Have you ever felt like God was not there for you? You know that He's loving, powerful, and mighty, but it just felt like He was absent in your situation because there was hardship.
When challenge comes our way, we often think that God isn't there, thinking that the presence of God should mean the absence of hardship.
As a result, we might start doubting because we think God's power is absent in our trial.
But can we really say that God's power is absent because trials come? We can either view it that way, or think this way: that God's power works in the midst of our deepest trials.
The presence of trial does not equate to the absence of God's power. It is instead an opportunity for God's power to be more powerfully displayed if we allow Him to. The question we must ask ourselves is: Will we turn to God in our great distress and not abandon Him?
The temptation to abandon God during a great trial will always be there, and you actually have the choice to do so. God is not a cosmic killjoy who strikes you with a lightning bolt when you leave Him. Just like the Father who willingly let his son run off with his wealth though he did not want to, God allows us go whatever way we choose.
But the moment we start to doubt God, we will never see the true fulfilment of our trial. Our trial was meant to be concluded with a God-given triumph, but that can only come if we remain in God and put our faith in Him.
2 Corinthians 12:9 reminds us, saying, "But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me."
Weakness, trial and challenge will always be there. But in the midst of all of that, Jesus remains ever present, helping us through our greatest trials.
Our trials would in fact be greater if God were not around. Because God loves us, He goes with us into battle. In John 16:33, Jesus said, "I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world."
Trials and challenges are expected and there's nothing we can do about that. We do, however, have agency over our response to hardship. Will we choose to respond in doubt, thinking that God is absent in our challenge? Or will we choose to respond in faith knowing that God is present even in our trial?
