Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6(NIV)
Can you trust God when life is hard? When your loved ones don’t want anything to do with you. When you have lost your job or business and can no longer afford the essential things in life.
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How do you keep the faith when you are diagnosed with a terminal disease?
You try to hold onto the promises of God, but things don’t seem to go your way. It is also in those times that the enemy intensifies his attacks on you.
The enemy will tempt you with different things. And when you refuse to give in, he will look for ways to destroy your faith.
We are often told to keep fighting the good fight of faith. But we all know that it’s easier said than done. Keeping faith in challenging times is very difficult.
But someone may ask why does God allows us to go through hard times?
Why does God Allow Us to Go through Hard Times
1. To Bring us Closer to Him
Let’s be honest. We tend to seek God more in hard times than in our good times.
So, sometimes God will allow you to go through hard times to bring you closer to Him. Does that mean God is cruel? No, he is not.
Understand that it is not God who puts the bad things into our lives. But he allows them to happen so that he can deal with our hearts and bring us closer to Him.
See, we were created so that we can enjoy an intimate relationship with God. But sin gets in the way sometimes. When trials come, we go back to God and give him full control (Psalms 107:6).
2. To Bring Comfort to Others
It is easy to be compassionate to those going through a particular situation when you’ve gone through it. Whatever you are going through right now will serve a purpose in someone’s life.
God will use your story to bring comfort to people who are facing the same challenges.
Also Related: Why we Struggle to Trust God? Top 11 Reasons.
How do you trust God when all you Want to do is Give Up?
1. Cast All Your Burdens to Him
It’s easy for us to try to do things in our own strength, especially when God seems silent. But we should remember that God can change situations with one word or in a second.
Yes, you may try to solve things your way. But that does not mean that your problem will become better.
Yes, at times, the solutions you get may offer relief, but it will only be temporary. Trust God when life is hard by casting your burdens on him.
When God answers your prayers, he doesn’t do it haphazardly. He will give you beauty for ashes and double for every trouble (Isaiah 61:3).
Your heavenly Father will come through for you no matter what happens. But you need to let go and let him take charge. Surrender your burdens to him and then follow what he is telling you.
2. Study Bible Stories of People who went through Hard Times
It is easy to think that you are the only one that is going through a difficult time. The enemy will try to convince you that you’re suffering because God doesn’t love you like others. But that is not true at all.
Reading stories of how different Bible characters faced difficulties but overcame them will strengthen your faith in God.
See how David suffered for many years before he became the King of Israel. Read the story of Hannah and see how she cried for many years because Peninnah made fun of her barrenness. In the end, God came through for her by giving her, Samuel.
Bible stories are not just there to entertain us. God included these stories in the Bible so that they can encourage and challenge us in difficult times.
Someone may say that these Bible characters were special people; that is why God came through for them. But that is not true, for God is not a respecter of persons. If he did it for Hannah, he will definitely do it for you as long as you stand firm in the faith. (1Samuel 1)
3. Seek Truth in the Word of God
The Bible says that everything will fade away, but God’s word will remain (Matthew 24:35). This gives us hope to trust in the word of God because it is the truth.
Everything that is happening around you is just a fact. But the truth is found in the word of God.
Now, do you know that facts change? You may be told that the challenge in your life, be it sickness, or rejection is here to stay. But that is just a fact. The truth is what the word of God says about that situation.
We are told in the word that nothing is impossible with God (Luke 1:37). So it doesn’t matter how things look on the outside. What matters is what God says in his word.
If he says that he will turn your situation around, then that is the truth you should live by. Do not be tossed about by the waves of life. Instead, let the word of God be an anchor upon which you hold on to life.
4. Confess Unbelief
It could be that you are trying your level best to trust God in this difficult time. You know and are convinced in your heart that the word of God is true. But like the man with a mute son in Mark 9:17-25, you are struggling with unbelief.
It’s not that you do not believe that Jesus can heal or turn around that situation. It could be that you are doubting whether he can do it for you because you have made so many mistakes.
Some people will be quick to discourage you. They will tell you God will never pay attention to someone like you. But that is not what happened to the father in that story.
Do not be afraid to admit that you have unbelief in your heart. Like that father, turn to Jesus and tell him to help your unbelief. God is not going to refuse to answer your prayers just because you’re not standing fully in faith.
Instead, he will work on your heart. God will expose and remove everything that is causing you to doubt. Not just that, but he will also answer your prayer.
5. Spend Time with the Lord
Sometimes life becomes so hard that it paralyzes you, and I do not mean physically but emotionally and mentally. You do not know what to do, where to go, or how to go about a particular situation. So you decide to let life happen and to go with the flow.
While that may work to your advantage, sometimes going with the flow will cause you to drift away from God. And you may start getting entangled with the things of this world.
You’re going to find yourself doing things that are not pleasing to God because you’re just going with the flow.
In such times it is better to spend time with the Lord. Feed on the word of God to find out his character, nature, and love for you. When you take your mind off what is happening and focus on God, you are able to magnify him.
Also Related: 11 Ways to Trust God with all of Your Heart.
6. Allow the Holy Spirit to lead you
It’s hard, if not impossible, to trust God when you are not connected to him. It is also impossible to trust the word of God when you are carnal.
The Bible says to be carnally minded is death but to be spiritually minded is life and peace (Romans 8:6-7). For us to be spiritually minded, we need to be led by the Holy Spirit. When the Holy Spirit is in control, it becomes easier for us to trust God when life is hard.
See, it is the Spirit of God who knows the mind of God. When we choose to walk with him, he reveals to us deep spiritual things. Having an intimate relationship with him enables us to stand firm in faith even when all odds are against us.
It is easy to become helpless and hopeless if we do not put our trust in God. But with the help of the Holy Spirit, we can walk in faith.
In short
It takes the grace of God for us to continue standing firm in the faith. It is easy to tell someone to trust God when life is hard. But it’s hard to do so when we face the same challenges.
No matter what happens, know that God is faithful. Never allow the issues of life to get to you to the point that you get disappointed with God. God doesn’t promise us an easy life here on earth.
If anything, we are told many times in the Bible that we will go through so many troubles. But God’s word also tells us to be of good cheer for Jesus has already overcome the world.
Don’t give up. Keep fighting and trust the process God is taking you through. Surrender to God and allow him to deal with your heart accordingly. Remember, you can trust God when life is hard, he will never fail you.
