“Life is hard. But God is good.” (When the Way Gets Tough)

“Life is hard. But God is good.”…. But just because something is cliché doesn’t mean it’s not true. Life is hard. Pain comes to us all!

Adversity and trials are par for the course. Each of us will encounter those places in the journey when it becomes extremely tough. We will be tempted to quit, to give in to the despair and give up. To cast aside our faith as something meaningless and ineffectual. But during those times we need to remember the second part of the phrase. Yes, life is hard… But God is good! All the time. Hold fast to your faith. More importantly, hold fast to Him. The clouds may have grown dark in your life. The wind may be blowing and the rain is pouring down. But I promise you that He will not fail you. More importantly, He promises you that He will not fail you. He is a very present help in your time of trouble. 

 

Psalm 46:1-2, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change…”

 

If you have walked the road of life for any length of time, you have encountered your share of bad news, dark days, and tough places in the road. All of us have had to deal with pain at some point (some more than others). The sun doesn’t always shine. The flowers don’t always bloom. The harvest is not always plentiful. Night comes. Winter comes. Seasons of famine come. To all of us. Much like our God, pain and adversity are no respecter of persons. Young or old. Rich or poor. Male or female. We will all encounter those tough places in the journey of life. 

 

In fact, the Bible tells us it to us like this in 1 Peter, “Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you.” On this side of eternity we will experience trials, testings and temptations. We shouldn’t be surprised when our turn comes. But that doesn’t mean we can’t make it through the tough places and the difficult times.

 

Tough times do not minimize the reality of God. Rather, they MAGNIFY our need of Him!!! When the tough times come don’t make the mistake of turning away from God. Don’t turn inward. Don’t allow the adversity to turn you against Him. Rather, turn to Him. He is our refuge when the storm winds blow. He is our strength when the bad news has knocked us down. He is a very present help in our times of trouble!!!