Chatting with You about the Hard Times

We all go through trials, struggles, and painful seasons. It’s inevitable. Life can be difficult at times, and we can find ourselves feeling distraught, defeated, and stressed. We wonder where we have gone wrong or if God is testing our faith. I have been through quite a few myself over the years. I went through the unexpected death of my father, major health issues with my children, financial struggle, false accusations, and unbearable work situations just to name a few.

Have you ever heard the saying that “God won’t give you more than you can handle?” I don’t believe that statement to be true.  Here is why: there are all kinds of things that happen to us that we cannot bear: the death of a child, financial ruin, terminal illness, sexual abuse, divorce, the death of a loved one (including pets), health issues, and such.  Those things are more than anyone can handle!

Sometimes we are overwhelmed by grief, loss, or pain. Those words “God won’t give you more than you can handle” are not even found in the Bible.  In fact, the Bible promises we will face hardships, tribulations, and persecution. We are given more than we can handle, but here is the good news: we have the One who can handle anything! Jeremiah 32:27 says, “Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh.  Is there anything too hard for Me?” Nothing is too hard for God.  If we could handle all the grief, pain, poverty, suffering, financial woes, parenting struggles, gut-wrenching hard times of life, we wouldn’t need Jesus!

Our faith is not demonstrated by how easily we can handle the tough stuff, but by our recognition that we cannot handle the burdens ourselves, and we trust in the grace of God who bears them with us.  He stands with us in our suffering. He is with us in the fire and the floods. His word says we won’t be overcome.

Isaiah 43:1-3 says, “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine.  When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.  When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.” What an incredible promise!

He is the one who lifts our head when we cannot.  He is the one who helps us put one foot in front of the other when we do not think we can go one more step.  He is our strength when we are weak. We all go through struggles and hardships, but choosing to remember that Jesus is with us can help us endure the difficult seasons. We can focus on His promises in the Word. One such promise is what the Apostle Paul wrote to the Romans when teaching them practical application of the Gospel. Romans 12:12 says, “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” Let’s dissect this Bible verse together.

A) Be Joyful in Hope:

Biblical joy comes from walking in the power of the Holy Spirit, from depending on God, and trusting His promises. Biblical joy is not a matter of how happy we are or how fantastic/terrible our circumstances are; instead, our joy is in the Lord. Biblical joy doesn’t mean putting on a fake smile when inside we feel like we are slowly dying. Biblical joy is the solid ground we stand on when the storm is swirling all around us. Our joy is in direct proportion to our intimacy and consistency with the Lord. Joy comes from experiencing Jesus. It comes from trusting God even when we don’t feel like it, when the dark cloud is still hanging over us, and when we don’t know if things will get better.

How do we get this joy? The Apostle Paul says here in the verse that it comes from hope. Hope comes from focusing our minds on the sure promises of God. Christine Caine (one of my all-time favorites) wrote this, “Live with the hope of Christ. Hope is fuel, and passion fuels hope. When you have an internal passion-fueled hope, it doesn’t matter what discouragement and disappointment come; there is something inside you that is far greater! That is the hope and life of Jesus Christ!”

Look at this powerful verse in Ephesians 1:18-20: “That you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when he raised Him from the dead and seated Him and His right hand in the heavenly places.”

That same power that raised Christ from the dead is willing to do the miraculous for you!  His specialty is raising dead things to life and making the impossible things possible! No problem or need is bigger than God. This promise gives us hope.

-God can raise dead relationships and dead marriages

-God can restore life and purpose to those who have given up

-God can forgive and purify us from our sins

-God can move mountains if He wants to

-God can heal our illnesses, infirmities, and pain

B) Be Patient in Affliction

Some translations say “persevere in tribulation.”  Persevering is not a matter of gritting our teeth and enduring it; instead, it means to remain immovable, to be steadfast, to stand your ground. Paul tells us to be patient during the hard times; don’t let this storm knock over. Have you ever noticed how you don’t need perseverance unless you are going through a tough time? Funny how it works that way.

Our experience of God’s mighty power is not necessarily to deliver us from the difficult season but to give us joyful, thankful hearts as we walk through them, as we persevere. We must try to live through our crisis with courage and focus on the Lord, not on our problems.

When our hearts are breaking, we have a choice to grow through the difficulty or give up. It is so easy to want to surrender when the burden is too much, but the Lord is right there waiting for us to invite Him to walk alongside this with us. He will help us with patience during our struggles.

Pastor and Speaker Paul Tripp wrote, “God is with you in your moments of darkness because He will never leave you. Your darkness isn’t dark to Him.  Your surprises are not surprises to Him.”  There is no mystery to God. He is never caught off guard or surprised by what happens. He is in complete control and in charge of all that is mysterious to us. He holds us in the palm of His hands so we can find rest even when darkness enters our door.

Sometimes our trials feel like fire… so unbearable and fiery. Think about a pinecone in a forest fire. Some pinecones rely on fire to spread their seeds. Fire is the mechanism by which the forest continually regenerates. Fire consumes dead, decaying vegetation accumulating on the forest floor, thereby clearing the way for new growth. Perhaps our fire is for the purpose of new growth.

Sometimes our trials feel like we are living in a dry, desolate desert. We feel forgotten; we are miserable, and we seek refreshment. However, God still works on us in the dry season  (Read Exodus 2:15-3:10, a portion of Moses’ desert life.) I think this song beautifully portrays how our attitudes should be when we are in the desert places.

Sometimes our trials remind us of long, cold winters. If you are in a “winter” season, believe that springtime will come. New life will spring from the frozen earth, the bare trees, and the dead grass. It may seem cold, dark, and dreary but remember that spring always comes. There is always new life after the wintertime. Springtime gives us hope because God makes all things new.

C) Faithful in Prayer

Our struggles often drive us to constant prayer. That trial hits, and we find ourselves praying all the time. Prayer is the lifeline that connects us to the living God. Being devoted to prayer is the only way we can rejoice in hope and persevere in tribulation.  That lifeline is a necessity! Prayer is something we must make a regular habit, not just to use during the hard times. Psalm 62:8 says, “Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us.” Our God who poured out His mercies on us in salvation is not going to abandon us in our suffering. He wants us to trust Him, pour out our hearts to Him, tell Him our hurts.

How do we put Romans 12:12 into practice? What does it look like to be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer?  I have some helpful tips to offer you.

I will continue this in an upcoming post.  Stay tuned…

Blessings,

Natalie xo