All people go through difficult seasons in life. Seasons in which you don’t have enough money. Seasons when nothing seems to work and everything seems to be broken. The time you got the phone call that said you were fired. The time you got the call that you or a loved one has cancer or some other sickness. The phone call or conversation that your parents are getting a divorce.
None of this is easy to process. None of this is fun to walk through. Nobody wakes up in the morning and says, “I want life to be difficult today.” We all wake up to tough times, though.
In these seasons, where should one turn? We often turn to friends, family members and social media to vent or seek answers. Sometimes we pull up our favorite search engine to ask for help. Sometimes out of desperation, a person will turn to their favorite addiction to get some relief.
The reality is none of this helps. No doubt talking to someone about life’s issues will help for a few minutes. Your favorite addiction may numb the pain for a few moments, but only one source brings life and life abundantly even in the hard times.
God’s Word calls us to cry out to the Lord in the good seasons and the bad seasons. In Psalm 61:2 (HCSB), David cries out to the Lord: “I call to You from the ends of the earth when my heart is without strength.” When our hearts feel like we cannot go on, we cry out to God. When our soul hurts and we have no strength, we turn to the Lord. When the season of life seems to be wrecking everything around us, we cry out to God.
What should a person do in this tough season?
- Call on the Lord.
- Sing praise to the Lord.
- Record the ways in your life where God shows up.
- Read God’s Word.
- Talk to a friend about your circumstances.
The Lord our God hears those prayers, and He gives us strength to go forward. The Lord hears your cries and is the great provider for your needs.
Everyone will go through periods of life that are tough. Often in the struggle, strength is born. Often in the struggle, faith is born. Often in the struggle, obstacles are overcome. Often in the struggle, we find peace. These are periods of refinement, according to Psalm 66:10. We never know how long these periods of refinement will last but when they are complete, the Lord brings us to a place of abundance.
Face your period of refinement with faith knowing the Lord is good. The Lord has your best interest in mind. This tough season will pass, and one day you will look back and say, “The Lord has brought me through this, and in it all my relationship with Him is stronger!”
State Missionary Josh Meadows serves as student ministry strategist for the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions. He may be contacted at 1-800-264-1225, ext. 2280, or (334) 613-2280, [email protected].
