At one time or another, we all feel as if we are the only people experiencing hardships and that no one understands what we are going through. And yet we do not experience these struggles for no purpose. Life is meant to be a changing experience. In For Such a Time as This: Sermons of Joy and Renewal, author Barbara Tolbert explores this idea through a series of sermons. Tolberts experiences with the birth of her children and the loss of her loved ones made her realize that life can be both hard and sweet. She discovered that no matter what she experiencedhappiness, sadness, laughter, or tearsshe was never alone; God was continuously by her side. She began to reread and meditate on His Word, and she paid more attention to the lives of the people in the Bible. Knowing that she was not alone in her struggles made her stronger and better equipped to endure what this life had to offer. In For Such a Time as This: Sermons of Joy and Renewal, Tolbert explains that God allowed her to go through the difficult times to strengthen her relationship with Him. We are not here for ourselves, but to help encourage one another and revel in the good deeds of God.
