Trust in Hardship

“Remember it is the very time for faith to work when sight ceases. The greater the difficulties, the easier for faith; as long as there remain certain natural prospects, faith does not get on even as easily as where natural prospects fail.”
--George Mueller

In summary, this quote states that it is easy to believe when life is going well. When the hard times come is when our trust is really put to the test. God allows us to experience difficulties in our lives in different seasons. As a believer, one must realize the question is not whether hardships will come, but when. This world is not our home; it is bound in sin, therefore the product or sin, death, will ultimately affect all of us. It is how we respond in the midst of trials and adversity that shows how deep our trust in God really goes. Are your roots dug deep, or would you be easily rocked by the storms of life? Say that you experienced heartache and loss similar to Job in the Old Testament – would you be able to continue to bless God, or would you lose sight of His promises?

These are not easy questions by any means, but I believe it is important to ask them. If are honest with yourself, you will probably say that you are not sure if you would be able to continue to praise God. The knowledge that we need His strength to sustain us through the trials that we face in our lives is half the battle. It takes laying down one’s pride, surrendering completely, and admitting that the answers are not yours, they are His. Once you yield to Him in this manner, the journey will become much easier. You will realize that the weight of the situations you face are not your own, and the burden will lift.

I like to think and pray about burdens in this way:

“God, I am not my own problem. I am your problem. I give this situation (worry, strife, anxiety) to You, and pray that You would give me peace and guide me, because I don’t have all of the answers. You are the God of all wisdom, so I give this to You and pray that You would work it out for good – Let Your kingdom come and your will be done in this situation.”

Once you surrender all to Him, you will realize that your trust has deepened a little bit more. It is a journey of trusting in our Savior, but once we realize that He really is the ever - faithful friend who stays closer than a brother, it will bring a paradigm shift in our way of thinking. Draw close to the Lord – He will sustain you through both the valleys and the mountains. He is there no matter what your emotions tell you – cling only to Him and He will see you through.