These past two months have been a rollercoaster.
My mom passed away in December. My siblings and I had to go through the process of emptying an apartment while processing our grief and finding a place for my dad since he couldn’t afford to stay in the apartment on his income alone.
Just when I thought I was getting back in the swing of things, I received a call letting me know that my brother-in-law passed away in a tragic car accident. It hadn’t even been six weeks since we laid my mom to rest! I was still processing ONE loss, Lord!
That same week, my family and I got sick; a hit-and-run driver hit my husband; we were in the emergency room; I had an expensive dental emergency, and we had backed sewer pipes. You name it, we went through it! At this point, everything felt accumulative. We couldn’t catch a break!
Is This How Job Felt?
Now, I’m not going to say I felt like Job, but I felt like Job. Granted, Job faced greater losses than I, but back-to-back-to-back adversity will take a toll on anyone.
Most people love Job’s verse, “Though He slay me, yet will I hope in Him” (Job 13:15), but they neglect to include the second half of that verse. Job really said “I will surely defend my ways to his face.” I don’t know about you, but that is as close to a disrespectful prayer as it gets!
Yet God didn’t smite him. God’s intention was more significant and profound than Job could ever fathom.
Needless to say, I was not in a good place. I kept going to work. I kept cracking jokes. I kept putting on a happy face. It was exhausting putting on a show. I went to sleep one night feeling numb to the world.
However, Romans 8:26-27 contains one of the most beautiful bible verses for the beaten and downtrodden:
“For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.”
Romans 8:26-27
A Few Bible Verses About Strength in Hard Times
I don’t remember praying before sleeping, but I dreamt I was a tree overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge at night. Then suddenly, bible verses started falling from the sky, like rain, verses like:
“God will never leave you or forsake you” (Deut 31:6)
“A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out” (Matthew 12:20)
“Those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” (Jer 40:31)
In the dream, I felt myself grow taller and taller until I was about 80 feet tall. I was far above the clouds, staring into the stars in the night sky. Suddenly, my problems weren’t so overwhelming. I was delirious with joy! I woke up with renewed strength that morning, knowing everything would be all right.
I’m not saying a dream will work for everyone, but it was what I needed. God ministers to us in different ways.
The next day, I woke up knowing that if I set my eyes on Him, He would provide the strength I needed to overcome the tough times.
Why Did God Allow Job to Suffer?
We don’t have to understand why God allows difficult things to happen; that’s beyond our comprehension. Sometimes, we just need to let God be God. Yes, we’ll walk through the valley of the shadow of death, but HE will get us through it!
God is not like man that He should lie or change His mind. He doesn’t speak and not act. (Num 23:19). Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. (Is 59:1) C’mon somebody! Praise the Lord of our salvation for His mercy! He’s God in the good times, and He’s God in the hard times! “I have been young, and now am old; Yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread” (Ps 37:25).
We might stumble and fall but God remains the same. “He began the good work within you and will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.” (Phil 1:6) We stand on the promises of God! Let the church say Amen!
