But now he had a choice to make. How did she do it all? We might not have the title Deborah did, but life demands a lot from us each day: settling disputes, helping people with marriages, finances, kids, and health. At this time in history, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon was influenced by those around him to set up an image of gold and require everyone in the land to bow down and worship it. For Pharaoh will say of the Israelites, They are wandering aimlessly in the land; the wilderness has shut them in. [4] I will harden (make stubborn, defiant) Pharaohs heart, so that he will pursue them; and I will be glorified and honored through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians shall know [without any doubt] and acknowledge that I am the LORD. And they did so. " The woman was convinced. Heal me, Lord, and I will be healed;save me and I will be saved,for you are the one I praise. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Even though I knew it was wrong, I compromised to save myself, and regret that decision to this day. In another incident, Paul was falsely accused of bringing Gentiles into the synagogue. Everyone felt backed up against a wall with no way out, but thats because no one would have predicted that He would part the Red Sea for the Israelites to walk through on solid ground. But Esther replied: All the kings officials and the people of the royal provinces know that for any man or woman who approaches the king in the inner court without being summoned the king has but one law: that they be put to death unless the king extends the gold sceptre to them and spares their lives. He gave him a tenth of all. Jacob said, "O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, O Lord, who said to me, 'Return to your country and to your relatives, and I will prosper you,' 2 Kings 13:4 Verse Concepts Then Jehoahaz entreated the favor of the Lord, and the Lord listened to him; for He saw the oppression of Israel, how the king of Aram oppressed them. The bearers of the Ark had scarcely advanced six steps It doesnt feel so miraculous when hes busy rearranging my entire life. My gut churns with pain. Does the condition of your health (physical or mental/emotional) affect your faith? But he refused, believing it was not right to kill Saul, who had been anointed by God. From this I must conclude that worship is not a feeling. Remember that God is surrounding you! Ill be able to experience the joy of the Lord in the midst of lifes storms and challenges. Through Song. My tongue will proclaim your righteousness,your praises all day long. So while it may seem easier to take immoral solutions during times of trouble, doing so will only cause future regret especially on the day we meet God. Mordecai believed in Esther even when she didnt believe in herself. Is your faith based on the outcome of your difficult situation? They are ordinary Christians willing to step out in faith and join people on their spiritual journey in a compassionate and respectful manner. On the contrary, we should continue to praise Him. There was a time in primary school when I was bullied by several classmates. David David danced before the Lord in the streets as a response of praise to his holy God. Where do you find words of praise and thanksgiving when your heart is full of sorrow and struggle? Difficulty comes in all shapes and sizes. God set up His people for an incredible future of redemption and hope. Have you found yourself slipping into the dark shadows? Many of us struggle with the restrictions on our freedoms during this COVID-19 pandemic. Mordecai, Esthers cousin, pleaded for her to talk to the King. Though the fig tree does not budand there are no grapes on the vines,though the olive crop failsand the fields produce no food,though there are no sheep in the penand no cattle in the stalls,yet I will rejoice in the Lord,I will be joyful in God my Savior.The Sovereign Lord is my strength;he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,he enables me to tread on the heights. How do you handle adversity? She loved and believed in her, so nothing Naomi could have done would push her away. So what did Moses do? We find ourselves in a special season that singularly focuses on the act of giving thanks. While visiting with Elizabeth, who was carrying John the Baptist at the same time Mary was pregnant with Jesus, the young girl had a moment of exclamation. He was the hero who defeated Goliath, successful in war and had the love of the people. Brethren, for this reason, in [spite of all] our stress and crushing difficulties we have been filled with comfort and cheer about you [because of] your faith (the leaning of your whole personality on God in complete trust and confidence). It would be safe to say this is not how David pictured his journey toward becoming the king of Israel. When David returned to bless her family, Michal, the daughter of Saul, came Hebrews 13:15. Putting our faith in God meant we were not going to quit, but rather continue to learn and grow and change what we needed to change. There is power in the flow of the Spirit! When left unchecked, this doubt that God or people care can lead us to push away the very relationships that are meant to help us get through our hard times. Difficult times will happen to us all. But even though God is love, and He loves every one of His children, He leads us . Praise, Examples Of. David danced before the Lord in the streets as a response of praise to his holy God. If you are like me, and you endure adversity for any length of time, it can be easy to lose faith and quickly turn to self-pity and unbelief. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. my Savior and my God. They were free at last! Regardless, I pushed through the fear and apologised. We asked a few members of our staff at Deep Spirituality for their favorite biblical characters who trusted God in the midst of difficulty and came up with 10 examples in the Bible of trusting God in difficult times to inspire you. I will praise you more and more. Jabez loves consuming international media, such as Japanese manga, Korean dramas, and Western tabletop games. During this time, he actively preached the word of God to the people who visited him. It broke all the chains and opened the doors of the prisoners! It is possible to praise the Lord in hardship. Whenever I know my pastors are going through difficult times, seeing them continue to preach Gods word boldly encourages me that God can give us grace to go on. when David sacrificed a bull and a fattened calf. Hannah Hannah gave a long prayer of thanks to God in 1 Samuel 2 because God granted her petition for a son. During a time when her people were in exile, Esther had every reason to keep her Jewish heritage a secret and just try to get by. He helped her see the purpose and vision God had for her, challenging her to take that leap of faith. Are you honest with God about the depths of your pain? While it is easy to focus on earthly solutions during difficult moments, God is capable of helping us in ways we may never imagine. In these moments, our fear of failure, rejection, and humiliation are very real, and so is the dilemma of choosing to either face that fear or freeze up or run away. Our vulnerable prayers unlock a deeper level of intimacy with God. 1. This was not at all how we pictured our life. Would you like to discuss anything in particular? Article Images Copyright , 5 People in the Bible Who Gave Thanks with All Their Heart, 10 Beautiful Biblical Descriptions of What Heaven Will Look Like and Be Like, California - Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Instead, she chose to act despite her fear, and rallied her friends and family around her to pray for her as she spoke to the king. So King Saul took on the task of making Davids life impossible, persecuting him and trying to kill him, and although David had multiple opportunities to put an end to all that, he steadfastly refused to lay a finger on the king, firmly believing that the God who had anointed him would find a way to put him on the throne. He is with you. for I will yet praise him, Someone in the Bible who understands this dilemma is Esther. In Philippi, Paul was accused of anti-Roman teachings and got thrown in prison. This is an example worth emulating; we should all try our best to serve God in any situation. Their faith allowed for contentment with whatever the outcome. Isaiah was chosen by God to deliver an important message to the Israelites. If you ever want to feel better about your own flaws and mistakes, read the story of Jacob. The Bible or word of God is full of wonderful stories and life lessons whose purpose is to bring us closer to a living God who is a rewarder of those who seek him. For example, I faced a tough period in my life during the O-Level Mandarin Chinese exams. 15:20-21 ). David embraced difficult times because he believed his future was in the hands of a God that loved him. Brittany and her husband Ryan make their home in the Rocky Mountains, pursuing outdoor adventures, great food, and memorable stories together. ax. How might these stories and lessons from the Bible speak to your troubles? Jacob: Trusting God when youve messed up, 10. Many men and women we consider pillars of the faith represented an attitude of thanksgiving so well. "Praising God isn't an option, it's a necessity." "The deepest level of worship is praising God inspite of pain, trusting Him during a trial, surrendering while suffering, and loving Him when He seems distant." Rick Warren What does it mean to praise the Lord? Of course, this is by no means an easy thing to do. [12] But you promised me, I will surely treat you kindly, and I will multiply your descendants until they become as numerous as the sands along the seashore too many to count.. Learning from Jesus to see past our failures and find our potential. Though her two daughters-in-law tried to stick with her, Naomi refused to be comforted and pushed relationships away. Praise God in the storms, through the battles, and when life gets hard. Hes willing to help us work through our pain and defenses to transform us into someone new. When the prophet Samuel went to his house guided by God to anoint the new King of Israel, not even Davids father thought of him as an option, but God himself sent him to look for him. any other of his family, chose me and made me ruler of Israel, which is the people of the LORD. I cannot see because Im deep in the fog of depression. During these times, prayer can be especially difficult. But with the encouragement of friends and prayer we had to decide whether our faith was going to be in our circumstances or in God. When we read that David was a king, anyone. Let's step forward together and learn practical ways to live into God's possible! Here are four inspiring stories about finding faith and joy during trialseverything from job loss and unemployment to parenting issues and life-threatening illnesses. Where is God when it really hurts? How has your faith been affected by a long-standing difficult situation? Later, Moses returned to Egypt to convince the new Pharaoh to free the Israelites, risking his life. Deepen and inspire your prayers with 16 ways to pray! Joseph Joseph was 17 the first time he had his dreams about ruling over his family. When we go through hard times, it can be easy to feel alone. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; Blessed be the name of the Lord.". Is it True for Christians That 'Once Saved, Always Saved'? These Bible stories about trusting God will inspire you to overcome circumstances and inspire your faith to believe. One of my biggest fears is the fear of bad news. Carrie Underwood Sings 'Go Rest High On That Mountain' to Honor Vince Gill, What We Can Do Today to Reach People in Need, 10 Ways to Deal with the Difficult People in Your Church, 7 Ways to Study the Bible Like Billy Graham, 30 Morning Prayers to Start Each Day with God. Among these stories, those of Grateful Men. How can you turn your eyes to God and sing his praises when life is hard? A longing unfulfilled can be disheartening. From Moses, we learn something simple yet often overlooked: we should remember to turn to God for help. [7] But they were childless because Elizabeth was not able to conceive, and they were both very old. God Hates a Lying Tongue ( Proverbs 6:16-19) By: Amanda Idleman. LORD, This article was created by a member of the Deep Spirituality editorial team. Hearing this, I realised that even though we may never understand why bad things happen, trusting in God helps us to move forward in the best way possible. Miriam Miriam, the older sister of Moses and Aaron, gave thanks to God while playing her tambourine and dancing with joy with the other women whom God saved from the Egyptians after they crossed over the Red Sea ( Exod. Naomi and Ruth: Trusting God when you feel alone, 9. Here is a lesson we can learn from Job: we can trust in Gods wisdom even when we do not understand. He promised never to leave or abandon his children, so we can count on his presence, even when our emotions cant confirm it. The Psalmist is full of longing to be in God's House. I cannot hear because Im bent over with agony. We can draw near to him by singing psalms or hymns, or reflecting on his goodness and speaking well of him. All rights reserved. So amid cheers and to the sound of rams horns, David and all the people In one sense, its a choice, not a feeling. Our mentors are not counsellors. Anyone in the presence of the slaves of his officials! Though our circumstances change our destiny does not (Ephesians 1:11). There is no greater joy than seeing Gods destiny rise above our circumstances. But I will sing of your strength;I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning.For you have been to me a fortressand a refuge in the day of my distress.O my Strength, I will sing praises to you,for you, O God, are my fortress,the God who shows me steadfast love. Even when Naomi was bitter and mean, Ruth stuck by her side. Praise should fill our hearts every day, no matter our circumstances especially when we are walking through seasons of great trials. They sang and praised God, and the Lord did their battling for them.