When the military needs to dig in, they make foxholes.  These are considered ‘defensive fighting positions.’  When we go through tough times, we definitely need a fighting position.  Taking the militaries lead, we need to address two things regarding ‘digging in.’  First, we have to make the hole big enough.  We might think digging in means praying about the problem and asking others for prayer, and that certainly is part of it.  But remember, we have to make the whole big enough, so we must do even more.

In 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 it says, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.“  That is digging in.  Even when it’s tough, we must have joy, that happiness on the inside that no one can steal.  We need to keep praying and turning everything over to God.  Here’s an impossible challenge, we must be thankful right smack in the middle of the problem.  It is a deliberate act of the will to try to be thankful when someone has hurt you, or you lost your job, or you are living in constant pain.  But it is possible to give thanks when things aren’t going well.  Jesus said in Matthew 19:26, “With man this is impossible, but with God, all things are possible.”  (Hint: Ask God to help you be thankful.) The second part of digging in is this: don’t make the hole so big you can’t crawl out.  If you only focus on your problem and never look beyond, you might stay down.

Expect that your life will get better.  God is the one you can trust to change it.  He said in Isaiah 43:18-19, “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.  See, I am doing a new thing!  Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?   I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.”  Dig in, but keep watching for the new thing God is bringing to you.