let them know that they will not defeat us. We can even shout it out loud.

Fasting to give a boost to your prayers

In our constant supplication to the Lord, we can boost our pleas with a short fast. While we can fast and pray that the troubles go away, it is better since they may be for our personal growth, to pray and fast to be able to endure them with grace and cheerfulness, knowing that God is still in charge.

Trials will always be with us, but so will God. And though he is constant, the tribulations do come to pass. We need to use the tools we have been given to greet them with a faithful heart and determination.