I am a Part of the Kingdom of God

 

Kingdom is defined as the spiritual reign or authority of God. God has all authority to give orders, make decisions, and exercise his power. 

 

In the study of biology, there are rules that govern classification. These rules are used to determine what kingdom plants and animals are a part of. There have been several theories and ideas in biology that now have five kingdoms of classification. This classification was based upon certain characteristics like mode of nutrition, cell structure, relationships and reproduction. These rules are the determining factor. 

What does this have to do with the Kingdom of God? We are supposed to be a part of the kingdom of God when take on His name. We are to fit within the rules that govern the Kingdom of God. We are given the characteristics of His Kingdom. We are to have a mode of nutrition. We are to take in His Word, His spirit, prayer life. We are to have a cell structure or make up that reflects God. We are to be filled with his spirit. We are made new creatures. We become spiritual beings reflective of God's authority over us. We are to have relationships that reflect God. We become part of his family. part of the body of Christ. We are to relate to the body, care for the body, be a part of the body. We are to have reproduction. We produce the fruit of the spirit as He works in us and through us. We are to share the gospel and bring others into the Kingdom of God. 

 

1 Corinthians 15:50

Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.

 

Do I carry the characteristics of the Kingdom of God?  Does God rule and reign over me and my life?  Would I be classified as a member of His Kingdom? Am I a representative of His Kingdom?

. Do others recognize my citizenship of the Kingdom?  My life should reflect the characteristics of the Kingdom of God. I am no longer of this world, I am now a representative of the Kingdom of God. A representative is defined as typical of a class, group, or body of opinion; an example of a class or group; a person chosen or appointed to act or speak for another or others. I have been bought by the blood of Jesus. I have been made a new creature in Christ. I am no longer my own. I am His.

 

 1 Thessalonians 2:10-12

10 Ye are witnesses, and God also, how holily and justly and unblameably we behaved ourselves among you that believe:

11 As ye know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you, as a father doth his children,

12That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory.

 

 I find my nutrition in his Word. I feast on HIs Word and am fed by the Word. I have a prayer life that is effective and fervent. I reflect Jesus Christ in how I live, act, respond and treat others. My relationships are fruitful. The Spirit should produce life around me. My life should be fruitful and produce the fruit of the spirit so that others can taste and see that God is good. New creatures are produced because God works through me to reach others. 

 

Matthew 6:33

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

We are to walk worthy of the Kingdom of God, seeking God first and pursuing the righteousness of God. When we focus on living in the Kingdom of God, rather than the nature of this world, Our characteristics will reflect Jesus to those around us. We will walk and talk like him. We will act like him. Those around us will feel His presence, see him actively working through us, and will want to be like Him as well. Represent the Kingdom of God. That is who you are supposed to be and who you are called to be. He has chosen us. We are a chosen people, a royal priesthood.

1 Peter 2:9

But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;

 

Know who you are. Know the Kingdom to which you belong. Live as a citizen of this Kingdom representing the King of Kings. He is Lord of all. He is in complete authority and we have access the King.

The is Power in Praise

 There is power in praise. Praise is defined as 1.  to express a favorable judgment of : Commend; 2.  to glorify (a god or saint) especially by the attribution of perfections (Merriam Webster)

 

Praise invites the presence of God into your life. Psalm 22:3 But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.  He comes and lives in our praise. He hears our worship. He is pleased when we praise. He responds to praise.  God's presence will change the atmosphere and change you. He is able to give us a peace and a joy that the world cannot understand.  I know God works through our praise. He deserves all praise. He is worthy of all praise. He has praise woven throughout the Word.  When we go to the temple built by Moses, we see that God wanted to dwell with his people. The temple was there not only for worship, but as a way for God to dwell with his people. In Exodus 25:8 And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them. This verse explains that he wanted to be with them. He travelled with them when they moved and had a place to dwell. He wants to be with his people. He now comes in and fills each of us with his Spirit. We are now the temple. 1 Corinthians 6:19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? We are now the vessel meant for him to live and be praised. The temple had the outer court, the inner court and the holy of holies. When Jesus became the sacrifice, the veil was torn so we have access to the Lord himself. We go to the holy of holies. He wants relationship with each and every one of us. We enter the holy of holies by proceeding from the outer courts of praise to the inner court of consecration, to the very throne room of righteousness. There is one gate to enter.  Psalm 11:4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.  Praise ushers in the peace and joy in his presence.

Praise can change our mindset. Part of praise is being thankful. Thankfulness is very powerful in how we view our lives and our situations.  Being thankful will change a mindset, change your hope, change how you handle the situation in which you find yourself. When I begin to recount the goodness of God, the blessings, and thank him, I stop dwelling on the problem and give him the glory and worship.  He deserves all our praise. If we focus on the problem, the storm, we get our eyes off of Jesus. We begin to sink, just as Peter did.  We can keep our eyes on Jesus by praising him. Hebrews 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Praise brings joy.  Even when I do not feel like praising God, I can start with that sacrifice of praise. Just take that step to worship God. His presence enters and he can work on our hearts and minds. He can take what we worry about and turn it to praise. His peace can wipe our the worry, His joy can heal the hurting.  Isaiah 61:3 O appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified.  Philippians 4:7  And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Praise is also a way of defeating the enemy.  When we praise God, The enemy cannot stand. He may try to imitate God by posing as a lion.   1Peter 5:8  ]Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.  But God is the Lion of Judah. Judah means 'praise'  Jesus was born in the tribe of Judah. He is the Lion of Judah. Revelation 5:5 And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof. Jesus is the One with the power we need to defeat the enemy.  Praise ushers in our victory.  The enemy cannot win if we are praising God through all circumstances. He cannot gain a foothold as we worship God Almighty. In 2 Chronicle 20 we can read about King Jehoshaphat leading the tribe of Judah (praise) to send the praise up first. The singers entered the battle field first.  They found the enemy already defeated.  v. 21 And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the Lord, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the Lord; for his mercy endureth for ever. If you need victory, start praising God. He will fight the battle for you and bring the victory you need. 

Praise is powerful. Praise brings his presence. Praise changes you inside out. Praise brings you victory. Praise brings us before the feet of Jesus. Praise Him!

Psalm 150 Praise ye the Lord. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power. Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness. Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp. Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs. Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals. Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord.

exceeding mercy

I was thinking the other day about how growing up, we could always run to mom or dad and present them our concerns and our accomplishments. We were not afraid to run to them to ask for help, to tell them our latest joy, or to even present them a problem.  My own kids call out for mom or dad when they have trouble or when they are excited. When that phone rings and it is my kid, I will not hesitate to answer that phone. I want to know what they need. I want to rush to help or to rejoice about whatever they are doing. I want to do for them sometimes more than they expect, not because they worked and earned it, because they are mine and I love them. We have that same effect on our heavenly Father. He loves us even more than the best parent. He is a God of love and the One who extended grace, unmerited favor to a broken people. He sent his son to die for our sins. He reached out to a fallen world to not only give salvation, but to extend grace beyond what we could ask or think.

We all have sinned and have a great need of a Savior. Paul wrote in his letter to the Ephesians about the great gift we received from Jesus. In chapter two of Ephesians, Paul wrote: 4, But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: 7. That in ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. These verses give us hope and understanding that because of Jesus we are raised up in Christ Jesus and dead to sin.  We are no longer the sinful man, but we are recipients of the great gift of mercy and grace. We are no longer who we were. Verse seven says he will shew the exceeding riches of his grace. Because of his kindness and goodness, we receive exceeding riches of grace. Exceeding means: very great, extreme. His grace goes beyond what we can think or believe. It is more than; it is expansive. It goes beyond just rescue and setting us free but continues to flow and bless throughout our lives. 

Grace is what gives us access to the throne of God and covers us. He died so we might have life. In verse fourteen of chapter 2, it says: For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us.  When Jesus died on that cross, the vail in the temple was torn through revealing the Holy of Holies to those who had had no access to it in the past. This proclaimed that everyone was able to walk into the presence of God because of Jesus' sacrifice. We can approach the throne of God with our petition and our praise. We are robed in the righteousness of Jesus Christ and when we approach the holy presence of God, the righteousness of Jesus grants us the right to be there as stated in chapter two. 18. For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. 19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God. We are now a part of the family. Grace covers us, changes us, and causes us to be new. We become the habitation of God through the Spirit. His spirit lives in us, granting us peace, joy, and guidance. His presence dwells in us. We cannot earn this, but it is given to us in unmerited favor. 

Paul explained that because of the mercy and grace of Jesus Christ, we are saved. Because of Jesus, we are made a part of the family of God. Because of him, we are able to access the Holy One. We were never able to do that on our own. His grace and mercy are a gift that provides great access. We are now able to make our petitions known to God. We are able to bow before him in worship. We are able to speak with him for ourselves. We are able to know him and learn his voice. We can go directly to God and He will respond in great love for us. He sees our needs, he hears our prayers, and he blesses us. We can have a relationship with God because we are now part of his family. We can sit at his table and feast on the good things of God. We can call on Him and his grace and mercy come running. He loves us and cares about our needs. He will answer with his exceeding riches of grace. He is rich in mercy; His love is great and poured out on us. His exceeding grace has saved us. Walk in the full understanding that God's exceeding grace is covering you today. Walk in the confidence of knowing the grace Giver.

What is my issue?

There is a beautiful story of faith and healing recorded in three of the four gospels about a woman with an issue of blood. Luke recorded as follows:

Luke 8:43-48 

43 And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years, which had spent all her living upon physicians, neither could be healed of any, 44 Came behind him, and touched the border of his garment: and immediately her issue of blood stanched. 45 And Jesus said, Who touched me? When all denied, Peter and they that were with him said, Master, the multitude throng thee and press thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me? 46 And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me. 47 And when the woman saw that she was not hid, she came trembling, and falling down before him, she declared unto him before all the people for what cause she had touched him, and how she was healed immediately. 48 And he said unto her, Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace.

When we look at what is recorded about her, we don't get a lot of her life's story but we know a few things. She had spent all she had trying to get help for an issue of blood. She could not be healed by any. This issue of blood, according to the Law of Moses, required her to be deemed unclean. This meant several things. No one could touch her. She wasn't supposed to go out in public. She could not attend services at the temple or synagogue. She was to be untouchable and alone. She had no money and maybe shunned by her loved ones at this point. She was without any hope, until she heard about Jesus. Jesus was healing people; he was delivering people. She heard the stories, maybe even saw from a window. She knew he could help her. 

She risked a lot of things to go out into public in her condition. She had reached a point of desperation. She knew only Jesus could give what she needed. She was at that point that if this didn't work, she would be left completely without any other way to be healed. No one could help her. It said in Matthew's account "She said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole."  She believed he could do this miracle and made up her mind that nothing would stop her. She was driven by desperate hope to get to Jesus. She had to push through the throngs of people, breaking the Law. She reached for him and maybe even had to crawl through, but she reached and found the hem of his garment. Healing immediately flowed through. She was made whole. 

The next part of her story could have terrified her. Jesus stopped and spoke. He asked who had touched him. She knew she could be punished for being out in public. She had suffered for years and knew the risk she had taken. She had no idea how he would respond and what he would say about her touching him. She was unclean. No one wanted her to be around them much less touch them. She had to declare it. She knew she was the one who had received a great miracle. She spoke out in front of all the people trembling in fear, but she spoke. 

She then received a greater blessing. Jesus spoke words of life and love to her. "Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace."  What powerful words. She could have been condemned for breaking the law, instead, she was called Daughter. She was comforted, She received peace. She had healing not only for the physical need, but the spiritual need as well.

Do we have an issue within us that only Jesus can heal?  I think sometimes we carry around burdens, physical or spiritual burdens, thinking no one can help us. We may even wallow in the trouble. It can even become our identity. How many people thought about that woman as that unclean woman. How often had she heard the word spoken to her, "UNCLEAN!"  That may have become an identity. But then, Jesus called her "Daughter!"  We can become so bound in a burden, disease, struggle, or a sin, that it becomes who we think we are. We are stuck. We may even lose hope that no one can do anything about it. But Jesus can. 

We have to reach a point of desperation. This will drive us to begin to reach and seek for the ONE who can save, deliver and heal. Reach for Jesus with such desperation that it no longer matters who sees us, what they may think, or what it may take to get to Him. We may even crawl to that place of prayer and reach out to find the hem of his garment. In that instant, his might power can rush into our need and heal. He can make whole what was once broken. He can restore what is lost. He can do whatever it takes to bring us to the place that we are called by a new name. Our identity is changed. Our healing is done. We will hear him say, "Be of good comfort, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace."  

How blessed we can be when we lay down the burdens at the feet of Jesus. Place it all before him and let him do the work in us that we need. Reach for Jesus and you find he is ready to lift you out of the struggle and sin. He is ready to give you what you need. 

seek Jesus

 I have really been thinking about Nicodemus these past few days. I have really begun to identify with him. If you go to John chapter three you can read about Nicodemus coming to Jesus at night. Nicodemus was of the religious sect, the Pharisees, and he was a member of the Sanhedrin court.  He had been taught the scriptures and had studied them. He lived what he believed to be a holy life. He had always believed and had put his faith in God. He believed the promises of God. He was probably seen as a faithful man. Yet, when presented with what he thought was impossible, he asked, "How can these things be?"  Nicodemus appeared to be truly seeking for truth and he wanted to believe. He had questions and sought out Jesus for answers. He had the privilege of hearing Jesus say the very words we love in John 3:16. We do not get to read much more about Nicodemus, but we can find that he boldly urged the leaders not to take innocent blood and to give Jesus a fair trial in John chapter 7. We also find that he loveingly helped Joseph of Arimathea take Jesus' body down from the cross and place it in the tomb. He was probably a wealthy man and provided the costly myrrh for the burial. Nicodemus took the message of Jesus to heart and became a follower of Jesus. What he did for Jesus took courage and went against the Pharisee traditions. He loved Jesus enough to seek him and to follow him.

I think about many of us who have been raised in church. We have been taught the Word, studied the word and participated in worship. We have read the Bible and sought after what we know to be right. But, like Nicodemus, I want to know what is possible through Christ.  As I read the promises to the church and the believers for the last days, I ask, "How can these things be?"  I want to believe and see what Jesus promised. Yet, this world is appearing to become more Godless by the day. That too, was prophesied in the Bible. 

Peter stood on the Day of Pentecost and spoke these words in Acts chapter 2: 16-21

¹⁶ But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; ¹⁷ And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: ¹⁸ And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: ¹⁹ And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke: ²⁰ The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and notable day of the Lord come: ²¹ And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

He was speaking of what we are promised today. Mark 16:17 speaks of the signs that will follow them that believe. I believe we should be seeing the signs following us as well for today, yet my flesh struggles to truly believe we can see that happen. I ask: what am I still missing when it comes to faith? Nicodemus went to Jesus with questions. He sought answers and appears to have taken the words of Jesus to heart. I can go to Jesus as well with my questions. He has all the answers, I only need to listen, and put faith into action. I may have been raised in church, but that does not mean I know all I need to know. I need to seek Jesus just as Nicodemus sought Jesus. When Jesus promised the comforter, that promise came to pass. We have the Spirit of God to lead us. We can take to heart the promises found in the Word of God. We need to have the courage and boldness of Nicodemus to seek Jesus, stand for Jesus, and love Jesus above whatever this world offers. We can stand boldly for Christ and he will stand with us. As Hebrews 13:6 says, So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me. I want to boldly stand for speak up in faith knowing I have a Savior who has given me power over the enemy. I have promises that miracles are within the realm of possibility. That revival in the last days is a possibility. That what appears to be hopeless, can come to life!  We know a God who created all things by the power of His Word. What have we to fear and what have we to doubt?  Come boldly to him with your fears and questions, He will respond and as the disciples asked, Lord, increase my faith. (Luke 17:5) I don't want to just continue in what has always been done as the traditions of the current church, I want to boldly follow God in whatever direction he plans to take me. Nicodemus recognized that the traditions were not enough, but that Jesus held the answers. May we seek Jesus and find out what he really wants us to do. May we be bold and full of courage in the face of adversity and may we stand for Christ like never before. 

learning curve

 I remember when I was young, I loved to help my mom bake. I would sit in that kitchen, asking her questions and trying to help as much as she would let me. When I was about ten, I declared that I was going to make a batch of chocolate chip cookies all by myself. My mother said she would be around if I needed her.  I was quite certain I would make great cookies all by myself.  I started out great but as a batch was in the oven, I got distracted by something else.  I realized my cookies might burn and rushed to pull the cookies from the oven. I realized too late that I had forgotten the hot pad. I grabbed that sheet of cookies bare handed, burning my hand badly.  I knew right away I needed my mom.  She quickly doctored my hand and finished baking the cookies.  I felt that burn for several days.  I learned quickly that day, that hot pads are truly necessary and I still think of that incident today when I open a hot oven. I still have a love for baking and my baking skills have greatly increased. That day, I had a jump in my learning curve.

What is a learning curve? It is defined as the rate of a person's progress in gaining new experience ir new skills.  This applied to every new skill or experience we have.  We all learn at different rates and speeds. Some experiences give a great amount of experience and others bring us forward little by little.  This applied to our spiritual walk as well.  

I was raised in church and learned early on, that that does not make me any better or less of a sinner than anyone else.  We are all born into sin and we all are in desperate need of the Savior. I learned Bible stories and memorized verses.  This has been a foundation on which I have been able to stand as an adult. But those stories and verses are not enough for a lifetime. I needed to learn to more about God, experience God for myself and learn from my own experiences, good and bad. 

As I became an adult, I had to determine for myself that God was there for me as well.  I had friends who walked away from God as soon as they were no longer at home with parents. I had others who were determined to walk toward God with all their heart and soul.  I had to make a decision for myself to serve God.  Looking back, that was an easy decision. But making the decision over and over in the face of adversity, trial and loss is a bit harder.  I have learned that God is always present and never leaves or forsakes his children.  When I choose Him, he always responds to work for my good.  Not what I want, but for my good.  I have learned that Bible study and prayer are deeply important to my spiritual growth. I have learned that church attendance and fellowship are important for spiritual development. I have learned that fasting is necessary at times. I have learned that my life has no meaning without Christ as the center. 

I have also learned that being a Christian is not about being perfect. I used to look at older saints and never imagine they made any mistakes. I wondered how I could ever live up to that standard.  I have learned that I do not need to be perfect and neither were any of these saints. Churches are filled with imperfect people and that is what makes church so wonderful.  Matthew 5:48 in the Amplified Version says, You, therefore, will be perfect [growing into spiritual maturity both in mind and character, actively integrating godly values into your daily life], as your heavenly Father is perfect. Jesus was telling us to work toward maturity and grow in the spirit, not expect to never make a mistake again.  His mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23) and he knows humans are not perfect, he does expect us to grow and learn. To perfect is to finish or complete a work in us. We all make mistakes. We all say or do things that are not from a heart of love. We all have moments that our past and sinful nature attempt to rise up. We all get tired, grumpy, frustrated, disappointed and even allow those things to dominate our thoughts and actions. We are not perfect. We may see others fall, we may fall ourselves. We may be hurt by words from another. This does not mean we are not going to make it through or be loved by Christ. Instead, it speaks of the need to learn from the experience, fall into the arms of Jesus again, and allow him to work on our hearts. These moments bring us further along the spiritual learning curve. The decisions we make in those moments determine our growth in Christ. Do we call out," I need to you God!" Do we turn away in shame and give up?  These decisions bring about growth or destruction to our soul.  Do we pray and reach out to the fallen and hurt or write them off as another one who could not serve?  Our decisions to determine our growth.

Hebrews 13:21 Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.  This verse tells me that God will work on me as I submit to him and allow him to work on me. He will change me and develop growth in me to make me more like him. He is able to change my imperfections, forgive me when I fall, and lift me up to better.  He will make me well pleasing, I cannot be changed and increased in faith without him. 

2 Corinthians 12:9 says his strength in perfect in my weakness. When I am disappointed, see fault in others or myself, I can lean on his strength. He will carry me through. I do not need to expect perfection from myself or anyone else. I can expect to hurt, disappointed, and find that faults can be hard for relationships. But, God's grace and mercy can be extended to me and to others. God's grace and love will cover a multitude of sins. (1 Peter 4:8)  When we love with the love of God, we can become an encourager of those who struggle, and a lifter up of the fallen. When we place our faith in Christ through all circumstances, we become a testimony of faith. When we run after God and His purpose, we grow in strength, faith, love, and humility.

 We are all somewhere on this learning curve of faith. Some have had great experiences that have developed deep faith quickly, some of us are taking baby steps all along the way.  We can only pray one for another and love one another as Christ loves us. (John 13:34-35)  We are not called to be perfect, but to work toward perfection or maturity in Christ. He will finish the work, consecrate us and complete his plan in us as we submit to him. 

There is a funny picture that shows our plan verses God's plan. It shows us planning out a straight line straight to glory, but God's plan is full of ups and downs, curves and bumps, all of which break off the sin nature, cause growth and bring about the spiritual perfection he seeks to give us. We learn to trust him through each and every curve, up and down. We grow through the learning process. We are all in a process. May we support one another, help one another and give grace to one another, including ourselves as we go through the process of learning to be like Jesus. 

where is God when life gets hard

 In this life, we are all going to have times that life gets hard. Unfortunately, we live in a fallen, broken world where bad things happen. We must realize that we are subject to this world of sin because we live here in this physical world. There are consequences of this life rather by our own doing or by no fault of our own. We go through loss, pain, hurt, and times when things don't turn out the way we had planned or hoped. We face trials and temptations. It is so easy to sit down, give up, and wallow in the misery and sorrow. These times can overwhelm us, defeat us and destroy our faith if we give in to the emotions and struggle. We can easily become angry and bitter at God. We can blame him and easily say, "Where are you, God?" as it seems he is far away. 

 These times are not times that God has abandoned us. Not by any means. He has promised to never leave us or forsake us. (Hebrews 13:5) He does not abandon us when hard times come. Rather, he is there to carry us and encourage us. He is there at all times. He does not it back and watch us struggle to see what would happen. He rather provides what we need and often prepares the situation for our good. 

Hard times can produce increase in strength. When we continue to place our faith in God through the hard, impossible moments, our faith will grow and strengthen. Strength will come as faith is put to the test. Paul encouraged Timothy to endure hardness. 

Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.  Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 2 Timothy 2:1-3 

This increase and endurance becomes a testimony to teach others of how God can bring us through the hard times. Others will see you endure and be encouraged that they too can endure. Strength will increase in your faith. 

Hard times increase faith. In Luke 17, Jesus explained to the disciples that offences come and they needed to take heed to themselves to forgive those that sin against them. The disciples response was in Luke 17:5 when they said Lord, increase our faith.  They understood that only faith could help them respond as Christ was instructing. Faith should be the response to hurt and struggle. 

Faith grows when tested. Temptations come and in 1 Corinthians 10:13, "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it."  This tells us that God has already prepared a way for us to say no to temptation. He has equipped us but we need to take action in this circumstance whether it be to call on him in prayer, reach out to a fellow believer for support, or just get out of the situation that is tempting us. We must guard against temptation and be aware enough to not purposely put ourselves in situations that temptation becomes too great. 

Hard times should draw us closer to Christ. Often, in hard times, the human response to push God away and allow fear to overwhelm.  God wants us to get closer to him. He is a place of refuge and shelter for the storms. James 4:8 tells us to draw closer to God and he will draw closer to us. Psalms 9:9 says he is a refuge for the oppressed in times of trouble and Psalms 46:1 says he is our refuge and strength and a very present help in time of trouble. We can run to him and find strength and help. He will be our shelter and our rock. He will wrap his loving arms around us and hold us as we go through the trial. He is described as covering us with his wings like a hen does her chicks (Psalms 91:4) We can rely on God through the hard times. 

God is love. He does not abandon us in hard times. There are so many verses that give us hope. There are many examples in the Bible and in our church families that speak of God's faithfulness through the fire. God brings us through. Whatever trial may come, God is there. Those dark moments and hard times reveal God's love. We must turn to God in the struggle, not run from him. How can we do this? Read the word. pray, and listen. His word is full of life and hope. Find hope in his word. Pray. Talk to God about the hard times. He is present and ready to listen. He cares about what we care about. He tells us to cast our cares on him and he will sustain us. (1 Peter 5:7, Psalms 55:22).  He will listen. Every prayer is precious to him. Then, listen to what God has to say.  So many times, God is speaking to our hearts and we may be so caught up in the emotions of the situation, we may miss what he is saying. He speaks comfort and peace if we listen. He may provide direction in how to proceed. He may speak and encourage us to wait as he works it for our good. We need to listen to hear his voice. So many times, when I have taken time to listen, I have heard his voice say exactly what I needed for that moment. He has spoken love, peace, comfort, and instructed me at times when I needed him. He has proven over and over his love for me. 

Be encouraged that when hard times come, God is already prepared for the battle and the struggle. He has equipped us to endure hardness, and he is the strength we need. We can rely on his faithfulness. We will grow and become a walking testimony of who God is in the trial. He is the strong tower, the strength we need, and the One who has worked it all for our good. He is the Lord of triumph and victory. He is there when life gets hard.