When we face trials, many scenarios can unfold. God can perform an immediate miracle or His deliverance may develop. Through this window of time, God’s love and peace can enable us to endure and finally see victory. But if we do not trust our Lord during hard times, we will experience turmoil and confusion. And we will short circuit our Lord’s plan for our lives. We may also find ourselves blaming God for our problems. Christians have a huge advantage over unbelievers, when they face trials. We can stand on God’s precious promises, and we can sense the working of His grace and of His Holy Spirit.
Praise and Worship
Let’s choose to follow the Lord through our trials. We can depend upon Him in the middle of the storm or we can drop our heads in defeat. God has given us tools or weapons that bring us the victory. One of those weapons is praise and worship. The Bible says that praise stops the enemy (Psalm 8:2). Praising God in hard times makes us stronger in the Lord and it fills us with His presence. It also wreaks havoc on the kingdom of darkness.
The Sword of God’s Word
Another weapon we have is God’s word or the sword of the Spirit. There are a myriad of promises that we can hold onto and quote in the midst of the storm. Jesus responded to temptation this way. He quoted the word of God to answer Satan. The Bible is our rock. It brings us stability. All other foundations will falter and fail. But Jesus said that the house built upon the rock of God’s word will stand.
God delivers on His promises. They are solid and sure. But God works in His way and in His time. We have to trust that God will come through for us even we don’t know how He will. We walk by faith and not by sight.
The Power of Humility
Another weapon to use in the face of trials is humility. We do not often think of this quality as an offensive weapon but it is. A humble person knows how to depend on God. A humble individual receives wisdom from God and learns to lean on the Lord in the middle of adversity. When we are humble, we cast our cares upon the Lord, and God the Father gives us His peace. Then, even if we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, we will fear no evil.
During challenging times, God’s presence can be a reservoir of strength, hope and healing. If we draw near to Him, He will draw near to us. Our humble stance yields victory. The Bible says that God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. Grace is God’s ability and His favor. Humility paves the way for Biblical success. Humility helps us to ride the storms of life. This does not mean that life is trouble free. But with the Lord’s help we can experience comfort and joy even in the middle of the pain.
When we journey through a trial we can wait upon or hope in the Lord. The scripture says that they that wait upon 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 (Isaiah 40:31).
This means that when we travel through a season of suffering, we can actually grow stronger. I am not saying that suffering is easy. Trials can be very difficult to endure, but they are especially hard when we try to battle them in our own strength. With the Lord on our side, we can endure great hardships.
Leaning on Believers
Let me finally say that God does not want you to suffer through trials on your own. Share your struggles with a believing spouse or friend. Talk to your pastor. Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 says, “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.” Your friend can lift you up through prayer. They can encourage you and comfort you.
During a battle with the Amalekites, Joshua led the Israeli army, but he only found victory when Moses’ raised his hands. When Moses grew weary, Aaron and Hur lifted his arms and the Israelites won the battle. Though Moses was a great man of God, he needed help from others. How much more do we need the help of our brothers and sisters when we face battles of our own.
If you are undergoing a trial that challenges you physically, emotionally, financially, spiritually or in any other way, know that God wants to help you. You can find your victory through praise and worship, through standing on the promises of God, by drawing near to the Lord from a place of humility, and by receiving strength from other believers.
You are Not Alone
No matter what you go through, you are not alone. God can miraculously save you from your trial or He will give you the grace to make it through your valley victoriously.
