10 Gifts for Believers Which Suffering and Turmoil Can’t Steal

In the beginning, God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness...so God created mankind in His own image, in the image of God He created them; male and female He created them” (Genesis 1:26-27, NIV). The Trinity—God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, lovingly made us like Him.

When the first humans, Adam and Eve, sinned, causing separation between us and God, He didn’t stop caring. He already had a plan to redeem us: the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ.

Our Savior’s affection is unfailing, everlasting, and unchangeable. Scripture states “’Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,’ says the LORD, who has compassion on you” (Isaiah 54:10, NIV).

The Apostle Paul, who wrote much of the New Testament, recorded this glorious promise, “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39, NIV).

No matter what happens in our personal lives or the world around us, God’s love for us remains unshakable. If you’ve never received His love, open your heart today.

King David of Old Testament times wrote these beautiful words, “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Where can I flee from Your presence? If I go to the heavens, You are there; if I make my bed in the depths, You are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there Your hand will guide me, Your right hand will hold me fast” (Psalm 139:7-10, NIV).

We read similar words in Jeremiah 23:24 (NIV), “'Who can hide in secret places so that I cannot see them?’ declares the LORD. ‘Do not I fill heaven and earth?’ declares the LORD.”

God also promised, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5, NIV). Plus, Jesus’s last words before He left the earth after His resurrection were, “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20, NIV).

If we’ve trusted in Christ for salvation, we can know God’s always with us and we’re never alone. Rely on the truth of His eternal presence.

3. Jesus Defeated Sin and Death Once and for All.  

Speaking of Christ, Scripture teaches, “Nor did He enter heaven to offer Himself again and again...but He has appeared once for all at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of Himself...Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many...we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (Hebrews 9:25-10:10, NIV, emphasis mine). 

No one and nothing can take away the sacrifice Jesus made. When we believe in Him, He forgives and washes away our sins. Nothing can erase that truth. Because of this, we will never experience the penalty we deserve, eternal death. The Apostle Paul wrote, “Where, O death, is your victory? ...The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:55-57, NIV).

Rest in Jesus’s finished work by giving Him continual praise for His indescribable gift. 

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One of the most well-known Bible verses teaches, “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16, NIV). 

Jesus told His disciples, “My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of My Father’s hand” (John 10:27-29, NIV).

Though everything around us might be destroyed, our souls are secure in Christ. If we could lose the gift, then it wouldn’t be eternal. Eagerly anticipate your forever home!

5. God Hears and Responds to Our Prayers.

A short time before Jesus went to the cross, He told His disciples, “Until now you have not asked anything in My name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete” (John 16:24, NIV). Because Jesus took the penalty for our sin and gave us His righteousness, we can come to God the Father boldly. 

His disciple, John, taught, “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know He hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of Him” (1 John 5:14-15, NIV). We can pray knowing God always hears and answers. 

The Apostle Paul also exhorted us to “...pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people” (Ephesians 6:18, NIV). 

I want to say with the Psalmist, “I will call on Him as long as I live” (Psalm 116:2, NIV). We can talk to God anytime about anything. He always listens, so pray continually. 

The Holy Spirit lives in each believer and demonstrates that we belong to God. We’re stamped with His ownership. The Apostle Paul described it this way, “When you believed, you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of His glory” (Ephesians 1:13-14, NIV).

Similarly, Jesus promised, “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—the Spirit of truth” (John 14:16-17, NIV). His Spirit within us assures us that we belong to Him. He guides, convicts, teaches, purifies, and is our closest friend. 

We can choose to quench or resist Him but will lose our serenity. Find peace by walking in submission to Him.

7. Truth—The Bible Guides Us.

Through Scripture, God provided us with an incredible gift. When we read our Bibles, we hold the words and thoughts of Almighty God in our hands! We can read His love letter to us, His instructions on how to live and know Him.

Being a supernatural book, God’s written words will last forever and every promise will be fulfilled. The Old Testament prophet Isaiah wrote, “The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever” (Isaiah 40:8, NIV). 

Speaking through the prophet Isaiah, God promised, “My word that goes out from my mouth: it will not return to Me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it” (Isaiah 55:11, NIV).

Jesus provided similar assurance, “For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished” (Matthew 5:18, NIV). He promised that God will fulfill every promise and prophecy he gave – even to the smallest point.

What’s more, His words connect us to Him, the One who provides perfect wisdom for every situation. Saturate your mind with His truth.

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Scripture assures us, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” (2 Corinthians 5:17, NIV). When we trust in Jesus Christ, He gives us a new heart. Ephesians 1:7 (NIV) reveals, “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.” 

The Apostle Paul also wrote, “He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight” (Ephesians 1:4, NIV). God sees us as “seated with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:6, NIV). 

In Christ, we are forgiven, redeemed, holy, loved, and His forever. We are His “dearly loved children” (Ephesians 5:1, NIV). We are “more than conquerors through Him who loved us” (Romans 8:37, NIV). Find your value in Him.

9. Rewards Stored in Heaven.

The Apostle Peter gave us this encouraging truth, “In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you,” (1 Peter 1:3-4, NIV).

God holds these gifts safe forever as Jesus revealed when He promised, “Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal” (Matthew 6:20, NIV). We aim for “the crown that will last forever” (1 Corinthians 9:25, NIV). 

When we follow Christ, loving, obeying, and sacrificing for Him, we are saving up eternal spiritual rewards. We can’t comprehend the details, but we know they will far outshine anything we prize on earth. 

With certainty, we trust these treasures are guarded in heaven. No trouble on earth, not even our own failures, can take them away.

10. God Will Fulfill His Ultimate Plan for All Creation.

The Old Testament prophet, Isaiah, gave us this vow from God, “My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please...What I have said, that will I bring about; what I have planned, that will I do” (Isaiah 46:10-11, NIV). God always keeps His word and no prophecy or plan of His can fail.

Centuries later, the Apostle Paul confirmed that God “works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will,” (Ephesians 1:11, NIV). Trust His perfect plan.

In conclusion, Jesus said, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33, NIV). God isn’t surprised by our distress, and this is not our home! God has a perfect place waiting for us. 

May the events happening all around us remind us to pray without ceasing, follow Him daily, and praise Him for His unfailing love. One day He will make all things new (Revelation 21:1-5).