“The Lord places us in difficult situations and circumstances to help us grow in Him. Amen.

I know all too well that none of us want hard times or difficult seasons to take place in our lives, because we naturally desire comfort. We don’t want difficulties. We don’t want to be in places where we’re uncomfortable, because those places are not enjoyable. They are not the kind of places where you’re walking around laughing, smiling, and having the time of your life. Amen.

When hard times and difficulties come, they cause us to change. They get our attention and turn our focus back to Christ. They cause us to examine our lives and the things we’re doing. They lead us to make sure that we are living rightly and focusing on what truly matters. They cause us to pray, to seek the Lord, and to seek His face (Psalm 105:4; 1 Chronicles 16:11).

But most importantly, they cause us to grow. That is really the heart of it all. They change us, mature us, and teach us how to respond when unpleasant things happen in our lives situations we never wanted to face. Amen.

These seasons also allow the fruit of the Spirit to ripen in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22–23).

I love the words of the song that says:

“If I never had a problem, I wouldn’t know that God could solve them, and I wouldn’t know what faith in God could do. But through it all, through it all, I’ve learned to trust in Jesus. I’ve learned to trust in God. Through it all, yes, through it all, I’ve learned to depend upon His Word. So I thank Him for the mountains, and I thank Him for the valleys, and I thank Him for all the times He’s brought me through. For in my lonely hour, that precious lonely hour, God let me know that I was His.”

So let us not despise the dark and lonely moments of our lives. Let us not despise the hardships or struggles we face. Let us also not assume that every difficult situation is the work of the enemy, because many times it is God, our Father, in His tender mercies, grace, and infinite wisdom, allowing or placing us in these seasons to shape us, grow us, and mold us into the mature, content, and godly people He desires us to be.

So let us grow in whatever season we’re in. Let us lean on the Lord, and let us pray like we’ve never prayed before. God has us, and once again, God knows what is best for us.

If we’re somewhere we don’t really want to be, or if we’re facing something we never wanted to face because it’s difficult or challenging, then my prayer for all of us is that we would learn whatever lesson the Lord desires to teach us. May we pass those tests, so to speak, and then move forward into whatever He has prepared for us next. Amen!”

“For it is in His name, Jesus’ name, that I do ask and pray..Amen & Amen..Be blessed today my dear sweet friends and remember wherever you go and whatever you do, Be a light for our Father, Much love to you all, Mandi ❤️