Difficult times are an inevitability of our imperfect and fallen world. These difficulties can are available all sizes and styles; the one thing that changes is the dimensions. Personal trials and tribulations, familial issues, financial strife, health struggles, disputes with friends—these are all challenges. One thing is for certain, and that’s that troubles will arise. This just isn’t meant to be a disheartening statement; moderately, it’s meant to be one in every of truth.
It’s no secret that we live in them, whether it’s a worldwide pandemic, a stressful election yr, or just the constant attack Christianity and its values appear to be under lately. Even the tip times seem to come back up in discussions more often lately.
The best news I may give regarding difficult times is that God is ever present in every thing that happens. This becomes key once we plan to get through these times with some semblance of strength and courage. As intimidating as it will possibly seem, there are several ways to seek out these qualities, even in our darkest hours.
Pay Attention to the Little Mercies
It could be easy to be overwhelmed by the looming threats of this world. In those instances, it’s so necessary to take a step back. Perspective is what becomes necessary. Quite a lot of things can go incorrect, and so we must also develop an eye fixed for the little mercies that exist in our each day lives, the things that go right.
- Daily prayer
- The happiness of your pet once they see you
- A stupendous sunrise or sunset
- A delicious meal or snack you’ve made
- Surprise gifts
- The sound of birds chirping within the morning
- Laughter from you or a loved one
- The feeling we get after cleansing a room in our home
- Reading a superb book
- Meeting up with a friend to catch up
Learning to acknowledge the great and triumphant in probably the most mundane of each day tasks is what is going to turn it throughout. What may very well be ignored mustn’t. There’s beauty throughout that’s anything but atypical if we take an intentional moment to acknowledge it. It builds our strength and refreshes the soul. These little miracles are usually not accidents, either.
God wants us to experience beauty and truly good moments. When all we take into consideration or see is our struggles, they’ll grow to be our whole reality. I do know for me, that quickly becomes exhausting. We mustn’t grow weary. These gifts from the Lord aid in constructing our ability to proceed forward.
“But those that hope within the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they’ll run and never grow weary, they’ll walk and never be faint.” – Isaiah 40:31
God Is There in Difficult Times
It’s refreshing to know that difficult times are usually not latest. There are countless stories within the Bible about this very concept, and the story of Daniel demonstrates this.
Daniel was a noble and trustworthy administrator of King Darius and he set himself apart a lot that the opposite administrators and people who reported to them were threatened by him. They tried to seek out corruption and ways to reveal him to no avail. They knew he worshipped God, and so that they conceived of a plan to set him up by convincing the king to decree that anyone found worshipping anyone or anything outside of the type himself needs to be thrown in a lion’s den.
Since Daniel prayed often, it was a short while before he was discovered and, even to the king’s chagrin, was thrown into the lion’s den. A stone was rolled over the doorway to shut him in. Surely, he wouldn’t come out alive. When the king went to envision on him the subsequent morning, Daniel was alive!
“My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They haven’t hurt me, because I used to be found innocent in his sight. Nor have I ever done any incorrect before you, Your Majesty. The king was overjoyed and gave orders to lift Daniel out of the den. And when Daniel was lifted from the den, no wound was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.” – Daniel 6:22-23
What happened in Daniel’s story can be true in our lives. I’m certain that if I were thrown right into a den stuffed with lions, I can be shaking like a leaf. I’d think Daniel probably was, too, and yet he emerged the subsequent morning after what I’m sure was a LOT of dutiful prayer in that den. Daniel was strong and he was courageous, even when it was extremely hard to be either of those things.
Daniel was a superb person and lived his life as best he could, praying often and being kind to all. Despite this, he still faced hardship. And within the worst of the times he faced, God was there. God is there. He’s there in the great times and within the bad. As long as we’ve faith in Him and trust in Him, the mouths of the lions we face shall be shut.
Pray for Yourself and Others
Prayer is one of the vital powerful tools for fortifying our relationship with God. Our faith can move mountains.
“If you may have faith as small as a mustard seed, you may say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it’s going to move. Nothing shall be unattainable for you.” – Matthew 17:20
Sometimes, all we want to do is ask. It’s crazy how easy that’s, but how often it’s forgotten. Praying for strength and courage is a superb technique to start if we would like to be strong and courageous. These would even be worthy prayers for not only ourselves but for our family and even for our country and its leaders. Community has many levels, and it seems one in every of the upper levels is in need of it at this current time.
Pray for wisdom and for God to maintain a powerful guiding hand over those that are making tough decisions. That all of those decisions can be made in a way that’s most glorifying to Him. Pray that He will redeem what has and shall be lost. Pray that we will all find strength and courage and be given opportunities to be strong and courageous. Pray that He makes His presence known in powerful ways to those that need it most.
“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present assist in trouble.” – Psalm 46:1
You Were Made for Such a Time as This
Strength and courage can feel like very heavy and powerful words at times. Saying that we want to have strength and courage in difficult times often elicits images of the heroes we examine in stories or see in headlines splashed across the news. For me, the thing that involves mind is the larger-than-life heroes we see in Disney movies like Hercules.
When these are the feats and folks related to “strength” and “courage,” it feels daunting to take into consideration ourselves as possessing those self same qualities. However, I need to remind you that being strong can come from starting weak. To be courageous can start from a spot of fear, as I’m sure was true of Daniel’s story. We don’t have to begin perfect and able to be strong and courageous.
It can begin if you don’t feel either of those qualities in any respect. It begins with one step. One day at a time. Paul experiences exactly this:
“But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I’ll boast all of the more gladly about my weaknesses, in order that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I enjoyment of weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For once I am weak, then I’m strong.” – 2 Corinthians 12:Sept. 11
Now, I don’t know if I’ve gotten to the purpose of delighting in my weaknesses yet. It could be frustrating to know our weaknesses, but I do know that God is my strength! Being strong and courageous just isn’t depending on our own ability to be strong and courageous. It’s about God’s presence in our lives. When we can’t be this stuff, our faith in God and our reliance on Him provides provision.
What starts as simply getting away from bed within the morning when a loved one has passed turns right into a each day routine, which turns into at some point realizing that you simply shall be okay. What starts as wariness for the longer term and being unsure in regards to the state of the world and all that’s to come back turns into the understanding that God has control of all of it and what’s meant to be shall be.
We grow to be strong and courageous by making little attempts to be that way. We must keep in mind that despite this being a difficult time, God specifically placed us all in it. We were made for now, and there’s nothing that would occur that we are usually not made for. Where God guides, He provides.
Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/Marjan_Apostolovic
Annabelle Gross is a author with a passion for the written word and the Word. She is a recent graduate of Grove City College where she earned a bachelor’s degree in English with a minor in Marketing. She lives in Cleveland and when she isn’t writing her latest novel, you will discover her spending time with family and friends, sailing on Lake Erie, or visiting latest and exciting places.
