Joshua 1:9
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
Isaiah 43:2
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.
Hebrews 11:36-38
Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were put to death by stoning; they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated— the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground.
Have Absolute Faith in Spite of Tribulations
As written in Joshua 1:9 and Isaiah 43:2, God promised that when His chosen and beloved ones go through tribulations and persecutions, cross dangerous rivers, or pass through fire, He will surely take hold of them and protect them. Therefore, even if God, the Holy Spirit, and the Lord do not appear visibly before your eyes, you must absolutely believe in Them and live with strong faith, firm and unchanging like pure gold.
In Jesus’ time, His disciples faced severe persecutions, mockery, and slander. They were whipped, imprisoned, stoned, sawn in two, or killed by the sword. Some wandered in hunger and poverty, clothed in goatskins, persecuted and mistreated in every way. They were driven from their homes and wandered through deserts, mountains, and caves. Yet their faith remained absolute. In comparison, we are not persecuted to that extent today. Even so, as we face the tribulations of this time, we must strengthen our faith and continue carrying out God’s work.
God promised that He would give even greater rewards because of tribulation. He told us not to be shaken by evildoers or by Satan’s false and violent words, but to remain firm. Only then will God come and remain with us. God will surely fulfill what He has promised.
Don’t Lose Heart but Focus on What You Have Been Doing
Even if God does not immediately answer or respond, if you remain unchanged in your commitment and continue doing the work God entrusted to you, you are communing with God through that work and acting together with Him.
God is always watching, and angels continually report before Him. God and the Lord are always with us. Yet some people give up during tribulations and turn to their own ways, thinking that God is not helping because they cannot see immediate results. God has been nurturing them like fertilized soil, hoping to harvest the fruit of their growth. He is even preparing greater blessings, but they do not understand His heart.
God knows all things and carefully observes how each person acts during times of difficulty. He sees whether a person only prays and pleads, whether their heart changes, or whether they gain insight and act even more faithfully.
There are difficulties that God allows to remain so that we may walk the path of eternal blessing through them. Even when Satan causes harm, God uses it to reveal Heaven. God is overseeing everything. He watches closely, just as one watches a screen. Therefore, even when facing hardship, do not lose heart or doubt. Focus on what you have already been doing with sincerity, and do it even more faithfully. When you do so, you will overcome the difficulty. If you try, you can do it.
God Is Always Protecting You, So Keep Your Faith and Rely on Him
While carrying out God’s work, a season like winter will come. Everyone experiences such a time when it arrives, like a season that comes upon the entire world. During this time, both the righteous and the wicked endure hardship. Even so, we must continue doing what needs to be done despite suffering and difficulty. Later, a season like spring will come, when God will judge those who oppressed the righteous.
When things become difficult, discern whether you have entered a prolonged time of tribulation or are merely passing through a temporary hardship, like a challenging section of a hike. At times, God intentionally leads you through difficulty for a season in order to reward you for past faithfulness. Regardless of the circumstances you are in, God is always protecting you, as Scripture promises in Joshua 1:9 and Isaiah 43:2. Therefore, keep your faith and rely on God. Do not worry or question whether God is protecting you. Instead, take action without limit. The more difficult the situation, the more you should call upon God, the Lord, and the Holy Spirit and continue to act. You must never allow self-destructive thoughts to take hold.
