I have hope, he is faithful to help, and he is my God! My gut churns with pain. We wont spam you. Lift these difficulties up to God in prayer. But he refused, believing it was not right to kill Saul, who had been anointed by God. Moses: trusting God when there is no way out, 6. Mordecai believed in Esther even when she didnt believe in herself. Regardless, I pushed through the fear and apologised. When he was young, Jacob had a relationship with his brother Esau that was complicated at best. It will not change with time, place, or circumstances. We can still praise him for the Cross and the Resurrection. I did it in the presence of the LORD, who instead of choosing your father or. We can enjoy Davids grateful heart in the book of psalms, where this man inspired by God knew how to pour out his heart before the omnipotent God through the most beautiful words and poems. Praising God in the hard times doesn't minimize or deny heaviness of heart. However, those same slaves of whom you speak will honor me. Some may be struggling with an exam season, others may be going through a painful breakup. My flesh finds relief in making a plan or figuring out a solution, but something I learned about going through difficulty is that its an opportunity to transform my prayer life. It is possible to praise the Lord in hardship. Here is a lesson we can learn from Job: we can trust in Gods wisdom even when we do not understand. Even though Naomi tried to push both her daughters-in-law away, Ruth refused to be shut out. What can we learn from the Bibles imperfect fathers? He later revealed that it was because I took action so quickly, that we were able to stay friends. Its both amazing to think and sad that only one man returned to give thanks for healing from a debilitating disease. Not about the title, or accomplishments, but about caring for others. Why call me Naomi? Even when our run has slowed to a crawl and our shout has died down to a whimper we can wait on our good Father with fierce expectation. God will fight for you. If you are struggling today, think about God's wonderful deeds in your past. Now this doesnt mean that those problems will suddenly disappear or that it will be smooth sailing from here on out, but it does mean that my face will brighten again and the weight of the burden will lessen. Isaiahs faith stayed strong despite bad news because he was honest about his doubt and frustration, and he believed deeply in Gods purpose. By submitting, I accept The Lifes Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Our destiny is determined by God. What is the most difficult thing youre facing right now in life. I discovered I needed to shift my thinking, and see this setback as a set-up for God to move. 1. A longing unfulfilled can be disheartening. Do you believe your difficult situation can be an opportunity for God to come through? Terms of Service The cool thing is, Ruth and Naomis relationship was not one-sided. God is an outside-the-box thinker. God guided the Israelites to the exact place he wanted them to be, right on the edge of the Red Sea. Believing that God chose me to help others know Him both challenges and inspires me. Hannah is one of my favorite people in the Bible and someone Ive learned a lot from. I cant move, I am in pain constantly. Have you ever been in a position where you had the opportunity or responsibility to act, but were too afraid? any other of his family, chose me and made me ruler of Israel, which is the people of the LORD. Hopelessness, confusion, anger, depression? But Thanksgiving is more than a day or a month. 14 Dressed only. Zechariah and Elizabeth understand. When given the opportunity to step up and lead, Esther said, No way!. It helps to remember an important quality of Jesus that he is always with us. How might these stories and lessons from the Bible speak to your troubles? This is an example worth emulating; we should all try our best to serve God in any situation. Praising God in hard times requires faith. There were no warriors in Israel until I, Deborah, arose, until I arose to be a mother to Israel. And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the Lord, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the Lord; for his mercy endureth forever. [7] But they were childless because Elizabeth was not able to conceive, and they were both very old. He can give praise to our God even when He felt abandoned. In one sense, its a choice, not a feeling. These characters are the following: 1. out to meet him and reproached him: How distinguished the king of Israel has been seen today, undressing like a However, Mordecai then noted to Esther that God may have made her queen for this very purpose saving her people. It took fighting and literally wrestling with God to submit to and trust him: During the night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two servant wives, and his eleven sons and crossed the Jabbok River with them. He is faithful and true. When we experience periods of waiting, we can have hope by remembering Gods faithfulness and choosing to live by faith ourselves. These general principles do not change with time, place, or circumstances. When you read Psalms, you can find so many verses about God's children singing praise even in the midst of hard times. How can you find that position of praise in your life today? I think the enemy knows that as long as we wait for everything to line up before we praise the Lord, well stay stuck a lot longer than we need to. I'm glad you're here to journey with me! Thus the first step in seeking the Lord during your hard times is to examine your heart and confess your sins, relying on His grace through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. People from all over the region rushed to him and pressed against him. We asked a few members of our staff at Deep Spirituality for their favorite biblical characters who trusted God in the midst of difficulty and came up with 10 examples in the Bible of trusting God in difficult times to inspire you. Even though David had the solution to his problems, he never strayed from his morals. She refused initially, as speaking up would mean risking the death penalty. What Is the Difference Between Prophetic Words and the Word of God? The book The Red Sea Rules: The Same God Who Led You In Will Lead You Out by Robert Morgan does a fantastic job breaking down this moment between God, Moses, and the Israelites. Moses is another Bible character who suffered several instances of hard times. Zechariah & Elizabeth: Trusting God when a longing is unfulfilled Isaiah: trusting God through bad news Woman healed by Jesus: trusting God is taking risks despite the pain Moses: trusting God when there is no way out David: trusting God when life is not how you pictured it Shadrach, Meshach & Abednego: trusting God no matter the outcome But I will sing of your strength;I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning.For you have been to me a fortressand a refuge in the day of my distress.O my Strength, I will sing praises to you,for you, O God, are my fortress,the God who shows me steadfast love. Hebrews 13:15. What is one thing that you could do to make God more a part of your daily life? This, combined with sins destructive impact on the world, means that life can at times, feel painful and unfair. This gives us at least a vision of ourselves rejoicing in the future. God doesnt want us to be held back by our past, and wants to help us be able to move forward. Among these stories, those of Grateful Menin the Bible stand out, helping us to know how we should be grateful to God and what we gain from it. According to John 21:15-25, the good news in all of this is that Peter was restored by Jesus, who is gracious. / BIBLE STUDY Spread the love The Bible or word of God is full of wonderful stories and life lessons whose purpose is to bring us closer to a living God who is a rewarder of those who seek him. He could have given up on God altogether, but decided to keep serving God despite his unfulfilled longing. Perhaps you have been made queen for such a time as this.. , whom he had already taken as a wife knowing that she was each. He is near to the brokenhearted ( Psalm 34:18 ). Turn your eyes to him and allow him to surround you with his love and strength. Later, in the midst of Job's suffering, his friends got into a debate with him. Psalm 51: The Prayer of a Repentant Sinner bible study, The bearers of the Ark had scarcely advanced six steps, when David sacrificed a bull and a fattened calf. With the water at their backs, and Pharaoh and the Egyptians bearing down on them, it was only God who could provide a way it. Hannah prayed that if God would give her a child, she would give that child back to Him. What I find interesting is that all three of these instances were instances we might find tense. The jailer then took Paul to his home to wash his wounds. [7] For we live by faith, not by sight. If you yourself are in a season of struggle, take a moment now to remind yourself of the God who sees your . 2. Yet because of her confident faith in Jesus, she was able to ignore the pain for a moment and ultimately take the risk that changed everything. Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise the fruit of lips that openly profess his name. Sign up below for your FREE Prayer Cards: Start somewhere. Why, my soul, are you downcast? It doesnt take away the pain or difficulty of what were going through, but it can help us both see and be light in the midst of darkness. Because faithfulness (or in Hebrew, emet) is the last word used to describe . Anyone in the presence of the slaves of his officials! How would that change your view of God? The expression, I will still praise him signifies an inner determination and a forward-facing outlook. When the whole kingdom was following along, they stood their ground, with faith that God would take care of them no matter the result. He promised never to leave or abandon his children, so we can count on his presence, even when our emotions can't confirm it. I cry to you, O Lord; I say, "you are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.". [26] Then the man said, Let me go, for the dawn is breaking! But Jacob said, I will not let you go unless you bless me. [27] What is your name? the man asked. However, in the book of Samuel, we find a passage, where it is evident that Davids state of gratitude went beyond what his words expressed, and far above his wifes contempt, he would always praise God. Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is Gods will for you in Christ Jesus. Difficult times will happen to us all. Read Chapter All Versions. But the basis of our faith for this praise is Romans 8:28: "All things work together for good to them that love God.". Get the Surrounded Devotional 14 days of exploring how God is with you in the storm and learning how to fight your battles by praising God. The Holy Spirit causes our hearts to overflow with hope. While the governor did not believe Paul was guilty, he kept Paul in prison for two years, hoping someone would give him a bribe for Pauls release. led numerous successful military campaigns, 3 Examples of Trusting God When Times Are Hard, How to Have Faith When It Seems So Hard To Hope. We can still praise him because hes worthy. Our mentors are not counsellors. It happened that, when the ark of the LORD entered the City of David, Michal But Mordecai wanted to help her see that the impact she was capable of having was greater than the risk. This site is a proud member of the Salem Web Network, a subsidiary of, Copyright 2023, Crosswalk.com. I cannot see because Im deep in the fog of depression. Brittany and her husband Ryan make their home in the Rocky Mountains, pursuing outdoor adventures, great food, and memorable stories together. Deborah believed and trusted God in a way that can be hard for us to do. This is something we can learn: to not compromise when faced with solutions which we know are wrong. If you ever want to feel better about your own flaws and mistakes, read the story of Jacob. Here are 10 women in the Bible who struggled to trust God's plan. Hearing this, I realised that even though we may never understand why bad things happen, trusting in God helps us to move forward in the best way possible. He stole Esaus birthright (Genesis 25:27-32 NLT) and deceived their father into giving him the blessing that was meant for Esau (Genesis 27:14-27,30-38,41 NLT). Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. She had visited many doctors and had spent all she had on treatments. This leads us to quit praying and expecting God to move. May God be blessed, he says, because of his mercy. At this time in history, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon was influenced by those around him to set up an image of gold and require everyone in the land to bow down and worship it. ( Job 1:20-21) I want to make three observations from this text. Woman healed by Jesus: trusting God is taking risks despite the pain, 5. Deborah was one of those amazingly talented people who seemed to be able to do it all. We. David danced before the Lord in the streets as a response of praise to his holy God. There was a time in primary school when I was bullied by several classmates. I will also praise you with the harpfor your faithfulness, O my God;I will sing praises to you with the lyre,O Holy One of Israel.My lips will shout for joy,when I sing praises to you;my soul also, which you have redeemed.And my tongue will talk of your righteous help all the day long,for they have been put to shame and disappointedwho sought to do me hurt. Instead, it redirects our focus on who God is. However, I noticed that if I participated in teasing others with them, they would befriend me. In preparation for my audience with the king, do this: gather together all the Jews in Susa, and fast and pray for me. David is a man known for praise. But before all that can happen, God gave Isaiah an intense vision that overwhelmed him. Maybe it was expressing what you felt, speaking up for a friend, or even speaking up to a friend. These Bible stories about trusting God will inspire you to overcome circumstances and inspire your faith to believe. She was just a young girl who was trying to survive. Isaiah was chosen by God to deliver an important message to the Israelites. But today we take a look at people who uniquely gave thanks with all their heart. What is your motive in wanting your desired outcome? Jesus set a remarkable example for us in many ways but one was in thanksgiving. Job protested his innocence to his friends, and eventually asked God to explain Himself. Do you freeze up, run away, blame others? Where do you find words of praise and thanksgiving when your heart is full of sorrow and struggle? No matter how many tactics Naomi used to keep her at a distance, Ruth stood her ground. Worship is being honest with God. Would you like to discuss anything in particular? Trying something new may be the last thing on your mind, especially when you have a chronic health challenge or are in the midst of long-standing troubles. Even in their position, Shadrach, Meshach & Abednego did not feel the need to defend their decision to not comply with the kings edict. On the contrary, we should continue to praise Him. We may feel like no one understands or cares about what we are going through. Instead of answering his question, God asked Job if he understood the workings of the complex universe like He does. When you need to find words of praise on those hard days when your heart is heavy and its a struggle to see the blessings, lean on words of praise from the Bible. Our relationships can completely change for the better when we are willing to trust God with our mistakes and sins. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.And he who was seated on the throne said, Behold, I am making all things new.. Cant move, I pushed through the fear and apologised shift my thinking, and eventually God. Not by sight, because of his family, chose me and me. What you felt, speaking up for a friend, or circumstances 21:15-25. School when I was bullied by several classmates primary school when I was by. And made me ruler of Israel, which is the most difficult thing youre facing now. Felt, speaking up to a friend both challenges and inspires me emulating ; we should try. 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