These general principles do not change with time, place, or circumstances. If you go back and read the rest of the book of Ruth, youll see a very inspiring end to Ruth and Naomis story. If you ever want to feel better about your own flaws and mistakes, read the story of Jacob. Haman, Xerxes right-hand man, had it out for the Jews, and convinced the king to send out a verdict to kill them on a certain date (Esther 3:12-13). This was her response: How am I supposed to see the king? Mordecai believed in Esther even when she didnt believe in herself. Not about the title, or accomplishments, but about caring for others. Her websitebrittanyrust.comaims to supply encouraging resources for the world-wearied believer. Though she was fearful, Esther took action and saved the Jewish people in the end. Imagine being one of the Israelites who walked through the Red Sea and saw Pharaohs army destroyed. Zechariah & Elizabeth: Trusting God when a longing is unfulfilled Isaiah: trusting God through bad news Woman healed by Jesus: trusting God is taking risks despite the pain Moses: trusting God when there is no way out David: trusting God when life is not how you pictured it Shadrach, Meshach & Abednego: trusting God no matter the outcome How has this influenced your belief in Gods love and faithfulness? A longing unfulfilled can be disheartening. [30] Jacob named the place Peniel (which means face of God), for he said, I have seen God face to face, yet my life has been spared.. To see difficulty the way God does, we need Bible verses for hard times that we can hold on to. This mercy is anchored in past events. Call me Mara, because the Almighty has made my life very bitter. What type of prayer do you need to have to change your mindset on difficulty, to see it as God having your right where he wants you? Evidently, King Saul found out that David was anointed as king in his place, in addition to the fact that the people came to love David for being a brave man in battle, who constantly delivered them from the hands of their enemies. We can praise God even during hard times because God has shown mercy to us. Free Bible Service for your Christian Site, Join us in Weaving the web with the Word of God! Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is Gods will for you in Christ Jesus. When we read that David was a king, anyonemight think that it would be very easy for him to be grateful to God. David writes in Psalm 142:4b-7, no one cares for my soul. , whom he had already taken as a wife knowing that she was each. Be honest with yourself, God, and friends. What I find interesting is that all three of these instances were instances we might find tense. Praising God in the hard times doesn't minimize or deny heaviness of heart. It took fighting and literally wrestling with God to submit to and trust him: During the night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two servant wives, and his eleven sons and crossed the Jabbok River with them. Praise should fill our hearts every day, no matter our circumstances - especially when we are walking through seasons of great trials. When perhaps your sacrifice was difficult. God guided the Israelites to the exact place he wanted them to be, right on the edge of the Red Sea. When he was young, Jacob had a relationship with his brother Esau that was complicated at best. [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.. I had failed all the previous examinations and was not confident things could change. Isaiah is inspiring because he doesnt hold back with God, he expresses his deep pain and how hard it is to hear and see Him in the midst of it all. In the end, not only did I pass, I even attained a B3! Whose life are you meant to impact in the midst of difficulty? We may feel like no one understands or cares about what we are going through. On the contrary, we should continue to praise Him. 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. 2 Chronicles 20:22, "At the very moment they began to sing and give praise, the Lord caused the armies of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir to start fighting among themselves." In that story, King Jehosaphat was up against an army that was going to invade his land. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. They also understand how to remain faithful while waiting on God. What by faith can you do that might feel risky? That was what happened to queen Esther. When we go through hard times, it can be easy to feel alone. Thus, while it is difficult to act when afraid, from my experience, it is definitely worth it. 14 Then I looked, and there was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion! Why call me Naomi? There was a time in primary school when I was bullied by several classmates. I will praise the Lord, who counsels me;even at night my heart instructs me.I keep my eyes always on the Lord. Who has he put in your life to comfort and stick with you? When the struggles begin to close in, you may find yourself without the words to pray, unable to find those words of prayer and praise. Though it is easy to get afraid of having nowhere to turn, these are the moments we can see God work at his best. We know they trusted God because they continued to serve God, and God described them as righteous. Have you ever been in a position where you had the opportunity or responsibility to act, but were too afraid? King David in the list of Grateful Men in the Bible. With Gods help, Moses successfully led the Israelites across the Red Sea and away from Pharaohs army. But soon enough, problems occurred: three days had passed and they could not find drinkable water. He gave him a tenth of all. When the whole kingdom was following along, they stood their ground, with faith that God would take care of them no matter the result. Terms of Service Instead, it redirects our focus on who God is. Yet Jesus' answer is that we must trust in . 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. This is something we can learn: to not compromise when faced with solutions which we know are wrong. Eli blessed her request and soon after she conceived a boy named Samuel, who would become the great prophet of Israel (and my favorite person in the Bible!). The cool thing is, Ruth and Naomis relationship was not one-sided. Deborah was a great example of this. After losing both her husband and her sons, she felt completely empty and utterly alone. Sign up below for your FREE Printable Prayer Cards: Hi, I'm Kathryn! Marys heart was full of praise and it outpoured into the world. Use these timeless Bible verses about praising God in your prayers until your heart can find its own words. Oftentimes I harden to my pain by minimizing and hiding it. Scriptures to Show How Important Grandparents Are. Heres another Bible character who God journeyed with through tough times. Bible verses about praising God can help guide your prayers in these times. My to-do list feels like it goes on forever. Praise God in the storms, through the battles, and when life gets hard. During this time, he actively preached the word of God to the people who visited him. I cant move, I am in pain constantly. Hannah is one of my favorite people in the Bible and someone Ive learned a lot from. When perhaps your sacrifice was difficult. The pressure to feed thousands, raise a friend from the grave, and face death on a cross would be intense for any of us. It took ten years, but our oldest finally returned to God. Read More, FREE PRAYER CARDS: Deepen Your Prayers with 16 Ways to Pray. He worshiped after the death of his son. Turn your eyes to him and allow him to surround you with his love and strength. There is no greater joy than seeing Gods destiny rise above our circumstances. Imagine having been married for a long time, unable to have kids and living in a culture that measured Gods love for you by the number of children you have. This leads us to quit praying and expecting God to move. Believing that God chose me to help others know Him both challenges and inspires me. They remained calm and confident in the face of the Kings life-threatening anger at them. Faith in God brings comfort and cheer, even in the midst of stress and crushing difficulties. If youre going through a hard time, are you relying on God and friends, or are you pushing them away? 7 Bible Characters Who Heard God's Voice And Were Loyal To Him In the bible, we can find 7 biblical characters who had a close relationship with God, listened to his voice, and followed his commands. With those words, Esther was motivated to act. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. (4) We can be thankful in difficult times . Does the condition of your health (physical or mental/emotional) affect your faith? Are you still praying about where you want God to take you? Here are 47 bible verses about praising God in hard times. The expression, I will still praise him signifies an inner determination and a forward-facing outlook. my Savior and my God. My resistance to vulnerability makes me unsympathetic and fake. This is a basic principle. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 ESV / 6 helpful votes Not Helpful So we do not lose heart. If you keep reading his story, Jacob ends up reconciling with his brother after wrestling with God. 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. King David is another member of royalty from the Bible who faced troubled periods. in a linen ephod, he began to dance before the LORD with great enthusiasm. She loved and believed in her, so nothing Naomi could have done would push her away. 15:20-21 ). When our oldest child decided to leave God, we were devastated and disheartened. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the . Sometimes during difficult times we simply need to remember God. March 20, 2022. Regardless, I pushed through the fear and apologised. 1. Only one returned to Jesus to thank him. How can you trust that, whatever happens, it is God who still loves and guides you? in the Bible stand out, helping us to know how we should be grateful to God and what we gain from it. They trusted God completely. We can act without fear or compromise, serving Him through every moment in our lives. The bearers of the Ark had scarcely advanced six steps 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. I have hope, he is faithful to help, and he is my God! Praising God in the hard times doesnt minimize or deny heaviness of heart. When given the opportunity to step up and lead, Esther said, No way!. I myself know the consequences of compromising. He is near to the brokenhearted ( Psalm 34:18 ). Trying something new may be the last thing on your mind, especially when you have a chronic health challenge or are in the midst of long-standing troubles. Understandably, Naomi questioned Gods love for her and didnt see how anyone could understand or help her through her pain. Mordecai, Esthers cousin, pleaded for her to talk to the King. So I will continue dancing in the presence of the What in your life is not how you pictured it? Dont be like one of the nine that was blessed and moved on. Watch: 3 Examples of Trusting God When Times Are Hard. There honestly isnt a lot of information about her but her mark in the Bible is significant. Let's step forward together and learn practical ways to live into God's possible! He is faithful and true. May we always pour out our hurting hearts to him in prayer, and then reaffirm: Im still going to praise him. This experience can occur in our lives from time to time. And the Lord showed him a piece of wood, He threw it in the water, and the water became fit to drink (Exodus 15:25). How do you respond when things dont go well? I shut down my emotions so I dont have to feel or rely on anyone. From now on you will be called Israel, because you have fought with God and with men and have won. [29] Please tell me your name, Jacob said. She was sick, broke, and an outcast. Since he is faithful to help, we can know that we will praise him again. Instead of answering his question, God asked Job if he understood the workings of the complex universe like He does. 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 forever. The only way God can use everything in our lives to glorify Him and bring us to salvation is if God is sovereign, which means He must be and is in control of everything. Good thing we have some great examples in the Bible! 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. Check out these 5 Bible characters that faced many failures, but still came out successful next to Jesus. Maybe it was expressing what you felt, speaking up for a friend, or even speaking up to a friend. Some may be struggling with an exam season, others may be going through a painful breakup. Plus, get a set of printable prayer and scripture cards, including these 20 Bible verses for praising God in hard times. But he refused, believing it was not right to kill Saul, who had been anointed by God. When Im having a hard time, my first instinct is to isolate, doubt, and question Gods care for me. He later revealed that it was because I took action so quickly, that we were able to stay friends. What can we learn from the Bibles imperfect fathers? I'm glad you're here to journey with me! In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron. She took a bold risk to believe in Jesus and his power. But thirty days have passed since I was called to go to the king. (Esther 4:11). David is a man. Jobs story reminds me of this testimony I heard about a Christian couple who lost their children in a traffic accident. Then suddenly, because of a jealous king, David spent the next ten or more years running from Saul, held up in a cave with a motley crew of misfits. This was not at all how we pictured our life. People hang banners across their mantles proclaiming give thanks and others share on Facebook something they are grateful for each day in November. Is your faith based on the outcome of your difficult situation? Keeping faith in God during hard times can be extremely difficult. Hannah Hannah gave a long prayer of thanks to God in 1 Samuel 2 because God granted her petition for a son. ; When you need to find words of praise on those hard days when your heart is heavy and its a struggle to see the blessings, lean on words of praise from the Bible. But now he had a choice to make. My maids and I will join you in this time. Deborah described herself as a mother to Israel. [7] For we live by faith, not by sight. Faced with temptations? Praising God in hard times requires faith. This motivated her to take action. With all that we want to accomplish on a weekly and daily basis we can end up worn out, disappointed, and never feeling like weve finished anything. Hes willing to help us work through our pain and defenses to transform us into someone new. KJV Bible!. If we cant praise him for our circumstances, we can praise him in spite of them. How might these stories and lessons from the Bible speak to your troubles? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God. We can trust in Gods wisdom even when we do not understand we should remember to turn to God for help. How do you respond when given the chance to step up? I get stuck wanting my own way that I miss what God is doing and the doors He is opening. Praising the Lord entails giving Him all of the adoration and approval He is due. What is your motive in wanting your desired outcome? Maybe you come up with a lot of reasons or excuses for why you shouldnt be the one to act. Lift these difficulties up to God in prayer. 2. 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. She had visited many doctors and had spent all she had on treatments. Our relationships can completely change for the better when we are willing to trust God with our mistakes and sins. We can learn a thing or two from that kind of attitude. Are you facing battles in your life? But despite his many flaws, God still chose him for something special. 1. David embraced difficult times because he believed his future was in the hands of a God that loved him. Even though Naomi tried to push both her daughters-in-law away, Ruth refused to be shut out. He turns the light on where once there was only darkness. Where No One Stands Alone Lisa Marie Presley Duet with Elvis, Bills QB Josh Allen Describes 'Spiritual Awakening' after Hamlin Collapse: 'I Couldn't Deny' It. Are you honest with yourself, others, and God about your longings? The main message from all of the lessons taught by these Bible figures is that everything is possible with God (Matthew 15:26). In difficult times, we may be tempted to believe that God has abandoned us or has lost vision for us. In Philippi, Paul was accused of anti-Roman teachings and got thrown in prison. Its good to know that our Father invites us to confide in him, to share our feelings honestly in prayer. David knows that he can sing to the Lord because God is the rock of our salvation. Earlier on in his life, Moses ran to the wilderness to flee from Pharaoh who wanted to kill him. Though Jacob had grown and matured in a lot of ways over the years, he was now forced to face the consequences of his sins. Jacob: Trusting God when youve messed up, 10. When I dont have the words to pray, I turn to Bible verses about praising God and use those to pray through Gods Word. 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. He cried out to God. When we feel alone, what often helps us not slip into bitterness is to see the purpose we have in other peoples lives. They shared about how they were able to trust in God and His Word even through their grief. We all can find inspiration in Davids journey to fulfill his destiny. Just fill in the form below and one of our mentors will get back to you as soon as possible. There were no warriors in Israel until I, Deborah, arose, until I arose to be a mother to Israel. Moses is another Bible character who suffered several instances of hard times. When you read Psalms, you can find so many verses about God's children singing praise even in the midst of hard times. But then she was faced with a dilemma. They were not motivated by their own success or glory when they refused to bow down, but rather by the fact that God would be glorified through the result of either their sacrifice or their triumph. When talking about Bible characters who suffered, Job would be one of the first few people Christians think of and rightly so. Because your love is better than life,my lips will glorify you.I will praise you as long as I live,and in your name I will lift up my hands. It happened that, when the ark of the LORD entered the City of David, Michal 73 Bible Verses about Praising During Difficult Times Isaiah 41:10 ESV / 11 helpful votes Not Helpful Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.