{"id":35320,"date":"2023-05-04T03:30:40","date_gmt":"2023-05-04T10:30:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lccredding.org\/church\/?p=35320"},"modified":"2023-04-26T10:11:56","modified_gmt":"2023-04-26T17:11:56","slug":"may-4-2023","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lccredding.org\/church\/2023\/05\/04\/may-4-2023\/","title":{"rendered":"May 4, 2023"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div><\/div><\/div>

When Life Seems Too Hard<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\u00a0<\/em>\u201c\u2026In this world you will have\u00a0trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.\u201d<\/em> John 16:33 NIV<\/p>\n

Sometimes when we go through hard times, we might think that God has forgotten us. It is during those times that we can learn some of the best lessons from God.<\/p>\n

When I was in my 30s, I became very sick and couldn\u2019t get well. I was diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome. It was a newly recognized disease and the prognosis was not good. There was no known cure and the outlook was that you would never get well. In the support group I joined, two of our members committed suicide. I am sure if I hadn\u2019t been a Christian, I would have, too.<\/p>\n

I had always judged my value by what I could do and achieve. At that time, I could do nothing. I knew suicide was not God\u2019s will, but I laid in bed and cried out to God and argued that it would be so much better for my family if I was dead. When we are down, Satan keeps telling us we are worthless and to just give up and die.<\/p>\n

The Holy Spirit spoke into my heart and mind that everything that was valuable inside of me was still there. I could listen, and love, and hug. God does not judge our value by our age, size or what we can accomplish. When we become a child of God, the Holy Spirit comes into our lives to strengthen and guide us. When I realized that God still loved me and wanted to help me, I began to listen and learn His love and wisdom. I started to take care of myself so I could regain my health and again be able to take care of others.<\/p>\n

That was decades ago and I can honestly say that my life is better now than ever before, even with all the health problems that remain. I cannot accomplish nearly as much as I used to, but what I do now, I do with love. The witness we have as Christians is not in what we do, but how we live and how we treat others. The fruit we are to bear is not houses and careers and money, but love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).<\/p>\n

So many wonderful things have happened in my life since that dark time. All of that would not have happened if I had followed Satan\u2019s urging to kill myself. Even when we\u2019re bedridden, we can be the light of love that someone needs, or a listening ear. Just because I had worn out my body, it didn\u2019t mean God was done with me. He\u2019s not done with us until it\u2019s time for our life on Earth to be over.<\/p>\n

Remember what 1 Corinthians 13:2 NIV tells us, \u201cIf I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.\u201d<\/em> Whatever God gives you to do, do it with love! Don\u2019t give up, keep moving forward with God as your leader and the Holy Spirit as your guide. Being a child of God, we know we are headed to Heaven. We know the best is yet to come!<\/p>\n

Dear Abba Father, please help us to feel Your love and obey Your wisdom and to persevere through the hard times. Amen.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>

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