by Pastor Mark Cowart
How do you make sense of difficult times in light of God’s Word? By that light, you can be comforted and strengthened for whatever you face. When things seem to be spinning out of control, you can find stability in what God says about what you’re experiencing.
The book of Philippians, one of the Apostle Paul’s “prison epistles”, gives you a window into the joy of the Lord in his life. Despite the hardship he was going through, he comforts and strengthens others through his message. The joy of the Lord could not be stopped from coming forth from this man in love. If you let the enemy steal your joy, you won’t have the strength for what’s ahead.
The Lord is with you, no matter what, as He tells us repeatedly in His Word. When He calmed the storm in Mark chapter 4, He reminded the disciples that they could have the faith to take authority over the situation and make it to the other side. You can’t lose when you keep your faith alive and attached to the Lord Jesus.
The Word of God can empower and encourage you through the most difficult of times. You must have the “mind of Christ”, as described in Philippians chapter 2. You develop that mindset by meditating on Scripture. You can be transformed by the renewing of your mind, instead of conforming to the world’s anxious patterns of behavior in trials.
This process of your transformation begins when you are born again and progresses as you give attention to God’s Word, as He directs, as you believe it and choose to obey it, continuing to meditate on what it means for your life. As you apply yourself to this pursuit, you are doing your part to reach the bright future He has planned for you. And you will be more and more confident that He is with you, whatever challenges come your way.
When we hit rough patches, that relationship is going to come under attack. The enemy of your soul will send in the fiery darts of doubt, and the battle is on. Only your shield of faith will prevent the destruction intended. You must develop it before you need it through a regular diet of God’s Word.
One cannot be reminded often enough to maintain the habit of reading, studying, and meditating on the scriptures. If you think you don’t have time to do that, you are simply not making it a priority. Only you can change that. There are creative ways, using today’s technology, to include God’s Word in your everyday routines – a few minutes here, a few minutes there.
If you don’t take the time to get into the Word to the point that the Word gets into you, you will find yourself mired in confusion when difficult times come. From your limited perspective, you can miss the ways God uses even the hardest seasons to complete us. As the Holy Spirit quickens the Word to you, your awareness can expand to embrace this mindset in faith. It is much harder for the enemy to get to you in that state of mind.
In traveling to see amazing natural sites on the earth, you often have to go over rough terrain on the way. Adversity in life can be like that, part of the road to a beautiful place. God has good plans for your future if you will only trust him through whatever it takes to get there.
Drought causes plant roots to go deep. Wind strengthens trees as they grow extra structure in response to stressful forces. In the same way, your relationship with God, and with other people in your life, can grow stronger through the difficulties you endure.
When you are suffering and wondering how God could let this happen, do not turn away in confusion. That is the time to draw near to Him. And He promises He will draw near to you when you do.
DIVE DEEPER
• Nehemiah 8:10
• Deuteronomy 31:8
• Matthew 28:20
• Hebrews 13:5b
• Mark 4:39
• Philippians 1:12-14
• Philippians 2:5-8
• Ephesians 5:26
• Romans 12:2
• Jeremiah 29:11
• Ephesians 6:16
• Romans 10:17
• Romans 8:28
• II Corinthians 1:8-10
• James 4:7-8
• Psalm 46:10
REFLECT
Do you believe God is for you when all you can see around you is destruction and confusion?
Can you recall an especially trying time when you stood against doubt with what you knew of God’s Word?
Is this message motivating you to build your faith (like a muscle) so you’re ready for the next storm in your life? How will you do that?
PRAY
- Praise and thank God for His plan for your life, including the trying times of refining.
- Ask the Lord to put in your mind the disciplines you need to choose to spend more time in His Word and to help you carry them out.
- Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you into faith-building truth for the hard times.
- Thank God that He never leaves you.
