Go to God

When we face trials in our lives, we find ourselves searching for a solution to the problem. We try to find an answer that will make things good again so that everything is right in our world.

We usually have a few options to choose from when it comes to finding an answer:

1. We can wallow in self pity… cry ourselves to sleep… walk around in a haze of hate…
2. We can look to our peers to give us advice.
3. We can talk to someone older and wiser for advice.
4. We can ignore the issue and bottle it inside.
5. We can open up to God and let Him work our hardships into a deeper relationship with Him.

There are probably more options to choose from, and a couple of the options might sound OK. But, when it comes to finding an answer, aka peace and comfort during hard times, the best option is always going to be God.

During our struggles, we ask questions like, “How do we know if God is listening?” and “How do we know if God is going to help us?”

Scripture tells us that God listens to us, cares for us and will take care of us.

• As for me, I will call upon God; and the Lord shall save me. Evening and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and He shall hear my voice. (Psalm 55:16,17 KJV)
• Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. (1 Peter 5:7 NLT)
• Give your burdens to the LORD, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall. (Psalm 55:22 NLT)
• …and call on me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me. (Psalm 50:15 NIV)

Scripture also tells us that it’s OK to be upset or angry with God. It’s even OK to yell at God and tell Him how we might feel like things are all His fault.

• My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? Why are you so far away when I groan for help? Every day I call to you, my God, but you do not answer. Every night you hear my voice, but I find no relief. Everyone who sees me mocks me. They sneer and shake their heads, saying, ‘Is this the one who relies on the LORD? Then let the LORD save him! If the LORD loves him so much, let the LORD rescue him!’ Do not stay so far from me, for trouble is near, and no one else can help me. (Psalm 22:1, 2, 7, 8, 11 NLT)

Many people think that it’s inappropriate to yell at God, and in some cases it might be, but He would rather us be real and honest with Him than hide behind politeness.

Throughout the Bible we read words that may sound very similar to our own dramatic rants with God… We might exclaim the following:

• We’re ready to give up, we can’t fight anymore.
• Lord, we’re lost and alone, where are you?
• We’re so tired of you ignoring us Lord, we hate you.
• We just want to lay in bed and never get up

It’s OK for us to have those dramatic rants… besides… God already knows every thought we think before we think it, so there’s no sense in acting like He doesn’t know how we feel.

Just remember that even though it’s OK to be angry with God and tell him how we feel, it’s NOT OK to stay that way.

In Psalm 22, King David is in the midst of enduring a hard time – his enemies were out to kill him and he felt like God wasn’t there to help; that God had abandoned him.

• My strength has dried up like sunbaked clay.
• My tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth. You have laid me in the dust and left me for dead.” (Psalm 22:15 NLT)

Even though David would get upset with God, he always praised God in the end.

• In the future, everyone will worship and learn about you, our Lord. People not yet born will be told, “The Lord has saved us! (Psalms 22:30, 31 CEV)

God really does know how we feel, and He wants to be there for us when hard times come our way.

• We have a great high priest, who has gone into heaven, and he is Jesus the Son of God. This is why we must hold on to what we have said about him. Jesus understands every weakness of ours, because he was tempted in every way that we are. But he did not sin! So whenever we are in need, we should come bravely before the throne of our merciful God. There we will be treated with undeserved grace, and we will find help. (Hebrews 4:14-16 CEV)

And since He can relate so well, why wouldn’t we want to go to Him for help during hard times?

So when we’re enduring a difficult time, we must go to God and let Him turn our hardship into an even deeper relationship with Him.

Only He can give us the peace we need to make it through.

Praise God In the Midst of Hardship

No matter how hard our situation or how far we feel from the Lord, we must learn to praise Him in all things.

• Listen to worship music even when it’s the last thing we want to do.
• Call up a strong Christian friend and spend time with her. You don’t have to talk about your situation, but God places people in our lives to lift us up when we need support.
• Go to youth group, bible study or a girl’s church group. It’s too easy to seclude yourself, but God created us to be in community.
• Tell God that you’re mad at Him, but thank Him for pulling you out of the mess because you trust that He will, even though He hasn’t yet.
• Journal about all the good things God has done for you in the past.