Where Are You Lord?

Many of us, when going through tough trials, begin to wonder why those trials are happening. We look for someone or something to blame. We can, if we are not careful, even get angry with God.  “God if you really loved me, you would…”, or, “Lord, why me?”

How to Find the Goodness of God in Trying Times

“God will turn blight into blessing, trauma into treasures, and bring healing out of hurt. Watch for His hand. He is always at work.” – Robin Bertram

It is through times of difficulty that we are able to see God’s hand at work so clearly, but that requires us to faithfully know that He is with us, and that He is in control. Rather than recognizing God at work after the fact, how comforting it would be if we could condition our thoughts and eyes to recognize God at work in the midst of our own personal trials.

Regardless of how bleak a situation may be, we must learn to hold on tightly, knowing that there is a purpose to our pain. God will use times of darkness to refine us so that His light will shine through. He will use trials and tribulations to test our faith. He will use difficult times to reveal the motives of our own heart. During those times, if we really press in, we will experience God in a deeper, richer, and much more rewarding way. Our faith will be stronger and our hearts filled with abundant joy in Him.

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His lovingkindness is everlasting. Ps 118:1 

God’s word tells us that if we ask, it will be given to us, if we seek, we will find, and if we knock, the door will be opened (Mt 7:7-8). We have a part to play and it starts with a desire. Below are five keys that will help you find the goodness of God on your own personal journey.

Meditate on the Word of God

It is in the word of God that we will find our greatest strength; read, meditate, study, and then apply. It’s a simple formula to follow. As you do, your spirit will resonate with the truth found in scripture. Your heart will be encouraged and your night will turn to day. God’s light will pour forth in the midst of your darkness and you will experience the hope that will sustain you. God sends us signs that He is with us and He gives us His word so we won’t miss them.

See God in His creation

We can find great solace in God’s creation. When outdoors, we begin to look at the beauty all around us. We begin to appreciate the bigness of God as well as the goodness of God. We begin to value what surrounds us: birds, flowers, trees, the sunshine. We stop taking for granted the small things in life; the hug of a grandchild, the smile of a friend, the kind words from a loved one. We start to see His goodness in our lives.

Choose to have a thankful heart

God always puts people in our lives at the right time and for a purpose. Choose to be thankful for those people He places in your life today. Be thankful for the family you have. Be thankful for the home in which you live. Be thankful for your friends and neighbors. A thankful heart is a heart that honors God. When you begin to thank Him, watch how your day is brightened. Your emotions will change. Even your demeanor will change. Practice being thankful and you will sense His presence in a greater way. It’s that presence that then yields the peace that passes all understanding. 

Let your faith lead and your flesh follow

There is only one way to get through the darkness, and that is by the power of the Holy Spirit working in you. Life is a journey of faith and you are being led by faith through certain doors. Know that God will guide you out of, or through, any situation in which you find yourself. You are not alone.

Pray

Prayer is intimate fellowship. Passion, purpose and persistence in prayer, grounded in biblical precepts of faith, love and a willingness to obey, are ingredients for a powerful life of prayer. Fervent, passionate prayers of desperation are prayers of which God takes note. Pray with purpose. Pray with power. Pray with passion. Pray knowing that God is well able.

Understand that God is in control.

God will work all things together for our good and His glory (Ro 8:28). Trust that He knows far better than you know, what is best for your life. Trust that He has your best interest in mind. Trust that He is there waiting with open arms to comfort you and to bring you great peace through any and all difficult times in life.

For more on this and other related topics, pick up your copy of Hidden Treasures today.

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Robin Bertram is an ordained minister, a Christian speaker, and the executive producer and former host of the nationally and internationally syndicated television show, Freedom Today. She has been a leader of media leaders for 25 years and has placed several Christian programs onto the national and international stage. She is the author of No Regrets how loving deeply and living passionately can impact your legacy forever (Charisma House Publishing) and Hidden Treasures (Abingdon Press).

Adapted from Hidden Treasures: Finding Hope at the End of Life’s Journey. Copyright © 2018 by Abingdon Press. All rights reserved. Do not reprint without permission from the publisher.