Many believe that they ought to be completely exempted from the challenges of life because they have put their faith in God. This mindset is why many have lost their faith in God. They fall into despair wondering why a good God whom they have served faithfully would allow bad things to happen to them.

However, contemporary and biblical examples have shown that troubled times are often inevitable in life. We need not despair when faced with challenging situations as children of God. The most faithful of God’s people have had to deal with tremendous life troubles.

• Job is said to be blameless such that God commended him before Satan yet he faced tremendous troubles. All his children died and all his investments were destroyed. He also lost his health and the trust of his wife and friends.

• Jesus, the Son of God, is known to be sinless yet He was killed like a criminal in a public place. Who else should have been exempted from life’s circumstances if not the Son of God?

• Zachariah and Elizabeth were known to be people of impeccable character; serving the Lord faithfully as priests in the temple yet they were barren for several years.

Jesus never promised us a life free of challenges. What we are promised is a victorious life irrespective of the battle. We are fighting a battle that is already won.

John 16:33 says, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

It can be very difficult to go through a challenging situation. We need to be equipped with the required understanding that helps us sail through whatever trouble we are faced with. So, how does God help us through troubled times?

1. We go through troubled times gallantly when we remember God’s promises. God’s unfailing promises from His word are the fuel that helps us go through challenging situations victoriously. It is difficult to survive life’s storms without feeding consistently on God’s word. We must learn to draw inspiration from the living word of God in times of challenges.

2. We go through troubles gallantly when we focus on God’s end. James 5:11 says, “Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord—that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.” God has a purpose when He allows His children to go through troubles. God will not allow any of His faithful children to suffer for the fun of it. There is always an “end intended by the Lord.” But we are often shielded from fully understanding what God has in mind when we are in the midst of the storm. We only get to understand after God has taken us through them. For example, Jesus has to die because that is the price for saving humankind. Without His death and resurrection, He will never become the captain of our salvation. It will not be difficult to go through troubles if we trust the Lord for His intended end.

3. We go through troubles gallantly when we give ourselves to heartfelt prayers. Just like God’s word, it will be hard to survive troubles and challenges if we are not committed to prayer. Jesus had to increase the intensity of His prayer when He was about to face the cross. The Bible records that “he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground” (Luke 22:44). The time of trouble is the time to increase the intensity of prayer.

4. We go through troubles gallantly when we belong to a supportive community of faith. God helps us through troubled times by surrounding us with people in the community of faith who provides spiritual, physical and emotional support. Troubles become more challenging when we are going through them alone but the burden becomes bearable when we are surrounded by burden-bearers. This is why every child of God needs to belong to a local church.

5. We go through troubles gallantly when we remember that troubles are raw materials for God to reveal His power and glory. When Jesus heard about the sickness of Lazarus, He said, “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it” (John 11:4). This is the view we must have of our challenges. Smile at the storm and say it loud to God as you present your challenges to Him, “Lord, here is another opportunity for You to showcase your glory!”

If we employ these provisions of God, it will not be difficult to sail through whatever trouble comes our way. As the scriptures say, we will be rejoicing in tribulations (Romans 5:3).

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