God in the Hard Times

During life’s most difficult moments, including bereavement and persecution, God is there to comfort, guide and deliver, writes Gary Clayton

American journalist Sydney J Harris once wrote: ‘When I hear somebody sigh, “Life is hard,” I am always tempted to ask, “Compared to what?”’

The Bible is, of course, full of instances where people turned to the Lord in their trouble and He delivered them from their distresses (Psalm 107).

Fourteen years ago, when my dad died of cancer and my wife and I both lost our jobs, I created a document which listed all our bank accounts so we could see how much money we had.

Worn out by my endeavours, I decided to go for coffee – only to discover when I got there that the list had vanished.

I still remember my heart racing and my feeling almost physically sick at the thought that the single sheet of A4 not only contained how much was in each bank and building society, but also the account number and sort code!

What would happen if someone unscrupulous found the document? I’d not only have lost my job but lost all our money as well!

Mercifully, I retraced my steps in the rain until I eventually saw a sodden piece of paper lying face down in a puddle not far from where I remembered having stopped to do up my coat.

“In this world you will have trouble,” Jesus told His disciples in John 16:33, “But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

God doesn’t promise us that life will be easy, but He does promise to be with us in our trials and tribulations and that He will see us safely through to the other side. It’s something I find tremendously reassuring.

Like Joshua in Deuteronomy 31:6, God calls us to “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified… your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5 echoes this, saying: ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’

Having worked for MAF (Mission Aviation Fellowship) for 13 years, I’m aware that, for MAF personnel serving overseas, life isn’t always a bed of roses.

Some serve in nations where Christians are viewed with suspicion. Some live in areas where violence and political instability are rife. Others, providing humanitarian relief when natural disaster strikes, come face to face with death and see scenes of unimaginable devastation and distress.

But, as Romans 8:31 reminds us: ‘If God is for us, who can be against us?’

Like MAF’s staff and the apostle Paul, we may sometimes feel ‘hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed’ (2 Corinthians 4:8-9).

Life is full of problems, sadness, challenge and difficulty.It’s not if such things will occur, but when! It’s how we cope with them that counts.

Scripture – somewhat counterculturally – tells us: ‘Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance’ and that ‘Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love Him’ (see James 1:2-12).

The Bible calls us to look to Jesus, to persevere, endure and not grow weary or lose heart (Hebrews 12:1-3). The reason we ‘suffer grief in all kinds of trials’ is so that our faith can be proved genuine and ‘of greater worth than gold’, resulting ‘in praise, glory and honour when Jesus Christ is revealed’ (1 Peter 1:6-7).

The Bible reminds us that we’re destined for trials (1 Thessalonians 3:2-3). It also says that the godly discipline provided by hardship ‘produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it’(Hebrews 12:11) and that ‘suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope’ (Romans 5:3-4).

If Jesus’ life on earth wasn’t easy, why should we expect any different? And although we all get older and may eventually waste away’ (2 Corinthians 4:16), none of the difficulties we encounter go to waste.

Life isn’t easy, which is why we need Jesus, who helps us – like Paul – to ‘delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong’ (2 Corinthians 12:9-10).

Though we’d rather they didn’t happen, our hard times are used to glorify God.

Gary Clayton is married to Julie, the father of Christopher (20) and Emma (17) and works for Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF). To learn how MAF planes bring help, hope and healing to some of Africa’s most isolated areas, visit www.maf-uk.org