Help in Hardships
“We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed.” 2 Corinthians 4: 8 – 9.
Some seasons in life are not easy. We can get overwhelmed and like this verse, feel hard pressed on every side, perplexed, hunted down by troubles, and knocked off our feet. We question why God would allow even more stress to pile on us when we are already feeling weary and worn down.
However, when we focus on the bad we can miss seeing God’s miraculous good right in the middle of our difficulties. We are not crushed, we are not driven to despair, we are not abandoned by God, and we are not destroyed.
Isaiah 41: 10 tells us, “Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.” If we focus on all the bad, we will be consumed with anxiety and fear. We will live with discontentment and dread. Instead, we must answer our hardships with the promises of God’s word.
2 Corinthians 12: 9a, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” It is as we run to Him with our weakness and stress that His grace surrounds us and His power keeps us from being crushed and in despair.
Psalm 23: 6a, “Surely Your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life.” His goodness is not only present on days without hardship. His goodness is for every day! Look for it! We must be intentional with what we let our minds chase after.
The challenge is to count our blessings, not our troubles. Too many of us spend our days preparing for disappointment rather than practicing delight. Even though some seasons are difficult, He promises to meet our longings with peace, turn our mourning into joy, and our despair into extravagant hope.
