Ok, so recently, I have been going through a struggle. I woke up one morning to a hard day, a day that shocked me to my core. A day that caused me to question everything about my daily choices and even my walk with God. Have you ever had one of those days? If you haven’t already, you will. See, adversity strikes us all: the righteous and the wicked alike. Adversity reminds us that life is short, teaches us to live wisely, and refines our character. See, there is value in suffering and sorrow. It may not feel good, but there is value. 

Our hard days are a refining fire. Most would agree that we learn more about God from difficult times than in happy times. We must remember that God allows both good times and bad times to come to everyone. He blends them in our lives in such a way that we can’t predict the future or count on human wisdom and power. A friend sent me a devotional today that reminded me of this truth. We usually give ourselves credit for the good times. Well, I can’t speak for you, but I am guilty of this at times. We go through a whirlwind of doubt and questions in bad times, but we rarely take time to thank God for the good that comes out of our bad days. 

Since that day, I have sought the wisdom and strength of God. In seeking Him, He has met me where I am along the way. What I have gained from that day is when life appears certain and controllable, not to let self-satisfaction and complacency make me too comfortable. When life seems uncertain and uncontrollable, don’t despair—God is in control and will bring good results out of our struggles. 

I leave you with this, my friends, when times are good, be happy, but when times are bad, consider this: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, no one can discover anything about their future. Ecclesiastes 7:14 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6:34