I was waiting to be called for a cardio rehab session, and I noticed a lady being wheeled in by a companion. It was clear she was not feeling well. When her name was called, she struggled to her feet and mumbled to herself, “Dying would have been easier.” I could empathize with her. I’ve had times in my life when dying would have been easier. Maybe you have too.

It seems Job felt that way and with good reason. The piling up of hardships put a big damper on his life. “The groans of the dying rise from the city, and the souls of the wounded cry out for help” (Job 24:12). As we age, suffering can have a cumulative effect. There is no way to sugarcoat it. Each blip on an EKG or each dark spot on a CT scan causes a tug-of-war with Satan himself. Do we give up, or do we fight to keep going? We can even feel guilty that we may have ingested something we shouldn’t have. “But God charges no one with wrongdoing” (Job 24:12).

It takes a well-tested faith to survive severe testing of faith because

Earth’s joys grow dim; its glories pass away.

So hold thou thy cross before my closing eyes;

Shine through the gloom and point me to the skies.

Heaven’s morning breaks, and earth’s vain shadows flee;

In life … especially in life … O Lord, abide with me! (“Abide With Me,” by Henry F. Lyte, adapted)