Can you think of a time when you thought, “What in the world is going on in my life? Why did that happen to me? When will I finally get what I’ve wanted for so long? Why, God, why? When, God, when?” If you’ve been alive for long, you’ve probably had an experience like this at some point.
The truth is God loves us and has good plans for our lives, but that doesn’t mean life is always easy. We all go through difficult times and things happen that aren’t fair. In fact, Jesus tells us in John 16:33 (AMPC), “In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration.” It’s so important for us to understand this so we won’t be confused and lose our faith in Him when life is hard.
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Thankfully, Jesus goes on to say, “But be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you].” This is amazing assurance that if we trust in Him, everything is going to work out the way it should in the end.
I know what it’s like to hurt so much you’re not sure you can stand it any longer. And there have been times when I didn’t understand how God could allow me to go through some of the things I’ve been through. My father sexually abused me from the time I was about 3 until I left home at 18, and I remember praying many times for God to rescue me from that situation. Then, years later, I was diagnosed with breast cancer and had to have surgery to get rid of it.
I like to figure out how to fix problems, so it was difficult for me when I couldn’t understand why God allowed me to go through those circumstances. But I can say now that God did a lot of good things in me through those hard times. And He can use me to help others because of it.
In order to receive healing and restoration from the devastating things I endured, I had to learn how to trust Him when I didn’t understand and how to release my faith during trials.
There are many Scriptures about faith in the Bible. Hebrews 11:1 says faith is the substance of things we hope for and the evidence of what we can’t see. Verse six says it’s impossible for us to please God without faith, and He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Romans 12:3 says God gives each person a measure of faith, and in John 20:29b (NKJV), Jesus says, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
God wants us to come to a place in our relationship with Him where we trust that He’s in control and has our best interest at heart even when our situation doesn’t seem fair. He wants us to be able to rest in Him and have His peace that surpasses our understanding in every circumstance we face. Then we will be stable mentally and emotionally, and we won’t be driven by our feelings and make bad decisions that can make the situation even worse.
So how do we practically live by faith? We do it by what we pray, say and the actions we take. It’s vital for us to agree with God and His Word to effectively release our faith in Him. This means we need to study the Word to know what God’s will is and the many promises He’s made to us.
Pray according to His will, say what you believe He’s promised you and take God-inspired action, doing what you know to do in every situation. Choose to believe what the Bible says more than you believe what you feel, think and what other people say. And remember that God is pleased by your faith, He’s on your side and He wants to help you.
Psalm 89:14a (AMP) says, “Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne.” God is a God of justice, and He makes wrong things right. But many times we have to go through painful circumstances we don’t understand while He’s working on our behalf to bring justice in our lives.
Faith in God is the key to trusting Him in every circumstance. Walking by faith means when there are unanswered questions, we can be OK with that because God is in control, and we’re determined to trust Him no matter what.
God is so good and so awesome that He can take anything that is harmful or painful and turn it around for our good, and the good of a lot of other people too. So, whatever you’re going through today, take a step of faith and pray, “God, I know You love me. I trust You. My times are in Your hands, and I know all things in my life will work together for good because I love You and I’m called according to Your purpose!”
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For more on this topic, order Joyce’s four-part teaching resource “Contentment and Satisfaction.” You can also contact us to receive our free magazine, “Enjoying Everyday Life,” by calling 800-727-9673 or visiting www.joycemeyer.org.
Joyce Meyer is a New York Times best-selling author and founder of Joyce Meyer Ministries Inc. She has authored more than 140 books, including “Battlefield of the Mind” and “Overcoming Every Problem” (FaithWords). She hosts the “Enjoying Everyday Life” radio and TV programs, which air on hundreds of stations worldwide. For more information, visit www.joycemeyer.org.
Please note: The views and opinions expressed throughout this publication and/or website are those of the respective authors and do not necessarily reflect those of Joyce Meyer Ministries.
