Comfort in Challenging Times

A world of ups and downs 

Throughout my 20 years on this earth, one thing remains certain: life is not all rosy. It is a journey filled with ups and downs. At times, I find myself feeling sad, discouraged, and alone, while other moments bring immense happiness, love, and a desire to inspire others. During challenging times, it's easy to give up, complain, or even hurt others in our pain and sometimes question our essence of living. 

Emotional distress is a very critical situation many people find themselves in. Some people cut their friends off, and others abandon their purpose and calling in life. Discouragement is a tool used by the devil to afflict the lives of many people on this earth.

He convinces us during those times that we are not good enough, we are not worthy, he reminds us of our mistakes, he accuses us, he dampens our spirit, and worst of all, he causes us to tear away from God.

 

We are not alone.

My friends, the things we hear and feel during those dark times are often lies from the devil. Remember the story in the Bible where Jesus saved a woman who was about to be stoned for her sins? The Lord said, “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her" (John 8:7) and one by one, the accusers dropped their stones and left.

The devil is like those accusers, accusing us and making us believe we deserve immediate punishment, even to the point of contemplating self-harm, and some people take their lives thinking they are deserving of death. But we have an Advocate, Jesus Christ, who died for us and intercedes on our behalf.

We have the Holy Spirit, our Comforter, who is there to console us when we call upon Him. God invites us to call upon Him in times of trouble, assuring us that He will answer. His love for us is boundless, and He yearns to claim us as His own.

One of my favorite Bible verses, Matthew 28:20, says, "teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you and LO, I AM WITH YOU ALWAYS, EVEN TO THE END OF THE AGE, AMEN."

Embracing God's presence. 

Tonight, I was down in my spirit, and I knew it could have a massive effect on me because I was super stressed with so many activities going on in my life. I felt alone, unloved, and sad, and abandoned.

"So, I went to God and cried out to Him. I told Him how much I needed Him. The Lord assures us in His word that He will never leave us nor forsake us, and He is our helper, so we don't need to be fearful (Hebrews 13:5b, 6)."

I was distressed. But all hope was not lost. I had hope in God. He heard my cry, and I felt His warmth around me.

 I knew God was always with me. Just this time around, I was surrounded by so much heaviness and emotional weight I couldn’t find any peace within my spirit. But after I cast my cares upon Him, He really proved to me that He cares.

I really love the Lord.

 

Rely on Him and trust in Him.

In this physical world, it's easy to place our trust in people. However, God's Word reminds us, "The arm of faith shall fail you..."(Jeremiah 17:5), but God never fails. We must learn to place our trust solely in Him, and He will demonstrate His love and care for us.

By anchoring ourselves in God's presence, we can find comfort amid turmoil. Life's challenges may persist, but with our all-time Comforter by our side, we can overcome emotional distress and emerge stronger than ever before.

 

 Trust in Him, call upon Him, and allow His love to envelop your life.

 

Remember, you are never alone.