And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. 2 Corinthians 9:8
When the righteous cry for help, the LORD hears and delivers them out all their troubles. Psalms 34:17Count it al joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know the testing of your faith of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have it's full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lack nothing. - James 1:2-4
Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. - James 1:12
"Hard times are when the textile workers around this country are out of work they've got four or five kids can't pay their wages, and can't buy their food. Hard times are when the auto workers are out of work and they tell him to go home. And hard times is when a man has been on the job 30 years, 30 years they give him a watch kick him in the butt and say Hey! A computer took your place Daddy, thats hard times!!" - Dusty Rhodes
This is a message I wrote A while back. I felt like there are some on here that might need it. This is a wrestling inspired blog, got the idea from an old Dusty Rhodes promo. Part of it is posted above. I had to use his promo for this blog God gave me the Idea to look at it as What do you do during the midst of hard times? We will all have them! What do you do when you are out of work, can't pay any bills or buy any food? What do you do when you are laid off after working at the company for over 30 years because a computer took over what you were doing? Like the Jason Crabb song says God never promised that our cross will not get heavy, and he never promised that the hill will be to high to climb. The best thing to do during times of trouble is to trust and praise God. Hard times are the BEST time to praise God because if we praise him when nothing is going right, that's when he'll bless us the most, and He will bring us out of what we are going through!
My first example, the story I wrote my last blog on. My favorite old testament story in 1st Kings 17, The widow in Zarephath. There had been this drought for 3 years, and there wasn't very much food or water. God sent Elijah there so God can send a blessing to this woman. He found her gathering sticks for a fire was about to cook something to eat for her and her son, which she though was gonna be their last meal because she was about to cook all they had left. Elijah told her to cook him some first and God promises that she would not go hungy. She was hesitant at first but she started TRUSTING God, cooked him Elijah's food before she did their's. Their barrel of flour and oil was never empty!
The next one, Acts 16 Paul and Silas were in Phillipi preaching, when a woman started following him telling everyone that these two were men of God, Paul had a funny feeling about this woman, and found out she was a psychic. Her and some other people were making a lot of money with her demonic powers, but Paul prayed for this woman casted this fortune teller demon out of her, which made the others in business with her mad. They had Paul and Silas arrested for messing up their ways of making money. They wasn't worried about the situation, they weren't scared, while they were in jail. They started having church in the jail cell, started singing and praying, and praising God during this hard time that they was in at this monent. The other prisoners were just listening and watching them. They just kept praising and worshiping all night until about midnight when a big earthquake came that shook so hard the prison doors came open, and they were freed. The gaurd seen what had happen he was starting to kill himself thinking all the prisoners got away but Paul quickly told him that everybody was there. The gaurd then fell at Paul & Silas' feet and Paul won the guard over to the Lord.
Back in 2011, a year after my dad passed away my sister was getting a check from my dad's but she got to the age where they had to cut it off. I didn't have any income or a job. My mom didn't, and we eventually got evicted but moved in with my aunt Shirley for about 6 months. These were some hard times I was wanting my own bed and my own room again lol. I hadn't been to church much in a while bit was still prayed up everyday. Shirley started going to her church again and I went with her. I was applying for jobs but never heard anything back, it was looking like I was going to be in a house with a whole bunch of people for a long time, I was praying, praising God every night for another place, thanking him for where I was at too. My mom applied for her disability, she went to all the doctors, and was approve instantly. A few months after that we were looking around on craigslist and found the house that we are in now. We were at my aunts for about 6 months until we found this house. I praise him every day for it!
Great things will happen when you praise and trust God when you just don't feel like prasing him. Those things that I mentioned above were hard times in the natural. During spiritual attacks from the devil. Depression can just hit us at times for no reason. The enemy will but thoughts in our minds that is not true, stuff can happen that might make you doubt God. But he always shows us how true he is, I have had those attacks at times, when everything is going great and Satan will put a spirit of depression on you. What I always do when that happens I go in my room. Put some worship music on and just start praying and praising God. I always feel a peace come over me and those thoughts that are not of God will leave quickly. He will pour his love on us at the hardest times of our lives when we don't feel like prasing God and doing it anyway we can see a lot of awesome things come to pass.
Another bible story I can use is the man who probably went through the hardest time of all. Jesus Christ. He lived his whole life knowing his fate, knowing that He was going to be the one who would be the one who would be the sacrifice for our sins, he was the only one who could do it because he was sinless. He was having a hard time with the flesh and the spirit coming against each other. The flesh was not wanting to go to the cross, but the spirit was going to go through with God's will. Satan came to Jesus when Jesus was praying in the Garden trying to tempt him. Jesus wasn't giving in. Even when they beat him, mocked him, put the nails in his hand and his feet he was still praying. He was praying for the people doing all of this stuff to him. This is probably the hardest thing that anyone has and will ever go through. Jesus saved the man hanging next to him who knew who he was. He was tortured but was still praying. Then his flesh came out asking God why did he forsake him, he then said It is finished and died and was placed in the tomb, but that didn't last long because 3 days later he came out of the grave now we have etnernal life!
Heavenly Father, I come to you tonight to touch all who are reading this that might be going through something and they need to feel your touch. God I ask you will place a peace upon them in Jesus name that your holy spirit will come down and they fill feel you as they read this prayer right now in Jesus name. God I ask all needs be met tonight, I pray for all who needs a job, all who may be sick, all who may be stressed or just having a spiritual attack I am asking right now Jesus that they will feel your peace come on them right now give them the strength to praise you in the hardest times in there Lives I ask all of these to be done in your will and in Jesus NameAmen!
