Strength for Difficult Times

I have found myself referencing this verse several times a week for the last few months. I need the reminder of who God’s word says I am. Anyone else? When we go through a series of challenges that make us feel emotionally, physically or spiritually exhausted, we might start to feel tempted to doubt truths God has given us. Maybe we start to wonder not only if God will help us but even if we have the strength for the day. When this happens, we know we can rely on the Holy Spirit to step in with some essential truths! Equipped with strength from Christ, we can indeed walk as "more than conquerors".

Let’s dive into this list Paul gives beforehand to better understand what “all these things” are and examine how we can practically apply this truth!

In Romans 8:35, Paul lists the things that have no power over us because of Christ’s love. We'll explore just a few of these so we can look at them and see how this can be applied to any of our circumstances!

1. Tribulation: This word can be translated as pressure or even oppression. When circumstances, relationships, finances or health seem to press in on us with a heaviness, we can turn to the truth of this verse and look to Christ. We remind ourselves that even in this, God is right by our side. Because He is so much greater than the world, we can resist the temptation to give into the pressure to feel overwhelmed.
2. Distress: This word is more immediate and can be translated as dire calamity, extreme affliction and even anguish. When we find ourselves at some of our darkest lows and we cry out to the Lord, we can trust He is faithful to listen. Let’s remember even Jesus wept. He experienced so much stress he sweated blood. He is present even in our anguish. He knows how we feel. Because if these truths, we can know we are not alone.
3. Persecution: Perhaps your choices as a Christian have caused you to lose friendships, jobs and other things. Christ promises that everyone who loses his or her life for His sake will gain it (Matthew 16:25). When we lay important parts of our lives down at the Cross God gives us back so much more than we could ever need. Deep and lasting life fulfillment does not come from anything or anyone else aside from Christ. God uses persecution as a way to draw our hearts closer to His.

Encouragement like this enlivens my soul to remember and hold onto the incredible truths God’s Word gives us! We can let them keep us attached to the truth of Christ in our lives like anchors.

We pray this week if you are joining along in this week’s Scripture memory verse that it encourages you! Please feel free to comment below if you would like to share other ways to find encouragement in difficult seasons!