When Life Challenges – You Can Trust God’s Powerful Promises
Do you ever feel like you’re just incapable of handling the challenge in front of you?
- Maybe you’ve been rejected by a loved one.
- Maybe you’ve received a frightening diagnosis.
- Maybe you’re grieving the death of someone close to you.
- Maybe you’ve lost your job.
- Maybe you’ve been unable to make your income and your expenses balance.
- Maybe you’ve lost your home to fire or a storm.
- Maybe…
Maybe you’re at a place in your life where you’ve looked to the heavens and said, “God this is too hard. I can’t do this!”
I had a time like that years ago. Our lives were turned upside down and I had no idea how I would be able to move forward.
I cried and I cried out.
And for the past decade and a half, I’ve praised God for whispering these words of Jesus to my heart…
“Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”
Matthew 11:28–29
You see, I received that promise in my heart and grabbed my Bible, and prayerfully asked the Lord to teach me, heal my heart, and bring peace to my soul.
Psalm 18 is very similar to David’s Song of Praise in 2 Samuel 22. He was no longer a young warrior taking on giants or enemy armies. He was now a long-serving experienced King who had trusted the Lord to guide and protect him.
So, as he looked back over his life, David recounted a long list of reasons to praise God for who He is and for all He does.
Here are some of my favorite verses from Psalm 18…
God’s way is perfect.
Psalm 18:30–32
All the Lord’s promises prove true.
He is a shield for all who look to Him for protection.
For who is God except the Lord?
Who but our God is a solid rock?
God arms me with strength,
and He makes my way perfect.
I too have learned that God’s powerful promises are trustworthy and true. When I’m faced with difficult challenges I run to Him through His Word and read powerful promises like the ones below…
He promises that He is:
- loving. 1 Chronicles 16:34
- compassionate. Psalm 145:9
- for us. Romans 8:31
- merciful. 2 Corinthians 1:3
- gracious. Hebrews 4:16
- unchanging. James 1:17
- the Way, the Truth, and the Life. John 14:6
He has promised to give us:
- strength. Isaiah 41:10
- forgiveness. Luke 24:47
- peace. John 14:27
- guidance. Proverbs 3:5–6
- hope. Jeremiah 29:11
- His presence. John 14:16
- eternal life. John 3:16
And when we trust that God is who He says He is and that He keeps His powerful promises, like David, we will say with confidence…
I love You, Lord; You are my strength.
Psalm 18:1–3
The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my Savior;
my God is my rock, in whom I find protection.
He is my shield, the power that saves me,
and my place of safety.
I called on the Lord, who is worthy of praise,
and He saved me from my enemies.
Let’s pray…
A Prayer to Trust God’s Powerful Promises
through Life’s Challenge
Lord, thank you for inviting me to come to You when life’s challenges become a heavy burden. Your Word says that You want me to come to You with everything that’s going on in my life and Your promise to help me carry my burdens when I bring them to You is a blessing for which I am especially grateful.
When I come to You with my burdens, You remind me of who You are and of all You’ve done for me in the past. You give me what I need to trust You with today’s struggle and look at tomorrow with hope. You encourage me with Your love and Your guidance helps me remember that this is all temporary. No difficulty or affliction lasts forever when I keep my eyes on You with an eternal perspective.
So, today and all the days ahead, I will say . . . I love You, Lord, my strength. “You are my rock, my fortress, and my Savior.” You are the One in whom I find protection. You are the One who saves me. You are my place of safety.
By Your grace and with Your help, I will cling to Your promises and live today with gratitude for Your glory. I pray this in the name of Jesus, the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Amen.
We can trust God’s powerful promises because…
“All God’s promises prove true.”
Paul said it this way…
For all of God’s promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding “Yes!” And through Christ, our “Amen” (which means “Yes”) ascends to God for His glory.
2 Corinthians 1:20
From Genesis through Revelation, God’s Word points to Jesus . . . He is the fulfillment of all God’s promises.
We can be confident that His promise to return for us is absolute.
When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.
John 14:3
We can trust His promises . . . He is who He says He is and He will take care of us.
So, take your challenges to Him. Study His Word and go to Him in prayer.
Give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares about you.
1 Peter 5:7
If you’d like to know more about praying God’s powerful promises—click here.
And if you’re looking for specific verses that you can pray over your current circumstances—click here.
May the Lord bless you and fill you with His peace and hope as you prayerfully cling to His promises and place your trust in His unfailing love.
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The Lord lives! Praise to my Rock!
May the God of my salvation be exalted!
Psalm 18:46
God’s promises are all I can trust. He is the one I call on and who understands everything I am going through. I know, in time, things will work out according to His divine plan. It is so wonderful to have a Father who is so true and understanding. His compassion is never ending. I am grateful.
Amen, Sue! I can’t imagine trying to do a moment without Him. His compassion gives me strength for each day and hope for tomorrow. Blessings, sweet friend!
Deb,
I too,have found comfort in Matthew 11:28 and 29. It has been my go to verse for many years. That verse touched my heart and told me of the pure love that Jesus has for me.
Thank you once again for your wonderful posts. I don’t know you in person, but you are like a wonderful friend to me.
God Bless You!
Thank you so much for your sweet blessing. We had a friend who used to say, “Isn’t heaven going to be great? No more goodbyes.” Although we may not meet in person here on earth, I believe God has made us friends for eternity. God bless you! I sure do appreciate you!
Beautiful, heartfelt, and biblical encouragement, Deb. Thank you for sharing your heart and these truths. May God bless you and keep your heart encouraged.
Thank you, Horace! Asking the Lord to bless you this week!
Ditto to what Sue said!!! “I don’t know you in person, but to me you are a wonderful friend.”
I too, am an emotional person, Deb. I have experienced the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. Sometimes I wish I didn’t feel all of life through my emotional lens. I wrote a poem a long time ago, the first stanza being, “I cry, I cry for all I am, I cry for all I am not.
But God is my pillow, He knows all the whys.
Thank You, that through your words, I find hope and encouragement and the Truth of God’s Promises. Strangers on earth, but Sisters in Christ! Love and hugs, sweet friend.
Thank you so very much, Kathy! Rev and I both loved your poem and your encouraging words . . . Strangers on earth, but sisters in Christ! Amen! That is absolutely beautiful! Many blessings and big hugs!
I love what I read of your poem. You seem to have lots of emotions like I do. You always write such beautiful and heartfelt things.
Thank you so much Sue, for your sweet words! Maybe I will share the entire poem sometime…but I am timid, thinking they are not really worthy of sharing! I am very emotional and feel things so deeply…sometimes too deeply. But God, made me the way I am, and I am thankful for all my emotions! Thank you again! You just made my day!!
PS
Remember what Psalm 56:8 says. He collects your tears in his bottle.
It is comforting that he has them all and understands.
We can always rely on God’s promises, Deb. They never fail!
Blessings!
Amen, Martha! What a wonderful blessing to have His Word and His promises. Whatever is going on in the world, His promises give me hope. God’s blessings, my friend!
Good Morning! Thank you for your beautiful blog! I look forward to it so much!
Oh, Shelley, your kindness truly blesses me. Thank you so very much! Blessings!
Good morning Deb
Thank you sharing the beautiful prayers! I will continue to pray with you so that I can continue to grow in my faith.
Hi, Ana! I’m so very glad you are being blessed by your visits. Thank you for letting me know. God be with you and bless you!
Beautiful and encouraging reminder. ????
Thank you, Kelsea! I truly appreciate your kind encouragement. God bless you!
I’m a covenant girl. Throughout my life, especially in the lowest and darkest seasons, God’s unfailing covenants were my scrap to grab onto. While I knew my sins, faithlessness and stony heart, I also remembered what HE promised me such a long time ago. As Max Lucado said it in his sermon of “Falling Words”….we make promises easily without ever truly considering to fulfill them. But NOT God. All His promises have been fulfilled and being fulfilled. Sometimes so subtly that in the noise of life we don’t even realize it…..but it’s there.
These are some of the promises that are very special to me –
During my loneliest times I had the promise: “The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” – Deuteronomy 31:8
During rough times: “Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed, says the Lord, who has compassion on you.” – Isaiah 54:10. Isn’t it amazing that I, who only deserve condemnation, has God’s promise of everlasting compession and unbreakable covenant?
While I rebelled against the Lord: “I will make an everlasting covenant with them that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; and I will put the fear of Me in their hearts so that they will not turn away from Me.” – Jeremiah 32:40. Though my heart is cold, toward God, He promised not to reject but rather renew me.
When I felt that my prayers went unanswered: “Thus says the Lord, ‘In a favorable time I have answered You,
And in a day of salvation I have helped You;” – Isaiah 49:8
In difficulties: “Behold, the LORD’s hand is not shortened,
That it cannot save;
Nor His ear heavy,
That it cannot hear.” – Isaiah 59:1-2
The entire Ezekiel 16 is very personal and special to me: “Nevertheless I will remember my covenant with thee in the days of thy youth, and I will establish unto thee an everlasting covenant.” – Ezekiel 16,60. And He stayed faithful to this promise through thick and thin. I didn’t but God did!
God’s declaration of His relationship with me!: “Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee.” – Isaiah 49,15. Through the “shadow of the valley” walks, this promise was the straw I could hang on.
When I needed hope: “The people walking in darkness
have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.” – Isaiah 9,2. One of the greatest promises I ever got, that not all is lost. I was/am a prodigal son but God promised that He can turn my darkness into light. Not all is lost, there is hope for a deep, true relationship with Him.
Blessings
Beautiful words, Gaby! I can tell You are becoming more and more a trusting and faithful child of God! Blessings and love, and sharing God’s Truth always!
Oh Kathy, I’m so torn that what if my faith is only in my brain but not in my heart…. Yet, all these passages are hidden in the deepest places of my heart and come to mind whenever I need their strenght. Blessings to you too dear friend ????
Thank you so much, Gaby, for sharing these beautiful and inspirational verses. You truly are a blessing. And I can’t tell you and Sue, and Kathy how much it blesses me to see my regular visitors encouraging each other. I feel like we have a little online Bible Study Group going and I love it! Thank you all!
Thank you..
I so enjoy your posts as I learn so much. I’ve always considered myself a christian but have never been able to attend classes to know the Bible and most important getting to know and trust God.
Thank you so much for visiting Yvonne. I am so thankful that we are able to be an encouragement for you and certainly appreciate your words of kindness. God bless you!