David made a profound statement at the beginning of Psalm 60. He flat out declares, “You have made your people see hard things…” And as difficult as it is to embrace those words, I know them to be true. From time to time, bordered by His intense love, the Lord does have His kids suffer “hard things.”

But I love that He does not leave us alone in our trials. Right after His statement about enduring hard things, David reminds his readers that the Lord sets up a banner for those who fear him. In other words, while God does cause His followers to occasionally endure difficult things, He also sets up a huge banner for them to follow.

Imagine a large crowd of people surging in all directions and suddenly you see a gigantic banner, a sign to follow. Regardless of the push and pull of the crowd, you have something to focus on, a way to make your escape.

So it is for us while we endure “hard things.” God has made a way forward and we can follow Him towards His peace.

You know, Stoneybrooke is both a school and a community. It is a world class educational center filled with incredibly gifted and energized teachers, administrators and support staff. But it is also a community, a spiritual family if you will.

And that community has had a tough couple of years. Many in our midst have suffered “hard things.” And it breaks our hearts to see our loved ones in pain. But we dare not forget the rest of the story. Regardless of the nasty circumstances, we have a banner up ahead. And it gives us direction and hope.

So, let’s start this next year with a commitment to follow that banner. Let’s nudge each other and remind our friends that the Lord deeply cares for us even during the “hard things.” He is for us. He is with us. He hangs a huge banner up ahead so we can’t get lost as we pursue Him.

May our community be one of prayer. May we encourage each other with scripture. May we remind each other of His love. May the start of this, our 40th year, be our best ever.

May we echo David’s thoughts as he finished Psalm 60, “With God, we will do valiantly.”