Though he slay me, yet will I hope in Him. (Job 13:15)
When all hope seems lost, remember that it is not all lost to the God of the impossible. He can take you through your weariness and pain and bring you to a place of peace. We are in a fallen world and not all things will work out as we hoped. We do not know the future or what is going to happen. Therefore,God has promised that in spite of your struggle, he will work out all things for your good. That is truth.
Your cirucumstance, however painful it might be, is only the path that God is using to reveal more of himself to you. Your troubles cannot defeat you. They may appear to be taking you down but actually they are helping you to rise above them. You are made stronger for having gone through them. Nothing can be taken from you without God’s permission. It is His to give and His to take. But remember, no good will God withhold from those who love him. (Psalm 84:11)
Dear friends, what God removes from your life is part of his plan to give you so much more. You have to learn to trust him. You must stand in faith no matter how great the storm that overwhelms your life. The Lord brings the tide in and he takes it out. He controls the wind and the rain. The sun rises at his command. He certainly can perfect his purpose for your life and provide for what you need.
Don’t let your weariness make you think that God does not care when your prayers seem unanswered. His mercy and love are with you even now. He knows what he is doing in your life. He sees your tears and he holds them in a bottle. He does not forget your name or where you are. He is the God of all possibility and ultimately all things must bow to his will for your life.
The days are growing short and evil is abounding. Take joy knowing that even through the tempest, the hand of God is in full control. He will never fail you nor will he let anything in this world destroy you.
Be strong, my friends. Jesus died to give you peace no matter what happens here. Even the death of a loved one cannot impede the purpose he has for you. He knew your name long before the foundation of the earth. Trust that even in death that God will be with you. That is the hope that separates believers from the rest of the world.
The article below was found posted on the blog Standing for God. A.B. Simpson was a man of God who understood that the problems of this world are the tools to mold the believer into the purpose of God.
THIS IS GOD’S HOUR
by A.B. Simpson
Cast down, but not destroyed—2 Corinthians 4:9
How did God bring about the miracle of the Red Sea? By shutting His people in on every side so that there was no way out but the divine way. The Egyptians were behind them, the sea was in front of them, the mountains were on both sides of them. There was no escape but from above.
Someone has said that the devil can wall us in, but he cannot roof us over. We can always get out at the top. Our difficulties are but God’s challenges, and many times He makes them so hard that we must get above them or go under.
In the Providence of God, such an hour furnishes us with the highest possibilities for faith. We are pushed by the very emergency into God’s best.
Beloved, this is God’s hour. If you will rise to meet it you will get such a hold upon Him that you will never be in extremities again; or if you are, you will learn to call them not extremities, but opportunities. Like Jacob, you will go forth from that night at Peniel, no longer Jacob, but victorious Israel. Let us bring to Him our need and prove Him true.
34 comments
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May 1, 2015 at 3:28 pm
Rosemary Wasike
God is truly the beginning and end of everything in our lives. We live because he lives in us. Our purpose is connected to God.
May 1, 2015 at 3:36 pm
Marianne Bernard
Exactly right on, Rosemary! Thank you for stopping and commenting. God bless you.
May 1, 2015 at 5:41 pm
Viviana
Thank you sister for this wonderful teaching. Right on time when I need it.
Sometimes gets so difficult that I forget that I’m in Jesus hands.
He will never live us, I just get desperate and believe the lie of the enemy that I’m alone, even though I know better.
Love you sister.
May 1, 2015 at 5:56 pm
Marianne Bernard
Hi Viviana, how glad I am that you read this message. Actually, I needed this message myself. It has been a difficult few weeks but I know in my heart that God is still on the throne and that He will see me through the battle. I am praying for you, dear sister. Stay strong and focused on the truth. Love you.
May 1, 2015 at 8:13 pm
Anonymous
Thank you! for this encouraging word.
May 1, 2015 at 8:48 pm
Kyle
Amen, thank you for your service to God through faith. He is using you as a vessel to spread his word and bring joy to already believers by lifting their spirits. I needed to hear this and the Holy Spirit delivered it to me through you, thank you and God bless.
May 1, 2015 at 11:12 pm
Marianne Bernard
Hi Kyle, I am so glad that God has brought you to this site to hear the word that he had for you. He sees where you are, Kyle, and he knows what you need. He will not fail you. Let him do his work in you and trust him to the end. He is working out his purpose for you and an abundant future. God knows those who are his. He will be with you to the end. Never doubt that.
I will be praying for you, my friend. Be in peace.
May 1, 2015 at 11:13 pm
Marianne Bernard
Anonymous, thank you for taking the time to comment. I pray you are encouraged with the truth and that you will lean on Christ when you feel weary. There is always hope when you can trust that God is faithful to his word. That is the peace that Jesus left for us. I pray God’s blessings on you.
May 2, 2015 at 10:28 am
Gloria Donaldson
Good morning Marianne, my sister in Christ Jesus,
Thank you for this godly, power-packed message that reached my heart dynamically.
Truly I needed this reinforcement. I thank God for the Word; I thank God for you.
Still keeping you in prayer,
Gloria
May 2, 2015 at 10:39 am
Carlos Jorge
Hi sister Marianne, I don’t know if you remember me; I am Carlos Jorge, the visually impaired who lives alone for long time in a place for disable people in New York city and I have suffered for long time allot of depression and anxiety alone with chronic insomnia because I have been ignored, rejected and forsaken for most people (including many Christians witch has hurt me the most). I want to tell you that I was touched and encouraged for the devotional I received, “when all hope seems lost”. It talked to me allot about my lonely journey here with my loving savior Jesus, the only one that never ignore nor forsake me because of my personality and problems. I have been encouraged and comforted by others devotionals from you about faith and suffering. If you could, and when you could, please, I will appreciate allot you make a prayer for my situation here. I hopr to see you soon in heaven with Jesus soon. May the good Lord bless and reward you with his kindness. with love in Jesus, my only hope of life in this troubled world… Carlos, the visually impaired.
May 2, 2015 at 1:00 pm
Mechaéla Tiras
Thank you. Words of encouragement that was well needed at this moment.
God bless
May 3, 2015 at 12:42 am
Marianne Bernard
Hi Gloria,
Thank you dear sister for stopping to encourage me. I am so grateful that this message God gave me touched your heart. I pray the truth will lift you and strengthen you to know that all things are being worked out for you even if you can see it happening. Be strong, dear friend. God is shaking the tree to see who truly belongs to him as he gets ready to return. I will be keeping you in prayer!
May 3, 2015 at 12:47 am
Marianne Bernard
Hi Carlos,
I am so sorry for all that yu are going through. I know it can be difficult to stay in faith when so many things are coming against you. Remember that Christ paid the price for you to have victory. If he is allowing struggles in your life, he is doing it for a divine reason. Let him do his work in you. As you have said so truthfully, Jesus will never forsake you. He knows your weaknesses and your pain. He knows your struggle. He is with you even though you don’t see him or feel him. By faith, you should know that he will always be with you. You belong to him. He has commanded his angels to protect you. Stay in the fight, dear brother. Don’t let the enemy’s lies bring you down. You have a future with promise as the path for your life has been set for you long before you were born. You can’t lose.
I will be praying for you, Carlos. There is help and you are never alone. God bless you, dear friend!
May 3, 2015 at 12:49 am
Marianne Bernard
Mechaela, I appreciate you taking the time to comment on the post. My friend, God brought you to this site to see this message and to be encouraged by it. He has a plan for your life. He knows how to get you there. Don’t worry about the struggles. God is using all things for your good. He will be with you. Be in peace, dear friend.
June 6, 2015 at 7:07 am
Luke
God will never fail even the struggles are over,thank you and be bless
June 6, 2015 at 10:51 am
Marianne Bernard
Thank you, Luke. You are so right. God never fails us no matter how painful or difficult our struggle is. It is when we feel the most hopeless that the God of Hope finds a way to take us from our pain. I appreciate you stopping by, Luke.
August 9, 2015 at 6:27 am
Onaji Ogwuche Simon
Hi sis. Mariana
thanks for the beautiful work you are doing. may the spirit of Almighty God continue to guide, touching and inspired you the more. God bless.
August 9, 2015 at 10:42 am
Marianne Bernard
Thank you, dear friend. May God bless you in your need and bring you peace. Stay focused on the truth.
September 21, 2015 at 9:13 pm
Tammy Graham
Hi Marianne!
God bless you for being an appointed lighthouse beacon for me as I am in a scary trading storm lost in the tumultuous sea during what has been my greatest, loneliest trial in all my 42 years of life. I’ve always been able to gain control of my situations before, yet as the days turn to years, these trials have morphed into unfathomable torments that I cannot harness on my own. truth be told I feel terrified at the prospect of relinquishing control I’ve my life’s direction, and I’m feeling quite the failure at immediately giving this to the Lord, and I do desperately want to be so strong in faith that at first sign of trouble I desire to let my spirit of God inside reign over my mind need to fix it. I don’t want to fall any more, please pray for me Marianne. thank you, I thank God for you and your site! love to you blessed servant of the most high!
September 22, 2015 at 12:25 pm
Marianne Bernard
Hi Tammy,
I am sorry for what you are going through and I will be lifting you up in prayer. I wrote you a response yesterday but it somehow did not post. I know what you are saying about fearing to lose control and surrender totally to Christ. It is difficult but it is the only way to have total peace in your life. We can only do so much to help ourselves and our situations but God can do all things. He has a plan for our lives and it cannot be stopped by the troubles of this world. I will be praying for you to understand this truth and to take each day, with God’s help, to lean a little more on him and to trust him. Read your bible each day because God will will meet you there. He will guide you and fill you with his strength to hold on. His promises are real. He never fails us even when it seems like he is taking too long. Tammy, you have hope because Christ died to give you the victory. If you belong to him, nothing can touch your life unless it bows to the will of Christ. He will cause all things to be used for your good.
I am here if you need to talk. I am a friend and I care. You are not alone. Soon Christ will returning to make all things new. Hold on, my sister. There is a divine heritage awaiting you in a kingdom that will never end. Christ did not take you this far to let you fall because of your weaknesses. Trust him. It will take time. I am still learning how to do that myself. Be strong. You always have hope because of Christ. Love to you, my sister.
December 4, 2015 at 9:05 am
Eboh Francis
Thanks you,for the good work you are doing in this site.the spirit of God lead me to this site now am fill better than before.
December 4, 2015 at 10:26 am
Marianne Bernard
Hi Eboh,
I am so glad that God led you to hear this message of hope that he gave me to write. I am praying for you, dear friend. May the peace of God be with you as you know without a doubt that he has a perfect plan for your life despite the trials that you face.
March 14, 2016 at 2:38 am
Linda Seymour
I am so pleased that I have stumbled across this website. May God bless you for your wonderful work X
March 14, 2016 at 12:18 pm
Marianne Bernard
Thank you, Linda. I appreciate your comment. I pray for all who come to this site. I will be praying for you.
March 15, 2016 at 6:09 am
Berita
Thank you so march for your encouraging words, when i read them i felt encouraged and very strong in my heart to know that God knows what am going through and that i will be more strong by faith all will be ok. Thank you and please pray for me.
March 15, 2016 at 12:39 pm
Marianne Bernard
Hi Berita,
I am so glad you were encouraged by the message. God does indeed know what you are going through but he also knows how he is going to take you through it also. When you surrender your will to Christ, he sets the path in place to take you to victory. He knows how to get you there. Please read your bible each day. Let his truth fill you will strength and hope. Whatever struggle you have in your life, there is a way out and Jesus will help you.
I am praying for you, my friend. God never leaves you alone in your battles. Stay in peace.
March 22, 2016 at 2:48 am
pastorallifecoach
Amen, thank you my sister in Christ!! You words again ring so true and full of not just hope but divine encouragement. God has brought us both (and many of you) through so much over the years. I praise Him for it! God has not forgotten our tears or our pain.
March 22, 2016 at 10:48 am
Marianne Bernard
You are so right, my friend, our troubles may be many, but we have the hope that Christ will take us through every one of them! He not only does not forget our pain, he measures it out according to his perfect plan. Everything we endure as believers has a divine purpose that will lead us to the path he has formed for us long before we were born.
Thank you for stopping and commenting. Stay in peace and focus on what is true. God’s people have a royal heritage planned for them. We need only to stay in the race and not grow weary.
April 5, 2016 at 3:42 pm
Gene
Thank you for your blog and for your postings on going through difficult times. I’ve had my share in life but the ones I’m now facing feel absolutely overwhelming. So much so I viscerally understand the Psalmist’s desire to fly away and be at rest … and of his despairing even of life. The fear and terror the Psalmist expressed also resonate with me and so I long for the peace that surpasses all understanding. Obviously, I’m holding on too tight to something it appears the Lord wishes to take away … even though I’m trying so hard to surrender it to Him. It’s infinitely easier to say you surrender all in the abstract than it is to actually surrender it as the water rises above your head. However, reading how others face their wilderness experiences provides me strands of strength and moments of hope … and I’m thankful for them all.
April 5, 2016 at 7:38 pm
Marianne Bernard
Hi Gene,
I am glad that you wrote. I understand what you say. Surrender means letting go of our wills and allowing the will of God to take over. It is scary. It takes real trust and faith to do so. That is what the Spirit of God is doing in us. Making our faith stronger and deeper so that we can do more for Christ and gain more understanding of his way. When you hold tight to something that the Lord wants to take from you, you allow that to be a foothold for the devil to use against you. The truth is that if God wants to take it from you, it must be good to let it go. He alone knows the beginning and end of our life. Who else would know what is best for us but him? But when you learn to let go and take God at his word, you are opening up a path for him to shower down his blessing on you and to promote you in the work of his Kingdom.
I am going through an immense struggle now but it is making me draw nearer to my Lord for I have no strength of my own to stand! I must trust his will. By his own promise, he cannot withhold anything good from me. He knows what is good not just for now but for the future. He has never been wrong. He loves me too much to ever take something from me if it were better for me to just keep it. I trust him. I don’t feel the trust but I know by faith not feelings that God’s ways are good. They are too high for our understanding so we must just surrender to his will no knowing the future. He will not lead us astray. He has the perfect plan.
God bless you, my friend. Stay in peace knowing that your troubles are working out a far greater gain. You cannot lose when you give up all you have to get all He has for you! Stay in peace.
July 24, 2016 at 11:12 am
addo tesfaye
hi dear it is my first time to see your message and comments of many in trial while i was looking message of hope and initiated to write some words like this in desprate hour for me. it is my last day in europe after 28 years of hard life with family including under age kids.laws lawyers persecution charges pressures fears in foreign land.do feel or think GOD is finished with me and my family and it deserve for me to be tested or punshed like this and b/s me my family suffered? is there last hour turnover of our situation according to HIS mercy to save us and leave us here where we are now? i am waiting miracieous intervention for GOD of mercy to glorify in me and my kids life and AMEN. pray for us.GOD bless you and your ministry!
July 24, 2016 at 11:22 am
Marianne Bernard
Hi Addo,
I am sorry for your pain at this time. I don’t know what you are dealing with but let’s reason from God’s word. My friend, in this life we do suffer the consequences of sin. God allows that to get us on the right path but not that we go through is a consequence. There are times when God tests our faith to see if it is real. I don’t know what you are experiencing but we can be grateful that God does not give us what we deserve. Because of his mercy, unmerited favor, we don’t have to endure our struggles and be without hope or without help. Christ is ready to help you to get above and beyond your circumstances if you make him the Lord of your life. You must surrender to him, my friend. You can’t help yourself. He is your hope. He will always help those who put their trust in him and who call upon his name. If you truly belong to Christ, everything that touches your life must bow to his will and be for your good. As bad as our trials seem, they are timed by the hand of God and have a divine, eternal purpose in our life. Finally, a true believer can never be destroyed by the problems of this world. We may suffer but all things are being worked out according to his plans. And they are good plans, Addo.
You can email me at mbernard4477@gmail.com if you want to talk privately. If you have any doubts as to whether you are truly saved or not, we can also use Scripture to understand what real salvation is.
I am praying for you and your family, dear friend. I am here if you need to talk and I trust that Christ will help you through this matter. Please read your bible daily to get his direction, guidance and blessings. Just a chapter each morning will only take a few minutes but it will help guard you against the lies and attacks of the enemy. You are not alone in your battle. Turn to Christ and let him fight this one for you. Be in peace.
November 6, 2018 at 6:18 pm
Linda Ball
Marianne, I just want to thank you for your articles. I began reading them a few years ago and always got encouragement from your wisdom and your strong love for God. God Bless..
November 6, 2018 at 11:40 pm
Marianne Bernard
Dear Linda, I want to thank you for your words of encouragement. I am getting ready to put another article out soon. My wisdom comes from Christ alone. Whenever he gives me something to write, it is for me also. You are very kind to take the time to write. I truly appreciate you, dear sister. I will keep you in prayer.