Most Compassionate Lord, whenever I think about going through “tough times” I always think of Job. His words echo the dark, desperate times he was going through. You can hear his pain when he says, “Relent, do not be unjust; reconsider my life and what I’m going through. Am I to be a slave to my circumstances forever? When I lie down I think about how long it is until I get up and my misery starts over again.” In his grief, Job wanted to give in, to be free of his torments and even if it meant his death. He felt what he was going through was unjust and he begged You to relent or let him die. But You did not grant Job’s request because You had a greater plan for him. When I go through trials, my tendency is to want to escape them. To trust You in my good times is easy but trusting You during “tough times” tests my faith to the limits. I must not forget that You are always in control and You will take care of me.
I should never confuse righteousness with sinfulness. My righteousness comes from You … my sins come from my mind and body colluding against You. During times of stress and turmoil I may have wrong thoughts and actions. However, when I remain committed to You and carefully strive to obey You to the best of my ability, I retain my righteousness. When I am immersed in anguish, I want to feel free to speak with You honestly about my feelings and frustrations. If I entrust my feelings to You, I am believing that we can deal with them without my exploding into harsh words and actions that I will regret, potentially hurting myself and others. By sharing what I am going through with You, I am hopeful You will give me a better perspective of my situation and thereby increase my ability to be able to deal with my circumstances appropriately.
Sometimes when I go through “tough times” I feel like You do not care about me and how my life is unfair. However, as a Christian I should expect continuing conflict with an unbelieving world and my relationship with You. I must also not forget that my enemy, Satan, always tries to exploit my weak moments to separate us. What I have come to realize is that what I am suffering may not be a result of sin but what simply befalls me because I live in the world (i.e.- losing my job, being abandoned by someone who I loved and trusted, etc.). I must never see You as someone who watches over my life and mercilessly watches me squirm in misery. I believe that You do watch over me at all times and look upon me with eyes of compassion and love. I must come to grips with the fact that trials and struggles are a part of life and I need not deal with them alone. And it’s in Jesus’ name I pray. AMEN!!
John 16:33 In this world you will have tribulations. But take heart! I have overcome the world.