7 lessons learned while trusting God in hard times
1. God is faithful.
There were days that threatened to overtake us, but we encountered God’s faithfulness. He was with us every step of the way; through cancer, burglaries, staff changes, pneumonia and so much more. He has been our provider, our comforter, our defender, and our strong tower.
2. We are never alone.
Through each procedure and subsequent recovery, while the rest of the world went on with their daily lives, we lived in a bubble that few could understand. Yet through it all, God held us close and assured us that we could take courage to face each new day because He was with us. We are never alone.
3. When we are weak, He is strong.
There were days when praying to make it through the day was just too much to ask. We had to pray to make it through the next five minutes, and then another, and another. I often wasn’t sure how we were putting one foot in front of the other. But as I look back, it was clear that we were not operating in our strength, but His. God is our strength and His strength is sufficient.
4. Trials are a season, not a destination. We will get through them.
His word says that WHEN we go through the difficult times (so we can be assured we will!), He WILL be with us. But it also says we will go THROUGH it. It’s a season not a destination. Just as the seasons change and move on, so will our times of difficulty. They will NOT consume us, if we will keep our eyes on Him.
5. Trials help us grow in our faith.
Sometimes, when you’re flat on your back under the weight of your circumstances, you’re actually in the best position to look up and see God. We saw people come together to be the hands and feet of Jesus and display His love in very tangible ways. We experienced answers to prayers that we otherwise wouldn’t have prayed. We delighted in using our testimony to encourage others and watch their faith grow. Trials strengthen our faith.
6. Waiting is Active, not Passive
Waiting is not passive–it is active. It is making the choice to trust God. It is choosing to refute the whispered lies of the enemy that invoke worry and fear with God’s truth and trustworthy promises, moment by moment. And God rewards. We choose to wait on the Lord, and in doing so, He will renew our strength. When we wait on The Lord, we can maintain our hope.
7. We can rest in the assurance that God’s plans for us are good.
When waiting on test results, we sleep in peace knowing that the God who has brought us this far, will be with us tomorrow and the next day and the next. We know that God’s plans for us are good.
We look forward in Hope to our Victory season! But even if the results are not what we hope, we trust God and will continue to give Him praise, for He alone is worthy of our praise–not because of what He does or doesn’t do, but because of Who He is!