hardship | Thoughts About God

A Good, Healthy Struggle

Thoughts_About_God — Mon, 28 Jul 2025 07:06:11 +0000

God is using your struggles to toughen you up!

It’s like viewing a movie after you’ve read the book. When something bad happens, everyone else gasps at the crisis on the screen. Not you. Why? You’ve read the book. You know how the good guy gets out of the tight spot.

God views your life with the same confidence. He’s not only read your story, he wrote it. His perspective is different, and his purpose is clear. One of God’s cures for weak faith? A good, healthy struggle.

Consider it a gift when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. Under pressure, your faith-life is forced into open and shows its true colors. Scripture says,

“let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.”(James 1:2-3)

Join with the Old Testament prophet Isaiah who resolved,

“I will trust in him and not be afraid!” (Isaiah 12:2)

By Max Lucado
Used by permission
From: Come Thirsty

To learn more about Max Lucado visit his website at:
https://maxlucado.com/about/

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Developing Patience

Devotionals — Fri, 12 Jan 2024 09:01:14 +0000

“James, a bond-servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes who are dispersed abroad: Greetings. Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” James 1:1-4

When people confide to me that they are praying for patience, I often ask what else they’re doing to acquire a calm and gentle heart. Patience isn’t so much something believers receive as it is an attribute that they develop over time and through experience.

Think of patience as a muscle that you have to use in order to see it build. To that end, believers should recognize difficulty as an opportunity to flex their patience. The human instinct is to cry out to God in bewilderment when tribulation comes knocking. We blame. We resist. We complain. What we don’t do is say, “Thank You, Father–it’s time to grow in patience!” People aren’t trained to think that way, but according to the Bible, that is exactly how Christians are to respond.

James tells us to consider trials a joy (1:2). But we often fail at this, don’t we? Humanly speaking, praising the Lord for tribulation is unnatural. However, doing so begins to make sense to believers when they cling to God’s promise that good comes from hardship (Romans 8:28). We are not waiting on the Lord in vain. We can praise Him for the solution He will bring, the lives He will change, or the spiritual fruit He will develop in us.

Accepting hardship as a means of growth is a radical concept in this world. Even more extreme is the believer who praises the Lord for the storm. But God’s followers have cause to rejoice. Tribulation increases our patience so that we can stand firm on His promises and await His good timing.

By Dr. Charles Stanley
Used by permission
https://www.intouch.org/

The Power to Endure

Devotionals — Sat, 24 Sep 2022 08:01:36 +0000

“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before Him He endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:1-2

Experiencing hardship is never easy. In fact, it can be downright agonizing, exhausting, and depressing.

There have been moments in my life where I have instantly sensed God’s awesome presence with me during a difficult circumstance. But there have been even more instances when it seemed as though God was nowhere to be found.

While Jesus was in the garden of Gethsemane awaiting His fate, His sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground as He prayed. He knew that what He was about to endure was going to be excruciatingly difficult (Luke 22:44). He didn’t even hesitate to ask God if He could be spared from the suffering.

Jesus felt utterly alone. Even His friends had fallen asleep during the most crucial moment in his life.

No one enjoys going through trials, especially feeling alone in them. But in these moments, God asks us to trust Him.

Not only did Jesus ask if His cup of suffering could pass, but He prayed for strength and embraced the will of His heavenly Father who gave Him the power to endure. As Hebrews 12:2 says, He endured the cross for the joy set before Him.

Hard times will pass. But with patience, prayer, and a heart full of hope and trust, we can live through them, knowing God can give us a deep joy that will outlast any pain and sorrow.

Thank You, heavenly Father, for the gift of Your Holy Spirit to comfort me during this difficult time in my life. I ask for Your strength to empower me, and for hope to fill my heart. May I walk through this situation trusting You and believing that You have something good in store for me and those around me. I open my heart to Your will and Your way in my life. Amen.

By Brigitte Straub
Used by permission

Hardship

Devotionals — Fri, 17 Sep 2021 08:03:37 +0000

“They preached the gospel in that city and won a large number of disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,” they said. Acts 14:21-22

The hiking boots were brand new, a gift from several girlfriends who knew about the honeymoon that had been planned. The time came to put them on, in anticipation of our first hike as a married couple.

As we expectantly headed towards the summit, blisters began to form on my feet. The hike was hard. Rain clouds began to gather, and by the time we neared the top, it was obvious that we would be drenched by a downpour on our way down. Our plan to stay in a tent that night was also a “no go” because campsites were flooded. The only good news was that my husband had packed rain ponchos which we wore on our descent, and we were able to find a hotel where we could get warm and dry that night!

How many times has a day started out so wonderfully, only to be “dampened” by circumstances beyond our control?

Blisters, tiredness, and a storm kept me from reaching the summit that day and surveying the view, but I learned valuable lessons from that hike (like breaking in boots and conditioning myself ahead of time, and accepting rain and mud as a reality of life!). Later in our marriage, a week-long hike along the West Coast Trail (5 days of rain!) proved to be equally challenging, but I was more prepared for how hard it would be!

The Christian life is like a life-long hike! And we should not be surprised by difficulties, but instead learn to embrace hardship as a friend throughout life’s journey to heaven.

Father God, we are your children, and we don’t know what lies ahead of us, but we know that you travel with us! Please help us to see our daily hardships as an important part of the journey! Amen.

Today confess your disappointments to God. Ask him to help you accept them and learn from them, allowing him to develop a more prepared and positive spirit in you.

By Karen Woodard
Used by Permission

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Praying the Promises of God

Devotionals — Mon, 30 May 2016 11:00:40 +0000

“The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever.” Isaiah 40:8

Jesus made it clear that we would endure hardship in this life. But God gave His children amazing tools to keep trials from overwhelming us. For instance, He placed His Spirit inside each believer to guide and empower. In addition, He gave us prayer so we could not only communicate and stay connected with our Father but also bring Him our requests.

Today I want to focus on yet another one of His marvelous gifts: the Bible. Scripture is the actual Word of God Almighty. It is truth. It never changes. It enables us in all circumstances, so we have a sure foundation on which to base our lives and decisions.

There are thousands of promises in the Bible–countless assurances that we can rely on with perfect confidence. God wants us to learn them so we won’t miss out on blessings He wants to give. And wise believers will turn His promises into prayers and the cries of their hearts.

Let me give you an example that relates to difficult decisions. Psalms 32:8 states, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you.” We can pray God’s words back to Him, saying that we believe He will teach us and reveal His path, while remaining by our side as our caregiver through the entire situation.

When hardships arise, we need a solid foundation on which to stand. Otherwise, our emotions could easily lead us astray through faulty thinking. God is faithful and unchanging, so we can trust in His promises, which enable us to rest confidently and act boldly.

By Dr. Charles Stanley

Used by permission
https://www.intouch.org/

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