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Today, we’re talking about something we all face: the hard, messy, and sometimes overwhelming struggles of life.
The truth is, life is hard. There are days when it feels like the weight of the world is on our shoulders. But as believers, we have hope. Psalm 46:1 reminds us, “God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble.”
We’re going to talk about how to face life’s challenges, find strength in God, and persevere through the pain. Whether you’re dealing with financial worries, a broken relationship, or just the weight of day-to-day struggles, this show is for you. Let’s walk this journey together, anchored in God’s promises.
Let's get into recognizing the reality of life’s hardships and finding solace in Scripture.
Let’s start with this Scripture from John 16:33, which says, "I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world."
Jesus acknowledged that struggles are a part of life. He walked through life as we do, so He knows that things can be so hard.
Let’s think about Job. If you are acquainted with his story, I encourage you to go read the book of Job and understand all he struggled through. Just a little bit into his story, we know that he lost so much and also became ill. But during all the pain, sorrow, and strife, one thing remained the same during his hardships—his faith. Not once did he turn his back on God. Others came to him and told him he should, but he never spoke against God.
What challenge in your life feels overwhelming, and how can you bring it to Jesus today?
Through your struggles, embrace the peace God gives and know that Jesus has overcome it, and there will be victory.
How has God shown His closeness to you during difficult times?
Psalm 34:17-18 says, "The Lord hears His people when they call to Him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; He rescues those whose spirits are crushed."
Ironically, during that time is when we can feel farther away from God, but the reality is that God is close to us in our brokenness. We just need to seek and know that He is with us.
We get quite a few prayer requests from our listeners, and when we read them, we can feel their need for prayer, but we also feel the hope that is in their words. Sometimes, in the prayer requests we receive, they are asking for us to pray to find God in a trying season. The Bible tells us that when we seek, we will find. So, I know that if they are reaching out and seeking the Lord, He hears their prayers and ours as well. He will help us all through these tough times.
Ask the Lord to help you carry your burdens and see how He works during this season.
God gives us peace through our trials. He hears when we call to Him, and He will answer us.
Though our struggles seem so hard and real, we cannot forget that God’s presence and power are real as well. He knows who we are, and He is walking with us every step of the way.
Pray and ask the Lord to help you to understand and grow. Then thank Him for all He has done and will continue to do through this season.
Life is hard, but God is faithful. In our weakness, His strength shines.
Let's focus on leaning on God’s strength to face life’s challenges.
Isaiah 40:31 says, “But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint."
Trusting God renews our strength. But we all know that it can be hard to trust. Let’s think about David in the Bible. He was anointed to be king at a young age, but he didn’t become king for years and years. In fact, while he was trusting in the Lord for the right time, he was chased to be killed, and during that time, he lived in caves and the wilderness. During this whole time, he knew what God had put into place was true and binding, and it was during this time he wrote many of the Psalms. He knew this because of his unwavering faith in the Lord.
Let’s take a note from David and take a break during overwhelming moments to pray and refocus.
What’s one area of your life where you need God’s strength today?
2 Corinthians 12:9-10 says, “Each time He said, ‘My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.’ So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
I made a mistake, and I knew as soon as I did it that it was bad. I knew there would be consequences, and I knew I would have to own up to it all and apologize. That is exactly what happened. I had to apologize to a friend and handle the ripple effect that caused pain to others. Here’s the deal: even though my friend accepted my apology, and we worked everything out, I held onto it. It took a long time to forgive myself, and, in that forgiveness, God really showed me grace and understanding because no one holds a grudge against me like me. So, I needed that loving grace from the Father in order to move forward.
How can you allow God’s grace to work in your weakness today?
Lean into God’s power and grace and let Him transform you with His grace and mercy.
In our weakness, we depend on God. If you are feeling weak and overwhelmed, pray and ask God for His power to overcome that weakness you are feeling. God wants us to surrender our inadequacy to Him so that He can fill us with His strength.
As it says in Isaiah 40:31, when we trust in the Lord, we find new strength, and in 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, it says that God’s grace is all we need, and His power works best in our weakness.
We don’t need to worry ourselves with being seen as weak. It is in the surrender that we are gaining power from the Lord, and that power will carry us through any struggle we face.
God doesn’t promise an easy life, but He promises His strength to carry us through.
In this blog, we have talked about recognizing the reality of life’s hardships and finding solace in Scripture. We have focused on leaning on God’s strength to face life’s challenges. And now we will focus on holding onto hope in the midst of life’s struggles.
Romans 5:3-5 says, “We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us because He has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with His love.”
Struggles build endurance and deepen our hope.
When we trust God to use our pain to refine our hearts, our character will emerge like gold. We persevere by drawing near to the heart of the One who allowed the trial, trusting His perfect plan for our lives, and humbly surrendering our will to His. In doing so, we experience the enduring truth of God’s Word.
Time and again, God, in His infinite mercy and grace, has turned trials into a testimony. He can surely do it for you!
What has a recent struggle taught you about God’s faithfulness?
Jesus offers rest for our weary hearts.
Matthew 11:28-30 says, Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”
The imagery I get from this Scripture is when a toddler has lived life as hard as they can, and they just can’t go any longer, so they go to their parent or grandparent, crawl into their lap, and get the rest and comfort they are needing.
When we sit with the Lord in prayer and in worship, we are able to do the same. We are coming to Him and letting Him know what we need, and He is providing the comfort that we need.
What burden can you surrender to Jesus today?
Trust that God can hold you up during your heaviest loads.
We went over Romans 5:3-5, which teaches that we can rejoice in our sufferings because they produce perseverance, which develops character and strengthens hope. This hope does not disappoint us because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit.
We also went over Matthew 11:28-30, and in this Scripture, Jesus invites all who are weary and burdened to come to Him for rest. He offers a yoke that is easy and a burden that is light, promising peace and refreshment for those who learn from His gentle and humble heart.
Perseverance is possible when we anchor our hope in Jesus. That hope in Jesus doesn’t remove the struggle, but it strengthens our ability to endure.
My prayer is that you’re reminded that while the struggle is real, so is our God.
Through every trial, He is with us. His Word is a lamp for our feet, His strength carries us, and His promises anchor our hope.
Psalm 46:1 says, “God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble.” Lean into that truth today, no matter what you’re facing.