Hardship

You have allowed me to suffer much hardship, but you will restore me to life again and lift me up from the depths of the earth.

Psalm 71:20

WE ALL KNOW people who’ve suffered true hardship. Perhaps they go for years without seeing any success in their business. Or maybe they fight a disease, only to succumb in the end. Others live in homes where strife abounds. They pray and try to be kind and gentle, but the situations deteriorate.

Are you facing hardships like these? These problems and others like them can wear you down. They can make you feel as though God has vanished or has ceased caring or is punishing you for some sin from long ago. You may even feel guilty and broken. As the passage above says, God sometimes allows us to go through physical or emotional depths for long periods of time, sometimes for years.

Why? Over and over the Bible tells us that God allows such troubles to come upon us for at least two reasons: to build us up, teaching us to persevere, and also to show his glory by rescuing us, restoring us, and lifting us “from the depths of the earth.”

That doesn’t mean a struggle doesn’t hurt or doesn’t wear you down. But keep your eyes on God; he will restore you just as he restored Job and will bless you for your commitment and endurance.