When things get hard, I get closer to the Lord. I push in and almost try to become a part of Him as I pray, sing, whatever I have to do to get as close as possible to the only one that I know can help me.
This morning, I read the testimony of a young woman who went to be with the Lord in February. Her dream was to sing for a wide audience and sing she did, with all of her heart, on an American show on which she was a favorite. She never got to win the final prize or record in a big studio or become famous because she died. But it is her testimony of how she faced the hard times of cancer, and a husband who left her in the midst of her illness, that has stayed with people and crossed the internet repeatedly. I share that with you today just to ponder if you, too, think that you should be thankful in the hard times.
The testimony is not perfectly written, but it is heart-wrenching and a true testament of turning to God when things get hard. I cannot imagine what this lovely soul went through, but I know that she went through it with God.
It has always been easier to be thankful when things are going well, when the sky is blue, the weather is perfect, the kids are all healthy and other relationships are in the right place. But that is when I have found that sometimes I forget to be thankful, just because everything is so good. Then, along comes something difficult: a lost job, a staggering economy with high prices, illness, or any number of other things. At those times, I don’t hesitate to go before the Lord and thank Him for His guidance, provision and love. So, why am I (and probably you) so accustomed to going to God readily in the hard times? Because we know that He is our shelter, the only real refuge we have from the onslaught that is life.
I have never suffered as Nightbirde did, but I have faced hard times. And I know that the only answer is finding and holding on to faith in God, no matter whether you find Him in the bathroom, your bedroom or out walking around in the woods. In a world that is spinning out of control, I am thankful that God is stable and holds out His hand to each of us to keep us stable, too. God holds us up if we just call on Him. Our call starts with thanksgiving for His loving presence, in the good times, in the hard times, at all times.
“Hold On To Me “ by Lauren Daigle
Vickie's Book Nook and Meditation Corner 
Just like the Israelites who continued to abandon their Holy God, we do the same when we get “fat & sassy.” I thank God Who continually draws us nearer and nearer to Himself.
Thank you for sharing the testimony. I like the line about not being able to find God because they don’t look low enough.
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I identify with hard times and difficult and painful circumstances, so I empathize. But it is those hard times which will humble us, if we will let them, and which will draw us closer to our Lord, and which will lead us to walk in obedience to his commands, and which will help us to choose Jesus over all else, and which will strengthen us and make us ever more determined to walk with Jesus and not according to the flesh. So they are painful, yes, but they serve a good purpose.
I will try to look at that testimony you shared, too. Thanks, Vickie, for what you shared here.
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As Christians, we will face inevitable hard times. This is one our greatest challenges to our faith. Yet, at the same time it presents an opportunity to strengthen our faith. Vickie, thanks for sharing your discussion as well as the eye-opening post from Nightbirde.
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