There are times in life when we are hurting and it seems as if there is no relief from our pain. It is in those times that we may feel that God is not present and nowhere to be found. As Christians, we can be assured that our heavenly Father is always present in every situation and comforts us through His Holy Spirit. We should never feel neglected by God, because as His children He knows everything we face, deal with, and go through. There is no tear that runs down your face that God does not see. There is no heartache you feel that God does not understand. There is nothing you will ever deal with that escapes the attention and care of God. God understands what it is to suffer, to be rejected, or to lose a loved one, and He promises to carry our burdens and offer peace for our hurting hearts.
How do you handle difficulties in life? How do you deal with your heartache and pain? Do you want to throw in the towel, throw both hands up and call it quits? God is with us in our troubles and we must learn to place our faith in Him. In Genesis 37:12-36, Joseph may have wondered where was God? His brothers had left him for dead, partially rescued by his brother Reuben, and sold into slavery. Joseph faced hard times as a slave. He was falsely accused of attempted rape, thrown into to prison and forgotten by those he once helped, but God elevated Him into a position of power in Egypt. It was at that point in his life that he realized that God had been present through all of his trials. We must never forget that the things we go through have purpose, because God has a purpose for allowing trials.
It does not matter whom you are, hard times will find you; we were never promised a life free from pain, but we were promised God would never leave nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). With this promise in hand, we can confidently say, “the Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?” This was made clear to Joseph when he discovered his brother’s fear of him because of what they had done, but Joseph calmly stated, “You meant it for evil, but God meant it for God.” It was the big picture of God’s purpose for Joseph’s trials that helped him realize God was present in every moment of his hard times.
We too can be confident that God’s good purposes will always be carried out in our lives. Hard times are apart of this journey of life, but God is present in every situation. Never question whether God is with you, His word comforts and gives peace in our storms. We must remember to turn to Him and focus on His love for us when going through hard times, understanding that God is present and has a purpose for allowing whatever comes our way.
Shad Comeaux is a native of Port Arthur, TX. Shad earned his bachelor’s degree in Architecture from Texas A&M University, his Master’s Degree in City and Regional Planning from the University of Texas at Arlington, and pursuing a Masters of Divinity from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Shad is licensed he and his family have been members of the Good Hope Missionary Baptist Church in Houston where he teaches Sunday School and Discovery classes. Shad and his wife Carranda have been married for seven years. They have a soon to be four-year old daughter, Carsyn, and two-year old son, Shad Elijah.
