Where Is God When Life Is Hard?

Scriptures: Psalms 42, Genesis 16:13-14, Hebrews 13:5-6, Psalms 56:3-4, Psalms 73:23

God Sees You

Do you ever feel like God is far away or doesn’t see what you’re going through? You’re not alone. When we face problems big and small, it’s common to wonder why our loving, kind, and all-powerful God would allow us to feel so defeated, anxious, and alone.

In today’s first Bible passage, you’ll see the writers of Psalm 42 process similar feelings. They seem to alternate between asking hard questions and affirming their trust in God. This matters because it shows us that even the Bible’s authors wondered where God was when life got tough.

You’re not alone in your questions, and this Plan is a safe space for you to process your questions, find comfort in God’s promises, and discover a path forward.

In the first book of the Bible, Genesis, we meet a woman named Hagar. She had an incredibly difficult life. She was enslaved far from her home, and her masters regularly mistreated her. In a moment of desperation, she ran away. But God saw Hagar in her worst moment and cared for her. He promised to give her and her son a future.

Hagar called God El Roi: “the God who sees me.”

Hard times can make us feel isolated, but we’re never truly alone. God is always with us, though He rarely jumps straight to offering solutions. He sits with us instead, offering His comforting presence—like the great Friend that He is.

So when we feel alone or like God doesn’t see us, let’s remember that God promises never to leave us. It’s natural sometimes to feel like He’s gone or didn’t notice what happened to us, but those feelings don’t reflect reality. He’s not far, and He’s not too busy to care about you. He’s close and He cares.

Where is God when life is hard? Exactly where He says He’ll be: Right next to you, a comforting presence in any situation.

Pray: Dear God, I know you see me, even when life feels challenging. Please help me to find hope, comfort, and strength in You. I don’t know what’s next for me, but I know that You’re with me every step of the way. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Scriptures: Matthew 6:28-32, Psalms 46:1-2, Matthew 6:9-13

God Will Get You Through Today

If you’ve ever worried about the future, then Jesus has an encouragement for you: Be like birds. What? Yes, birds.

When life is hard, worry feels as natural as breathing. Our minds spiral with countless what-ifs, and it’s easy to expect a difficult future.

In today’s passage, you’ll read how Jesus encourages people to think about birds and flowers. They don’t worry about the future and seem to do just fine. Why? Because God provides what they need each day. And Jesus says that God will provide for you each day, too.

What is Jesus saying? Focus on God’s provision for today, and guard your mind against worrying about a future you can’t control.

Jesus was speaking to people in crisis—their land had been invaded. They had little influence and few resources, so it made sense that they were worried. They might not have known where to find their next meal or whether God would provide a better future for them.

Jesus isn’t saying those concerns—or our concerns—don’t matter. Instead, He’s inviting us to live in reality. We can’t know what tomorrow will bring. All we have is this moment, right now. That’s why Jesus teaches us to pray for what we need each day.

God is present with you here and now, providing what you need to get through today. He’s fully present with you and eager to provide exactly what you need.

Learning to focus on today is a practice that can be developed over time. So when we sense our minds drifting toward defeating thoughts and feelings, we need to intentionally remember the promises of God.

Where is God when life is hard? Exactly where He says He’ll be: Alongside you, providing exactly what you need to get through today.

Pray: Dear God, I know You love me and want to provide what I need each day. Please help me to rely on You and guard my mind against worry. Help me to trust Your promises and find comfort in Your love. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Challenge: What are you worried about? Consider writing down your worries in a notes app. Then pray about your worries, asking God to provide you with peace.

Scriptures: John 10:4, Matthew 11:28-30, Hebrews 4:16, Psalms 94:18-19, John 16:33

God Is Making a Way Forward

Wouldn’t it be nice if God provided us with quick fixes for life’s problems? It would certainly make life easier, but God never promised that life would be easy.

Jesus lived a hard life. He was often far from home and surrounded by people who misunderstood His message—or even actively wanted to harm Him. He experienced hunger, rejection, betrayal, weariness, and losing loved ones.

Yet, in the middle of His difficult life, Jesus makes a strange promise: that we can give Him our burdens, and He will give us rest.

What does that mean? Well, He’s not saying that our lives become easy when we believe in Him. He promises the opposite—that we will face trouble in this life.

So what is Jesus trying to tell us? For one thing, He’s with us in our pain. He sees us and gives us what we need for each moment. But this passage is even more personal. Jesus is saying that He’s invested in our lives. He’s willing to take some of the weight we experience as we go through life.

Imagine you’re moving to a new apartment, and you ask a friend for help. Packing boxes, lifting furniture, and loading a truck isn’t fast or easy, but it’s so much faster and easier with a helpful friend.

Whether we have a job we don’t like, we’re dealing with loss, or we’re unsure of the future, Jesus wants to help us. So we pray, asking Him for greater confidence in His power and help to notice how He’s working in our lives today. Does He make life easy? Not always. But He does provide support and relief through the highs and lows of life.

God isn’t just on the sidelines cheering you on. He’s willing to walk the path together with you, no matter what you’re going through. What’s weighing you down? Consider the things you’re worried about or the questions you can’t answer. Then pray, asking God to help you carry those burdens, one step at a time.

Where is God when life is hard? Exactly where He says He’ll be: Offering steady support as you take steps toward a better future.

Pray: Dear God, with You, I know I’m not alone. You take my burdens and help me move forward. You control the universe, yet You still care about me. Please replace any despair or cynicism in me with hope from You. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Challenge: It’s easy to focus on what you don’t have; take a moment instead to reflect on what you do have. What relationships, resources, skills, and experiences are you thankful for? Thank God for all the good things in your life.

Scriptures: Philippians 1:6, 2 Peter 3:9, Jeremiah 29:11, Isaiah 9:6, Revelation 21:3-6

When Will Life Get Better?

The Bible concludes with a vision of the future, where God will make the world new and free from heartbreak, pain, and loneliness.

But what about the frustration, fear, and anxiety we’re facing today? If God is all-powerful and He’s making the world new, why doesn’t He hurry up and finish the job?

Those are natural questions, and they’re probably similar to the questions the people of God asked over two thousand years ago when a faraway nation invaded their land. They lost their homes, loved ones, and identity. Where was God in all of the confusion and pain?

In this context, God tells His people in Jeremiah 29:11 that He has a plan for them to provide hope and a future. But the plan wouldn’t happen overnight. In fact, it would take several decades to experience.

We know God promises a better future for us, but we can’t know His timeline. Like the ancient readers of Jeremiah 29:11, we might feel frustrated while we wait for God to keep His promises. We wonder, why are You taking so long?

But God wasn’t sitting back, relaxing while His people suffered. No, He was with them every moment of every day. He brought hope in the waiting and provided strength on their hardest days. And every day God led His people one step closer to a better future.

God kept His promise. Several decades after the promise, God brought His people back home, providing them with hope and a future.

We’re waiting for God to make all things new. When will He do it? We don’t know. It could be centuries from now or before you finish reading the next sentence in this Bible Plan. But while we wait, we also recognize that God is still writing each of our stories.

You’re here now, and God has a plan for you. It may not feel like it, especially if you feel anxious, stuck, or numb. But God is with you, making you new every day. He’s with you in your pain, sharing your burdens and helping you take steps forward. Because He’s a wonderful Counselor, He offers hope and reminds you that a better future is possible for you.

Where is God when life is hard? Exactly where He says He’ll be: With you, reminding you that a better future is still possible.

Pray: Dear God, You are the reason I can have hope. Please help me find comfort and confidence in You and believe better days are possible. Thank You for being my strength in any situation. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Challenge: Get honest with God. Share your frustrations, fears, and questions. He can handle it. You may not get all the answers you hope for, but open honesty is one of the best ways to build your relationship with God.

Scriptures: John 14:25-27, Psalms 112:6-9, Galatians 5:22-23, Galatians 6:9-10, Revelation 21:5

God’s Personal Presence

God sees us and He’s with us, carrying our burdens alongside us. But He’s not simply beside us. His presence is inside every follower of Jesus through His Holy Spirit, making us new every day. 

Jesus is God, fully loved by the Father, and yet even He suffered rejection, betrayal, physical abuse, and death. So the pain we experience isn’t a sign of God’s rejection or lack of power. Instead, it’s a sign that God is still in the process of making all things new, and there’s more work to do. 

How is God working? Through love. God is love, and love doesn’t force itself on people. Instead, it offers sacrificial care, encouragement, and grace. Throughout history, He’s led people to imitate His way of love and forgiveness. And when they respond to His Spirit, the world becomes more like heaven. 

When people follow God’s command to forgive rather than seeking revenge, it reduces the pain in the world. When people imitate Jesus by welcoming outsiders and calling them friends, loneliness is dealt a blow. And when we sacrificially support those going through hard times, life’s worst moments become a little easier to endure. 

This is how God makes the world new through daily, love-led choices that make Earth more like heaven. 

When life is hard, it’s not a sign that God has abandoned us. Instead, it’s a sign that we’re still in God’s process of making all things new. So we ask for help, inviting other followers of Jesus into our pain, questions, and doubts. And when we see others going through hard times, we sacrifice our time and energy to meet their needs. 

God’s Spirit sees your potential. He loves you for who you are, yet wants to see you become more like Jesus every day. So He promises to care for you when you need help, while patiently leading you to make others-focused choices. 

Together we take steps toward hope, joy, and wholeness, trusting God’s process and listening to His Spirit within us. When we do, our lives don’t become easy—and we don’t get all the answers—but we do grow toward resilient confidence in every situation. 

Where is God when life is hard? Exactly where He says He’ll be: Within you, leading you to join Him in making the world a better place for everyone.

Pray: Dear God, I believe You’re making everything new, even when I can’t see it. Please show me how I can partner with You to make the world better for everyone. And please continue to support me as I seek help and healing. In Jesus’ name, amen.