Dealing with Adversity, Part 2

“Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is good,
for His lovingkindness is everlasting.
Let the redeemed of the LORD say so,
whom He has redeemed from the hand of the adversary
and gathered from the lands,
from the east and from the west,
from the north and from the south.

They wandered in the wilderness in a desert region;
they did not find a way to an inhabited city.
They were hungry and thirsty;
their soul fainted within them.
Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble;
He delivered them out of their distresses.
He led them also by a straight way,
to go to an inhabited city.
Let them give thanks to the LORD for His lovingkindness,
and for His wonders to the sons of men!
For He has satisfied the thirsty soul,
and the hungry soul He has filled with what is good.”
Psalm 107:1-9

When adversity hits suddenly or hangs in tenaciously, we can lose our spiritual bearings, leading to unwise thinking and behavior. We can act erratically, and our view of God can become warped. Whatever trouble you face for however long, remember and recall these stabilizing biblical truths:

1. Never lose sight of God’s goodness. Nothing can cause us to doubt God’s goodness more than affliction. But God can use your problem for eventual good although you cannot see how. Affirm God’s goodness and constantly remind yourself of His unceasing love and care.

2. Never give up. When the struggle wearies you to the point of giving up, give in to Christ and never to your circumstances. God promises to sustain you in your trials and either bring you through them or give you His all-sufficient grace to endure them. He will never fail or forsake you, and that is truth enough to preserve.

3. Never deny the power of God’s promises. God’s Word contains promises just for your situation. Ask the Holy Spirit to put a personalized Scripture in your heart. He will do it and you will find amazing strength and peace.

God is for you and on your side. You can handle adversity because He can.

“God loves each of us as if there were only one of us.”
-St. Augustine