by Patricia Broyles
Often I get myself thinking on how I would love to just play the “skip” card on some specific life’s trials. Even though that this is not how it works, we still desire for things to be resolved or just to get a little easier to carry on.
Over the years, in different situations God has given me strength that I never imagined I could have. My heart has been stretched and when I think that this is the max that it can go, I see that God made it a little bigger. But there is a great good part in this, I have found that those extra spaces made by the stretching will later be filed with joy.
At the end of the day, what will really make the difference is how was our attitude through the journey. Here are some points that I try to put in front of me when the trials feel impossible to deal with:
1- Give it to God
Moving from the point of facing the trial and having to deal with it, our first step is to make ourselves run to our Lord. Sometimes we freeze or our flesh wants to try one more way before asking God’s help. We need to set our mind to “run to God” not from Him in any situation. Our part in handling the trials is to get to this point after this, God is the One that will handle it.
Tell God what are you feeling - our Heavenly Father loves you, and He is always ready to answer when you call Him Jeremiah 33:3 Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.
Tell Him that you need Him to take that burden for you. (Good moment to humble ourselves and exalt Him)
Do what you are supposed to do (be responsible, do your part).
Let God take care of the rest - He has His higher ways to deal with it.
Ask God for His peace. Philippians 4:6-7 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
2- Remember God is unchangeable
(in fact, this is my favorite attribute of God) God is unchanging in his character, will, and covenant promises. He will not change.
His stedfast love will no change
His mercy will no change
His forgiveness will no change
His Word will no change
His goodness will no change
His justice will no change
His beauty will no change
His perfection will no change
His promises will no change
His grace will no change
His Truth will no change
We can keep building this list...
Psalm 100:5 For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; And his truth endureth to all generations
Psalm 119:89 For ever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven.
Malachi 3:6 For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.
3- Trials improve my relationship with my heavenly Father
Keep in mind that God uses those situations to keep us close and refine us as gold.
These moments push us to get closer to our Lord in prayer and Bible reading.
Use these opportunities to make prayer and time with the Word of God a habit, even when the hard times end.
Don’t quit your relationship with Him, He is the only source of Victory that we have! Isaiah 40:31 But they that wait on the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
Psalm 34:17–19 The righteous cry, and the LORD hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles. The LORD is near to them that are of a broken heart; and saves such as be of a contrite spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivers him out of them all.
Zachariah 13:9 And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The Lord is my God.
Pray, cry, ask, seek Him. Put down at His feet your burdens. Share your faith in Christ with others.
The more quality time that we spend alone with the Lord the more strength we will find. When you prioritize God, the battles around us just become easy, we start to see our trials through our great God other then trying to see God through the trials.
4- I am on the victorious side
Remind ourselves that Jesus already has the Victory over Satan and this fallen world and because we are part of His army we have nothing to fear but to battle with our minds settled on the Victory that Jesus own.
1 Corinthians 15:57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
I John 5:4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.
Deuteronomy 20:4 For the Lord your God is he that goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.
Romans 8:37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
Psalm 108:13 Through God we shall do valiantly: for he it is that shall tread down our enemies.
5- I don't belong to this world but while I’m here I will work for His glory
My hope is Jesus - not anything from this world.
Jesus knows how it is to live a life in this world being a human. John 16:33 things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
I’m a citizen of Heaven
Look at part of this hymn by Adam Morgan
I'm an heir of Heaven,
I'm a child of the God of grace
Once cast out from His holy face
Now embraced as His Son
I'm an heir of Heaven
I'm a child of the King of kings
Turned from lost to adopted one,
From a slave to a son.
For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself. Philippians 3:20-21
conversation = citizenship
Since we are child of the King, don’t you think that the King will provide a way? Or a escape? or the strength ? or the peace?
He owns this world. He is the ruler over all!
We must continuing believing, praying, doing His will and enduring what God places in our way; with only one purpose in mind: that even from the hardest seasons of our life He will get all the glory.