Life: it’s the most miraculous and astounding gift from God himself, a constant reminder pointing to him as your Creator and confirming that you are indeed made in his image. Every new day you are blessed to wake up and draw breath once again, you have the beautiful opportunity to play a role in God’s plan, to be an active vessel carrying out his will and sharing his love with all of creation. But it doesn’t always feel that way.
At times, this God-given awe-inspiring phenomenon called life can be as horrific, distressing, discouraging and devastating as it is remarkable. These days, even something as simple as turning on the news can be enough to send you into a sense of deep existential doubt and despair. Everyone has rough days — and rough weeks, months and years, for that matter. In these hours of turbulence and tribulation, God is faithfully at our side, and he speaks to us and edifies us through his Word. We need look no farther than the Bible to hear his reassurance and know he is present in all we see.
Take a look at the following passages from Scripture for those days when you’re struggling to see the light.
We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.
Life can have a way of making you feel like the walls are imploding around you and the roof is caving in, but the believer knows this is a falsity. As a child of God, you can rest in the assurance that all troubles that come in this world are fleeting and are all in accordance with the will of the Lord and His plan for your life.
No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.
You are made in the image of God. He designed you exactly as you are, with all of your talents and gifts along with your flaws and shortcomings, and he knows you like no other ever can. There are times when the trials and tribulations of this life may tempt or discourage you, but God is never far from you, and he will never let you be overwhelmed without providing some form of solace or relief.
Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?
Words to live by, spoken by Christ himself. It’s often easy to get trapped in worrying over the material aspects of this life, and in the process, you may take the day before you for granted. In this excerpt from the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus reminds you that there is so much more to the life God has given you and the plan He has for it than just meeting your basic needs for survival. The same God who created the birds in the sky and the flowers in your backyard also created you, and in the same way that he nurtures them, he will nurture you.
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.
Nobody gets through life unscathed; this much is undeniable. But through the eternal grace of our Father and the salvation you find in his Son, you never have to walk through the hardships of this world alone. In the words of Christ, “knock, and it shall be opened unto you; seek, and ye shall find.” (Matthew 7:7)
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.
While life on this earth isn't all easy, God didn't mean for us to live in constant fear. He wants us to trust in him, to rely on the peace that passes understanding and to enjoy the life we have in abundance while also knowing that more is waiting for us.
If you're struggling with life and need some extra help finding that peace, an assisted living community might be just the answer. The Bethesda Gardens assisted living community in Phoenix offers older adults the chance to live a vibrant, active lifestyle, and we also provide faith-based amenities including opportunities for worship and Bible study.
