Trust God through the challenges: Trials are temporary, and God will keep His promises
This article is republished from Dianna Hobbs’ “Your Daily Cup of Inspiration,” one of the Top 100 blogs for women of faith. To get more inspiration like this, visit YourDailyCupOfInspiration.com.
One time, I was driving on the highway in Buffalo, and an unexpected snowstorm hit. The sky darkened, flurries fell and wind blew. Within minutes, I couldn’t see anything. I was dealing with whiteout conditions on the expressway, and it was terrifying. It looked like someone had covered all my windows with white sheets. I couldn’t see anything in front of me, on either side of me, or behind me. I was driving blind and couldn’t pull over. It was one of the scariest driving experiences of my life!
Since I couldn’t stop in the middle of the highway, I inched forward at a snail’s pace and prayed the whole way. I had to keep going and believe God to get me home safely. By His grace, I made it and didn’t get into an accident.
Even though I didn’t like going through that, it gave me a real-life example of what real faith looks like. It requires that you keep driving, pushing and forging ahead when you can’t see your way clearly.
Abraham had real faith. In Genesis 12, God told him to leave his country, his people and his father’s household, and go to an unknown land. God promised to birth a great nation from Abraham’s loins, bless him, make his name great, and cause others to be blessed through him. With zero evidence, no heir and only a word from the Lord, Abraham obeyed God immediately. And this is what makes Abraham a model of faith.
“For the Scriptures tell us, ‘Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith’” (Romans 4:3 NLT). This is so important because the foundation of salvation is established here. We are made righteous by faith, not works. And without faith, it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6). As you see, Scripture teaches us that a firm foundation of faith is essential for salvation and our daily walk with God. We can’t just believe God in good times and predictable seasons; we have to trust Him always.
“No matter how hard things get, let nothing cause you to abandon your faith. God is able to do ANYTHING—even this!”
When life throws curveballs, have faith. When you get hit with unexpected storms, have faith. When you are thrown for a loop, have faith. When it looks like the word of God won’t come to pass, have faith.
I know that isn’t always easy to do. It wasn’t even easy for Abraham! In Genesis 15:1, we see that God spoke to Abraham in a vision and promised to protect him from his enemies and bless him. But in verse 2, Abraham said, “O Sovereign Lord, what good are all your blessings when I don’t even have a son?” It’s clear that Abraham wasn’t some “super saint” who never felt unsure. He was human just like you and me.
But God reassured Abraham that he would have a son, and his descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the sky. Despite uncertainties and challenges, verse 6 says, “And Abram believed the Lord, and the Lord counted him as righteous because of his faith.” Though he had a temporary moment of wavering, this great patriarch of faith chose to believe God’s voice instead of the voice of doubt, and that decision paid off.
Friend, God’s word assures you that good things are coming, and God will bless you. Though your circumstances may go against every promise you are currently clinging to, follow Abraham’s example, and believe God through the challenges. Just as the Lord did everything He said He would do for Abraham, He will do everything He said He would do for you.
God will heal you. He will provide. He will elevate you. He will save your loved ones. He will create opportunities for you. He will stabilize your emotions. He will restore your marriage. He will connect you to the right people. He will make room for you in high places. He will make you a vessel of honor to bring glory to His name. He will take you further than you imagined you would go. He will do what no other power can do.
Today, through this cup of inspiration, God is urging you to trust Him through the challenges. At the right time, you will step into your place of promise and enjoy a new season of wholeness, breakthrough, and fulfillment. In the meantime, meditate on the words of Psalm 130:5 NLT, which is what I’m stirring into your cup of inspiration. It says, “I am counting on the LORD; yes, I am counting on him. I have put my hope in his word.”
As you drink down the contents of your cup, know that you can count on God to keep His promises, and challenging times don’t diminish the reliability of God’s word. When you can’t see your way forward, look above, and put your confidence in the One who never fails.
