Encouraging Word If Times Are Hard

I want to encourage you today if times are really hard for you right now.

First, I want you to know that God is good, all the time. And He loves you, all the time.

I know that sometimes it feels like He has abandoned us or forsaken us–but He never has. He promised that He will never leave you nor forsake you, and He is with you right now.

I also want you to know that you are safe in His hands, even when you don’t feel safe.

We often don’t feel safe because circumstances are not as we want them to be. We feel like we need our situations and circumstances to look like a certain thing, to look a certain way, in order for us to be okay.

However, God defines “okay” quite a bit differently than we do.

Sometimes God’s “okay” still requires us to make hard decisions. Sometimes He requires us to step out on a limb and do things we never had to do before–or to do things we didn’t ever want to do.

Sometimes His version of “okay” means He reminds us that we have food in our bellies and a roof over our head, and having food and shelter we should therefore be content.

The fact is …

God doesn’t always do what we want Him to do, when we want Him to do it.

But He is still loving and kind. And when He allows us to go through difficult times, it is almost every time (maybe even every time, 100% of the time) a TEST.

And the test comes before the breakthrough. The bigger the exam, the bigger the place of intercession you are gaining. The harder the test, the more authority and blessing you are gaining in the Spirit.

Sometimes the testing seems unfair. “Nobody else seems to be being tested this way!” we think. Or, we think, “I didn’t do anything to deserve this trial. Everything I have done has been on the authority of God’s Word.” And yet, tests and trials still come.

In the midst of it all, remember Jesus, saying, “In this world you will have trouble. But be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”

We don’t always want to think of that, because our flesh wants to give in to our crazy emotions. Our flesh wants the opportunity to sozzle in self-pity sometimes.

Nevertheless, the Lord continues testing us, and through it all He is praying for you to persevere.

And when you have a need, He supplies it.

That doesn’t always look like we want it to look like, though. Sometimes He supplies by removing the need. Sometimes He supplies by moving the deadline on the need. And sometimes He supplies by forcing us to come up with creative solutions to meet the need ourselves.

When that happens, almost always I have seen that He wants to bless us in a big way through a pathway that would never have opened unless we did implement that creative solution out of forced problem-solving.

But through it all, He is faithful. He is faithful and just, and He cannot deny Himself. His Word is true, and it abides forever. Jesus has still magnified His Word above His name. He is still God all by Himself. He is still kind and loving and generous and true, and His promises are good–and they are for you.

Remember this today.

Love in Jesus,

Jamie Rohrbaugh