Trying to find Him in the hardships

I am blessed beyond measure. I have a Father who made me, who loves me, cares for me, redeems me and gives me grace. The Lord has done so much for me and I am forever grateful for the work He has done in my life. 

But what about when life just kind of sucks (for a lack of better words)? 

Unfortunately, although we are with Christ, that doesn’t mean that our lives are puppies, rainbows and butterflies. We live in a world filled with sin, disappointments, temptations and so much more. We are constantly tested, but that doesn’t mean every trial and tribulation is from the enemy. 

I found out yesterday that I am going to be losing my job. 

When I was coming to Christ, my previous career really interfered with cultivating a relationship with the Lord and it was painfully obvious to me. I felt really convicted because I was finding my worth and identity in my job rather than The Creator. Eventually the Lord helped me get a job that respected my time with Him and since then I have been able to participate in fellowship and find ministries that are a joy to serve in. But just a month short of my one year anniversary and an overwhelming excitement to grow in different roles with the company, that quickly took a turn. 

A FaceTime from a coworker on a random Wednesday morning turned into an overwhelming rush of a million emotions and quite a few tears. What am I gonna do? How long do I have? Where am I going to find another job that allows me to prioritize the Lord? I changed my whole career path for this, what do I do now?

But the Lord was already taking care of me. 

I already had plans to have coffee and Bible study with my mentor Christie – 15 minutes after I received the news. He knew what was to come and prepared those in my life to care for me. He made sure that I was going to have my support system with me in a time of need and made it easy to run to Him rather than finding comfort in the world. 

How beautiful is that? I got to process it all with a great Godly woman in my life and get into the Word. After that, I spent the afternoon with my girlfriends and then had life group in the evening.

He knew what He was doing. 

But that is just day one. How do I get up from here? How do I ensure I don’t let my feelings lead me to sin? These are all real questions paired with a hard situation to navigate. 

But scripture has given me so many reminders and His word to lean on when times get tough. The ladies in my life group gave me so much to meditate on and I wanted to share it with those who might too be going through their own trials and battles. 

Exodus 14:14: “The LORD will fight for you, you need only be still.”

This has been a memory verse for me since I was 16, way before I knew Christ. Every big and little problem I have ever had has led me back to this verse. It just serves as a great reminder of the Lord’s presence in your life and that He is in control, not you.

Deuteronomy 31:6: “Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.” 

God is all knowing. He knows your past, He knows what you are doing right now and He knows what is to come in your future. Put your trust in the Lord though it all and He will not leave you in the dust. 

Psalm 88 and 89

Psalm 88 talks about feeling far from the Lord and feeling like He isn’t seeing you or being there for you because you don’t feel it. It is a prayer of humility and offering your sufferings to the Lord. But what is beautiful is the Psalm that leads up to it – Psalm 89. A response of boasting in the Lord’s steadfast love and how great He is through it all. The Lord has promised to always be with us, so why would we not think He would be there when times are tough? How could He ever break a promise that He made?

Isaiah 26:3-4: “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD GOD is an everlasting rock.”

God is peace, He is eternal bliss. He is perfect and is the only One who can give you rest and keep you steady. When it says that He is the everlasting rock (which is one of the Lord’s names/descriptions), it is a representation of His permanence and security. He will always be worthy to be trusted in and He has His trust in you too. 

Isaiah 43:2-3: “When you pass through the waters I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire, you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the LORD your God, the Holy one of Israel, your Savior.” 

He is always with you, so many times in the Scriptures does He make it known that you are not doing this by yourself. He constantly reassures the love that He has for each and every one of us. You are not alone. 

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18: “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

This one can be a hard pill to swallow. How am I supposed to be happy and rejoice in the Lord when everything is going absolutely wrong? This is an easy read on an average normal day, but in times of testing this is really hard to read. However, we must know that the Lord is preparing us for our next season. He is preparing us for our next blessing. 

In times like these, it is hard to open your Bible and find the answers. It is easy to read what you want to read (or not even read at all) rather than hear what you need to hear. 

So yeah, life does seem like it sucks right now. You lost your job, or you are going through a tough breakup, you are struggling in singleness, you have personal problems, you have family problems. There will always be something. 

But you know what else is always going to be right there? The King of Kings. 

If you ever find yourself doubting Him, answer these questions to try and find your way back to Him and His Word:

1. When times get hard, what are some things you do instead of running to the Lord? Are they sinful/do they lead to sinful actions?

2. What doubts do you have in the Lord right now? What do you think He isn’t capable of doing?

3. What are some Scriptures you can dwell on instead of dwelling in your shame and pain?