Tag Archives: hard times

August 13, 2024 · 5:08 AM

Comforting Others

I’ve lived through some very painful times in my life. Chances are that you have too. At one point, I couldn’t see a future for me. I struggled to live through the next minute. It took all my energy just to get through each minute, one by one, throughout the day. I didn’t understand why I was going through it. I cried out to God and He seemed distant and quiet. I felt alone, forsaken and that no one else could understand. It took time, but I made it through with God’s help. Now, when I see someone else going through something similar, my heart breaks with compassion for them. I reach out and offer comfort and strength to them. I also offer hope that they can come through on the other side with a full life ahead. I’ve learned God can use the darkest times in our lives so we can offer empathy and comfort to others in the future.

Very few people in the Bible lived through as painful life as Joseph. He was betrayed by his brothers, sold into slavery, was falsely accused of rape, thrown in prison in a foreign land and forgotten about. We don’t get to read about his anguish though. We don’t get to hear him cry out to God. However, we do get to read his redemption. We get to see God fulfill a dream that for years felt beyond God’s ability to make happen. We get to see God restore his relationship with his brothers and father. After his father’s death, his siblings began to fear. As the story and book concludes, we read in Genesis 50:21, “‘So now, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and support you and your little ones.’ So he comforted them [giving them encouragement and hope] and spoke [with kindness] to their hearts” (AMP). God used the hardest time in his life to help him give comfort and encouragement to his brothers.

2 Corinthians 1:4 says, “He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us” (NLT). There is a biblical pattern of God allowing people to go through unspeakable pain without understanding why and then using them to comfort and encourage others down the road. Even at the end of Job’s suffering, God had him pray for his friends. If you’re going through the darkness now, I want to encourage you that there is hope and God will restore your life even though you can’t see it now. He will use this time for your good and the good of others. If you’ve just made it through, keep walking. Restoration and healing often take time, but God is faithful. If your period of pain is behind you, look for someone you can encourage and comfort. God uses what the enemy meant for evil in our lives to give strength and hope to others. You may be the only one who can truly empathize with them and the only one they will receive comfort from. Ask the Holy Spirit, our comforter, to partner with you in comforting others.

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July 18, 2024 · 5:30 AM

We Need To Worship

In Job 1. we read one of the most devastating stories a person could ever go through. In one day, Job lost all his possessions, his servants, his shepherds, his livestock and his children. One bad report came right after the other. In under a minute, he had lost everything. His knees buckled and he fell under the weight of everything. Verse 20 says. “Job stood up and tore his robe in grief. Then he shaved his head and fell to the ground to worship” (NLT). I imagine him face down with his hands raised up in surrender. He didn’t understand why everything was happening, but he did understand that God would care for him. The final verse in the first chapter says he didn’t sin by blaming God.

Every one of us are going to experience hardship that we don’t understand. Every one of us are going to unexpectedly lose things and people that we love with no answer as to why. Jesus said in Matthew 5:45 that God causes the sun to shine on the just and the unjust just like He causes it to rain on both. We are not exempt from pain, disappointment or loss. Instead, we have an anchor to hold on to when all seems lost. We have hope that others do not have. We can still worship in the middle of a storm we don’t understand. We can still trust God’s plan when our plans are torn from us. We can still look ahead when we’re too weak to move.

Hebrews 12:12-13 says, “So be made strong even in your weakness by lifting up your tired hands in prayer and worship. And strengthen your weak knees, for as you keep walking forward on God’s paths all your stumbling ways will be healed!” (TPT) When we are at our lowest, we need to worship. When we are out of options, we need to worship. When all seems lost, we need to worship. When we are too tired and feel like giving up, we need to worship. Worship regains our perspective. Worship renews our strength. Worship gives us hope. Worship keeps us moving forward when we can’t see the path. We don’t have to understand what God is doing, or even why. Like Job, we have to trust that He sees the bigger picture and knows what He’s doing. When nothing makes sense and you can’t do anything else, worship. He inhabits the praises of His people. He will not abandon you in your greatest time of need.

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Throwback Thursday is a feature I’m using to help build some margin into my schedule to pursue other ventures. Each Thursday I’ll be bringing you a previously written devotional that still speaks encouragement to us from God’s Word.

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June 25, 2024 · 5:43 AM

Seeking Shelter

Our area has been through some rough storms over the past few months. A few weeks ago, we were in the mall while it was raining. We went into a store to see a particular shirt. As we went in, the employee said she had just received a text from the mall management that we were going to need to go to a sheltered area soon if the storm worsens. Then a few days later, we were at home around noon when all of a sudden the house got dark around noon. I looked outside and street lights were coming on. We quickly made it to an interior room for shelter to ride out the storm. These series of storms reminded me of some of the things we’ve been through this year. We’ve had to shelter ourselves in God on multiple occasions this year. Where do you go for shelter when the storms of life come?

In 2 Corinthians 11, Paul laid out some of the storms he had been through. He said five time he had been whipped with thirty nine lashes and three times with rods. He had been shipwrecked and spent time adrift at sea. He faced raging rivers and robbers while traveling for the Lord. He also had sleepless nights, gone without food and not had enough clothes to keep him warm. Then in chapter 4:8-9 he encouraged us by saying. “We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed” (NLT). I love that he said “we” in those verses. All of go through them, but when we shelter ourselves in God, we will not be destroyed by what life throws at us.

Psalm 32:7 says, “For you are my hiding place; you protect me from trouble. You surround me with songs of victory.” David wrote this song during one of the storms he faced. It’s a great reminder that while each of us will go through storms, when we run to the Father, He protects us. We may lose everything, but we stay protected in Him. I love that God surrounds us with songs of victory in times when we feel like we’re being defeated. Even though the enemy comes to steal kill and destroy, and even though he may appear to be successful against you at times, God is there sing songs of victory over you. Psalm 91:1 reminds us, “Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.” Not only do we find protection from the storm in Him, we can also find rest in our times of trouble as we shelter in Him.

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June 12, 2024 · 5:43 AM

Remain Faithful

After having gone through a difficult season, I asked my son how he was feeling and what was he thinking about it. He immediately said he didn’t understand why things happened as they did because we had fasted and prayed for a different outcome. He then said, “It makes me question if God really exists.” I began to explain how trials and tests can cause us to question His existence at times because we don’t understand. It can also cause us to question if our prayers are heard and other things as well. What matters is we push through our feeling of the moment and grab onto the reality of who He is. I reminded him of the time God supernaturally answered our prayers and times He’s specifically showed up. I let him know we all go through moments like that at times when we’re going through trials. It’s important to refocus on what God has done so we can remain faithful.

In Luke 22:31, Jesus said to Peter, “Simon, Simon! Listen! Satan has received permission to test all of you, to separate the good from the bad, as a farmer separates the wheat from the chaff” (GNT). What Peter didn’t know was his world was going to crumble that night. He would also deny knowing Jesus three times. Jesus then said, “But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith will not fail. And when you turn back to me, you must strengthen your brothers.” Jesus prayed for Peter, and He also intercedes for us in our moments of testing. Peter beat himself up pretty badly for failing in the test the way he did, but that wasn’t the end. He did turn back and remained faithful and led the Early Church. His failure in the test, like ours, is not the end.

James 1:12 says, “Happy are those who remain faithful under trials, because when they succeed in passing such a test, they will receive as their reward the life which God has promised to those who love him.” Everyone will face tests because Satan wants to sift us and cause us to doubt our faith making us ineffective. He wants us to return to our old life, but Jesus is praying for you that your faith won’t fail. He’s waiting to restore you and strengthen you. It’s in times of testing we find out where we truly stand. Sometimes we pass with flying colors and other times we’re left questioning everything. It’s good to keep a journal of what all God has done so you can remind yourself of the faithfulness of God in those moments. When we remain faithful and make it through the trial, God will give us more of His abundant life He promised us and we will receive the crown of life.

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May 21, 2024 · 5:36 AM

Hurricane Harbor

Have you ever wondered where a cargo ship goes when a hurricane approaches it? I read an article where they interviewed a cargo ship captain and they asked him. He said they don’t always head for the nearest port because different ports offer different levels of protection. If he had the choice and the ability, he would look for a port known as a hurricane hole. They have good holding areas where the waves rocking the boat wont damage the ship. They also have high cliffs or mountains around the port that can protect the ship from high winds. Once the storm passes they can then get the ship and it’s cargo back on course. It got me to thinking how we respond to storms in our lives. Where do we port when circumstances threaten everything we hold dear.

In Acts 16, Paul had a vision from God where a person from Macedonia called out to him to come there. He and Silas boarded a ship for there at once and began preaching the Gospel. A young slave girl,who was possessed, followed them and mocked them until Paul cast out the spirit from her. The masters of the girl realized they lost their income and turned the town against Paul and Silas. They were beaten up, whipped and thrown into a dungeon of a cell. They could have complained to God because they were following His will when it happened. They could have sought sympathy from local believers because of their treatment. They could have found any number of these harbors to hide in, but instead they decided to sing praises to God in their pain in the darkest hour. They knew the Lord was their hurricane harbor.

Psalm 32:7 says, “For you are my hiding place; you protect me from trouble. You surround me with songs of victory” (NLT). Where do you go when your problems overtake you? Do you look for sympathy from friends? Do you complain about how hard things are? Instead of crying out to others in your pain, try praising the one who can hide you in the storm. In turn He will surround you with songs of victory and deliverance. You will still have to ride out the storm, but His walls of protection will hold you together. Your hope in Him will be the anchor your life needs when everything is trying to pull you away from Him. When we learn to praise in the pain and in the dark, God will deliver us. We may lose some cargo He needs us to offload. We may be sent in a different direction afterwards, but when the winds are strongest, our faith in Him will hold true as we hide ourselves in Him.

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May 9, 2024 · 5:30 AM

Worship In The Valley

Two of the biggest lies we hear when we’re going through a difficult time is that no one else understands and that God doesn’t care. I remember hearing both and believing them. The first one tries to get you on a technicality because there is no one else with your exact situation. I’ve found that while our situations may be unique, the pain and the process we go through is very similar. While someone may not be able to fully understand my exact situation, they can identify with the pain. That leads us to the second lie that God doesn’t care. The lie wants you to think that if God cared, you wouldn’t be going through so much. The truth is that even though you walk through the valley of the shadow of death, He’s there with you to guide you and comfort you. He makes all things work together for our good.

I don’t know anyone who went through as much as Paul or Job. Job lost everything including his wealth, his kids and property. He still was able to worship God in that moment. In Job 2:9, when his wife told him to curse God and die, he responded, “Shall we accept good from God and not the trouble?” (NIV) When Paul was thrown in prison with Silas after having been beat, he invited God’s presence into the deepest, darkest part of that prison in the middle of the night by singing praises. When both of these men felt abandoned by people and God, they worshipped knowing that God dwells in the praises of His people. They held to the truth that God cares for us no matter how bad things may seem.

Psalm 31:7 says, “I will be glad and rejoice in your unfailing love, for you have seen my troubles, and you care about the anguish of my soul” (NLT). In the darkest nights of my life, the most painful times, I turned on praise and worship music to help me worship when I didn’t feel it. God is worthy of our praise no matter what it is we’re going through. He sees the anguish in our soul and He cares deeply for us. He knows that the pain, the hurt, the sadness and the darkness will only last for a little while. He never leaves us in those times though He may feel far away. He’s there leading us into a greater joy and life that often goes through the darkest valley. Don’t listen to the lies and despair. Listen to the truth and worship.

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Throwback Thursday is a feature I’m using to help build some margin into my schedule to pursue other ventures. Each Thursday I’ll be bringing you a previously written devotional that still speaks encouragement to us from God’s Word.

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May 6, 2024 · 5:40 AM

The Lesson Of Contentment

One of the hardest things to learn is contentment. Last week we watched the movie “Unsung Hero” about the Smallbone family. The father lost everything, including their house, when a concert tour he was promoting flopped. He was promised a job in the US, so he moved his family here only to find out it wasn’t a sure thing. The rented a house, but had no car, no food and no furniture. They made a chart of prayer requests for their needs and as God answered their prayers, they moved them over. The kids were content with nothing, but the dad struggled with it seeing their situation as a reflection of him. His discontentment led to depression and family arguments. Discontentment affects relationships horizontally with people and vertically with God.

Job in the Bible was one of the wealthiest people of his time. He had everything you could want. He had land, resources, a family that he loved and lots of employees. When Satan approached God to accuse people, God pointed out Job and his contentment. Satan said that he was only content because of God’s blessings and protection. When Satan took everything from Job in a day, we read how Job fell to the ground and worshipped. He prayed in Job 1:21, “Naked (without possessions) I came [into this world] from my mother’s womb, And naked I will return there. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; Blessed be the name of the Lord” (AMP). He had possessions, but they didn’t have him. Because he recognized that everything he had was from God, he was able to be content even with nothing.

Paul had learned a similar lesson. In Philippians 4:12, he explained, “I know how to get along and live humbly [in difficult times], and I also know how to enjoy abundance and live in prosperity. In any and every circumstance I have learned the secret [of facing life], whether well-fed or going hungry, whether having an abundance or being in need.” That secret is contentment. Simply put, contentment is submitting to God’s plan even when your circumstances are not ideal. This doesn’t mean you don’t have ambition to improve your life or circumstances. It’s an attitude like Job’s that recognizes what you have has been entrusted to you by God for this moment. Are you stewarding it well? Are you content with what He’s given you? Or is your discontentment affecting your relationships? The secret to facing life in any circumstance is contentment.

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March 15, 2024 · 5:30 AM

Standing On The Promises

When I was growing up, we used to sing a hymn called “Standing on The Promises of God” by Russell Kelso Carter. My favorite part of the song is the second verse. It says, “Standing on the promises that cannot fail, When the howling storms of doubt assail, By the living Word of God I shall prevail, Standing on the promises of God.” I can’t count how many time the ground I was standing on fell out from underneath me, my life got flipped upside down or my well thought out plans failed. In those times when my mind wants to go to despair, I force it to think of God’s promises that cannot fail. They give my comfort, clarity and hope. Here are some of my favorite promises in the Bible that I stand on.

1. But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.

Isaiah 40:31 NLT

2. Do not yield to fear, for I am always near. Never turn your gaze from me, for I am your faithful God. I will infuse you with my strength and help you in every situation. I will hold you firmly with my victorious right hand.

Isaiah 41:10 TPT

3. Come to me, all of you who are tired from carrying heavy loads, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke and put it on you, and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in spirit; and you will find rest. For the yoke I will give you is easy, and the load I will put on you is light.

Matthew 11:28-30 GNT

4. Be determined and confident. Do not be afraid of them. Your God, the Lord himself, will be with you. He will not fail you or abandon you.

Deuteronomy 31:6 GNT

5. But his answer was: “My grace is all you need, for my power is greatest when you are weak.” I am most happy, then, to be proud of my weaknesses, in order to feel the protection of Christ’s power over me. I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and difficulties for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 GNT

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March 4, 2024 · 5:24 AM

Blown Off Course

Have you ever tried to accomplish something, but keep running into roadblocks? No matter how hard you tried, you couldn’t keep things going in the right direction. If it could go wrong, it went wrong. In the end, you either gave up or finished nowhere near where you wanted to. You can either cry, complain or make the best of it. Things like this happen to me, especially when I’m trying to do what God has asked me to do. I’ll ask God why I’m going through so much trying to accomplish His will. I’ll even wonder if I heard Him correctly. In the end, I’ve learned to accept that God can make something good out of all my struggles. Even when it feels like I’ve failed or missed the objective, when I hand Him the reigns, He accomplishes more than I thought even in my perceived failures.

In Mark 6 Jesus had just fed the 5,000 families with the five loaves and two fish. Before He sent the crowd away, He sent the disciples across the lake and told them to go to Bethsaida on the northwest side. As they were on their way, they were hit with a sudden storm. The winds picked up and tossed the boat like it was going to be flipped over. The waves crashed against the boat threatening their lives. Verse 48 says they were straining with the oars trying to keep moving. Around three o’clock in the morning, Jesus came walking on the water to them in the middle of their struggle. When they choose to let Him in the boat, the winds stopped and they continued their journey landing at Gennesarat on the north east side. They missed their destination even with Jesus in the boat. However, the chapter ends with them ministering there and making a difference in the lives of the people in the wrong destination.

Psalm 37 is packed with wisdom, especially if your life feels like it’s been blown off course. Verse 5 says, “Give God the right to direct your life, and as you trust him along the way, you’ll find he pulled it off perfectly!” (TPT) There are two hard things for anyone to do in this verse to receive this promise. We must give God the right to direct our life accepting His desires over our own. We must also trust Him along the way in the middle of the storms when everything feels like it is against us. We just have to keep straining at the oars to keep it moving. Let Him worry about the destination. He can accomplish great things through us even at the wrong destination. He can make something good out of the times in our life when everything seems to be working against us trying to blow us off course. He is the one who causes everything to work together for good no matter when you feel like you didn’t reach your destination.

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February 20, 2024 · 5:35 AM

Walking Through Fire

How do you react when you’re going through a difficult season? We all go through periods where we’re under attack and it feels like God has abandoned us. I’ve asked God where He was and if He really cared before. I felt isolated and began to withdraw. I started to think I was going through a period like Job. The difference was that when Job lost everything and he didn’t understand, he worshiped and his prayer life increased. When he was ,et with silence, he kept praying and trusting God. His faith was greater than the season he was in. His prayers may not have been that great, but he didn’t cut off communication with Heaven.

In Judges 6, Israel was living in the Promised Land. However, the generation that had seen God bring them through the wilderness and helped them conquer the land had passed away. They began to be overcome by enemies and God would raise up a judge to be a hero. In this occasion, the Midianites were harassing the people, taking their crops and starving them. Gideon was threshing some grain hidden away so that they wouldn’t steal it when God showed up. He called out to Gideon and said, “Mighty warrior, God is with you.” Gideon replied in verse 13, “If God is with us, why has all this happened?” God tells him to go and rescue Israel to which Gideon says he’s a nobody and not very strong. God then reminds him that He is with him and will give him victory. Gideon them sets Israel free.

In Isaiah 43:2 God says, “When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you” (NLT). God didn’t say, “If you go through deep waters,” He said, “When”. Hard times are going to come for all of us. Seasons where we feel abandoned will happen, but God promises when it feel like we’re drowning or we’re being oppressed and going through the fire, He is with us. Because He is with you, He will give you victory. He will strengthen you. Neither Job nor Gideon felt strong enough for their situations, but God infused them with His grace and His strength and they were able to survive their season and be victorious in the end. If God did it for them, He’ll do it for you. He has not abandoned you. He’s calling a mighty warrior out of you and walking through the fire with you.

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