Finding God’s Truth In The Storms Of Life

Scriptures: John 16:33, James 1:2-4, 1 Peter 1:3-7

The Reality of Trials

If you’re too young to remember car phones and 8-track players, you may not know who Keith Green is. But the words he sang in the song “Trials Turned to Gold” are just as relevant today as they were when he released them in 1977.

The view from here is nothing near to what it is for You. I tried to see Your plan for me, but I only acted like I knew. Oh Lord, forgive the times I tried to read Your mind ’cause You said if I’d be still, then I would hear Your voice.

Many of us face very real, difficult trials every single day. Being a Christian doesn’t save us from this. But knowing that our Savior is by our side and can see the big picture no matter the trials we face is comforting for many reasons. It reassures us that we are not alone in our struggles and pain. And it gives us a higher perspective of our troubles–the knowledge that they are accomplishing a greater purpose within us and in the world.

We are reminded of this purpose in James 1:2-4 where James gives us the seemingly unreasonable command to have joy in our trials. 

Have joy in trials? It seems almost impossible! But from the perspective of God, it makes sense. Our trials bring us closer to Him and leave us lacking in nothing.

We may not want to face trials in our lives, and we may not immediately see them as beneficial or necessary. But we don’t have God’s perspective. Or as Keith Green put it, “The view from here is nothing near to what it is for God.” 

Even when our world shakes, we never leave the hands, or the plan, of God.

Prayer: Dear God, thank you for the hope I have in You even through trials. Please help me to have Your perspective as I experience difficulties in life. I trust You to achieve good things through my struggles. Thank you that even when my world is unsteady, I can always be confident in You. Amen.

Scriptures: Isaiah 41:10, John 14:27, Psalms 10:17, Psalms 34:18

The Battle of Emotion

Have you ever felt as if your spirit has been crushed? Sometimes everything is going well, and when it falls apart, it’s easy to feel as if there’s no point in trying to repair your life. Sadness, anger, hopelessness, and fear are very real emotions that even the strongest of Christians experience in times of trouble. Just look at David or a number of other heroes of the faith.

Often we can be afraid to acknowledge emotions like these. But it’s important to deal with all of our emotions–especially the negative ones–when we’re going through trials. When we look at our anger and sadness in light of God’s truth, we can find comfort instead of living in denial.

When we are sad, we can find joy in the truth that God is close to the brokenhearted (Psalm 34:18). When we are angry, we can find peace in the promise that God’s unfailing love will never be shaken, even by our rage (Isaiah 54:10). When hopelessness seems to take over, we can cast our cares on the Lord because He will never let us fall (Psalm 55:22). And when we are tempted to give in to fear, we can be strong because God is our refuge and we know He will never fail us (Psalm 18:2).

God has given us so many promises in Scripture, but one that He offers again and again is comfort. He understands our battle with our own emotions, and He has compassion on us.

God wants us to surrender our burdens to Him and to lean on Him in faith when our emotions are too much for us to handle alone.

When our spirits are crushed, God reassures us He is still enough.

So next time you are tempted to deny your emotions or attempt to handle them on your own, surrender them to God instead. He will give you hope that is greater than any emotional struggle you face.

Prayer: Dear God, thank you for the reassurance You give us in Scripture of Your love for us. I know You are always stronger than any problem I face. Help me surrender my emotional battles to You. Thank you for the comfort You provide when I need it most. Amen.

Scriptures: Hebrews 13:6, Psalms 23:4, Romans 5:3-4

The Reason for Trials

Before facing a major trial, most Christians seem to believe they have a pretty good grasp on Romans 5:3-4 and could easily apply it to their lives when a difficult times comes. Then, everything changes. Maybe they experience the loss of a loved one, start having problems in their marriage, or get a phone call from the doctor saying “You have cancer.”

It’s in these moments that we often realize how weak we are … and those can be some dark times. But in these moments, we have a choice. We can turn our backs on Christianity, run from reality, or accept that our circumstances are from God.

We have to persevere. We have to trust that God–who knows the number of hairs on our heads–cares enough about us to take care of us, no matter what. And we have to remind ourselves of that each morning.

Every day that we endure trials we grow in our abilities to persevere through difficult times. Persevering is something we’re commanded to do often in Scripture. So growing in perseverance is nothing to take lightly!

Paul tells us that perseverance we gain from suffering also produces character. As we face our sufferings and live through them, we become stronger people. We develop firm beliefs, and we are reminded of our own strength. People who have endured suffering can be less easily swayed by the opinions of others. They can persevere through difficult moral conflicts and temptations because they have persevered through struggles. That’s a precious gift that each of us receives as we go through storms in our lives.

Finally, we are told that character produces hope. We have hope for the future and for each day because we know that our God is watching out for us. And Paul tells us this hope will not disappoint.

All of our suffering is ultimately producing a hope that is fulfilled every day in Jesus.

There’s nothing better for us to glory in!

Prayer: Dear God, thank you for using my suffering to make me more like Your Son. Help me to persevere, grow in my character, and find hope in You. Give me faith that You are building me into a better person through my trials. Thank you for Your grace when I fail. Amen.

Scriptures: James 5:14, Philippians 4:6-7, 1 John 5:14-15

The Power of Prayer

Praying can feel like a risk when we go through trials. “What if God doesn’t answer my prayer in the way I think He should?” we may be tempted to ask. “When if He doesn’t come through and save me from my problems?” In our darkest moments, prayer can even seem useless, and we can begin to doubt that God is listening.

But 1 John 5:14-15 tells us that we should have confidence when we pray. No matter what we ask for, God always hears us. And if we pray according to His will, we know He will answer since He always has our best interests in mind.

The difficult part of those verses is having the faith to pray according to God’s will. We don’t always know what God’s will is, and sometimes we want our will to be done. But that’s not what prayer is about. Prayer connects us with God, and it helps us find peace through that connection. Prayer allows us to hand our problems and our struggles to God and say, “This is Yours now. You can handle it so much better than I ever could.”

While we all hope that relief from our struggles is part of the will of God, that isn’t always the case. But even when it’s not in God’s plan to heal us or save us from a situation, prayer is still important.

When we present our worries and requests to God, it brings a peace that surpasses understanding and guards our hearts and minds. So today, pour out your worries and requests to God in prayer. And delight in the peace and hope He gives you in response.

Prayer: Dear God, thank you for the gift of prayer. Thank you that I can always come to You with my requests and problems. And thank you for Your perfect will for my life. I pray for the peace that You promise to guard my heart and mind when fear and doubt creep in. Thank you for always watching over me. Amen.

Scriptures: Psalms 46:1-3, 2 Timothy 1:7, 2 Corinthians 4:7-9

Finding Strength in the Lord

Fear is nothing to laugh at or take lightly. It has kept powerful people from great accomplishments. It has stopped armies in their tracks. And it will try to stop you, too, if you let it.

But we have something greater than fear–God. That knowledge should keep us from being defeated by fear, but often it doesn’t. Even though we are Christians, we still give in to fear all the time.

And our surrender to fear shows that we don’t really understand the power of our God.

Today’s passage from Psalm 46 gives us a dramatic picture of faith destroying fear. The psalmist says that because God is his help, he will not fear–not even if the earth gives way and the mountains fall into the sea! That’s incredible! 

If you’ve ever been to the mountains, you can probably imagine how scared you would be if they began collapsing around you. But the psalmist isn’t saying the collapse of mountains isn’t scary. He’s saying his faith is stronger than his fear.

Fear tells us we are alone, that we have to face trials and struggles on our own. It reminds us of our weakness. It points us to our own failures. But faith points us to God. It reassures us we are never alone–God is always on our side! And faith shows us our weakness is just an opportunity to showcase God’s strength.

Life is full of problems and joy. Frederick Beuchner once said, “Here is the world. Beautiful and terrible things will happen. Don’t be afraid.” And he was right! We don’t have to be afraid. We have a God who has overcome the world.

Prayer: Dear God, thank you for Your power over everything I face. Help me to have a faith bigger than my fear. Use my weakness to demonstrate Your strength. Thank you that Your love for me never fails. Amen.

Scriptures: Galatians 2:20, Hebrews 12:1-3, Isaiah 58:10-11

Looking Past Our Trials

When we go through storms, our world often begins to revolve around ourselves. We quickly become very focused on our own problems. Sometimes that’s a survival mechanism–we need to focus on caring for ourselves to make it through our problem. But other times, that instinct to look inward actually hurts us.

Our gut tells us to watch out for ourselves because no one else will, and, in our moments of weakness, it’s easy to believe that lie. But Isaiah 58:10-11 paints a different picture. It tells us that if we focus on serving the hungry and oppressed, God will satisfy our needs. And it shows us the beauty of looking past our own lives and blessing others instead.

This beautiful passage shows us that loving others is a gift! And it’s a gift that we are especially equipped to receive when we go through suffering.

Other people need our love most when they are suffering. And when we go through trials of our own, we are especially able to understand the sufferings of others. Even if their trials aren’t the same as ours, we can understand–even if in a small way–the pain they are going through.

Understanding helps us love others better! Instead of looking at ourselves all the time, we can look around us for opportunities to bless others.

By keeping our eyes on God and focusing on the needs of others instead of our own, we gain a new perspective. We trade the pain and weakness of our own problems for the joy and victories of helping others. And we grow closer to God in the process.

Prayer: Dear God, please give me clear eyes to see those around me who need help. Show me what You would have me do in the midst of my trials to help those in similar situations. Thank you for giving me the ability to experience the blessing of serving others even when my own life is difficult. Amen.

Scriptures: Romans 8:18, 2 Corinthians 4:16-18, 1 Peter 1:5-7

Lessons Learned

In his book, Walking with God through Pain and Suffering, Tim Keller says, “You don’t really know Jesus is all you need until Jesus is all you have.” 

At World Help , we have seen this truth evidenced so many times while ministering to people all around the globe. When the administrators of a children’s home in Nepal saw their ministry reduced to rubble by an earthquake, they did the only thing they could do–they turned to Jesus. When a widow in Rwanda struggled to put food on the table for her children, her first instinct was to pray. We’ve heard story after story of people who were driven into the arms of God by trials.

Suffering shows us the importance of our faith. It puts us in a place where we can’t rely on ourselves. In 2 Corinthians 4, we are reminded that when the things we normally rely on fail us, our spirits get stronger. We become closer to the source of true strength, and we learn to fix our eyes on Him.

It’s important, then, that when we go through trials and sufferings, we hold on to the lessons we learn.

The only way we can waste our pain is by forgetting it and leaving behind the precious insights we gained by enduring it.

If you need to, create a physical monument in your life to the faithfulness of God during your trials. Many statues, books, and songs have been created for this purpose. But your monument doesn’t have to be visually impressive. The Israelites used stacks of rocks to remember God’s provisions and to remind their children. Whatever will remind you is perfect.

Be assured that Jesus is all we need. When the world around us seems chaotic and untrustworthy, we have a steadfast hope. Let’s rejoice in that today!

Prayer: Dear God, I know that my sufferings draw me closer to You. Help me to learn and grow in my faith when I face trials in this life. And help me to remember those lessons even when my circumstances improve. Thank you for Your patience with me as You continue to make me the person You want me to be. Amen.

Scriptures: John 13:34-35, 1 Corinthians 12:25-26, James 2:5

The Gift of Compassion

If anyone has ever had the right to be unhappy, it was Hellen Keller. She was blind and deaf, and her disabilities made her completely unable to experience the world in the way most of us do. Everyone around her had abilities that she lacked. But she had determination, and something even more valuable–compassion.

“Believe, when you are most unhappy, that there is something for you to do in the world,” she said. “So long as you can sweeten another’s pain, life is not in vain.”

In adulthood, Helen spent much of her time visiting hospitals for soldiers who had been blinded or deafened by war. She went to show them hope that they could live productive lives after their injuries. And she encouraged them to not give up on their futures. Her disabilities gave her the chance to help these people facing incredible struggles.

Think about that from Helen’s perspective. She could easily have said, “I am deaf and blind, and these men are just blind. I have much bigger problems than they do.” She could have chosen to be bitter, angry, or focused on her own struggles. But instead, she chose to use her circumstances to show compassion to those around her.

Letting go of our own “right” to wallow in our pain and choosing to have compassion for others is hard. But when we are suffering, we have a heightened ability to empathize with others.

Instead of comparing problems or judging who has it worse, we can choose to be a blessing.

Prayer: Dear God, thank you for the gift of compassion. I know that when I go through storms in my life, I have an increased ability to be compassionate to others. Help me tap into that and use it to bless those around me. Amen.

Scriptures: Isaiah 43:19, James 5:7-11, Proverbs 3:5-6

The Triumph of Tragedy

When an author sits down to write a novel, he usually already knows how the book will end. He knows the conflicts the main characters are going to face and how they are going to overcome them.

It’s the same with God. He is writing your story, and He already knows the ending. Sometimes, we want to scream, “What’s going to happen?” We want to take a peek at the last page. Without the whole story, we struggle to trust that God’s purpose for our problems is really worth all the pain.

Job is a perfect example of someone who must have been so confused about God’s purpose for his suffering. He cries out to God in his frustration, and he nears despair many times. But God reminds Job that His purposes and plans always prevail. While God never tells Job the purpose for his suffering, He does promise Job that He is still in control.

We may not get to hear the larger story of how our suffering works into the plan of God. But we should be reassured by the knowledge that God always has a purpose for what we go through.

We can wait patiently for God’s plan when we know that it will never fail. Our suffering is just a small part of the larger story of God’s love for the world.

Prayer: Dear God, sometimes it’s hard for me to have faith when I can’t see a purpose in my suffering. Give me patience and help me to trust that You are always in control. Thank you for your perfect plan for the world. Amen.

Scriptures: Revelation 21:3-5, Psalms 9:9-10, Romans 8:28

Peace, Help, and Hope for Tomorrow

You’ve reached the last day of this study! And today’s devotional is about the single most important thing for anyone to have when facing a difficult time–hope.

Whatever you’re going through, God knows. And His love for His people never fails. He is watching over you right now. He always has you in the palm of His hand.

No matter what happens or how your story goes, you can be sure that you are never outside of God’s plan.

And you can rest knowing that your Savior will never leave you alone.

Revelation 21:3-5 is a reminder of the incredible hope that we have because of Christ. God has promised us a place in heaven where there will be no more suffering or pain, and where He will wipe every tear from our eyes. Even now He is making a place for us there. He is making all things new!

So, wherever you are today, take a moment to lean on the Savior who will never leave nor forsake you. Be comforted by the knowledge that He works all things together for good. And have faith that no matter what trials you face in this life, they are not even worth comparing with the joy that awaits you.

Your struggle is never too big for God. And no matter how hopeless you feel, there is a hope greater than your despair. Choose to live that truth today.

Prayer: Dear God, thank you for the knowledge we have that You are working out all things for good. Thank you that even when the troubles of this life overwhelm me, they don’t define me. Thank you that I can find my identity in You and in the victory I know is coming. Thank you for the gift of eternal life with You. Help me live in hope and joy every day as Your child. Amen.