One thing I've noticed in recent years is that people have no margin. More and more, people from all walks of life seem to be living on the ragged edge of chaos: one financial crisis away from bankruptcy one blowup away from relational collapse one temptation away from moral failure one calamity away from emotional meltdown one illness away from physical breakdown one doubt away from apostasy If chaos and calamity haven't found you yet, it's only a matter of time before they do. When--not if--that happens to you, where will you go for strength to endure--and for hope to carry on? None of us is exempt from the sudden trials and lingering tribulations of life. None of us.The good news is, we can endure unexpected calamities. How? By taking our stand on the strong foundation of God's Word. When trials and tribulations rumble in like a fleet of bulldozers to demolish our lives, we can emerge from the rubble with a strong resolve to recover and rebuild. We don't have to settle for merely surviving; we can set our sights on thriving.

Our good, powerful, awesome God is inviting each of us to run to Him as our only strong tower, which can never teeter or topple. In Him alone, we can find the strength and hope to endure.--From the Introduction of Clinging to Hope.