(Bobby delivered this as a devotional talk at Lehman Avenue on Wednesday, August 30, 2023. He served for several years as a shepherd, until recently. He lost Brenda almost nine months ago. They had been married for 46 years)
Hardship can be defined as severe suffering. Just take a minute and look up and down your pew; I would say, these are the ones that are very near and dear to you! My plead is don’t take these individuals or even tomorrow for granted; We know that every day people are diagnosed with some dreaded disease, and every day, people die. Disease and death are real, just like divorce, addiction, and suicide. Hardships are going to happen; you and I are not the first to suffer from hardship, and we certainly won’t be the last.
Now we know that hardships are going to happen, but what does this look and feel like? Classic examples are feelings of emptiness, loneliness, fear, anger, abandonment, and guilt.
So, if and when hardships come, how to move forward?
I have 6 suggestions:
- Make a choice and decide that you don’t have to go through this life counting the months, days, and minutes consumed with these feelings.
- Realize that God is not the source of our hardships, Satan is! However, after you blame God (and Christians sometimes do), keep moving through, and realize that we serve a God who cares, a God who loves! He is the ultimate source of healing.
- Listen to God; get into His Word, absorb His word, Seek after God’s heart.
- Now Believe and trust it, God knows what’s best.
- Pray to God and petition for specifics: like healing, comfort, and deliverance.
- Get to work. Turn all that energy into action; channel it for God’s work and glory. Realize there are so many others hurting from hardships. Hear their stories and allow them to hear your stories; this will help the healing process.
In summary, hardship will come to you, me, and others. But What an example we have of the Suffering Servant, Jesus Christ our Lord, Savior, and King. So, stay focus on Jesus and continue to point others to Jesus!
Remember Hebrews 12:2: “fixing your eyes on Jesus” … and Matthew 11:28, where Jesus said: “Come to me, all you who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”