[Learn how to overcome adversity in changing times with these four keys.]
Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
I moved a pile of rocks yesterday off our neighbor’s property. And I was reminded of our Church Fathers and Mothers who piled large rocks to create a monument of remembrance to God’s faithfulness.
God stopped the Jordan River so the people could cross over on dry land, just like he had stopped the Red Sea years earlier.
God commanded a man from each of the twelve tribes to take a stone out of the middle of the Jordan River to create a monument.
Joshua set those stones up in the city of Gilgal to remind generations to come of God’s power and faithfulness to deliver His people in times of adversity and change.[1]
We have a God who does not change. He is still powerful and faithful to take care of His people. He will help you overcome adversity in your life.
✔He can hold back a tide of trouble for you and your family, or He will help you to cross the river. In any case, He will work every angle of your life as you trust and rely on Him.
1. Overcome Adversity and Change by Moving Closer to God
How do you handle adversity? Today, because of this infectious Covid-19 virus, we are all facing adversity and rapidly changing times.
Our Creator never promised we would be insulated or immune from trouble on earth.
But He did give us a promise that He would never leave us nor forsake us.[2] He is with us to the very end and wants us to draw near to Him during this time.
The key to overcoming adversity in changing times is to come close and lean on His strength and wisdom to follow Him step by step.
✔This is the time to move in closer to Him.
2. Remember God is Trustworthy and Faithful
If you think back on your life, you have come through hard times before. David could handle Goliath because he knew God helped him earlier to conquer the lion and the bear.
Past trouble may not be like the trouble you are facing right now, but you have faced hard things. Even coming into this world as an infant is hard. So yes, you have come though hard things.
As a child, I remember talking to my grandmother who came through the Great Depression. She had many stories of overcoming adversity in changing times. My Grams had looked at each obstacle as a challenge. She rose to the occasion, and God was with her.
One story she told was as a young girl, her mother gave her a shotgun and one shell to get dinner for the family. She did not come back empty-handed.
She had an undeniable inner trust and strength to face hard times.
The difference between people who come through hard times with strength, refined character, and wisdom and those people who come out bitter, is how they handle the adversity.
There are some people who trust and rely on other people or governments rather than God.
It is good to have people that will help out, but they can’t help like God can help. Be cautious they do not become idols lifted up above God, because at some point they will fall down.
Many life traumas happen when in some way we have not looked to Jesus for help.
✔Remember it is God’s nature to be faithful. He can use others to help in our adversity, but God will never disappoint when we ask Him for help.
3. See the Unseen in Your Circumstances
So, no wonder we don’t give up. For even though our outer person gradually wears out, our inner being is renewed every single day.
We view our slight, short-lived troubles in the light of eternity.
We see our difficulties as the substance that produces for us an eternal, weighty glory far beyond all comparison, because we don’t focus our attention on what is seen but on what is unseen.
For what is seen is temporary, but the unseen realm is eternal.
2 Corinthians 4:16-18 (TPT)
If we can see that God uses all our circumstances to conform our character to Christ’s, we can endure with strength knowing He is working far greater things in our lives.
For the testing of our faith produces an eternal treasure that is impossible to measure in this lifetime.[3]
David did not know he would face a giant when he faced the lion. But he trusted God to build into his character the strength he needed.
God sees you where you are at. He has given you a promise that He will never leave you nor forsake you. He will help you overcome adversity.
You may be tired of the present, but the future will come soon enough.
Learn to tap into your Lord’s strength and abide in His presence.
In this place, under the shadow of His wings, you will find rest for your soul.
You will find renewed strength and joy for the journey ahead.
✔ Ask Him for all the help you need. Find a few quiet moments to focus on your Lord, even if you shut yourself in the bathroom or walk outside. In your mind, see Him putting His arms around you. Notice how you feel.
4. You Have Everything You Need to Overcome Adversity
As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you. . . . but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him (1 John 2:27 NASB).
You have God’s anointing inside you who teaches you, when you slow down to notice.
As the church, we have been preparing for times like this. This is our time to shine.
Every prayer you have prayed, every verse you have studied, every song you have sung has been to prepare you for the times we are in.
You know how to live in your Father’s care. You know how to depend on Him for everything you need.
✔Take this time and pull in closer to His embrace! Spend time in His written word. Spend time talking to Him about your day-to-day cares. Ask for His help and strategies for your life.
Soon, our lives will get back to some sort of normal, but hopefully we will all be changed for the better, forever.
Then we will have symbolic boulders, monuments, and new stories of how God is powerful and faithful to help us overcome adversity in these changing times, so that we can tell others of God’s faithfulness.
I pray God keeps you safe and at peace!
[2] Deuteronomy 31:6; Deuteronomy 31:8; Joshua 1:5; Hebrews 13:5.
Additional Articles You May Be Interested In
3 Biggest Obstacles to Spiritual Growth: Mindsets You Can’t Ignore
