"Have not I commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9
Do you ever just take time to think back on what God has done in your life? I don’t mean just the good things, but also the hard things.
There are plenty of good things that we can make a list of if we sit long enough. However, I would be willing to guess it would be far easier for us to sit down and compile a list of all of life’s hard days. Those seem to be the ones that stick with us and shape us most. The hard things are what we allow to easily mark us as we go into the future.
Do we ever pause and think that the hard can actually be good?
It is definitely not the first thought I have in the moment. But, in looking back, the hard things were in fact good because they forced me to remember what I know to be true. The hard things put to the test what I say I believe. The hard things are what make me a better follower of Christ.
You see, when the hard things come, and they will, it does something to all of us; it calls into question everything we thought was true and everything that we believe in. Why?
Either what we believe will hold up under the pressure, or it will crumble because it is not worth believing in.
Let me give you an example. We live in a “self-made” world. We find our truth in ourselves rather than in God. We create our own identities based on our thoughts and feelings. So what happens when the hard comes? The self we have made, the self-reliance, crumbles. It cannot carry the weight of the hard.
There is no hope in self.
The hard helps us recognize that self is fragile, faulty world systems fall apart, and everything we thought we knew pales in comparison to a Mighty God.
I am reminded of the Israelites. Maybe you have never spent time in the Old Testament, but the Israelites, who are God’s people, often faced the hard. But they faced it because they quickly forgot what was true and good. They focused on self above all else.
Now, you would think from their experiences with God, they would hold fast to Him. That wasn’t the case. They made idols, they worshiped what was false, and they forgot about God.
But, God never forgot about them.
You see, those hard things, the judgment, the pain, the exile, all of these things were good. They were good because they pointed the people of God back to truth. In these hard places, they learned quickly that relying on man-made idols or self-made ways was wasted.
Here is what I love about God: even when His people are foolish, He shows up.
Even when I am set in my ways and think I can control everything, He still shows up.
Even when life is hard and finances are in ruins because we weren’t good stewards, He still shows up.
Even when we lose someone we love to death, He still shows up.
Even when we are chronically ill or struggling with mental disorders every day, He still shows up.
He is faithful to walk with us because He is what is true.
He walks with us in the hard. He is the one who strengthens and gives courage when the hard things make us afraid.
In the Book of Joshua, we see that the leader of the Israelites, Moses, is dead. They are transitioning to a new leader God appointed, Joshua. The Israelites were faced with some hard things. However, God didn’t leave them to face these things alone. He reminded them to be strong and courageous. They can be these things because God is with them. He will never forsake them.
God didn’t remind Joshua that the people were already strong and courageous in themselves. Self fails us. But strength and courage come in resting in what is true; God alone.
Scripture doesn’t teach us to seek self but God as our source of strength.
God often reminds His people in Scripture that He is faithful, even in the deep waters, even in the hard things. He is the one who provides the strength and courage we need to deal with the hard things as they come.
If I have learned anything over the years, it is that I am not capable of handling the hard things on my own. I don’t have it in me to handle the day-to-day anxieties, the bad news, the grief that comes, and whatever else life throws my way. I don’t have the strength in myself.
This is why hard things are good. They remind us of our weakness and the beautiful strength that God provides to meet us where we are.
Prayer:
Father, Thank you for the hard things. Thank you for using those moments to remind me that in my weakness you are the one who pours out strength and courage. Thank you for reminding me of what is true in a world that seems to be falling apart around us. You, Lord, are good. You are with me in the hard things, and I am forever grateful.
Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/Orla
Michelle Rabon is helping women be disciples who make disciples. Michelle has her MDiv in Ministry to Women from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and is currently serving as Women’s Ministry Director in her local church. She is also the author of Holy Mess. When she is not writing or teaching, she enjoys reading, being close to the ocean, and drinking a lot of coffee. You can connect with Michelle at www.michellerabon.com
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Originally published Friday, 19 July 2024.
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