It is an immense blessing to be a born-again Christian. We get to partake of God’s holiness and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Our names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life and we get to experience the fulfillment of Divine purpose for our lives.
All this is good and acceptable until we meet upon trials. When hardships hit the believer, they can threaten to knock us off our feet. It takes much in those times to hold to the spiritual blessings we would have come to take such delight in.
The challenges faced by believers come in many forms:
- Sickness
- Broken homes
- Financial strain
- Loss of loved ones
- Persecution
- National crises (think of war, natural disasters etc), to name a few.
Some hardships are outright consequences of our poor decisions, while others may be God’s pruning work in our lives. Still, some challenges are part of the package of being involved in Christian ministry. The apostle Paul listed the hardships he encountered as a minister of God, including afflictions, imprisonments, being beaten, stoned and robbed; hunger and thirst; being cold and naked; suffering betrayal and dishonor.
Regardless of the source and nature of our trials, most of us immediately seek the knee-jerk escape route. In reality what we need when faced with hard times are comfort, stability, reassurance, answers and peace from God’s presence. Meditating on scripture allows us to connect with God’s presence. So, here are some of the most important themes and 50 supporting Bible verses we can meditate on to take us through life’s most challenging moments.
Faith
When hard times face us, it is easy to question God, doubt His promises and get carried away by what our physical senses can detect. That’s when it is helpful to consider Hebrews 11:1, where faith is defined as the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. We are equally reminded in 2 Corinthians 5:7 that our life is a faith-based walk, not one that is based on sight. The Scriptures further encourage us not to look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen (2 Corinthians 4:18). In fact, without faith, we lose our ability to please God (Hebrews 11:6), and yes, God is expecting us to please Him even in the bad times. When hard times cause our faith to waver, we need to draw on the faith provided by Jesus as Paul did according to Galatians 2:20. Like the apostle Paul, we must understand that our faith isn’t just to be directed to God, but, thankfully, it comes from Him too!
Mercy
Not all difficult circumstances are a sign of God’s judgement, but even when they are, mercy is still available. Sometimes our self-righteousness can make us want to condemn ourselves even beyond God’s punishment. However, if we humble ourselves and cry out to God, He can show mercy. In Jeremiah 3:12, the Lord declares “I am merciful”, and in Lamentations 3:22, Jeremiah acknowledged how God’s mercies withheld His full wrath from His people. Indeed, if our Father should mark all our iniquities, none of us would stand a chance (Psalm 130:3-4). 2 Chronicles 30:9 also bears a beautiful reminder, that if God’s people turned to Him , they would “find compassion before them that lead them captive”, all because of God’s mercy. Regardless of what we’re going through, we can be confident that God still loves us and is willing to show us mercy. We must know and believe it (1 John 4:16).
God’s Faithfulness
An assurance of God’s faithfulness is vital during times of hardship. This, so we can maintain a right view of who God is. The Scriptures remind us that God is our refuge and strength, and that He is present in times of trouble (Psalm 46:1). We are not left alone, because He promises in Hebrews 13:5 that He never leaves nor forsakes us. Though severe hardships can bring dramatic and unexpected changes to our lives, we can be assured that God does not change (James 1:17). From everlasting to everlasting He remains God (Psalm 90:2), a fact that helps us transcend our physical and temporal sorrows. Let us take heart from these verses, knowing that God remains the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8). He is faithful.
Hope
The Bible calls believers to be people of hope against all odds. In fact, the idea of hoping for what we already see is almost ridiculed in Romans 8:24, where the writer proclaims “hope that is seen is not hope”. For instance, when faced with the most dire of circumstances, the prophet Jeremiah acknowledged God as his portion, in whom his soul would hope (Lamentations 3:24). The psalmist shared a similar perspective in Psalm 39:7, declaring that his hope was in God. Our hardships provide us with the precise conditions and opportunities (yes, I said opportunities) to exercise real hope. There is even a blessing pronounced on the man whose hope the Lord is (Jeremiah 17:7). There is also a promise that God will strengthen the heart of all who hope in Him (Psalm 31:24). Hoping against all odds evidently comes with much-needed benefits; hope is not a waste of time!
Joy
Few virtues can feel as counterintuitive in hard times as the virtue of rejoicing. Hard times are called “hard” for a reason, and we all know there isn’t anything enjoyable about being pressed on every side. However, the word of God is bold in its expectation where it commands us to “count it all joy” when faced with trials (James 1:2). The sentiment is echoed through the apostle Paul who invites believers to “rejoice in the Lord alway” (Philippians 4:4). Paul is suggesting that ongoing, consistent joy should be a Christian’s fact of life. He further admonishes us in 1 Thessalonians 5:16 with the simple directive: “Rejoice evermore”. The saints are also invited to “be glad in the Lord and rejoice” in Psalm 32:12. Now why such an emphasis on joy? It turns out that the illogical choice to rejoice in hardship actually comes with a significant value. Nehemiah 8:10 offers the explanation – the joy of the Lord is our strength.
Peace
Another crucial spiritual substance that is needed in hard times is peace. However, it has to be the right kind of peace – not as the world gives, but what only Jesus gives (John 14:27). He is also identified as the Lord of Peace, who Paul prayed would give us His peace always and by all means (2 Thessalonians 3:16). This perfect peace is promised in Isaiah 26:3 to those whose minds are stayed on God. It is a peace that protects our hearts and minds, but only if we pray about everything (Philippians 4:6-7). So important is peace for God’s people that God had told Aaron and his sons to include a blessing of peace in blessing the children of Israel (Numbers 6:26). Peace is part of God’s plan for His people, and even more so during hard times.
God’s Goodness
Just as the Devil insinuated that God was not being good to Eve, our harsh realities can cause us to be uncertain about God’s goodness. Without a right perspective and mindset we may use hardship as an indicator of God’s ill intentions toward us. However, the goodness of God isn’t limited to or measured by our circumstances and our response to those circumstances. Rather, God’s goodness is His character. Psalm 100:5 tells us “the Lord is good” and Psalm 34:8 invites us to “taste and see that the Lord is good”. It is through “the riches of His goodness” that we are able to repent (Romans 2:4) and despite the hard times, we can still see evidence of His goodness in the earth (Psalm 33:5). Even when there is trouble, Psalm 145:9 reminds us that the Lord is good to all. Let us not allow hard times to blind us to God’s goodness.
Prayer
Hard times can threaten to weigh us down enough to suppress our prayers. But if talking to a trusted friend helps you unwind, talking to God helps even more. We are encouraged to make our requests known to God (Philippians 4:6) and also to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17) – that means we should never give up on prayer! The psalmist in Psalm 55:17 determined to pray “evening, and morning, and at noon”. In James 5:13 there is even a very specific counsel: “Is any among you afflicted? let him pray”. Our affliction shouldn’t be used as an excuse not to pray – it is the reason we should pray! In Matthew 26:41, Jesus said it clearly, warning us to watch and pray, not because we are feeling strong, but rather because the flesh is weak.
Worship
Worshipful adoration of the Most High God is not only possible in hard times, but can be a source of deliverance too. 2 Chronicles 20:1-22 provides an example of worship in frightening circumstances, and the power of deliverance it brought.
Acts 16:25-26 displays another example of praise in difficulty as we see Paul and Silas beaten, imprisoned, but still singing praises. Their worship also brought dramatic deliverance.
Psalm 119:164 gives a picture of praise “seven times a day”, and the psalmist declared he would bless the Lord “at all times” (Psalm 34:1). If we remember that Heaven is constantly offering worship to God (Revelation 4:8), perhaps we will be encouraged to abide in that state of worship even in the hardest of times.
Thankfulness
When faced with hard times, it is easy to lose sight of what God has done and start dictating what we think He should be doing. That’s why these Scriptures on thanksgiving are so important to keep in mind:
- In everything give thanks (1 Thessalonians 5:18)
- Giving thanks always for all things (Ephesians 5:20)
- We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren (2 Thessalonians 1:3)
- Abounding therein with thanksgiving (Colossians 2:7)
- And thanksgiving be unto our God for ever and ever (Revelation 7:12)
Thanksgiving is not a denial of what we’re going through, but an appropriate acknowledgement of the works of God we can still see (and they’re always there!)
Practical Application
The Scriptures abound with the reminders and encouragements we need to uphold us through challenging times. Regardless of how different our trials may look, the word of God is applicable to all of us at all times. We can get the word in by:
- Reading the Bible
- Memorizing scripture
- Listening to Bible-based music
- Having conversations around and about God’s word
- Posting Scriptures around us (wall art, on our device screens etc.)
It’s also a good idea to maintain fellowship with your local body of believers so they can help bear you up in prayer, provide encouragement and give you listening ears when you need to talk.
But here’s a word of caution – after the trial is over and God has healed you or solved your problem, do not go back on these great habits. The same strength, knowledge and hope the word of God would have fed you with in hard times are relevant to a solid Christian walk everyday. Keep getting those verses in and build a strong foundation and the spiritual muscles that will make you fit for the next season of hardships.
Conclusion
There is no believer in this world who has not or will never face a trying time. Hard times are sure to come for us as Christians and we’d best be prepared for them. We can take comfort in knowing that Jesus has given us His word to stand on. When combined with healthy Christian fellowship, meditating on God’s word will be the cushion and the staff we can safely lean on during hard times.
