Comfort in the Storm

Whatever you have gone through, or whatever you may be facing today, I want to conclude this study with an encouraging message from Matthew 5:4. Jesus says, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted” (ESV)!

I used to think this was odd. I wondered, How can we be blessed if we are upset and mourning? Then God helped me understand that our times of pain are actually perfect opportunities to receive and experience His supernatural comfort.

God’s comfort goes far beyond any ordinary kind of comfort. He is the only One who can carry you through the pain and help you to actually become a stronger person than you were before.

With God’s help, we can have an attitude that says, “This may be tough right now, but I will never give up. I’m really hurting, but I’m going to make it through!”

Romans 8:28 (NLT) says, ...God causes everything to work togetherfor the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. When we refuse to give up, the hard times of our lives can actually turn out to be the greatest blessings.

Some of my greatest victories have come out of difficult moments when I had to press through and lean into God for His help and comfort. I’m grateful today that I didn’t give up during those times because I wouldn’t have the privilege of helping people the way I do.

When you are hurting, I encourage you to run to God—the “Source of every comfort”(see 2 Corinthians 1:3). Spend time in His Word, talk to Him in prayer, and choose to worship Him even when you don’t feel like it.

Yes, the Lord will often use others to comfort us. But even the people who are extremely close to us cannot give us everything we need all the time.

When we expect others to do for us what only God can do, we have our expectations in the wrong place, and we will always be disappointed. However, the Bible says those who put their hope in the Lord will never be disappointed (see Isaiah 49:23).

Trust the One Who Can’t Be Shaken

I take a lot of comfort from Isaiah 43:2-3. It says, When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the Lord your God…(ESV).

When you’re going through hard times, it’s so important to remember that God is right there with you, and you can trust Him to help you through it.

For instance, it can be difficult to stay in faith when you’re fighting depression, your circumstances don’t make sense or life just doesn’t seem fair. It’s especially hard when you feel like you’re doing what you should be doing and you’re not getting a right result.

There will be times in our lives when everything feels like it is shaking and nothing feels secure, and the only real answer is to trust God and keep on trusting Him.

Although God isn’t the One who brings these challenges into our lives, I’ve learned from experience that He will use them for our benefit. He will help us to let go of all the unstable things so we’re only hanging on to the Rock of our salvation—Jesus Christ—who cannot be moved or shaken!

God Is with You Through It All

Remember, what you’re going through now isn’t going to last forever. When I’m going through a hard time, I like to remind myself, “This too shall pass.” In the meantime, you can choose to place your trust in God and remember that things will change...a new season is right around the corner.

It’s so important to stay in God’s Word and encourage yourself with scriptures like Isaiah 41:10. God says, Fear not [there is nothing to fear], for I am with you; do not look around you in terror and be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen and harden you to difficulties, yes, I will help you...(AMPC).

I encourage you to never, ever give up. Continue to place your hope and trust in God. Because He sees what you’re going through, and He’s with you every step of the way. With God’s help, you can make it through the storm and come out stronger on the other side.

Wherever you are right now—whatever storm you are facing—please know how deeply you are loved and that you are enough. God loves you unconditionally, He is right by your side, and He has so much good in store for your life!

Pray: “Father, I thank You for always being with me—in the good times and also when life gets really difficult. Please help me to draw closer to You when the storms are raging and life doesn’t make sense. Let me receive Your supernatural comfort. I know You are right here with me, and You will work everything out for my good. In Jesus’ name, amen.”

If you are going through a difficult time, we want to help you in any way we can. We invite you to visit joycemeyer.org/HopeForLife . Here, you’ll find a special message from Joyce along with phone numbers for various support hotlines where you can get immediate help.

You can also receive a free download of Joyce’s booklet, Overcoming Depression and find encouraging stories from others who have battled depression and thoughts of suicide.

That wraps up Joyce’s 5-day study, Hope for Those Struggling with Suicide and Depression. To dive deeper into more hope and encouragement, we invite you to start a new study today at joycemeyer.org/study