I sat on my bed, worried about how I was going to reach the big goals I had on my whiteboard, but the Holy Spirit led me to look at this verse: “For You are great, and do wondrous things; You alone are God” (Psalms‬ ‭86‬:‭10‬).

I needed this reminder. I was so fixed on how great my problems were instead of fixing my eyes on how great God is.

Instead of worrying, will you turn your attention to worship Jesus?

Worrying does us no good, and it never produces the God-solutions we want to see. God tells us in Matthew 6:27, “Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?” Worrying brings no benefits to our lives. We need to learn to set our worries aside and trust God. We learn how to stop worrying as we learn how to trust God.

How To Trust God

Thoughts of fear and worry are bound to enter your mind. We must be intentional to renew our minds with God’s Word whenever fearful thoughts come. To renew our mind means to replace every fearful thought with God’s truth.

Romans 12:2 says, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

If we want to see God’s best in our lives, we must be willing to renew our minds and live according to God’s ways, and not the world’s ways. To live according to God’s way and to trust God will require us to align our thinking, which positions us to trust God.

Instead of thinking thoughts like, “I hope God will come through”, think thoughts like this: “I thank you God, that you hear my cries, and you will deliver me out of all my troubles.”

Turn God’s Word into your own personal declaration. The thought above comes from the Bible verse, Psalm 34:17 which says, “The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears, And delivers them out of all their troubles.”

I love that this verse says that God will deliver us from all our troubles, not just some, but all.

Have Bible verses ready to renew your mind with and meditate on.

Psalm 119:11 says, “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” God’s Word needs to be hidden in our hearts. The only way to hide God’s Word in our hearts is to take the time to read God’s Word. Take time daily to meditate on the Word of God.

Invite the Holy Spirit to give you revelation and understanding of God’s Word and who God is. May we live every day with a reverence towards God and an awareness of who He is and how He is with us and for us.

The moment thoughts of worry arise in your mind, be intentional to replace them with the Word of God. We learn how to trust God by choosing to lay our worries aside and believing in God’s Word and faithfulness.

Do Your Part and Trust God

God commands us not to worry. We see this in passages like Philippians 4 and Matthew 6. Throughout the Bible, we also see God commanding His children not to fear. If we are living outside of God’s will and not obeying His Word, we then have a reason to worry. Proverbs 19:23 says, “The fear of the LORD leads to life, And he who has it will abide in satisfaction; He will not be visited with evil.”

As long as we are seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, we have nothing to worry about. God tells us in Matthew 6:31-34, “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”

This does not mean we will not go through troubles, but we can trust God to get us through every storm we face.

Our job is to do our part (seeking first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness), and God will do His part.

The same God who helped the Israelites leave Egypt safely and split the Red Sea is the same God who is here to help us. Exodus 14:14 says, “The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.”

Do your part in obeying God. As you do your part, God will do the impossible part.

Worrying can often lead us to pursue things that are not of God, just to speed things up which causes us to birth an “Ishmael” instead of God’s initial good plans. I have many times tried to do things in my own timeline to reach my desired goal, or pursue opportunities without having the peace of God. These things have only left me stressed and brought me further away from what God wants to do through me.

Worrying truly brings us no good. Psalm 37:8 says, “Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; Do not fret—it only causes harm.”

The quicker we can grasp this, the better our lives will be. Do not try to do things in your strength. Trust God and let God fight your battles. Practice learning on the Word of God.

You Serve a Great God

Are we more convinced of how great our problems are or how great our God is? Make a habit of turning your worries into worship. God alone is great, and He does wondrous things. He is known for accomplishing difficult and impossible things.

Just because you have a problem does not mean God is not present. We live in an imperfect world because of sin, but the good news is we have a perfect God who is always present to comfort and help us.

Let your problems remind you to call upon God for help and to put your trust in Him. Psalm 46:1 says, “God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble.”

God is available to comfort you in your pain, mess, confusion, and sorrows. Go to Him as your refuge for help and trust His timing and process. Remember that you serve a GREAT God. You can have confidence as you rest in God’s ability and not your own.

Will you give attention to who God is rather than your current circumstances?

While things may not always turn out how you pictured they would be, this does not mean God is not good or present. His ways are not our ways (Isaiah 55:8-9).

Trust in God’s faithfulness despite the problems you face. It’s our job to follow Jesus, and God’s job to order our steps.

Psalm 37:23 says, “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and He delights in his way.” As we seek to follow Jesus wholeheartedly, He will order and establish our steps.

This means we do not need to worry about the present or future, along with the “how’s” for the assignments that God gives us.

Are you allowing Jesus to be your Shepherd in ALL areas of your life? Does your heart seek to please His will and not your own?

There is safety in following Jesus because His way is always perfect for us. We don’t have to worry as we abide in the secret place of the Most High (Psalm 91:1) and stand upon the Word of God.

Will you practice turning your times of worry into worshipping God?

Be comforted that even God commands us not to be anxious about anything, but instead by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, letting our requests be made known to Him (Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭6‬).

The next time you are worried, remember that you serve a GREAT God. Nothing is too hard for God to do.

As long as you are abiding in Jesus, you will be protected under His care. So remember, stop worrying and start worshipping the One who is always in control.

Prayer: Jesus, thank You that I can trust You with every part of my life. When I start to worry, remind me to fix my eyes on You instead of my problems. Teach me to turn my worries into worship and to rest in Your presence. You are great and do wondrous things, so help me to trust Your plan and timing.

Listen to our Podcast “How To Stop Worrying”

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How many times have we looked to money or people as our savior instead of God? I fell into the trap of thinking money was my savior rather than God. I took on business deals that I shouldn’t have because of our financial needs.

The mistake I made was that I didn’t ask God whether I should take these business deals before giving my yes.

I followed where the money was, but not God. 

This kept me from stewarding my calling as a mother and building the ministry God entrusted to me. I ended up obeying God and letting go of the business deals. It was then that I could feel God’s grace upon my life to do what He has called me to do.

As I stepped out in faith to pursue Living Revelations wholeheartedly, I started to see God bring the provision through the ministry.

This was a reminder to me that God is my Savior, not money.

What is Idolatry?

God makes it clear that we are not to have any gods before him (Exodus 20:3). Jesus alone is the One we are to follow. What is idolatry? Idolatry is anything we put above God. Idolatry begins when we believe God is not enough.

It’s in the moment we say, “I need to have this,” that what we start to develop an idol in our hearts. Money, relationships, fame, etc., can easily become idols if we are not careful to remember that Jesus is all we need. We must always put God first.

Money is not bad, but when money becomes our main ambition, it can become an idol where we see money as our savior and not God.

God warns us in I Timothy‬ ‭6‬:‭9‬-‭10‬, “But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”

The love of money can cause us to stray from the faith, leading us to destruction and hell.

Matthew 6:24 says, “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”

Don’t believe the lie that you can serve God and idols. Idolatry removes God from our lives. When we read the Old Testament, we see countless times that idols and the high places where people worshipped idols would always pull people away from God.

We cannot tolerate idolatry.

Let’s not make our ambitions to be rich, but rather to do the will of God and use our finances for His purposes and not our own personal gain.

The enemy wants us to live short-minded, thinking of worldly pleasures, but God invites us to live with eternity in mind. The money we have now should be used to store up eternal treasures for the life to come when Jesus comes back.

Everything we have now on earth will disappear (1 Timothy 6:7), but our good deeds done for God will account for us riches that we will get to enjoy for eternity in heaven.

Are you following where the money is or God’s leading?

Don’t let money rule you. If you serve money, you will live a life of worry because money cannot guarantee you security. If you serve God, you will never have to worry because He is faithful to provide all our needs.

Jesus tells us right after verse 24 not to worry about what we will eat or drink. He tells us that God knows what we need and to simply seek first His kingdom and righteousness (Matthew 6:25-33). As long as we put God first, everything else that we need will come.

How to avoid Idols in our Lives

How do we guard ourselves from forming idols in our lives? By looking to Jesus as our only Savior — the One who satisfies us and the only One that we need.

May we continue to carry the heart of Psalm 23:1 that says, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.“

The world will constantly remind us that we need everything but God. These are the times when we have to renew our minds with God’s truth and remember that God is all we need. Discontentment births idolatry. The moment when discontentment springs up, we must give thanks to God and rejoice. Giving thanks to God puts God back where He belongs and gives us the right perspective of who He is.

Paul says in Philippians 4:12-13, “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”

Paul was able to avoid idolatry because He looked to Jesus as His source of strength. We must put God first and remember that all we need is found in Him and through Him.

Practice taking refuge in Jesus when troubles or discontentment arise. Psalm 18:30 says, “God, his way is perfect: The LORD’s word is flawless; he shields all who take refuge in him.”

Do you acknowledge that Jesus alone is your Savior? Are you being led by Jesus or idols like money?

1 Timothy‬ ‭6:17-19‬ says, “Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.”

It can be easy to make marriage/relationship, success, fame, or a career an idol in our lives.

If we believe we need to be in a relationship to feel happy, or that we need to achieve a certain career or level of success to be fulfilled, then those things have become idols in our hearts.

The truth is, nothing will satisfy us except Jesus. Only Jesus was made to be our all satisfaction. We were made to worship Jesus alone.

While marriage, success, and family are beautiful things to have, they were never meant to take the place of God.

Jesus says in John 6:35, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.”

Is there a person or thing that you have put above God? Have you positioned Jesus to be your Savior, the only One you need?

Follow Jesus and put God First

Let Jesus be the one you look to for guidance. Don’t follow where the money is, but follow His leading. There is safety in trusting Jesus.

Trust that God knows the best way for you to invest your time, gifts, and resources‭‭ for His kingdom and glory.

Contentment is possible in Jesus, but it requires us to seek Jesus and make Him our delight. Psalm 34:8 says, “Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.”

Where are you turning for rest and satisfaction? The world offers many things before us that can tempt us to seek after those things instead of Jesus, causing us to feel discontent in our current season.

It can be that vacation you’ve always wanted, or a spouse you’ve been praying for, or the financial breakthrough you need. While these things may be good, let us not lose sight of the One who is good and all satisfying—Jesus.

1 Timothy 6:6-7 says, “Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.” Godliness with contentment is great gain. Look to Jesus for contentment. He promises to not leave us hungry and thirsty.

We need to remember that the things of this world will not last forever. What will last forever is our relationship with Jesus. May we set our affections on things above and not on earthly things that will pass away (Colossians 3:2).

Will you take time throughout the day to worship Jesus and seek Him in the Word? So remember, do not fall into idolatry. 

Prayer: Jesus, help me to follow You above all else. Keep me from chasing idols like money or success, and remind me that You alone satisfy. Teach me to trust Your leading, find contentment in every season, and live for what matters eternally.

Listen to our Podcast “What is Idolatry and Not Falling into Idolatry”

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Please consider donating to the ministry if you have been blessed. You can do so by clicking here: GIVE   

Every dollar counts towards spreading God’s truth and sowing seeds worldwide. Help us reach more lives with the gospel of Christ.

The Lord recently asked me a piercing question: “Do you really believe I am your Shepherd?”

I knew God knew the answer, but He wanted me to realize that I wasn’t seeing Him as my Shepherd because things were tough.

Maybe you’re in a place where you too, are doubting if God really is leading you. Perhaps you are like me, where fear was attached to a lot of the actions I was taking.

Be encouraged that God is leading you even when you don’t understand why the journey is hard or how exactly you’ll get to your desired destination.

Is God calling you outside of your comfort zone? Maybe it’s a new leadership position or a business God is calling you to pursue. Whatever “uncomfortable thing” God is calling you to, remember that He is with you. 

I find comfort reading Joshua 1:9, where God tells Joshua, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” ‭‭

This same command God gives Joshua is the same command He is giving to us as His followers. Joshua was tasked to lead a whole nation into battles to take on territories. Who wouldn’t be scared of such a task?

The battles you have to face may seem daunting, but remember the God who is with you, fighting your battles. It is God who ultimately will hand us the victories and promised territories we are believing for.

God constantly reminded Joshua that He will give them the promised land they have been believing for. Though we, like Joshua, are called to take action, know that it is ultimately God who will bring us where we need to be.

God says in Joshua 1:5-6, “No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them.”

When things get hard, we can easily forget that God is near and for us. Be encouraged with what God says in Psalm 37:18, “The blameless spend their days under the Lord’s care, and their inheritance will endure forever.”

As long as we are living rightly before God, we can be sure that God will always take care of us here on earth and for eternity. This doesn’t mean we will not go through hardships, but that even in the midst of the hardships, He is with us. 

There is never a day when you are not in God’s sight or care. We are promised that even death will not be our end, but we will be raised to life and have a glorious body with Jesus (1 Cor. 15:51-53).

Trust that God will get you through the storm and turn what was meant for your harm for your good and His glory.

When life gets tough, remember you are not alone. The Lord of hosts, who is the King of glory is with you (Psalms‬ ‭24‬:‭10‬).

The battles you face cannot be compared to the Lord who is with you. Do not tolerate fear, but instead walk by faith and seek the Lord’s help and wisdom. Psalm 23:4 says, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.”

Many times we wait for perfect circumstances to enjoy life. No matter what you are facing, choose to trust God, do good, and enjoy where you are at.

God tells us in Psalm 37:3, “Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.” ‭‭

Right before verse 3 in Psalm 37 God says, “Do not fret because of evildoers, Nor be envious of the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, And wither as the green herb” (Psalms‬ ‭37‬:‭1‬-‭2‬).

The context of enjoying safe pasture in Psalm 37 is even in the midst of evildoers around us. Despite the hardships you may be facing, remember that God is still faithful to get you through safely.

We are invited daily to “feed off His faithfulness” (Psalm 37:3).

Find rest that you’re not alone. Every day choose to declare, “The Lord is my Shepherd.”

What is the role of a Shepherd? The role of a Shepherd is to guide, protect, and provide for the sheep. That is who Jesus is for us. Jesus is the Shepherd and we are His sheep.

Our call is to simply follow Jesus, our Shepherd.

The meaning of “The Lord is my Shepherd” is to remember that in Jesus, we have everything that we need. Many Bible verses remind us that God will guide and establish our steps, protect us in time of trouble, and provide all that we need. 

May we renew our minds with Psalm 23:1: “The Lord is my Shepherd, I lack nothing.” Even when we feel in lack, remember that you have everything you need in Jesus. Tell yourself, “The Lord is my Shepherd”.

Trust that as you choose to follow Jesus, His goodness and love will follow you all the days of your life (Psalms‬ ‭23‬:‭6‬).

Even when you don’t understand the journey, trust that Jesus is still leading you as you choose to follow Him. Jesus is the Good Shepherd.

So remember, say to yourself: The Lord is my Shepherd. 

Prayer: Jesus, help me to remember Your promises when I feel overwhelmed and to hold fast to the truth that You are my Shepherd. Even when I cannot see the path ahead, help me to walk by faith, knowing that You go before me, fight for me, and lead me into peace.

Listen to our Podcast “The Lord is my Shepherd”

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Every dollar counts towards spreading God’s truth and sowing seeds worldwide. Help us reach more lives with the gospel of Christ.

Hardships are not bad when we use them as an opportunity to find God’s power and strength to sustain us.

My second labor with my newborn was much harder than my first one. I was expecting it to be easier because I came into it with more faith than during my labor with my first child.

To my surprise, this second time around was so painful that I didn’t think I could continue delivering my baby without an epidural. Praise God that by the time I did ask for an epidural, I was already 9.5 cm dilated and ready to push my baby out. 

I questioned why God didn’t give me a painless delivery, but in my questioning, God reminded me of the beauty of my hard labor which was seeing God’s miraculous power sustain me through. 

Paul in the Bible went through many hardships yet he was able to find contentment through Jesus. Paul says in Philippians 4:12-13, “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well-fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through Christ who gives me strength.”

Jesus was the key to helping Paul go through hard times.

As we cling to Jesus during hard times, we will find His strength sustain us through. The beauty of hardships is that it allows us see that we can do all things through Christ who gives us strength. 

Speak this over yourself: I can do all this through Christ who gives me strength. 

No matter what you are facing, will you look to Jesus and trust in His power to sustain you?

You can do all things through Jesus who gives you strength.

When you’re facing hard times, instead of complaining, take joy and remember that there is an opportunity for you to grow in perseverance and come out stronger in the Lord. God reminds us in James 1:2-4, “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. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

We can rejoice as we go through hardships when we remember that God works all things out for our good for those who love Him (Romans 8:28). Sometimes the good work God is doing through us may not be comfortable, but we are being conformed into the image of Jesus.

The beauty of hardships is seeing Jesus sustain us and seeing ourselves become more like Jesus. God is close to the brokenhearted and it is during hard times that we can gain deeper revelations of God’s love for us through Jesus.

Paul in the Bible went through many hardships such as beatings and prison. At one point, many believed he had died from being stoned and dragged outside the city, yet after His disciples surrounded him, Paul got up and went back on a mission to share the gospel (Acts 14:19-20).

Paul went through hardships and was hard-pressed, yet not crushed. 

How? Because of the power of Jesus working in Him and through Him. 

Paul says in 2 Corinthians 4:7-11, “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed— always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.”

Our bodies are just earthen vessels (or like jars of clay that are easily breakable), yet we can be hard-pressed but not crushed, confused but not in despair, persecuted but not forsaken, and struck down but not destroyed because of the power of God living in us through Jesus.

It’s easy to question God’s love for us when we are going through hard times. We may think, “Where is God? Why am I going through this pain?”

While our hardships and pain may be real, we must remember that God too is real and still with us. 

Our hardships are opportunities for us to find God real and see His power and grace sustain us when we could never persevere without Him. We can conquer our hardships and not be crushed through the love and power of Jesus. 

Will you look to Jesus for strength no matter what you are facing? Will you trust that He is for you and not against you?

“If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” (Romans‬ ‭8‬:‭31‬-‭32‬).

Nothing can separate you from God’s love — not even hardships. Jesus tells us that we will face hardships but that we can have courage because He has overcome the world, which means that we too will overcome our hardships through Jesus. 

Romans 8‬:‭35‬, ‭37‬-‭39‬ says, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Through Christ, we can conquer our hardships by persevering. Our perseverance is proof of God’s love sustaining us.

Remember what Romans 8:27 says, “Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.”

Not even death can separate us from God’s love because in Jesus we have eternal life. Trust that Jesus is always with you. Lean on His Word and strength when times get hard and you will find His love real to sustain you. Ask the Holy Spirit for Bible verses for strength and courage in difficult times.

So remember, there is beauty in hardships. 

Prayer: Jesus, thank You for being our strength in times of hardship. Help us to see the beauty in every trial as You sustain and transform us through Your love. Teach us to trust in Your power and rejoice, knowing that nothing can separate us from Your unfailing love.

Listen to our Podcast “The Beauty of Hardships”

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Please consider donating to the ministry if you have been blessed. You can do so by clicking here: GIVE   

Every dollar counts towards spreading God’s truth and sowing seeds worldwide. Help us reach more lives with the gospel of Christ.

Bible verses for strength and courage in difficult times

• “But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.” – Isaiah 40:31
• “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” – Philippians 4:13
• “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” – Joshua 1:9
• “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” – Isaiah 41:10
• “Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday.” – Psalm 91:1-6
• “The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.” – Psalm 23:1