When you feel let down or are suffering, don’t suffer alone! There is no need. The victory is won, and you can rejoice in the good news. Join Felice Gerwitz as she shares her thoughts and ponders about God’s Word and how He will never disappoint you.

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Have things been rough lately? Have you struggled with just making it through the day? Everyone I’ve talked to, myself included, feels like we’re under attack. Things are going wrong in an unprecedented manner, and to make matters worse, it doesn’t seem to get better.

When you’re going through hardships, it is hard not to place blame on the individuals who caused you harm or the situation, yet it is only through his permissive will that we are allowed to suffer, for lack of a better word. God knows it’s happening. Nothing surprises him; truthfully, that is a comfort for me. The situation may surprise me, but it’s not a surprise for him. I know that God has this, even if I don’t. Hardships happen. (Story shared on air).

Other friends spoke about their hardships, illnesses, family loss, financial issues, and lawsuits. In the grand scheme of things, when we discuss life everlasting in heaven) these events, while complex and tragic, are fleeting. We don’t have to do it alone, we don’t have to suffer alone, and we are not alone. The Lord gives renewed grace to deal with these issues.

Today, we will rejoice and be glad, not only because the Lord does hear our prayers but because He has mercy upon us. Just look at the book of Daniel, particularly Daniel Chapter 3. We read about Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. It is a powerful lesson for us all — for when you feel alone, for when you are defeated, for when you think there is no hope. The three are put in the furnace to burn because they angered the King. At first, they praised the Lord, repented, and lamented to the Lord that they no longer had a leader (sound familiar) and had been handed over to their enemies. But they asked for mercy. Again, please read it all yourself, but I wanted to focus on this portion for you, Daniel 3 42-45 (read on air.)

Then it goes on in verses Daniel 3:46-50, and I am paraphrasing here — The angel of the Lord comes down having heard the prayer of Azariah and his companions, and we read he drove the fiery flame out of the furnace and made the inside of the furnace as though a moist wind were whistling through it. The fire did not touch them and caused them no pain or distress.

God sent an angel to drive away the flames. He can also do that for us because when we suffer, we feel as if we are consumed; we can’t think of anything else, and all we can do is dwell on the issue. But we should know by now, especially if you are a long-time listener, that God is in charge. We further read in verses 51-56 (read on air)

Here are some past episodes that may help:

Overcome Daily Struggles

Fill Up Your Spiritual Tank

Your Heart, Your Faith

Those verses should make you rejoice in the Lord. Even amid hardships

The Lord knows our hearts, and he knows when we are hurting, when we are distressed, when we feel broken. He knows our hearts when we are happy and rejoicing and good things are happening in our lives. So what should we do? We rejoice and be glad we thank God for everything, even the hardships, and we pray for those who have hurt us. That friend is the hardest thing to do! Why is forgiveness so difficult when God forgives us? I think for one reason: it’s because of the injustice we see in the situation. We look at it with human eyes and say oh my gosh, why is this happening to these people we know, or why is this happening to us?

But if we spend our time realizing that everything that happens is allowed in our life by the Almighty’s permissive will, then we know it’s for a greater purpose, and what is that purpose? It is so that we can grow closer to him. One of our dear elderly pastors always makes the overarching remark about the New and Old Testament, which can be summed up in the thought that God wants a relationship with his people. Isn’t that true?

So, let’s not suffer alone. Let’s turn toward the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Let’s pray; let’s read the Word of God. The Almighty is waiting for us. He wants a relationship with us! He is there, and he is the constant in our lives. When we suffer, we pray and ask our friends to intercede for us and our heavenly friends, such as the saints who have gone before us.

Instead of getting bogged down with semantics, worrying about the outcome, and doing all the things the enemy wants us to do, which will take her eyes off of God, we need to focus on him. Recently, something good happened in our lives, and my husband and I were stunned that we were not joyful and jumping up and down. Instead, we were worn out by the ordeal that happened beforehand, and that’s all we could focus on, so we began to pray for those involved and praised God for the good results!

Friend, this is what our enemy does. He keeps us focused on the things that do not matter and keeps our eyes off of the Lord and toward ourselves, angry toward others who have wronged us, and towards situations we have no control over. I hope it helps you to realize that we all suffer. No one’s life is perfect, and altogether, this side of heaven, so friends, I leave you with this thought: You do not need to suffer alone; rejoice in the Lord always!

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