Hope in the hard times

I received an encouraging text from a friend the other day. In it she simply stated that she's glad God sees all and knows what we are going through. Life has been dealing her a pretty rough hand in the past few months, so I was encouraged to hear that she was trying to lean on God for strength.

I understand what that's like. When life has gotten so hard that you feel beaten down, flat and dry. Discouragement seeps in. Maybe your going through a time that seems dark and you are wondering: "where is God?" Does He see me? Does He even know what I'm going through? Is life so boggling that you can't make sense of it or even who God is? Has your mind gone blank on Scripture? Been there! Let me share a few thoughts and promises to cling to when the storms of life blow in.

First, it's really important to know what you believe about who God is BEFORE the trials come. Being in a hurricane is not the time to decide what you believe. You can barely keep your head above water, let alone make major decisions about your theology. It's when life seems "smooth" that you need to study the Scriptures, see what they say about God, and choose to embrace their truths and promises about our Heavenly Father.

Second, God does see. He sees everything and everybody, all the time. Darkness is light to Him - the darkness of the night and the darkness of our storms. He sees the hidden things. Nothing escapes Him. His eyes never sleep. Don't fear that He can't see you or see what your going through. He does.

Third, God knows. He knows everything your going through. He knows what your heart is feeling. He knows when you rise up and when you lie down. He knows all your ways. He knows your thoughts before you do. (Psalm 13:2-3) He sees and knows all your tears. He counts them and keeps them in a bottle (Psalm 56:8).   He knows the very hairs on your head (Matthew 10:30). You don't need to wonder if He is aware of your struggles, He knows.

You can rest assured that you are not alone. Even when you feel alone. When Satan tempts you to despair with doubts of God such as: "You are forgotten", "He doesn't see you", or " You are alone," hold on to these Truths. These are promises God made about Himself and He can not lie. If you are struggling with believing these, pray and tell Him. Tell Him that you are doubting and that you are sorry for doubting. Ask Him to help you to believe what He is saying about Himself. Then, "preach" these Truths to yourself. Whenever a doubt comes in say " No! I believe...." or" I believe the Bible says...".

Life can be hard, dark and even vicious at times. We need to be able to combat it in return. It's not easy. Paul calls it a "fight" (1 Timothy 6:12) for a reason, and fights are not easy. Sometimes it can seem like darkness is winning. Or that evil has won. It's in those times we need to remember what Jesus said " I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart, I have overcome the world" ( John 16:33). 

Take heart my dear sisters.