Conditions change. Tragedies happen. Why should we think God is at work for our good during the difficult times in our lives?
Maybe you’ve noticed how unpredictable life can be. Conditions change, tragedies happen, and in moments of hardship, we might ask, “Where is God?”
We can trust God when we he sees and cares about us.
One day, my toddler granddaughter and I were playing hide-and-seek. She was giggling because she couldn’t see me and thought I couldn’t see her. But I saw her blonde curly hair, and I heard her giggles. She might think I was off in the next room somewhere and didn’t care. But I was there, and I cared.
Might we think the same thing about God when we can’t see his hand at work? I think so. We pray and nothing happens. We hurt and think God doesn’t care. In times like these, we learn to trust him.
Walk with the Lord to be part of his plan.
One of God’s great prophets wrote: The Lord says, “I have fully drawn up the plans I have for your lives. The details are laid out to complete something very good, not to harm you at all, but to give you hope for what comes in the end” (Jeremiah 29:11). The Israelites in exile were far from the Promised Land, living in bondage and uncertainty. Feeling abandoned and forgotten, they might have thought God had no plan for them.
Likewise, if we are doing our best to walk with the Lord, we might feel lost or abandoned, but God is still working. We may not understand what he is doing, but we can be sure his plan for our future is greater than our present pain.
God uses bad times for good.
The apostle Paul said, “All those who love God and are working to fulfill his purpose should know that all things will work together for good” (Romans 8:28). Now the opposite is also true: “For those who don’t love God and aren’t working to fulfill his purpose should know that all the good things are sure to be bad, in the end.”
Losses and disappointments are not wasted. God uses them to shape us, to draw us closer to him, and brighten our testimony for others who are struggling. When we can’t see the bigger picture, we can trust God to use the broken pieces of our lives to form the most beautiful picture.
God is making us more and more like him.
Our circumstances and present happiness aren’t as important as God’s ultimate goal to make us “without spot or wrinkle,” able to enjoy his glory forever. The Bible says: “Like someone looking into a mirror, we see the beauty of who we will become, more and more like the Lord, being changed from glory to even greater glory by the work of his Spirit” (2 Corinthians 3:18).
Hardships often serve as refining fires, molding us into the people God created us to be. We experience perseverance, strengthen our faith, and learn to trust God even more. With each test, we can grow spiritually and drawing closer to God.
God will never give up on us.
We could give up on him, but why would we? He is our only hope. More than that, he guarantees eternal life for all who endure to the end. Our struggles aren’t signs that God has left us. No, they’re signs that we should hang on, being patient, trusting him because he’s not finished yet. We have that assurance from Scripture:
God who began the good work in you will keep doing that work until the Lord returns. — Philippians 1:6 The Discussion Bible
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