Sometimes life comes towards us with strong storms and
hardships that can feel unbearable. These storms can cause us to feel disconnected from life, ourselves, and sometimes, we even feel disconnected from God. When life becomes heavy and dark, the devil will use these moments to begin to speak doubt into our faith. Jesus reminds us that He will walk through the valley with us because there is nowhere, we can go that He will not. Jesus does not scare easily. He will walk through financial struggles, spiritual doubt, mental anguish and emotional turmoil, with us! Our struggles are meant to build our strength and character, but it is hard to see the bigger picture when the canvas is caving in around you. Our situations can tower over us like a bully in elementary school, poking at us and taunting us to no avail. The devil sends these problems to test just how strong our faith is in God's word. God understands that sometimes the winds from our storms seem stronger than the foundation of the house our faith is built on, but He trusts you to trust Him.
Life can back you into a corner and make you feel as if there is no way out of your troubles. God, Our Father, is much bigger than anything we could ever face. Sometimes the toll of Him not being physically here can bring us anxiety because it gets hard to have faith in something you can't touch. There is nothing that happens in your life that He did not ordain. God watches over us and allows certain test because He knows the strength you gain from this test will be needed later in your life. The devil can't make a move without God approving it. In the Bible, Job 1-16, talks about a man who was tested to great lengths by the devil to see will he remain faithful in the mist of his storms. God allows these tests because He has faith in you to remain strong and noble. Your faith in God and your heart is what the devil is attacking, not you. For the devil, this is just business. It is his business to turn your heart cold to God and to kill your faith. Your faith is your weapon, and if he can disarm you, he can destroy you.
God gives us His word that He will be with us through all of our trials and tribulations. When we experience these hardships, we must be honest with God and tell Him what we are going through. The devil will convince you that God has turned from you because of your circumstances, when this is simply not true. God is more present than ever when we are going through our problems. In fact, God will even step in and fight for us when we grow tired of fighting for ourselves. He never turns from us, and He is not ashamed of our mistakes. We should run to Him with our problems and trust that He has heard us and that He cares. Sometimes, it's hard to go to God because we can feel like we are the source of our problems. Our mistakes can lead to hardships and that can introduce the feelings of guilt and shame. God encourages us to come boldly before the throne in our storms, just like we would in our victories. There is nothing you can tell God, that He doesn't already know. But God is not rude. He will not invite himself into your battles, you have to ask Him to come in and have faith that He will enter on your behalf.
The devil will use shame to push you further from God, don't allow him to do it! Instead run to God and lay yourself before Him and ask for deliverance. Have faith that God wants to deliver you out of your storm. You must believe that God sees you as His own and He wants to bring you out! Most of our problems come when God feels we are walking off course and have strayed too far from him. He wants us close, and He will allow storms to strengthen our faith and bring us back to Him. Your greatest blessings will come after your greatest test! God will reward you for your troubles, but He needs to know that your will have faith no matter what the environment around you looks like. God wants to reward us. He wants to bless us! Stay strong in your faith, knowing that God is bringing your greater after your season of test! We are like seeds in God's eyes. We must be pressed down deep into the soil and watered by our faith, before we sprout up into the sunflower that we are meant to be!
Encouraging Bible Verses:
Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
Philippians 4:4-7 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
John 14:27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.
Psalm 46:10 Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!
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